Chapter 41: The Battle at Kokushikan - The Ultimate Showdown
"Ball four, walk!"
As the umpire announced the walk, Eijun watched as Kokushikan's ninth batter, with a look of joy on his face, jogged toward first base.
Eijun furrowed his brow slightly.
A single walk wasn't necessarily a big deal, but the impression Zaizen left on Eijun from the original story was too strong. Eijun couldn't help but wonder if this was part of some scheme by his opponent. After all, the previous batter had deliberately ignored every outside pitch…
Of the four balls, only one had been inside, with the other three on the outside. Coupled with the performance of the previous two batters, a growing sense of foreboding gripped Eijun's heart.
However, Eijun didn't realize that while he was caught up in his own concerns, he was falling deeper into Zaizen's trap. In the dugout along the third base line, Zaizen's cold smile grew more pronounced.
"Kid, you're still too green."
Whether in his past life or his current one, Eijun, who hadn't received much formal training and had limited experience in regular competitions, was unaware that Kokushikan was gradually taking control of the game.
Few on the field noticed this shift, but those who did showed serious expressions, including Miyuki watching from the sidelines, as well as Coach Kataoka and Chris in the dugout.
"Sawamura, there are already two outs." Behind the plate, Ono wasn't as perceptive as top-tier catchers like Miyuki, and hadn't yet sensed the impending danger.
At this point, he still hadn't realized the darkness looming before the storm, maintaining a normal demeanor.
Eijun nodded lightly, exhaling slowly. If he couldn't figure it out, then he'd just have to deal with whatever came next!
A glint of determination flashed in Eijun's eyes as he steeled himself.
"Let's adjust with an inside pitch, then finish the inning with a cutter," Ono signaled subtly from behind the plate.
On the mound, Eijun nodded in agreement.
As he raised his arm, his left hand slid smoothly, sending a chilling light streaking toward the plate.
"Whoosh!"
But in that instant...
In the batter's box, Kokushikan's leadoff hitter, almost without even looking, quickly stepped across the plate.
With a powerful swing, the sound of the bat cutting through the air was unmistakable.
"Crack!"
A thunderous sound echoed through the field.
That white streak was met with a look of shock on Eijun's face on the mound.
"Whoosh!"
Center field!!!
Eijun whipped his head around just in time to see the white ball streak through the infield and into the outfield, landing in left-center as the center fielder barely had time to react.
"Smack!"
Capitalizing on the walk to continue the batting order, Kokushikan's leadoff hitter had finally caught onto Eijun's inside pitch.
A base hit to the outfield, with two outs and runners now on second and third!!
"Damn it!"
On the mound, Eijun gritted his teeth. He had been played—completely played. The opponent had clearly been targeting his inside pitches, with that last swing making it obvious they were entirely ignoring the outside pitches.
Damn it!!!
Reflecting on the Kokushikan batters' performances so far, if Eijun still couldn't figure out their strategy, he would have to be out of his mind. And it wasn't just Eijun; behind the plate, Ono was realizing it too.
Ono Hiro's expression darkened as well. As the catcher, he should have anticipated this situation and provided better pitch selection to the pitcher.
There was nothing worse than this.
"Ha ha, nice job, Kamii."
"Runners on second and third."
"Finally, it's our chance."
"Let's give this kid a taste of pain right here."
"Kokushikan is making a substitution. Pinch hitter, Zaizen. Pinch hitter, Zaizen."
As the energetic atmosphere buzzed in Kokushikan's dugout, the sight of a figure dragging a metal bat out from the bench made Eijun on the mound narrow his eyes slightly.
Naoyuki Zaizen!
"Coach…" Chris's face showed a hint of concern as he glanced at Coach Kataoka.
"Chris, I told you from the beginning, this is a test for him. You understand that, don't you?" Coach Kataoka's face remained unchanged as he raised an eyebrow and spoke coldly.
Coach Kataoka had already seen through the opponent's strategy from the beginning of the inning.
If this were an official match, he would have intervened by now with his own strategy.
But as he mentioned earlier, this is a test for Eijun—a comprehensive test of his skills, mentality, and thinking.
Some might say that such a rigorous assessment is too harsh for a first-year pitcher.
However, in Coach Kataoka's eyes, Eijun is a pitcher with that kind of potential.
He wants to see with his own eyes whether this so-called potential is truly valuable and worth developing. With the summer tournament fast approaching, there's no time to waste. This practice game is crucial in that sense.
Right now is the best time to test him. For a pitcher, how they respond in a crisis is the best way to measure their potential and aptitude.
"Yes, I understand, Coach," Chris nodded silently and responded softly.
Eijun, you have to hang in there…
Watching Zaizen step into the batter's box with a cold smile, Chris's worried eyes drifted toward Eijun.
"Heh, now things are getting interesting. Come on, Sawamura, this is the moment to test your mettle and skills. Whether or not you earn the coach's approval depends on how you handle this," Miyuki chuckled softly from the corner, his tone laced with amusement as he watched the action unfold on the field.
In another direction…
A girl dressed as a team manager leaned against the railing, watching the situation on the field. Her blinking eyes reflected obvious worry.
"Sawamura-kun, hang in there!"
This was, without a doubt, the greatest crisis Eijun had faced in these practice games so far.
Runners on second and third, with Zaizen up to bat—this really was a big crisis.
Eijun adjusted his cap, and as he focused, Zaizen's grim expression filled his vision. Eijun couldn't help but think with a wry smile.
Maybe this is comparable to the time I faced off against Masuko-senpai…
No, it might be even tougher than that.
At least that time, I managed to catch Masuko-senpai off guard with a cutter, giving me a slight advantage.
But this time, all my data, all my tendencies, are laid bare before my opponent.
In other words, there's no element of surprise left.
Everything will have to be determined by raw skill alone.
Perhaps this is my chance to truly evolve, don't you think?
At this moment, Eijun had a sudden realization, a spark of clarity flashed through his mind.
A true ace pitcher is someone who must be willing to face any adversity and crisis head-on. If I can't overcome this current situation...
Then what right do I have to compete for that number on my back?
With a cold gaze and a grim expression, Eijun faced Zaizen in the batter's box with determination.
The final showdown was about to begin!
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