Chapter 103: The Flaws in the Battle Against Yakushi
"Time out!"
After receiving the umpire's approval, Miyuki quickly ran toward the pitcher's mound.
All eyes from Seido High were now fixed on the mound, on those two figures. The heavy blow in the opening inning—how would Seido High break free from this predicament? The answer would directly affect the course of the game.
As Miyuki reached the mound, he couldn't help but shake his head inwardly when he saw Tanba's wavering gaze.
It wasn't without reason that Seido High had lacked a true ace over the past few years.
Tanba's fastball was undeniably a weakness. However, the more critical issue wasn't the gap in his fastball but the inability of Seido High to nurture a mentally resilient pitcher over the years.
In this sense, Tanba's injury in the original timeline had its downsides, but also its upsides—it hardened his mental fortitude.
In the previous timeline, Inashiro's cleanup hitter, Harada, had clearly analyzed this when discussing Tanba with Narumiya. However, in this reality, Tanba hadn't suffered that injury.
On the surface, this was a positive for the team's overall strength. But for Tanba personally, without that crucial challenge, his mental resilience remained the same as before. When he faced adversity, he still crumbled easily and couldn't quickly recover.
On the upper deck of the stadium, a boy in a red baseball cap looked on at Tanba on the mound with deep concern in his eyes.
"Koichiro... Please, don't end up like me…"
That boy was none other than Tanba's close friend, Manaka, the ace of Ichidaisan High School.
Not far away, in the dugout, Eijun's eyes flashed with a sense of urgency. While he was eager to take the mound, he absolutely didn't want to do so under these circumstances.
It wasn't that he feared or lacked confidence in stopping Yakushi's lineup. Rather, Tanba was different from the rest of them—he bore the number that symbolized the ace of the team, a representation of Seido High itself.
Even Eijun knew that stepping in now, from any perspective, would deliver a heavy blow to the morale of Seido High.
So, even if he had to take the mound, this inning was one Tanba had to get through himself.
Of course, if things reached an irreparable point, Seido would have no choice but to change pitchers. But that was a situation Seido desperately wanted to avoid.
"Tanba-senpai, do you understand the situation we're in right now?" Miyuki's expression was serious, yet his tone was calm and composed.
"The game has only just begun. If you, the ace, choose to shrink back and show fear here, then let me be blunt: Tanba-senpai, you don't deserve to wear that number. You would be betraying all your teammates and the expectations of the entire team."
"Even Manaka-senpai, in the end, stood firm and fulfilled his duties as the ace!!!"
Miyuki's words rang in Tanba's ears, causing him to tremble. In his mind, the image of his best friend, standing strong until the end, resurfaced.
He had vowed to avenge him. How could he fall now? Wouldn't that be pathetic?
Not to mention the expectations of his teammates and the recognition of Coach Kataoka. He had nearly let them all down.
"Sorry, Miyuki, for making you worry." Tanba clenched his right fist. Although his face was still a bit pale, his body no longer trembled.
Miyuki breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as Tanba could hold on, there was still hope to turn things around.
"Tanba-senpai, they're likely targeting your fastball. However, the remaining batters don't have Todoroki's power. Don't overthink it—just go for it!"
After only one at-bat, Miyuki had already figured out Yakushi's strategy.
Because of that, Miyuki could calmly adjust the pitch calling and the defensive tactics.
"Got it," Tanba replied in a low voice, his tone gaining strength. Though the weakness was still there, his sense of responsibility grew even heavier.
....
"Whoosh!"
"Clang!"
"Bang!"
"Third baseman!!"
Masuko made a quick slide, his large frame surprisingly agile. After catching the ball, he swiftly flicked it toward first base.
"Snap!"
"Out!!"
"Three outs, change sides!!"
"Good job, Tanba-san!!!"
"That's it, keep it up, Tanba-senpai!!!"
"Well done, Koichiro, nice pitch!!"
"Good one, Tanba!!!"
Barely managing to retire Yakushi High's sixth batter, Tanba finally halted Yakushi's offensive in the first inning.
However, the scoreboard flashing a "2" indicated that Tanba had still allowed two runs during that inning.
After Raichi's home run, Tanba managed to regroup with Miyuki's pep talk, but his form had clearly declined after that hit.
He barely got the second batter, Akiba, out, but Yakushi's third batter, Mishima, struck a deep hit to left field.
Immediately after adjusting their pitching strategy, Miyuki and Tanba were targeted again. Miyuki quickly changed the pitch selection, and though they managed to stifle Yakushi's momentum, another run was still lost.
Yakushi High now held the upper hand with a two-run lead to start the game.
"As the ace, you need to act like one, understood?" Coach Kataoka's cold and stern expression sent a shiver down Tanba's spine. Gritting his teeth, he responded in a low voice, "Yes, Coach!"
"Sawamura, Kawakami, warm up and be ready to go in at any moment," Coach Kataoka added, turning to Eijun Sawamura and Kawakami.
"Yes!!" Eijun and Kawakami both tensed up but quickly responded.
The seriousness of Coach Kataoka's demeanor and words made Tanba's face tighten with discomfort.
He clenched his fists, fully aware that the coach's frustration wasn't merely due to the runs allowed, but because of his mental collapse after giving up the home run to Raichi.
"Phew…" Tanba took a deep breath, calming himself. He knew that if he continued to perform poorly in the next inning, he would undoubtedly be replaced, and he had no doubt about that.
Everyone around the dugout remained silent.
They all understood their coach's personality well enough to know that keeping quiet was the wisest choice at this moment.
Of course, few people noticed that when Coach Kataoka gave the order, aside from Tanba's visible tension, another person in the corner also had a subtle change in expression.
That person was none other than Furuya Satoru!
----------------
If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.
Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Leonzky