Chapter 110: The Overwhelming Aura in Yakushi's Battle!
The responsibility of a pitcher is singular and unwavering: to take down the batter in front of them, serving as the first line of defense, steadfastly protecting their team's territory.
Even when facing the most formidable opponents, retreat is not an option.
With a slight rise and fall in his chest and sweat trickling from his palm, a glimmer of determination flickered in his eyes.
In such circumstances, Eijun made the most dangerous yet most correct choice.
A head-on confrontation, giving no extra chances to the formidable Raichi. At that critical moment, Eijun focused only on Miyuki's mitt at home plate, ready to deliver his best pitch directly into it.
Slowly, he lifted his right leg, tightly clasping the ball with fingers of his left hand.
Come on, Sawamura!!!!
The hot summer wind blew, kicking up dust with his advancing step.
"Whoosh"
With a powerful swing of his arm, the ball shot from his fingertips, a white light racing toward home plate with intensity.
Here it comes!!!!
A direct, straight ball!!!!
This pitch was on target!!!!
In Raichi's eyes, a terrifying light erupted, his powerful aura enveloping him, determined for a decisive strike.
The bat swung, casting its metallic shadow.
"Swish"
A decisive showdown!!!!
Tensed muscles, pounding steps—the intense sound of footfalls accompanied the bat's shining arc.
There was no holding back.
Every ounce of strength was poured into this swing.
The dazzling ball.
The bat slicing through the air.
Under the scorching sun, the two beams of motion swiftly converged, overlapping in that final moment.
Two merging arcs.
Everyone had their eyes wide open at that moment, as if trying to capture that singular instant in the fraction of a second as the distance closed.
And then...
Home plate did not witness the scene that Yakushi and neutral spectators eagerly anticipated.
Instead, it was the crossing paths of shadows.
The ball nestled into the mitt.
And with a sharp, clear sound echoing through the air, the stadium erupted with expressions of awe.
"Pop"
"Strike!!! Batter out!!!!"
"Ohhhhh!!!!"
"An inside fastball, in the end, he chose a direct confrontation and struck out the batter!"
"Amazing, absolutely amazing!"
"Did he really strike out Raichi? The pitcher truly came out on top this time!!!"
"Seido is incredible!!!!"
"Oh my god, oh my god, I don't even know what to say."
After Eijun struck out Raichi, the audience burst into even louder cheers and exclamations of surprise.
In the stands, players from other schools—including Mine Fujio and others, and especially Manaka from Ichidaisan—were wide-eyed. They knew well the prowess of Raichi.
Yet, this formidable batter was struck out by a first-year pitcher from Seido!!!
They could envision the rise of a new ace pitcher in West Tokyo!!!
On the mound, Eijun's presence shone brightly.
In the aftermath of the strikeout, Yakushi High School fell into a moment of stunned silence, and Raichi wore an expression of slight bewilderment. Did he really swing and miss? He had missed?
Originally, the timing seemed just right. But at the very last moment, did the ball speed up slightly? No, that was just an illusion. It wasn't that the ball was faster—it was that he had slowed down.
In the final moments, whether Raichi wanted to admit it or not, an image of Eijun briefly flashed in his mind—the firm eyes and overwhelming aura that pressured him. It caused a slight stiffening in his body.
In a fierce battle, hesitation is the greatest enemy.
And it was this momentary hesitation that cost him what could have been a decisive hit.
The lack of experience was evident not only in Eijun but also in Raichi, this emerging star batter.
Raichi lowered his head, avoiding eye contact with Eijun on the pitcher's mound, and silently carried his bat back to his team's bench.
In the Yakushi dugout, Raichi's teammates and seniors stared in disbelief.
Raichi had been struck out!?
Sanada in the bullpen looked on in amazement as Raichi walked off the field from the batter's box, carrying a hint of dejection.
Could this pitcher really be that strong!?
Sanada unconsciously clenched his right hand into a fist, pondering to himself.
"Sawamura, one out!" Miyuki called from home plate, tossing the ball back.
"Pop." Sawamura caught it securely, giving a slight nod.
Yes, it was just one out, and they were only in the fifth inning. The most crucial part of the game was still ahead!
"Second batter, left fielder, Akiba-kun."
Who would have thought Raichi would get struck out?
Can this pitcher's fastball really be this effective? This is going to be tricky.
As Akiba Kazuma, who was slated to be the starting catcher in the team's fall season, approached the batter's box, such thoughts flashed through his mind.
At home plate, Miyuki's eyes flickered slightly.
"Fast attack, first pitch, four-seam fastball!!!" Miyuki decisively signaled.
Having successfully gotten Raichi out, a sharp fastball would undoubtedly put pressure on the following Yakushi batters, leaving a significant impact.
So here, they needed to capitalize on the momentum.
"Whoosh"
A flash of white light darted from Eijun's fingers.
Almost immediately after receiving the signal, Eijun swiftly swung his left arm.
As the white light rapidly approached.
It was clear that Miyuki had accurately predicted it. Akiba's mind flashed back to Raichi getting struck out, causing his body to freeze momentarily.
Cutter? Fastball? Outside? Inside? Or something else entirely?
Strike zone? Or ball zone?
In a short moment, an overwhelming amount of information flooded his mind, making it difficult for Akiba to make a quick, correct judgment. The scene of Raichi's strikeout was deeply etched in Akiba's memory.
This scene also caught the eye of Coach Todoroki on the bench, who gritted his teeth.
"Clang"
In his haste, Akiba swung his bat.
He couldn't track the ball's trajectory at all.
The ball veered off, bouncing back.
It hit the side of the pitcher's mound.
"Shortstop!!!" Eijun called urgently, having not caught the ball.
"Heh, leave it to me."
Quick as lightning, Kuramochi dashed to the rolling ball, lunged, and expertly caught it with his left hand.
Then, he flipped it toward first base.
"Pop"
"Out!!!!"
With a quick out, first base was able to put Akiba away, securing the second out of the inning.
"Ohhhh!!!!"
"Sawamura-kun, great pitch."
"Two outs, two outs, two outs."
Unstoppable, Eijun's momentum after getting Raichi out was like a rolling wave.
Following that, using a cutter pitch, he also took out the third batter, Mishima.
Yakushi's aggressive lineup was completely suppressed by Eijun's relentless force, going down in order without a single hit!!!!
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