Chapter 136: Seidou's Fierce Attack Against Inashiro
"Ohhh! Did you see that speed?!"
"Wasn't that a grounder to third base? And he still made it to first? No way!"
"Unreal, he's so fast!"
"The leadoff batter swings at the first pitch, even though it wasn't a clean hit, and he still made it to base."
"Wow, that speed is just insane!"
"Look! Even the Inashiro players are shocked."
Kuramochi's explosive speed sent a wave of awe throughout the stadium. Even those who already knew about Seidou's lineup were stunned seeing his speed up close.
Honestly, a running speed like that feels almost unfair.
In Seidou's dugout, cheers erupted. Eijun raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Kuramochi-senpai's pride is as fierce as anyone's…
"Fantastic performance, Cheetah-sama!" Eijun shouted at Kuramochi on first base, leaning against the dugout rail.
"Sawamura, you punk! Who are you calling a cheetah!?" Kuramochi's forehead instantly bulged with a vein, shouting back with all the intensity he could muster.
"Hahaha!!!"
"Nice grounder, Kuramochi!"
"Exactly the kind of speed we needed, Cheetah-sama!"
"Cheetah-sama, that was brilliant!"
"Perfect baserunning, Cheetah-sama!"
Eijun's enthusiastic nickname seemed to set off a wave in Seidou's dugout, and now everyone—even the cheering squad—had started calling Kuramochi "Cheetah-sama."
Kuramochi's face darkened as if he'd been charred, vowing to make Sawamura pay for this later.
His max speed—pretty close to Carlos, huh?
Standing near second base, Shirakawa cast a cool glance toward Kuramochi, who was now posing in victory on first, thinking to himself.
Meanwhile, Inashiro's players all furrowed their brows.
Kuramochi's exaggerated lead-off stance only added to their unease. With his speed, trying to prevent him from stealing bases would be a major challenge.
Damn, damn, damn! This punk made it to first with just a grounder?!
On the mound, Narumiya was visibly fuming. To let the leadoff batter get on base—Tokyo's "Prince" was not happy. Weren't they supposed to give Seidou a surprise start?!
Instead, it was Seidou who gave him a surprise.
"Next up, the second batter, Kominato."
"Go, Kominato-senpai!"
"Hit one for us, Ryousuke!"
"Ryousuke!"
Watching the field, Coach Kataoka stroked his chin, then adjusted his cap.
On the field, both Kuramochi and Ryousuke touched the brims of their caps.
Ryousuke then squinted, flashing a slight smile, and boldly showed bunt—a clear declaration of intent to sacrifice for advancing the runner!
That hint of a smile, coupled with the open stance, only served to infuriate Narumiya further.
Mei, keep calm!
From home plate, Harada narrowed his eyes, locking his clear gaze onto Narumiya, forcing him to swallow his anger—though the irritation was still visible on his face.
Assessing the situation, Harada suspected Ryousuke was using deception, mixing real intent with bluffing, so he subtly tapped his fingers to communicate.
Narumiya took a deep breath, giving a slight nod.
With a piercing glare and a true ace's presence, Narumiya prepared to show Seidou exactly what it meant to face a top-tier pitcher!
Whoosh
His arm whipped forward, sending another streak of light racing toward the plate.
The chilling glare of the ball, radiating with ferocious energy, sliced through the air with a resounding roar.
To Harada's surprise, Ryousuke actually committed to the bunt, lowering himself just as the ball sped towards him, colliding with the cold metal bat.
Simultaneously, Kuramochi took off from first base, his figure already racing.
Harada's expression changed instantly.
Ping!
The sharp collision rang out, and Ryousuke could feel the jolt all the way through his hands. The ball's force sent a tremor up his arms, almost causing him to lose his grip, but he gritted his teeth and managed to control it, guiding the ball forward.
Thud!
The ball hit the ground and skidded along the first-base line as Kuramochi flew past second and was already closing in on third.
He's so fast!
This was the only thought running through the Inashiro players' minds.
"First base, Mei!"
Seeing Kuramochi streaking toward third, Harada furrowed his brows and called out to Narumiya.
Narumiya, having just scooped up the ball and prepared to throw it to third, paused at Harada's signal. Without hesitation, he redirected the throw to first base instead.
Snap
"Out!"
"Safe!"
Ryousuke was out at first, but Kuramochi had successfully reached third.
"One out, runner on third, and now it's Seidou's chance to bring in a run with their cleanup hitter! It's Seidou's perfect scoring opportunity!"
"Batting third, center fielder, Isashiki!"
You punk, Narumiya! I'm here now, so you'd better get ready!!
Isashiki Jun stomped up to the plate, his fierce expression meeting Narumiya's cold gaze, a spark igniting between them.
Watching Narumiya's composed figure, Eijun's eyes glinted with a chill as he sat in the dugout, subtly observing.
Coach Kataoka's expression remained calm as he raised his right hand, signaling a play.
With the game on the line, they decided to go all in—swing at the first pitch!
A hint of determination flashed in Isashiki's eyes as he touched the brim of his cap.
Drawing from the original game strategy and Eijun's insights, Seidou's setup had led Inashiro step by step into their trap.
More dangerously, Harada's consistent game-calling style had already been anticipated by Eijun.
Unlike the unpredictable calling of Miyuki, Harada's strength lay in his solid, reliable game management—extracting every ounce of Narumiya's potential.
But this approach would prove to be Inashiro's undoing.
The subtle shift in fingers.
The left arm raised high.
The fierce, piercing gaze.
The three main players were already set in position.
The bright white streak cut through the sky.
The roar of impact echoed through Jingu Stadium.
Whoosh
The icy light surged forward.
The shadow of the ball zoomed by.
A split second later—
Crack!
The powerful, sharp sound reverberated through the air.
The blinding white flash left everyone in shock!
------------
If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.
Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Leonzky