Chapter 40: Seidou's New Attack Power

"This is quite a pleasant surprise!"

The battery team from Akamaji Osagara High School faced this significant crisis with unwavering courage.

They decisively chose to confront Miyuki Kazuya head-on.

This moment was exactly what Miyuki had been waiting for. How long had he longed to get such an opportunity?

With the opponent giving him such a chance, if Miyuki didn't make the most of it, he would feel he let them down.

The best way to show respect for an opponent is to give it your all, without holding back.

Miyuki believed this too, even if his opponents didn't. But the outcome was still unavoidable.

"At this point, couldn't they just walk Miyuki-kun?" Owada Akiko asked, eyes wide with confusion.

Fujio shook his head.

"It's pointless! If Akamaji had any Outs in hand, walking Miyuki would be a good strategy. But they don't have a single Out right now, so the value of walking Miyuki is gone."

They still had three opportunities left.

Seidou High School would score no matter what.

In this situation, giving Seidou High School a free base could backfire.

It was better to confront Miyuki directly.

By going up against Miyuki, they still had a chance to get an Out.

And even if Miyuki managed to hit the ball, it would be easier to accept than letting someone else do it.

Not to mention the likelihood that Seidou High School would launch a coordinated attack now.

If that were the case, the outcome could be even better. They might lose some points, but at least they could secure an out.

The number of Outs is what truly matters.

This was the perspective of Akamaji Osagara, or perhaps it was just wishful thinking.

At this moment, neither the Coaches nor the players from Seidou High School had any intention of launching a coordinated attack.

They were all holding back their energy, eager to win the game in one go.

As Captain, Miyuki Kazuya felt this urgency more than anyone.

Here it comes!

As he saw the white ball soaring toward him, a spark of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Even before the Akamaji battery chose to face Miyuki directly instead of Walking him, he had already guessed their pitching strategy.

In that scenario, the opponents would definitely try to avoid letting him hit the ball.

'So their most likely tactic would be to throw an offensive four balls...'

Not letting the ball stray too far from the strike zone, while also not allowing it to enter the zone completely.

This was to prevent him from hitting a long ball, and also to demonstrate their fighting spirit, showing they weren't afraid to engage.

Even against the reigning champions like Seidou, they would boldly brandish their swords without flinching.

If they couldn't display such fighting spirit, they wouldn't even qualify to face Seidou High School.

Understanding the opponent's pitching strategy made the next step very simple for Miyuki.

'I just need to distinguish whether the ball was pitched to the inside or outside corner.'

Here it comes, outside corner!

The white ball was slightly off the strike zone.

If Miyuki maintained his normal rhythm to swing, even if he made contact, the ball would likely fall out of bounds.

But now, Miyuki was different.

Knowing the opponent might use that strategy, he had already chosen the outside corner.

So, the moment he saw the white ball approaching, he stepped toward the plate without hesitation.

This caused his entire body to shift forward.

What was once an outside pitch for him had now become an easy ball toward the outer center.

'Brilliant!'

The location was simply outstanding.

Miyuki showed no intention of holding back, swinging his bat cleanly and decisively.

PANG!!!

After making contact, the white ball soared high, tracing an almost perfect arc before landing in the left-field stands.

"O-OUT OF THE PAAARK!!!"

"FROM THE FIRST INNING!!!"

"A HOME RUN!"

With runners on first and third base, Miyuki had scored a clear home run.

The score extended to 4:0.

As of now, Seidou High School has not lost a single Out.

This meant their offense continued as if it would never stop.

"MIYUKI!"

"YOU RASCAL!!"

Upon returning to the dugout, Miyuki was immediately met with wild cheers from his teammates.

His performance was truly outstanding.

Or perhaps it's better to say, that since becoming Captain, he had shown immense responsibility, demonstrating exceptional skill in every aspect.

In the stands, senior reporter Fujio from the Baseball Kingdom also praised the scene before him.

"Apart from players Sawamura and Miyuki, Seidou High School doesn't seem to have any standout power hitters! This gives outsiders the impression that their offensive strength isn't very robust. The reality, however, is different; while Seidou High School lacks a strong hitter who can change the game in one swing, they have plenty of skilled contact hitters."

It was as if their players were perfectly poised to land a critical blow on their opponents at any time.

"Fifth batter, outfielder, Yuuki-kun!"

At this moment, it was Yuuki Masashi's turn to bat for Seidou High School.

Coach Kataoka's preference for him had reached an unparalleled level. Even when the great Sawamura Eijun first joined Seidou High School, he spent some time in the lower batting order before being promoted to a core hitter position.

Now, in his first appearance in the general lineup, Yuuki was directly elevated to the core batting position.

It felt unbelievable.

Of course!

Yuuki felt no such surprise. As he stepped into the Batter's Box, there was no one else in his sight.

Before him stood only the pitcher on the mound.

'Bring it on!'

'Let's hit it out!'

BUZZZ!!!!!

As he swung his bat, a thunderous whoosh echoed faintly.

"So impressive!!"

"I've never seen this player before. When did he become a key part of Seidou High School?"

The audience looked at Yuuki Masashi in astonishment.

With such a dynamic swing, they shouldn't have been unfamiliar with him.

As the saying goes, when something seems off, something's amiss.

A player who had never been seen before was suddenly promoted to the fifth batter.

Even a fool could see that Seidou High School had acquired a remarkable talent.

Look at Yuuki's robust physique and smooth, fluid swing.

His image was increasingly resembling that of a legendary super rookie.

In the face of such an opponent, Akamaji players dared not let their guard down.

Both sides were prepared for battle, the air thick with tension.

All eyes were on them.

In this atmosphere, it was Yuuki Masashi's first at-bat, facing off against his opponent.

No one expected the outcome of this duel to be so decisive.

"STRIKE!"

BUZZZ!!!!

"STRIKE!!"

BUZZZZZ!!!!!!

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

Without any lag, Yuuki Masashi was struck out by his opponent in three pitches.

The pitcher, who had been bullied by Seidou High School's batters, finally had a chance to breathe.

In the Batter's Box, Yuuki's helmet was askew from swinging so hard.

'Next time, next time...'

He vowed silently.

The Senpais in the dugout discussed among themselves.

"This is his first at-bat in High School, isn't it?"

The current situation didn't surprise anyone.

After all, Yuuki had never seen what High School baseball was really like before.

"Facing a strong opponent in his first game was no wonder he struggled."

"Though he seemed a bit dull..."

Originally, the players thought that even if he didn't get a hit, at least he could make contact.

Unexpectedly, he didn't touch the ball at all.

Miyuki and Sawamura didn't see it that way.

Or rather, they understood the situation more deeply.

"He stuck to his own swing style until the end, even when the opponent changed their rhythm and focused on breaking balls. He didn't waver at all." Miyuki remarked emotionally.

These words carried two meanings.

First, Yuuki Masashi exhibited the qualities of persistence.

This must be a trait from the Yuuki family; his brother, Yuuki Tetsuya, is of the same kind.

The other aspect was recognizing Yuuki's potential.

Despite just entering High School and still familiarizing himself with the game, Yuuki Masashi already had his own hitting style, which is really rare.

In Seidou High School's current first-string team, few players have developed their own hitting styles.

Miyuki, Sawamura, and Kominato are among the very few.

Others, like Kuramochi and Shiratsu, have yet to fully hone their own styles.

While Maezono's style had been formed, it hadn't yet matured.

By this comparison, Yuuki's potential stands out.

"No wonder Coach Kataoka entrusted him with significant responsibility."

Yuuki Masashi's strikeout was a significant setback for the entire Seidou High School.

Their smooth offensive rhythm came to an abrupt halt.

Both teams seemed to return to an even playing field as the game continued.

"It was just a little off!"

In Seidou High School's dugout, Coach Ochiai stroked his chin and lamented.

At that moment, if Seidou High School had capitalized on the opportunity to score again...

Then a pitcher collapse would have been a foregone conclusion.

But now, that golden opportunity had slipped away.

Seidou High School would have to wait for the next chance.

As the game entered the second inning, with the help of the defense, Akamaji struggled to stabilize the situation and ultimately avoided giving up any points.

...