<46> The Cheetah and the Villain!

Chapter 46: The Cheetah and the Villain!

"Ping!"

As the white baseball flew towards the third baseman of Nada High School's baseball team, not only the die-hard supporters in the stands of Seidou High School's baseball team but also the players in Seidou's dugout were filled with frustration.

The players of Nada High School's baseball team were clearly not in their best condition. Whether it was their ace pitcher or the other players on their team, they all seemed to be struggling.

The intimidation from Furuya's recent pitch was simply too overwhelming! It would be difficult for anyone to stay focused under such circumstances.

From Seidou High School's perspective, this was undoubtedly a golden opportunity to go on the offensive.

Especially for Kuramochi. If he had managed to hit that ball and get on base, the chances of Seidou scoring would have greatly increased. If they could take the lead early in the game, the momentum would firmly be in their hands for the rest of the match.

Unfortunately…

This was the thought not only in the minds of Seidou's players but also in the eyes of Nada's third baseman, who felt a sense of relief.

He, too, noticed the uneasy atmosphere within their team. Their ace pitcher had just allowed a solid hit!

It seemed like they were about to suffer a major setback right at the start of the game.

But then, out of nowhere, the situation took a dramatic turn.

The leadoff hitter from Seidou High School unexpectedly hit the ball straight towards the third baseman!

"Thank you, Lady Luck!"

The Nada third baseman didn't have time to think. He quickly adjusted his stance, and as the ball bounced toward him, he moved sideways and caught it.

"Slap!"

The moment the ball settled into his glove, the third baseman of Nada High School felt a surge of confidence.

Although the ball had bounced once, preventing him from making a direct catch, it didn't matter.

This ball was in a position where he could throw it directly to first base.

"Sorry, but you can only blame your bad luck!"

The third baseman of Nada High School raised his hand to throw the ball. But then, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Why is he there?"

What shocked the third baseman was, of course, Kuramochi's speed.

Kuramochi was like a flash of blue lightning, already sprinting more than ten meters by the time the third baseman picked up the ball.

When the third baseman grabbed the ball, Kuramochi was just over ten meters away from first base. Not only that, but Kuramochi had already completed his acceleration by then.

This meant that it wouldn't take him much longer to cover the remaining distance.

The third baseman of Nada High School was utterly stunned. By the time he regained his composure and threw the ball, it was too late.

"Slap!"

Before the baseball could nestle into the first baseman's glove, Kuramochi had already stepped on the first base bag.

"Safe!"

No outs, runner on first! Seidou's leadoff hitter had successfully made it on base.

Recalling the speed Kuramochi had just demonstrated on the field, the players and supporters of Nada High School felt a chill run down their spines.

In the stands, the cheerleaders, comprised of beautiful women, were left speechless.

Meanwhile, in Seidou High School's dugout, everyone was clapping enthusiastically, their bright smiles unconcealed.

"Haha, this is getting interesting!"

"Man, that guy's speed is something else."

At the same time, Seidou High School's second batter stepped up to the plate.

Number 4, second baseman, Ryousuke Kominato.

He was another hitter that caused major headaches for opponents. Especially for Nada High School's ace, Kominato Ryousuke was practically his nemesis.

"This is bad news!"

Nada High School's ace, after experiencing the initial onslaught, gradually regained his composure.

Although Furuya's pitching was devastating, the players of Nada High School knew that with such a forceful style, it was impossible for him to last the entire game.

Despite the earlier difficulties, they realized that their initial strategy could still work.

"First, we have to hold the line. As long as we don't give up any runs..."

Understanding this, Nada High School's ace poured every ounce of strength he had into his next pitch.

"Whoosh!"

The pitch was incredibly tricky.

Faced with such a pitch, Ryousuke Kominato at the plate didn't even make a move. He simply watched as the baseball whizzed past him.

Although Kominato didn't move, Kuramochi did.

While the ace pitcher and the main catcher of Nada High School's baseball team were fully focused on dealing with Kominato, Kuramochi suddenly took off. Almost the moment the pitcher assumed his stance, Kuramochi was already sprinting towards second base.

His movement was bold and confident, showing no fear of being stopped by Nada's catcher.

Kuramochi's confidence came from his deep understanding of Nada's pitcher-catcher duo. While their pitching coordination was solid, their ability to hold runners was only average.

With Kuramochi's incredible speed, an average pickoff attempt posed no real threat to him.

"Slap!"

By the time Nada High School's ace completed his first pitch, Kuramochi had already stolen second base.

"No outs, runner on second!"

Kuramochi had successfully reached scoring position!

Now, if Kominato could just get a base hit, even if it wasn't a particularly spectacular one, Kuramochi would have a great chance to make it home and score the first run for Seidou.

The entire stadium was tense!

Before the game, many people had doubts about Seidou High School's baseball team. They believed that Seidou had too many uncertainties.

But as the game progressed, it seemed like everything had changed. The problems everyone expected from Seidou had yet to appear. Instead, the highly favored Nada High School was being outplayed and caught off guard by Seidou's aggressive tactics.

And it wasn't over yet.

With Kuramochi now on second base, everyone expected Ryousuke Kominato at the plate to find an opportunity to make contact and bring the runner home.

Given his exceptional batting skills, handling a pitcher like Nada's ace should have been easy.

However, Kominato didn't take the straightforward approach. Instead, he repeatedly fouled off pitches, pushing the count and forcing Nada's pitcher into a prolonged battle.

After a grueling sequence of seven or eight pitches, Nada High School's ace, already unsettled from facing Furuya earlier, began to crumble under the pressure.

His composure broke, and he threw several consecutive balls.

"Slap!"

"Ball!"

"Walked!"

No outs, runners on first and second.

The players in Nada High School's dugout, along with their fans in the stands, were completely stunned.

In their eyes, Ryousuke Kominato had transformed into a villain, tormenting them with his relentless strategy, as fearsome as a demon.

------------

If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21