<83> The So-Called Weakness

Chapter 83: The So-Called Weakness

"Still no balls in the count? Then don't hold back, Ozawa!

For the third pitch, give me a slider that moves from the strike zone to outside!"

"Bang!"

"Foul ball!"

"He swung at that? Why?"

"Damn it! How dare he underestimate me like this! I'm so pissed off!" Ozawa furiously kicked at the dirt.

"Sorry, I need a timeout!"

"Timeout!"

...

"What's wrong, Ozawa?"

"That guy dared to...!" Ozawa was on the verge of losing control.

"Calm down! He's trying to provoke you! Do you still want to face off against him and win?"

"Of course!"

"Then stay cool! You absolutely cannot throw an easy pitch to this batter! Remember what happened during his last at-bat?"

"Ah!!!" Ozawa suddenly snapped back to her senses after hearing her teammate's words.

"Do you recall? That batter took your perfect slider and turned it into a triple down the third-base line. It was pure luck that the ball ended up near Minako's glove; otherwise, it could have been an inside-the-park home run.

And don't forget—he was just centimeters away, barely, from hitting a home run out of the park!"

Seeing the cold sweat forming on their ace's forehead, the Sakura Girls catcher continued.

"If you want to win against him, don't let his antics get to you so easily!

Honestly, I don't even understand what he's trying to do, but we just need to stick to our game plan. Got it?"

"Yeah!"

"Sorry for the wait!"

"Let's go!"

And so, the battle of attrition began.

"Foul ball!"

"Foul ball!"

"Foul ball!"

...

"How many pitches has it been?"

"I lost count. At least 15, I think?"

"They're really holding on! Honestly, the fact that not a single one of those pitches has gone forward—this batter is terrifying!"

"He's like a monster!"

The spectators from Tokumei Academy murmured amongst themselves, captivated by the showdown.

...

"Damn it! What's going on with this batter?

From the start of the game, I've had no idea what he's thinking!

Even now, he swings at anything that's not too far off target!

The other batters are all so careful about their pitch selection, but him...?

...Wait.

He swings at anything that's not too far off...

While the others carefully pick their pitches...?

Could it be...

This batter doesn't know how to pick pitches at all?"

The coach once mentioned that he had only trained in baseball for a month, and yet, he was the cleanup hitter for the prestigious Wildcats youth baseball team—a team that had been unbeatable for many years.

Logically, a player who couldn't select pitches properly shouldn't exist, especially in a team like the Wildcats, where teamwork was paramount. Players who disrupted the team dynamic would never have made it to the main squad, especially not as fourth-year players.

But this guy was the one and only exception in 20 years. That meant he likely didn't meet the Wildcats' usual standards. He was probably fast-tracked and trained in an extreme way. His batting stance was flawless, but his swings clearly showed a lack of experience.

So, it was very possible he didn't know how to read pitches. With talent at his level, he probably never needed to! That must be it.

After over ten pitches and a sudden flash of insight, Sendo's weakness was finally discovered.

However, a weakness is only truly one if it can be exploited.

For the pitcher and catcher, the real challenge lay in crossing that fine line. Nobody could say whether they could use this weakness to retire Sendou.

"If that's the case, then don't blame me! Let's test just how good your judgment really is!"

"Here? You want it here? Fine, I'll give it to you!"

"Smack!"

"Ball!"

"A ball! That's the second ball in this count!"

"How many pitches has it been since the last ball? That batter keeps swinging at bad pitches!" The nearby Tokumei players were growing nervous.

Was this strategy or sheer persistence? One player kept throwing pitches just barely outside the strike zone, while the other kept swinging at them.

"Alright, next pitch will go here!" The catcher recalled the previous foul balls and narrowed the target area even further.

"Smack!"

"Ball!"

"Alright!!! Full count! Hit it, Sendo!" Sawamura shouted wildly from the sidelines.

"I may not fully understand pitch selection, but don't treat me like a fool!" thought Sendo, his meaning twofold.

On one hand, he acknowledged that he might swing at slightly off pitches he wasn't sure about. But on the other, he realized the opposing pitcher was testing his limits, and there wasn't much he could do about that.

He calmly glanced around the field, then looked at Ozawa. But before he could process further, she shot him a fierce glare. It seemed he had unknowingly offended her deeply.

"Are they trying to intentionally walk me? Or have they seen through my weakness? Either way, with the count full and no intentional walk, it's likely the pitch will stay on the edge of the strike zone.

If that's the case, the solution is simple: swing at anything in the strike zone! If it's too far outside, that means they're walking me, and the inning will end here. After 20 pitches, I can accept that outcome!"

Having made up his mind, Sendo adjusted his body to optimal condition for the pitch. He shook out his legs, swung his bat like a whip to loosen up, and prepared himself mentally.

"Let's do this!"

The umpire, seeing that the batter was ready, signaled for the pitch.

"This doesn't need to be a strike—just throw it to the outer corner of the strike zone… a cutter!"

The cutter, already veering outside the strike zone before its movement began, was aimed at the outer corner. For a left-handed batter like Sendo, it was a pitch that dipped diagonally away—a near-perfect magic ball. It was a pitch designed to be left alone.

"Outer corner!" Sendo immediately judged the trajectory and took a massive step forward.

He readied his bat slowly, coiled for a decisive swing.

"Yes! He's swinging at that spot after all!"

"Bang!"

"..." The sound reverberated like an echo.

Both the pitcher and catcher froze as their minds buzzed.

"That reach! He could hit that?!"

"Even if it's called a magic ball, it doesn't change the fact that it lacks power," Coach Mitani murmured as he glanced at Sendo, who had just completed his swing, and then closed his eyes.

"Thud!"

No one knew exactly how far the ball had flown, but everyone saw it soar high over the outfield fence and land in the river beyond.

"Yosha!!!"

Akagi's dugout erupted into chaos, their players cheering wildly.

Even the students from Tokumei Academy were losing their minds over what they had just witnessed.

"Clang!"

Sendo casually dropped his bat, his expression calm and unreadable, as he began to jog around the bases.

Though Sendou showed no overt emotion, Ozawa on the pitcher's mound felt a crushing sense of superiority from him.

Sendo had swung at the exact moment the ball started to break, sending it flying out of the park with a single, devastating hit—once again robbing Ozawa of yet another "first."

"Safe!"

Sendou completed his run without any extra gestures, calmly making his way around the bases.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the score was now 2-0.

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