[212] Seidou Strikes Back

Chapter 212: Seidou Strikes Back

The confidence in his words revealed the strong presence of Sano Shuuzou, the cleanup hitter.

Coach Nishidera nodded in satisfaction.

This was the Sano Shuuzou they could rely on, the absolute cleanup hitter for Seihou High School.

"Don't get careless, and don't lose focus. The momentum of the game hasn't truly shifted to the other side. Hold the defense, look for opportunities! We didn't come here just to make memories. Our goal has always been one thing: Victory! Understood?"

"Yes, sir!!"

All the players on Seihou High School's bench responded loudly.

"Bottom of the fourth inning, Seidou High School's turn to bat. Batting seventh, the pitcher, Sawamura-kun."

"Let's go, Sawamura!"

"You've shown your pitching skills, now it's time to show off your batting!"

"Sawamura, we're counting on you here!"

A slider, a curveball, and a forkball—this pitcher mastered almost all mainstream breaking balls.

However, his go-to pitch was undoubtedly the slider.

The other pitches were mostly decoys, but his command of his fastball and its average speed of 140 km/h made him quite formidable.

The last time Eijun made contact with his fastball, there was an element of luck involved.

This time, it wouldn't be so easy.

Eijun adjusted his cap brim and lightly tapped the home plate with his bat.

From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Seihou High School's catcher, Misaki, whose serious expression exuded a calm demeanor. His sharp gaze was fixed intently on the pitcher's mound.

"!!"

No need for fancy breaking balls—against this batter, pure fastballs will do.

Overwhelm him with power; that's more than enough.

Misaki signaled subtly with his fingers, a flash of determination passing through his eyes.

Narakoshi nodded slightly.

Whoosh.

With a quick motion, the ball flashed towards the plate like a streak of white light.

Eijun's eyes tracked the trajectory of the pitch, the dazzling brilliance filling his vision.

Swish!

The bat swung, slicing through the air in a straight line.

At this moment, light and shadow intertwined.

Pop!

"Strike!!!"

"Phew…"

That angle is really tough to read.

Even though he barely judged the pitch's path, with that added velocity, he'd have to swing earlier.

Wait for the ball to come in and then unleash a full-force swing!

Eijun took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

He choked up slightly on the bat, acknowledging that although the pitcher's fastball had reached 145 km/h, it didn't have much late movement.

Its sheer power was just enough to be threatening.

The key was to seize the timing.

Sacrificing a bit of power for better precision was absolutely necessary here.

Whoosh!

Ping!

A clean hit wasn't required—just a solid connection.

Bang!

"Foul ball!!!"

As long as he could get the ball past the defense, even an infield single would suffice.

Eijun swung his bat lightly, his gaze sharp and unwavering.

Whoosh!

Another streak of white light came speeding toward him.

Eijun's expression grew serious as he took a steady step forward.

Ping!

Bang!

"Foul ball!"

"The third pitch was aimed at the low outside corner of the strike zone, and it ended up as a foul near third base!"

Still a bit too early?

The timing was fine, but judging the pitch location and trajectory was proving to be difficult.

Eijun raised an eyebrow slightly and made some subtle adjustments to his stance and posture.

"Tch, this kid… his composure is unreal," thought Misaki, the catcher, a hint of irritation flashing in his eyes.

A mere first-year showing such confidence—it felt overly arrogant to Misaki.

"Let's end this with this pitch, Narakoshi!"

Misaki signaled discreetly with his right hand.

On the mound, Narakoshi nodded slightly, took a small step back, then raised his left leg.

Whoosh!

A brilliant streak of light shot toward the plate.

In the batter's box, Eijun's expression sharpened.

Here it comes.

This pitch will decide the outcome.

Eijun tightened his grip on the bat, his sharp eyes capturing the trajectory of the ball.

Boom!

His foot stepped forward, and the bat swung with force.

Misaki's eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope.

"Great, his swing is starting to fall apart!"

Misaki thought to himself, convinced that this pitch would finish off the batter.

The ball streaked toward the plate, its trajectory suddenly diving sharply.

Eijun's face remained calm, a glint of determination in his eyes.

Swish!

Ping!!!

A resounding crack echoed through the field.

Eijun's downward swing perfectly captured the descending pitch.

Whoosh!

With a powerful flick of the bat, the ball flew forward.

The white ball darted past home plate and struck the ground near the left side of the pitcher's mound.

Narakoshi's outstretched glove couldn't reach the ball in time.

The ball bounced past the gap between first and second base, landing in shallow right field.

Under Narakoshi's shrinking pupils and Misaki's grim expression, Eijun safely reached first base.

The leadoff hitter, Eijun, had successfully broken through Seihou's defense, making it to base and becoming the first spark in Seidou's offensive surge!

"He actually managed to react to that? No… this guy was targeting fastballs from the start, while keeping the forkball in mind."

"What a precise and calculated hit. Ruthless!" Misaki thought, gritting his teeth in frustration.

"Whew, good thing I was prepared, or I would've missed that swing," Eijun thought to himself as he removed some unnecessary protective gear in the batter's box and handed it to Fumiya standing nearby. He exhaled in relief.

Or perhaps, if the pitch had been just a little faster, he wouldn't have been able to keep up.

"Batting eighth, left fielder, Furuya-kun."

In the dugout, Coach Kataoka's expression remained calm. He gave a slight nod, signaling Furuya, who instantly understood his role for the next play.

Whoosh!

Ping!

As the white ball sped toward him, Furuya quickly bent forward and assumed a bunting stance.

"Bunt!"

Whoosh!

Bang!

"One out at first base! Narakoshi!"

Misaki immediately shouted as Narakoshi dashed off the mound toward the ball.

Whoosh!

Pop!

"Out!"

While Furuya was put out at first base, Eijun executed a textbook slide, swiftly reaching second base.

"A successful sacrifice! Seidou High School opts for a cautious bunt. With one out, the runner advances to second, putting them in scoring position. For the third time this game, after the second and third innings, Seidou has another excellent scoring opportunity!"

"Let's go, Seidou!"

"Nice bunt, Furuya!"

"Good, good, keep the momentum steady!"

"One step at a time!"

"Let's get another hit, Shirasu!"

"Batting ninth, right fielder, Shirasu-kun."

Swing at the pitch when it comes—no hesitation, just attack.

Don't fear striking out.

Keep swinging from the first pitch.

In the dugout, Coach Kataoka made a bat-gripping gesture and tapped his chest.

From the batter's box, Shirasu responded by touching the brim of his cap in acknowledgment.

Although Seidou's offense in the previous inning had seemed somewhat impatient, their aggressive approach to hitting remained their signature style.

Having already decided on an offensive strategy before the game, there was no reason to change tactics now.

Seidou's battle plan was clear: relentless aggression!

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