Chapter 41: The Devil Bloodline

At the start of the third inning, there was a change in pitchers.

Furuya was replaced by Kawakami.

Furuya was very stubborn about this outcome, even unwilling to leave the mound.

At this moment, Captain Miyuki stepped forward.

"Everyone's opportunity is fair. If you want to return to the mound next time, you'll need to work harder in your training. Now, it's time for your Senpais to show their strength!" Miyuki stared directly at Furuya.

Under Miyuki's gaze, Furuya finally yielded and left the mound.

Without experiencing storms, how can one see a rainbow?

Watching Furuya walk off the field dejectedly, as a friend, Eijun wasn't too upset. He knew that Furuya would come through and perform even better in the future.

"Forcing yourself to do something you aren't ready for won't accomplish anything. Now that you know what you are lacking, there's no need to rush. Just take it step by step and improve yourself!"

Even though he understood what Sawamura said, Furuya was still thinking about contending for the Ace position.

"Next time, I will fight to the end!"

As Furuya left the field, his determination was unwavering.

Kawakami's appearance on the mound was a great morale booster for the second-year players.

Among the current top three pitchers, Kawakami was the only second-year student.

Although Sawamura Eijun was well-liked and the monster Furuya had a strong presence, their bonds with the second-year players were not as strong as Kawakami's.

The camaraderie among students of the same year was naturally closer. Kawakami's friendship with the second-year seniors was a prime example.

Aside from Sawamura, even though Furuya performed better previously, the second-year seniors were still more inclined to support Kawakami in their hearts.

'I will work hard!'

Upon taking the mound, Kawakami clenched his fists tightly.

His steps were incredibly resolute.

The new round of the game began!

As the game reached the third inning, second-year Kawakami Norifumi took the mound. Although Miyuki and Kawakami were promoted to the first team around the same time, they followed distinctly different paths.

Yet their collaboration was highly in sync. Seeing Kawakami's fighting spirit, Miyuki felt excited as well.

'Had Furuya's performance affected him?'

Today, Furuya seemed a bit off compared to his training sessions. However, even with this less-than-optimal state, Furuya's performance was still impressive.

The team's absolute Ace is Sawamura Eijun! Even though both Furuya and Kawakami have strong skills, there is still a significant gap when compared to Sawamura.

So, for now, the three cannot be compared. At least, the two of them cannot be compared to Sawamura in the short term.

The gap is too significant!

However, the two of them can be compared with each other, and in a way, they are direct competitors.

In any big tournament, it is almost impossible for Sawamura to handle everything alone, so he definitely needs a reliable backup.

This is what's known as a main relief pitcher.

Though this person doesn't have a starting number, they are generally treated as a key player. This position is much stronger than that of a regular backup.

During Sawamura's resting, who will take this role? Will it be Furuya or Kawakami?

It will depend on their respective conditions and the outcome of this game.

Seeing Furuya perform so well, Kawakami's fighting spirit was also stirred.

"Our opponents are no ordinary players. They likely understand your strengths even better than they understand Furuya. Even if it's just a two-inning duel, if you're not careful…"

Before taking the field, Miyuki found Kawakami to have a brief exchange and discussion.

"I understand!"

Kawakami's response was very calm and collected.

It seemed that during the break, he had already sensed the competitive atmosphere of the game.

'That's reassuring!'

Miyuki secretly felt relieved and returned to his catcher's position as the game resumed.

"First batter, shortstop, Kusunoki."

When the handsome Kusunoki stepped into the batter's box, no one initially thought much of it.

The game between the third-year seniors and the first and second-year underclassmen had already progressed through two innings.

During these two innings, everyone quickly noticed one thing.

There was a clear difference between the main players who had been to Koshien and those who hadn't or even those who had been to Koshien but only as substitutes.

The gap was apparent.

There is always a difference between starters and substitutes; otherwise, why would one be a starter and the other a substitute?

However, in a prestigious team like Seidou High School, both starters and substitutes are excellent, and the difference should not be too obvious.

But in the previous game, the difference was striking.

"Those who have been to Koshien and competed against the top players in the country have grown significantly during this time. The gap between them and their original teammates has become evident," Coach Ochiai mused, stroking his small goatee.

Koshien is a magical place where players generally experience varying degrees of growth after seeing and competing there.

Kusunoki was previously a backup shortstop on the Seidou High School team.

Although Kawakami did not perform extensively at Koshien, he had played several times.

On the other hand, Kusunoki had only appeared in a few games as a substitute in Koshien, thanks to Coach Kataoka's arrangement.

Because of this, Kusunoki wasn't initially considered a serious threat.

Even Miyuki and Kawakami, the direct opponents, thought similarly.

They had never considered that Kusunoki would pose any difficulties.

But the reality was often the opposite. Although Kusunoki was a backup on the Seidou High School team, it didn't mean his skills were lacking!

His skills might struggle against a monster like Furuya, but they were quite sufficient against Kawakami.

Moreover, Kusunoki approached Kawakami differently from how he approached Furuya.

Furuya had joined Seidou High School only six months ago and had been rapidly improving during this period. It was difficult to grasp his pitching.

Kawakami, on the other hand, had been with Seidou High School for almost two years, and everyone, including Kusunoki, had a clear understanding of his skills.

'I've wanted to face Kawakami's pitches for a while!'

Ping!

Kusunoki swung at the pitch from Kawakami and hit it.

Miyuki frowned as the pitch was anticipated!

'This was a bit strange.'

For the first pitch, Miyuki hadn't given a clear signal.

Based on the information he had, Kusunoki usually didn't swing at the first pitch.

So no matter what Kawakami threw, it should have been safe. This was why Miyuki allowed Kawakami to decide on his pitch.

Unexpectedly!

'We understand our opponents and our opponents understand us!'

Miyuki chuckled wryly.

The white ball hit the second baseman's area and then bounced.

"Keep going, charge ahead!"

"Base hit! Base hit!!!"

As Kusunoki ran toward first base, a figure suddenly emerged and blocked the ball's path.

Due to the low bounce, the figure adjusted his Mitt position carefully and successfully stopped the ball.

Snap!

The white ball went into the Mitt, and the figure swiftly threw the ball to first base.

Snap!

"OUT!"

Kusunoki made a good hit, but unfortunately, the freshman team's second baseman was not to be underestimated.

It was Kominato Haruichi who appeared out of nowhere to stop the ball and throw it to first base.

"Great job!"

"Just like his Devil brother."

"The Devil bloodline is strong in the family!"

Not only were the spectators amazed, but the coaching staff also highly praised Haruichi's performance.

"Looks like we didn't lose much in the second batter and baseman position!"

"Although, compared to his brother, his defensive ability is still a bit lacking!"

…