Chapter 21 : The End & Promotion

A moment later, the game continued again. It seemed the spirit shown by Sawamura and Chris ignited all the Seidou players on the field. They didn't want to let those two shine and advanced to the main team that easily. Since then, Seidou's offense run wild and flawlessly, not giving Kokushikan any chance to react.

*CLANK!*

"Oh! That's a nice hit!"

"The outfielders couldn't get the ball! Run, Maezono!"

"JUMP!"

"YEAH! A TRIPLE IN THE FIRST OFFENSE! COME ON!"

"YAMAGUCHI, KEEP IT UP!"

All the offense lineup from Seidou was fired up. They kept blasting one hit after another until they left Kokushikan far behind in the score line. As for the defense, even though Chris and Sawamura had a rough time, they managed to defend well and keep the opponent scoreless in the last couple innings.

His glaring improvement shocked everyone, especially in the eyes of the other rookies who were his teammates in the intra-game a few weeks ago. Even though they knew Sawamura's talent was exceptional, due to his poor basics, everyone thought no matter how hard he worked, Sawamura wouldn't be able to catch up with those who trained in baseball systematically since they were a child. They still thought Sawamura's success in joining the second team was all because of his leadership, not his ability.

Now, seeing how capable Sawamura was on the mound, it was like a slap straight in the face.

"That ridiculous pitching motion sure is unsolvable." Isashiki grinned outside of the field.

"Yeah." Tetsu nodded in agreement. "With him hiding the hand tight behind his form, it is really hard to get a read on the ball."

"It is because he is a rookie who was completely blank paper and had the gut to try something outrageous that allowed him to pull that shit out of nothing." As one of Sawamura's roommates, Kuramochi also added his opinion. "I cannot wait to see from the box how good his pitching was."

Several of them nodded, firing up at the thought of facing Sawamura on the box. Hearing the high praises from the main players to Sawamura, all the rookies who watched the game clung their heads down, ashamed of their behavior.

When Sawamura started to run early and train harder than anyone else, they scoffed at him, thinking that it was impossible for him to cramp the basic lesson they trained for more than three years in one month. When Sawamura joined the second team, they thought it wasn't because of his ability. And when they had a chance to train harder and impress their senpai or their coach, they chose to be lazy and think they would have a better chance to join the team next year.

Now, seeing Sawamura thriving in the game like this, determination burned inside them, wanting to do better in the future. Unexpectedly, Sawamura changed his generation even without him saying anything.

"He is good." Hiroto nodded. "He has the temper that was needed to be the ace. If he continued to grow, his future would be unlimited."

"Yeah." Miyuki also had no problem praising Sawamura. Then, a mischievous grin formed on his face as he turned around to Furuya. "You have to work harder. If you don't watch out, he will pass you up soon without you noticing about it."

Furuya who hadn't spoken anything since Sawamura's incredible performance before stood up from his seat, his face still cold as usual. "I've…. Never once thought that I was better than him." Even though he said it with a flat expression, Hiroto and Miyuki could find a hint of determination burning in his voice. "Is it alright if I take a couple of laps around the field?"

Miyuki and Hiroto looked at each other once again, smiles broadened on their face. "Hahaha! Go ahead and run! Run until you puke! It is not like you have stamina, anyway!" Miyuki chuckled out loud, looking at Furuya's back that went further until the first-year pitcher disappeared from his eyesight.

After a while, Hiroto sighed loudly before saying, "He is just like you, Miyuki. A tsundere through and through."

Miyuki had sweat dropped on his face at the comment. "Hey, hey! What do you mean by that?! I am not a tsundere, you know?!"

Hiroto just rolled his eyes in disbelief, ignoring Miyuki's complaint. He turned his attention back to the field, looking at Sawamura who was talking and laughing with his senpai. When he thought about the two first-year pitchers on the team, Hiroto couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"Anything funny?" Miyuki asked.

"Nothing." Hiroto shook his head. "I just cannot wait for Sawamura to grow up a little and put more pressure on Tanba-senpai and Furuya. Their rivalry would be interesting."

The grin on Miyuki's face widened and his expression lit up at the thought of those three pitchers on the same dugouts. "As expected of you, Hiroto-kun! You are terrible! Hahaha!"

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After Zaizen failed to send his teammates back home, Kokushikan seemed to run out of fuel. In defense, they couldn't keep up with Seidou's offensive lineup who exploded and widened the gap more in every inning. And in offense, no matter how hard they tried to use the same bunt trick again, Sawamura and Chris didn't give them a chance to be on the base.

This happened for a while until in the eighth inning, both Sawamura and Chris were replaced to save their energy. Seeing this, everyone could guess they had the biggest chance to advance through the first team.

However, unlike when Sawamura joined the second team for the first time, no one made a ruckus now. They saw how Sawamura improved from his rough start at the beginning of the game to the point when he led the team to get out of trouble in a crucial moment. Even though a bit reluctant, they acknowledged Sawamura as their biggest competitor right now.

Even without Sawamura and Chris, the other Seidou players were able to hold the lead until the end. And when the last batter from Kokushikan failed to hit the ball, all the nerves suddenly disappeared from their bodies as they roared in celebration.

"YOSSHAA!"

"8 Wins in a row! Come on!"

All the Seidou players hugged and high-fived each other, their faces flushed with triumph and exhaustion. Even though they were just a second team and their chance to be promoted was slim this year, that thought didn't cross their mind right now.

After a month of struggle and hardship, this was their final game as a team. After this, the second team would be disbanded as the coach would put all of his focus on the summer tournament. The second team would be formed again after the senior members graduated, the same time as when the new team was formed too. After working hard and having their back against each other, there was no regret or hard feelings for whoever was promoted to the first team. They had done their best, and the rest would be for Kataoka-sensei to decide.

On the other side of the field, all the Kokushikan players gathered in a circle, their heads bowed in disappointment. The team found themselves in a somber huddle, their face reflecting the sting of defeat. This wasn't just because they choked the win after leading the score for the first five innings, but also because they knew after this, Zaizen wouldn't be here for the team anymore. Yeah, they knew about Zaizen's decision to retire after the game. So, losing this game was definitely the worst present they could give for their captain.

Zaizen, the main focus of his teammates, sighed, finally stepped forward. His eyes scanned the downcast faces of his teammates, observing the unwilling expression of each player.

"Okay, you idiot," Zaizan spoke, his voice was calm and steady. "Today wasn't our day, but you cannot let this loss define you." He paused, allowing his words to sink in. "Remember why you come here, folks. It is just to gain experience, right? Then, why are you so depressed?! Your real battle would be in summer! If you don't want to lose again, practice harder! Don't just stop like this! Come on!"

All the Kokushikan players could only nod, tears started to roll down their faces even if they tried their best to hide it. Unfortunately, Zaizen was ignorant that it was he who made them feel reluctant, not the result of the game. Even though Zaizen was a harsh captain, he was a competent leader who led them through the hard times. Hell, even when he couldn't train due to his injury, Zaizen would still appear on the dugouts, kept motivating the others to do better.

So, when they realized there would be no Zaizen in the training tomorrow, they felt lost.

"Let's go. We need to line up." Zaizen led his teammates to form a line back to the field. Seidou also did the same, walking to the middle of the field to form a line. There, Zaizen shook Chris's hand as they both stared at each other with complicated eyes.

"How is your shoulder?" Zaizen finally asked. After pondering for a moment, Chris replied shortly, "It's bad." Then, Zaizen grinned widely at him. "Good. You can rest in peace later."

"What do you mean, Bastard?!" Sawamura who overheard the conversation butted in, fuming at Zaizen's cruel words. "Are you saying you want to hurt Shisou's shoulder more?!"

"Shisou?!" Zaizen snorted amusedly. "Who the hell calls his senpai 'master'? Do you think this is a shogun era?" Unsurprisingly, Chris nodded, agreeing with the sentiment.

"Shisou?! Why aren't you backing me up?!" Sawamura whined childishly. Chris threw away his face, pretending he didn't know Sawamura at all. Seeing the dynamic between those two, Zaizen chuckled out loud, startling the battery a bit.

"You are so funny, Kid!" Zaizen grinned. "You remind me a lot of myself in the past! If nothing goes wrong, you will be in a good place!"

"Yeah." Chris nodded. "The resemblance is uncanny, right?" He smiled. Zaizen could only nod before he patted Sawamura's shoulder, looking at the pitcher with a serious face. "Just don't cripple yourself like us, okay?"

"What do you mean?" Sawamura asked, still didn't know about Zaizen's injury. The Kokushikan's ace didn't have the intention to answer his question, just turned around without saying anything else.

Looking at Zaizen's lonely back, Chris sighed, knowing what decision his former teammate was about to take. Zaizen's expression was exactly the same as him before he met Sawamura. He couldn't blame Zaizen, though. He knew his friend's injury was worse than him. So, Chris could only support Zaizen silently while trying to survive for himself, finding his way back to baseball again. Not just for himself, but also for Zaizen who couldn't fight for his dream too.

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The night after the game was bound to be a restless night in Seidou. Even though they just finished a long and exhausting game, no one was in the mood to take a rest. They all waited at one of the bullpens in the training ground, nervous expressions could be seen on their faces.

After a while, Kataoka-sensei walked with Rei and Oota-sensei, the president of the team alongside him. Their presence was followed by a heavy atmosphere as silence suddenly descended there. The air was thick with nervousness and anticipation, adding to the suspense. After looking at each player for a moment, Kataoka-sensei finally started his announcement.

"I am going to name the two people that would be promoted to the first name now." He started. "This decision was made based on the practice matches we've had so far. Those who were promoted to the team, do keep in mind that you are going to represent the school. And for those who don't make it into the team, please continue to support those who did until the tournament officially starts."

Hearing the prelude, several of them gulped nervously, some even closed their eyes and prayed to God. Those who had good performances like Sawamura, Chris, Haruichi, Maezono, or even Fumiya clenched their fists tightly, looking forward to the name that would come out of the coach's mouth.

And when the suspense was at its peak, Kataoka-sensei finally announced his decision.

"The two players who would be promoted to the first team are... SAWAMURA EIJUN AND KOMINATO HARUICHI!"

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Author note :

Hey! I have written a few next chapters of this new story and posted it already on my patreon account. If you want to read it in advance, you can visit patreon(.)com/ZetaFaes .

You can read this story up to chapter 30, and I will try to update it faster. 

You can also read my other fanfiction, Kuroko no Basket: The Sixth man of Seirin Basketball Team up to chapter 168 on that page.

Thank you for your support! I appreciate it! :)

-Zeta Faes-