Chapter 30: Phenomenal

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

When the umpire shouted those words, Mishima felt frozen in the Batter's Box.

It took him a moment to react as he turned and glared at the umpire.

'How could that have been a Strike? Are your eyes blind?'

Fortunately, a remaining bit of reason told him that this wouldn't help, so he suppressed his anger and walked off the field.

Back in the dugout, everyone looked at him curiously.

Mishima felt a bit embarrassed under their gazes and hid at the back of the team.

"Mishima, I remember I warned you before that this kind of thing could happen!"

Raizou lazily sat on the bench, speaking in a calm tone.

Mishima suddenly realized.

During a previous game he watched from Teito High, some players had argued with the umpire about the wide strike zone.

Everyone had thought that was just due to Mukai's good control.

But now, it seemed it wasn't just that.

Raizou narrowed his eyes looking at Mukai.

A pitcher like that was something he had never seen even in the professional league.

'Indeed, the world is a vast place.'

In the stands, the gathering place for Seidou High.

Sawamura shook his head, looking at Mukai with deep emotion.

'This was 3D pitching!'

Though the kid's usual haughtiness was somewhat off-putting to Sawamura, he couldn't deny that this guy's control was ahead of everyone else.

The world he saw was completely different from what others perceived.

"He's a troublesome guy!"

Next to him, Kuramochi stared at Mukai, filled with annoyance and a hint of fear.

Among all the opponents he had faced, there were a few he particularly dreaded, two of whom were in Tokyo. One was Yoh Shunshin from Akikawa, and the other was Mukai.

Even though he had improved significantly now, he still didn't want to face those two…

He felt he would definitely be targeted badly.

"I really hate these guys!"

The game continued, and it was now Teito High's turn to bat.

The starting pitcher for Yakushi High was their Ace, Sanada Shunpei.

With Sanada on the mound, it was clear Yakushi was determined to make it to the finals.

Seidou's players exchanged glances.

It looked like the finals wouldn't be as simple as they had thought!

If Teito High made it to the finals, Seidou should be able to win easily.

The champion title for the Tokyo Spring Tournament was just a mere trinket for a super team like Teito High.

It was tasteless to eat but too precious to discard.

Considering the upcoming Kanto Tournament, the chances of a real battle against Seidou were zero.

At that point, Seidou would only need to send one or two starters and winning wouldn't be difficult. Teito High wouldn't be foolish enough to compete fiercely with Seidou right now.

After all, Seidou was the King; their obsession with the championship was stronger than other elite teams. Most importantly, they couldn't afford to lose…

In contrast, Yakushi was different.

Although Raizou was a very pragmatic coach, Yakushi wasn't a traditional powerhouse.

Their achievement records were completely blank.

Their best achievement was only making it to the top eight in the Spring Koshien.

They had never won a championship!

That was quite embarrassing!

Having never won a championship, would they really lack ambition for it?

Probably not.

If one thought about it, Yakushi would surely put in significant effort to compete for the Championship.

While it might not be a 100% direct confrontation with Seidou, it would definitely not be easy for Seidou to secure victory just by using substitutes.

"STRIKE!"

Ping!

"OUT!"

"OUT!!"

"OUT!!!"

In just a few minutes, the battle on the field had already determined the outcome.

After the return from the Spring Koshien, Sanada had significantly improved.

It looked like he had fully recovered from his previous injury and had strengthened his leg power.

When he pitched, his body moved like a big windmill, exerting force from his legs to his hands, with no part left unused.

All his strength was focused on his pitching fingers, resulting in an astonishing velocity.

His average speed reached 143 to 144 km/h. (~90 mph)

Such a fastball had a slight break when pitched to the inside, leaving Teito High's batters bewildered.

They quickly racked up three Outs.

Three Outs, and the teams exchanged roles.

"Sanada!"

"Shunpei-san!"

"Unmatched as an Ace, amazing!"

Though he didn't have as much fame as the monster Raichi in their team, Sanada had a good reputation among his peers.

During the previous match, many people cheered for him. As he walked off the mound, his teammates smiled and congratulated him.

As their Coach Raizou said:

Sanada was their unexpected but pleasant surprise!

Without such a player to steady the team, Yakushi probably wouldn't have come this far.

The game was now entering the top of the second inning!

The previously outstanding, Mukai, was about to face off against the monster hitter, Todoroki Raichi, who became famous during the Spring Koshien.

"Wow, this is a national-level duel, right?"

"Yeah, even in Koshien, such a duel is quite rare."

"Both sides need to give it their all!"

The audience was incredibly excited. They waved their arms, eagerly watching the showdown on the field.

The players from Seidou were also energized, their eyes wide open.

"Yuuki, keep an eye on this guy! If your future goal is the Major Leagues, he could be your strongest competitor."

Sawamura said with a smile to his junior, Yuuki.

Yuuki had great talent and, due to his simple nature, easily achieved results.

But if we're talking about future achievements, he certainly couldn't compare to Raizou.

This wasn't just Sawamura's guess, but a truth he had seen before his regression.

'Raichi…'

Among the five players who became famous in the Major Leagues around the same time, three were pitchers.

Super monster Hongou Masamune.

Now the Tokyo prince, and later the fierce pitcher Narumiya Mei.

And himself, the prince of breaking balls, Sawamura Eijun.

Geniuses often cluster together, and among pitchers of similar age, three reached the top.

Though once in the Major Leagues, they couldn't move further to become phenomenal players like Suzuki Ichiro.

Let alone become legends!

What is a legend?

Now, the highest awards for players in the Major Leagues are named after legendary players.

And that was also the goal Sawamura pursued.

Despite not reaching such heights, they had all become somewhat famous players in the Major Leagues.

Apart from those three pitchers, the other two were hitters.

One of them was Raizou!

And he was also the most famous among the five.

A player very close to being like Suzuki Ichiro.

A monster hitter with a peak batting average of .355 in a season and a career average of over .300.

A beast who hits more than 25 home runs in a single season.

A nightmare for all pitchers.

If not for his not-so-great negative news and his subpar defensive skills, he would surely have become a phenomenal player.

Sawamura brought up Raichi to encourage Yuuki to aim for him.

People say the bigger a person's goal, the greater their future achievements!

After switching to Raichi as a goal, Sawamura hoped Yuuki would achieve even more than he did before his regression.

That was Sawamura's thought, which he wouldn't reveal fully to his Kohai.

But from Yuuki's perspective, he wouldn't see it that way.

He looked at Raichi with a challenging gaze.

'I will not be worse than him!'

BUUUZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!

Yuuki's thoughts were quickly drowned out by Raichi's swing!

It was as if the heavens were collapsing; Raichi's swing carried a bold, unstoppable momentum.

It was chilling.

The audience was incredibly excited!

Where else can you see such a thrilling swing!

So every time they watched Yakushi High's games, they felt immensely refreshing, like having an ice-cold ice-cream on a hot summer day.

The coolness was intoxicating.

"RAICHI!"

"RAICHI!!!!"

They shouted the hitter's name in unison as if wanting to convey their own strength to him.

"That's truly scary!"

On the pitcher's mound, Mukai held his head high.

The sight of Raichi reminded him of Sawamura.

In some ways, these two guys were too similar, both strong like monsters.

Even standing in the Batter's Box, they could exert tremendous pressure on others.

'Let alone when they swung!'

Facing such a formidable Raichi, Mukai had no intention of backing down.

Before this Spring Tournament started, he had prepared mentally. Originally, this preparation wasn't meant for Raichi.

He wanted to use it against the great Demon King Sawamura.

But now it didn't matter.

If he failed, he would be eliminated, losing the chance to face the Maou Sawamura.

'Since that was the case, I might as well use it against you.'

Whoosh!

The ball shot through the 18-meter space like a laser…

…