Chapter 52: Fastballs

Just after Sawamura Eijun hit a home run, it was a great chance for Miyuki Kazuya.

A chance to completely crush the opponent.

The impact of that home run was significant. The players from Yamamori Academy, their heads bowed, were clearly shaken.

If they didn't seize this opportunity to take advantage, finding another like it in the future would be difficult!

Miyuki Kazuya, stepping into the Batter's Box, raised his bat high.

He couldn't wait to face the battery.

Suddenly, the pitcher, who had been looking down, lifted his head.

He was smiling very widely.

'Huh? He is smiling?'

Miyuki looked at the pitcher in disbelief.

How could he still be smiling after just being hit by a home run?

It felt like something out of a baseball movie.

This was really strange.

'It seems the opponent isn't so easy to defeat,' Miyuki thought, a bad premonition stirring in his mind.

He didn't know that the Kotari Brothers admired Sawamura Eijun. For them, being hit by their star was not something they couldn't handle.

'Amazing!' Kotari Yuuto thought.

The image they had once imagined now perfectly matched Sawamura Eijun.

They looked at Sawamura, who had returned to the dugout, with great admiration.

'As expected of the Demon King!'

'Truly powerful and intimidating.'

Not only the pitcher but also the catcher was in excellent form.

SNAP!

After returning the ball, the catcher made a gesture.

"Two Outs!"

"Go wild!"

"Yuuto!"

"Be aggressive!"

"Let him hit it!"

"We'll stop him!"

With the catcher's signal, the fielders began cheering for the pitcher.

The previously low morale suddenly vanished.

Miyuki frowned.

'Had I missed a page? The speed at which Yamamori Academy's momentum shifted was too fast.'

'It was unreasonable! What are these guys made of?'

Even though he didn't understand why the opponent's morale had suddenly revived, Miyuki knew that if they regained their confidence, they would become extremely troublesome.

'They can't be allowed to build their momentum here.'

Sawamura's home run had just deflated their spirits. If they were to recover now, the game would become incredibly tough.

'Considering the upcoming semifinals and finals, it couldn't happen.'

'No way!'

'Absolutely not allowed!'

Determined, Miyuki was like a sword unsheathed.

His intensity became incredibly sharp.

Facing the incoming pitch, he swung his bat decisively.

Ping!

The white ball flew toward the first baseman's position.

The angle wasn't perfect, but the ball was fast.

'It should be go to the outfield.'

'Perfect!'

Miyuki was satisfied with his hit.

He tossed aside his bat and prepared to run.

Just before he could move, he saw a figure suddenly appear at first base.

Yamazaki Kento!

SNAP!

With almost unbelievable speed, Yamazaki Kento blocked the ball with his mitt.

"OUT!"

Three Outs, time to switch sides.

The sudden change left not only the Seidou players but also the spectators stunned.

"What was that just now?"

"The first baseman actually came out to catch the ball!"

"The defensive range was so wide. The ball was at least five or six meters away from his position."

"Unbelievable!"

The crowd buzzed with excitement.

Seidou players were equally perplexed.

"Again him!"

"Is the first baseman that good?"

He didn't look that impressive in the videos, they now realized this player is more tough than expected.

In the dugout, Sawamura, changing his equipment, frowned in thought.

He had a nagging sense that that player seemed oddly familiar.

No, it was more like déjà vu.

'Where had I seen this guy before?'

It was peculiar.

In the bottom of the inning, Yamamori Academy was up to bat.

Seidou High School's starting pitcher was Sawamura.

In the previous game, Furuya Satoru pitched the entire match.

Sawamura had preserved his stamina well.

Today, he was naturally starting.

If they could quickly establish an advantage, Coach Kataoka planned to let him pitch only five innings, then move to the outfield.

At the same time, he instructed Kawakami and Furuya to be ready from the fifth inning.

In the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals, there was just a five-day schedule.

Three intense games in five days.

'Just thinking about it was daunting.'

No Ace pitcher could last forever.

Rotation was necessary.

Of course, critical situations would still be entrusted to the Ace.

For the next three games, if there were no accidents, Sawamura should be the starter.

Except for the final game, today's game and the semifinal.

As long as the team established a solid lead, Sawamura would be moved to the outfield.

This was Coach Kataoka's strategy and the best approach for Seidou High School at present.

Directly using other pitchers was not something Coach Kataoka dared to consider yet.

Their opponents were among the top eight in the country, and none of them were easy to beat.

If the score was widened from the start, even if Sawamura Eijun was replaced, it would be hard to guarantee maintaining the lead.

Aiming for the national championship was not something to be taken lightly.

So, moving on to the game.

When Sawamura took the mound, the crowd erupted in cheers.

It felt like welcoming a star to the stage.

The game continued.

"First batter, first baseman, Yamazaki-kun!"

Yamazaki, who was leading off, stepped into the Batter's Box.

Seidou High School did not have much information about this guy.

Initially, they thought he was an average player.

But today's game, though he had only played one inning, brought a significant surprise to Seidou High School.

'The quality he displayed was far beyond that of a typical role player.' Miyuki agreed.

When signaling Sawamura, he hesitated for a moment, then gave the signal.

'Focus on a fastball or a breaking ball?'

'Fastball!'

Sawamura chose the former without hesitation.

With the increase in speed, Sawamura Eijun experienced a new level of pitching.

This boost in power was something he hadn't felt since his first year in middle school.

For today's game, he could only pitch five innings.

In those innings, he hoped to use more fastballs.

'It was crucial to get accustomed to this rhythm quickly.'

'Alright!'

Since Sawamura wanted to use his fastball, Miyuki had no objections.

Sawamura had only recently started using the fastball as the core of his pitching strategy, beginning with the previous game.

This tactic hadn't been tested extensively in real matches yet.

To fully refine it, he needed to use it in actual games to gauge its effectiveness.

Yamamori High School was a perfect test subject.

You can't test such a strategy against just any opponent. If the opponent's batting strength is too strong, focusing solely on the untested tactics is risky. Conversely, if the opponent's batting strength is too weak, you won't see its full effect.

The advantage of Yamamori is that they are neither too strong nor too weak in any area.

A very balanced team.

You can make miracles with a team like that if you have the mind, will, and momentum.

Their offense is well-structured. The team's overall batting level is solid, but there are no particularly standout hitters.

They are ideal for testing this strategy.

Focusing on the fastball makes it easier for the opponent to anticipate it.

After a while, the opponent will definitely start targeting the fastball.

'If the ball path is predictable and the pitching position becomes too favorable, it's very dangerous.'

'So, the pitching courses need to be sharp. You should understand that, right?'

Miyuki thought, looking at Sawamura on the mound.

Sawamura nodded solemnly.

He knew well that when pitching with the fastball as the core, he had to control the rhythm and placement of his pitches firmly. If the opponent gains control, it's easy to get hit.

'Don't worry!'

Sawamura lifted his right foot high and then dropped it like a battle axe. As his body's center of gravity shifted, his left hand swung like a whip.

Whoosh!

Without any warning, the white ball appeared out of nowhere.

Before Yamazaki Kento in the Batter's Box could react, the ball had already zipped past him and slammed into Miyuki Kazuya's glove.

SNAP!

The pitch carried an unmatched, terrifying intensity.

At that moment, Sawamura Eijun stood on the mound like an ancient god.

"STRIKE!"

The speed display at Koshien flashed a massive number.

147 km/h! (91 mph)

Sawamura had never achieved this velocity before, not even before his regression.

Sawamura looked at the displayed number with excitement. His entire body seemed to cheer in joy.

For the very first pitch, he had broken through the limitations of his past.

With the experience of two lifetimes, he couldn't help but tremble—not from fear but from exhilaration.

How rare and valuable is it for a baseball player to see such improvement with their own eyes?

This is something Sawamura couldn't explain to others.

'Bring it on!'

'Bring it on!!'

'I want to pitch more!!!'

The desire to pitch filled Sawamura Eijun's entire being.

Every time he raised his hand and threw the ball, it elicited cheers from the audience in the stands.

At that moment, Sawamura felt as if he had returned to the Major League.

Back to a time when everyone watched him with nostalgic admiration.

Whoosh!

All his strength was focused on his fingertips.

The white ball shot out like a projectile, delivering unparalleled force.

SNAP!

"STRIKE!!"

Yamazaki Kento, the first hitter of Yamamori, who had once intimidated Sawamura and Miyuki, was powerless against Sawamura's fastball.

'Whoa! So Fast!"

'That Straight was amazing!'

And from the batter's perspective, it was incredibly fast!

So fast that Yamazaki Kento couldn't even track its speed.

Yamazaki Kento didn't even have time to swing at the first two pitches.

It wasn't until the final pitch that he barely managed to react and swing his bat.

But before his bat was halfway through its swing, the white ball had already been caught by Miyuki's glove.

'So fast!'

'The bat's swing couldn't keep up with the baseball?'

This harsh reality struck Yamazaki deeply.

'Too fast!'

He had never seen a ball move this quickly before. Even with a pitching machine set to simulate 150 km/h, it didn't feel as fast as Sawamura's pitch.

Before he could react, the white ball was already past him.

By the time he swung, he had missed the ideal moment.

SNAP!

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

'Demon King!'

Looking at Sawamura Eijun, who stood on the mound like a Titan, Yamazaki smiled wryly.

He knew deep down that he was no match for Sawamura.

At least in the first round, hitting Sawamura's pitches was impossible.

One Out, no one on base.

The next batter stepped up.

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

In an almost identical pattern, Sawamura struck out the next batter with three fastballs.

Watching from home, first-year students about to join Seidou High School were spellbound.

"Sawamura-senpai!"

Takuma watched the brilliant figure on TV with admiration.

'So cool.'

While there are many positions on the baseball field, the pitching mound is undeniably the most eye-catching.

A great pitcher can dominate half the team.

This statement is not an exaggeration at all.

"Just fastballs!" Okumura murmured to himself.

Takuma, puzzled, asked his friend, "What's wrong?"

Okumura replied calmly, "Nothing!"

He couldn't fully explain the significance to his friends.

And even if Okumura explained it in detail, his friends probably wouldn't understand.

The difference was enormous.

The third batter of Yamamori was Kotari Yuuto, the pitcher of the two brothers.

"I won't lose!"

As he stepped into the Batter's Box, he muttered his own mantra.

It seemed like he needed this mental reassurance to face the intimidating presence on the mound.

'Feeling nervous?'

Miyuki Kazuya, with his keen insight, guessed his thoughts instantly.

Sawamura had changed the rhythm in the previous game.

With only three innings of footage, Yamamori had little to prepare from.

'They were unprepared.'

'Perfect!'

Miyuki wouldn't miss this opportunity and decisively signaled Sawamura Eijun.

'High inside corner!'

As a left-hander, Sawamura pitched to the inside corner of the right-handed batter.

The ball's path was a Crossfire.

This was a pitch unique to left-handed pitchers!

'Bring it on!'

Receiving Miyuki's signal, Sawamura threw the ball without hesitation.

Whoosh!

…

T/N: As always, Thank you all for reading!!

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