Chapter 57: Smart People!

"What is the best pitch in the world?"

This was the question Sawamura once asked Chris before regression.

By that time, both of them had already made a name for themselves. Sawamura had become a highly sought-after relief pitcher in the Major Leagues, but due to his lack of skills in managing fans, his reputation never quite matched his performance.

He was a player whose prowess surpassed his fame.

Many people might not recognize his name, but his transfer fee was impressive, and his salary in the team was consistently among the top.

Chris, meanwhile, had just gotten his coaching career on track and was thriving in the Minor Leagues.

At that time, Sawamura appeared successful on the outside but was struggling with a pitching bottleneck internally.

His strength had not yet reached its full potential.

So, he asked Chris what the strongest pitch should be like during the time they were hanging out together.

At that time, Chris gave an ambiguous answer.

In the rest area of Seidou High School's senior team, Chris was changing to his catching gear, preparing to take the field.

At this moment, Yuuki had just been struck out.

The Beard-senpai was shouting angrily.

Ryosuke Kominato, standing beside him, also frowned.

The result of Sawamura's confrontation with Yuuki was not something they hadn't anticipated. In fact, whether Yuuki hit the ball or Sawamura struck him out, both outcomes seemed acceptable to them.

The previous performances of the two had set such high expectations.

It seemed that whatever they did, regardless of how well or to what extent, was always logical and expected.

The result wasn't surprising, but the process was genuinely puzzling.

Yuuki's swing speed was the fastest on the team. With his speed, he could wait until the ball was almost in his hands before swinging, even against Furuya, let alone Sawamura.

From this perspective, Yuuki had no reason or excuse to miscalculate the timing of a Change-up.

It wasn't surprising that he couldn't hit or missed the ball.

But why did he swing early?

"Was that really just a Change-up?" Isashiki asked annoyed.

"Did Sawamura's Change-up become stronger again?"

"It is not that it was stronger or the strongest!" Chris, who was changing his gear, suddenly said.

"It was only the most suitable."

If Sawamura had heard it, he would have been greatly surprised.

It was unexpected that Chris just turned 17 in his third year of high school, had reached such a profound understanding of baseball.

In the Major League, he had said something similar to Sawamura.

"From a pitcher's perspective, what kind of pitch is the strongest? I don't know. For example, the monsters you're facing now. If they know the approximate direction of the baseball, they can hit it no matter how it breaks. Even if it's a 170 km/h(105 mph) pitch, they can hit it. But how many pitchers can throw 170 km/h? It's rare. From a catcher's perspective, there is never the strongest pitch, only the most suitable one. No matter how slow or direct the pitch is, as long as it effectively gets the batter out, it is the strongest."

Whether it's a Change-up a Fastball, or even other breaking balls, as long as it gets the batter out, it's a good pitch.

Sawamura, on the mound, glanced at Miyuki with thoughts in his head.

'This guy had probably reached this threshold. He was able to design a game calling to trick Tetsu-san.'

No matter how anyone viewed it, the current situation was that Sawamura had struck out the pillar of the Senpais team.

This was definitely a major boost for the New Seidou High School baseball team, which was trailing in the score.

"One Out!!" Sawamura cheered!

"One Out!!!"

"Pitch to contact!!"

"You can be more aggressive! Sawamura!!"

"Get them Out one by one!"

"Let's do it!!"

The player of the new team started getting more strength and felt their momentum rising

The audience watched the players on the field with fiery eyes, especially Sawamura, who had just struck out a batter.

"This is exciting!"

"So thrilling!!!"

"Not being lazy and coming to watch the practice was definitely worth it."

One enthusiastic alumnus, with eyes full of excitement, answered the phone.

"Fujio, where are you?"

"What do you mean you're not here yet? You've missed it!"

"Hurry up, it's almost too late!"

In a taxi, Fujio anxiously urged the driver.

"Driver, please hurry!"

Knowing he was dealing with a slow driver, he wished he had driven himself.

'What a waste of time.'

"Fujio-Senpai, didn't you say the practice game had just started? Such an intense game should last an hour or two."

Owada Akiko was also anxious but tried to comfort her senior.

"For a pitcher like Sawamura Eijun, the pace of the game is very fast. Don't you remember the previous statistics?"

Akiko Owada couldn't help but roll her eyes.

How could she forget?

After all, she had worked hard to figure it out.

Sawamura Eijun usually needed only three pitches to solve the batter, and he kept it consistent, not dragging out the game.

So once he was on the mound, the pace of the game was exceptionally fast.

'But no matter how impatient you are, cars can't fly.'

Back in Seidou's field.

"Fifth batter, catcher, Chris."

By this point, Chris had already donned his gear. As the field fell into a solemn hush, he stepped up to the plate to face off against Sawamura, who had just dominated the previous batter and was riding a strong momentum.

The significance of this game for the third-year players was immense.

Though the primary goal was to help the new team identify their weaknesses, it didn't mean they lacked ambition in this match.

The third-year seniors had two main objectives.

First and foremost: To Win.

If they couldn't put enough pressure on the New Seidou High School baseball team, how could they expect to uncover their weaknesses?

How could they apply enough pressure to the freshmen?

By completely dominating them and securing a decisive victory!

Beyond this ambition, the second goal of the third-year seniors was to conquer Sawamura.

They too want to be the best, and if they can't defeat Sawamura and give him a taste of what is waiting for him next, then who can?

Initially, they had hoped to hit Sawamura hard as soon as he stepped onto the mound.

However, the outcome was far from what they had anticipated.

The first three batters had failed, and even Tetsu was Struck Out!

'If we don't find a way to perform soon, the advantage will only shift more towards the New team,' Chris thought. 'We can't let that happen.'

Determined, Chris's resolve and energy soared to new heights.

He raised his bat high, swaying it slightly, and stared intently at Sawamura.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that Chris's batting stance and swing bore a striking resemblance to Sawamura's own stance.

Although not identical, the principle was the same.

Both stances were targeting their opponent's weaknesses, using psychological tricks while maintaining a smooth swing.

Sawamura had adjusted his swing with the help of professional experts in the Major League.

Chris, however, was still an ordinary high school student and had yet to enter the professional baseball world!

Even so, Chris displayed the traits of many professional players.

Seeing this, Sawamura was deeply impressed.

'I have long known that Chris-shisho is extraordinary, but I hadn't expected him to reach this level so early.'

'If things went well in this life, Shisho would undoubtedly make a significant impact in the professional leagues.'

Sawamura reflected on this as he made his stride and threw the baseball according to Miyuki's sign.

Whoosh!

When it came to understanding Chris's weaknesses, Miyuki was second to none. The white ball, like a cold arrow, appeared in Chris's weak spot.

As expected, Chris failed to connect.

SNAP!

"STRIKE!"

'A perfect pitch!'

Chris glanced in surprise at Miyuki, who was behind the plate. Like Sawamura, Chris was hiding his weaknesses, but Miyuki's insight was impressive.

Even though Chris's disguise was more refined than Sawamura's, Miyuki had still noticed.

'Miyuki had never asked for such precise pitches before from Furuya and Kawakami. Perhaps it wasn't that Miyuki didn't know my weaknesses, but rather that the previous pitchers couldn't throw as Miyuki requested.' Chris thought.

Miyuki, noticing Chris's look, offered a sincere smile.

'I really respect you, Senpai.'

'That's why I've observed you so closely for so long.'

Chris smiled wryly. With Sawamura already a headache, having Miyuki as an opponent made things even more difficult.

SNAP!

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

Miyuki's careful design had led Chris to be completely outmaneuvered by him and Sawamura.

The first two pitches targeted the weak spots in Chris's stance.

The third Pitch was the exact opposite, going where he was best at.

By the time of the third ball, Chris had already adjusted the target from his original position.

"How did you know I had changed my target for the last pitch?" Chris asked curiously.

"Do we look like the type to stick to a single approach and never adapt?"

'Certainly not!'

Smart people have their own weaknesses. The more intelligent someone is, the more likely they are to be predictable.

Miyuki had figured this out!

With two Outs and no one on base, the sixth batter, third baseman Masuko, faced Sawamura without hesitation.

Sawamura gave his all, Striking Masuko Out with a crafty breaking ball.

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

Three Outs and the teams switched roles. The middle lineup once considered a strength by the third-year seniors, was effortlessly wiped out!

Three Up, Three Down! Nine Pitches, Three Strikeouts!!!

Sawamura's overwhelming power solidified his presence as the Maou.

As long as he was on the mound, he was an unassailable force.

The score remained 4-2, with the freshman Seidou High School baseball team still trailing.

Yet the dynamics of the game had shifted dramatically.

…

T/N: That's it for now!

As always, Thank you all for reading guys!

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