<60> Rebirth – Practice Match (12)

Chapter 60: Rebirth – Practice Match (12)

In the bottom of the final inning, a confident young pitcher stood proudly on the mound.

"That Sendo actually said something like that… he's leaving this game to me."

He took it to mean that he was being entrusted to lead the team to victory.

"Right? I can take it that way, can't I? Then that's exactly what I'll do!"

With that thought, Sawamura could barely contain his excitement.

His signature grin, flashing two rows of bright white teeth, gleamed under the rising sun, making him look dazzling from the batter's box.

"So, you guys better stay down!" With this thought, he delivered the first pitch.

"Whoosh"

"Pop"

"Strike!"

"You don't have a chance!"

"Strike TWO!"

"Or rather, I'm not giving you any chance at all!"

"Strike three! Batter out!"

"What? His pitch strength increased in the final inning? And the speed went up too?" The struck-out batter looked utterly shocked.

"Right down the middle, just like that!" Sendo clenched his fist.

"With that flexible arm of yours, the way you whip the ball with explosive power, it gives it intense spin. Even if they time it perfectly, it's nearly impossible to make contact. And without even going all out, the ball is packed with power."

"Unbelievable!"

"Strike!"

"Is this lineup really this weak?"

"What on earth is going on? Why, all of a sudden… I have to get on base! I absolutely must…" The opposing team's second batter was visibly shaken.

His determination was strong, but reality was harsh.

Crack!

"OUT!" With just two pitches, he forced a weak fly ball near second base.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! …TWO OUTS!"

Then, the third batter stepped into the box.

"It's useless!"

Incredibly, his performance today had suddenly surged, and he couldn't imagine his pitch getting hit. "Is there something magical in Sendo's words?"

"Either way, I'm shutting you all down completely!"

"What's with this pitcher? He's like a different person from before! I have to get on base; our offense can't end here!"

Ding!

"A bunt?"

Thud!

"Safe! Safe!" The umpire enthusiastically called it—after all, he was rooting for Seiwa!

"Don't mind it, Ei-chan!" his teammates in the field called out to encourage him.

....

"Strange! Why? Why did they manage to hit it…?" Sawamura thought as he suddenly felt an overwhelming wave of fatigue wash over him.

After a series of exhilarating pitches, he'd pushed his energy to its limits.

Both pitchers and catchers have incredibly demanding roles; every pitch requires total body engagement.

It's like running several kilometers and barely feeling the exhaustion, yet ten intense sprints would leave anyone collapsed.

Earlier, he had been so focused that he'd forgotten his fatigue, feeling as energized as when the game began.

But now, that unexpected bunt seemed to break his flow, jolting his body back to reality.

Instead of a gradual fatigue, it felt like a sudden drop from weightlessness to exhaustion.

The fatigue was unlike anything he'd felt before—not only physical but also mental.

"Ha… ha… ha…" Sawamura panted heavily, feeling light-headed as if he were running out of oxygen.

"No wonder," he thought, "my condition earlier was just too good. My body's paying the price now."

"That bunt saved us," Coach Takei mused with a strange expression. "That pitcher's sudden surge was almost overwhelming. At that pace, they might have swept us in one go. But now, the momentum has shifted. That pitcher must be exhausted—if not physically, then definitely mentally. Keeping up that focus takes a toll. And in baseball, two outs are just the beginning. Without that earlier momentum, the final out becomes a daunting task." He looked at Sawamura, who seemed like he could collapse any second.

"This isn't good!" Fumino muttered in concern. "Just a second ago, he was pitching so well! What happened?"

"Hard to say. It might be more mental fatigue than anything else. That heightened concentration must have drained him. But no matter what, we can only trust him. His will to win won't lose to anyone's," Sendo said firmly. "Didn't I say it before? Win or lose, this game is his."

"Shouldn't you say something?" Fumino asked.

"Normally, yes, I would. But for some reason, something inside me says to stay quiet and just trust our ace. Maybe this is a pivotal moment… for him to grow mentally," Sendo replied, his expression turning uncharacteristically soft. "It's just one game. Even if he loses, no one will blame him. Let's watch and see what kind of ending our ace and the team will give us."

"Huff… huff…" Sawamura struggled to catch his breath, feeling as though his body wouldn't move. His chest burned as if it were being torn apart.

There's a runner on first… and the batter?

Their cleanup hitter.

Baseball really does begin with two outs, he thought.

"I don't want it to end here!!!"

Move, body!

For some reason, I really don't want to lose this game!

I've lost plenty before, so why now?

Just this once, I don't want to leave this mound for anyone else, not even my teammates.

So move, body!

Let me face the cleanup hitter head-on!" His mind replayed this inner dialogue, a level of determination he hadn't known he possessed—something akin to the instincts of a true ace.

After a long pause, Sawamura finally lowered his head slightly. His body was still heavy, but the mental exhaustion had lifted, perhaps from the time he'd spent regaining his composure.

"Are you okay, Ei-chan?" Shin asked anxiously.

"Yeah! I'm fine!" Sawamura replied, eyes blazing with resolve.

"I'm ready. Cleanup hitter—let's settle this once and for all!"

------------

If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21