Chapter 90: Two Birds One Stone

'The ball velocity is shockingly fast!'

Carlos stared in disbelief at the young pitcher on the mound.

Although this wasn't their first match against Seidou High School, it was his first time seeing Furuya's pitch from the Batter's Box.

In their previous two encounters, Inajitsu High School had faced off against the formidable Sawamura Eijun.

So this was truly their first confrontation with Furuya.

Sawamura's pitches appeared quick, but that was largely due to his unorthodox throwing Form and the fact that the release point was hard to see.

But Furuya's speed was different—it was genuinely rapid.

In the blink of an eye, Carlos missed his chance to swing.

'And this lifelike pitching? A pitching machine could never replicate it.'

Before the game, Inajitsu's players had adapted to pitches at 155 km/h. (96 mph)

Yet even in that context, facing Furuya for the first time left Carlos feeling completely unprepared.

'This guy is a monster!'

Though Furuya's evolution diverged significantly from both Narumiya and Sawamura, his pitching was undeniably high quality.

'Luckily, that speed isn't enough to scare me!'

Shocked or not, Carlos was well-prepared enough not to swing recklessly.

Boom!

"BALL!"

That pitch missed the strike zone.

In the catcher's position, Miyuki's expression soured.

Furuya's pitches combined speed with power.

But this very strength gave Miyuki an unsettling feeling.

'He seems to be overexerting himself!'

For him, this was critical; Furuya's lifeline relied on control.

If he could only throw fast but couldn't hit the strike zone, what good was that?

'Slow down!'

Miyuki signaled for Furuya to settle himself.

But Furuya didn't register the advice at all.

It wasn't that he didn't want to calm down; he simply couldn't.

The ball shot out uncontrollably.

"BALL!"

"BALL!"

"STRIKE!"

"BALL!!!"

Before long, the count reached Four Balls.

Carlos hadn't swung once and was now headed to first base.

No Outs, runner on first!

The audience, anticipating a fierce battle, found it hard to accept the unfolding situation.

"What is wrong?"

"Is this a joke?"

A game destined for the history books shouldn't start with such a dramatic twist. Was it too absurd?

Could it be that after their previous game against Fujimaki High School, the monster Furuya had burned out completely?

Was he now running on empty?

While such an outcome wasn't impossible, the crowd clearly couldn't accept it.

If Seidou lost because of this, they'd be furious!

Of course, as team captain, Miyuki wouldn't allow that to happen.

Recognizing Furuya's struggles, he immediately called a timeout and approached the mound.

"If you keep this up, I'll speak to the coach about replacing you."

"Huh?"

That was a blow to his pride.

After finally finding his groove following high school, Furuya wouldn't accept being pulled for this reason.

"Don't obsess over speed; the opponent isn't someone who will crumble under it. Trust the defense behind you and throw to my Mitt. We practiced this in the winter. It's not about using more power for more speed."

This pep talk was effective for Furuya.

His next pitches improved significantly.

Though the speed wasn't as fierce as his first pitch and didn't reach the terrifying 157 km/h(97 mph), most balls landed in the strike zone.

'That was sufficient.'

Furuya's natural pitching quality was high. As long as he maintained stability, he could deliver outstanding performance.

The players from Inajitsu soon realized their opponent had regained composure.

In the dugout, Coach Kunitomo stretched his neck, which cracked audibly.

Then he signaled to his players.

Carlos, who had been waiting at first, was eager to go.

Ping!

As Shirakawa swung his bat, Carlos dashed toward second base.

With no Outs, Inajitsu was employing a hit-and-run strategy.

The baseball rolled toward the third base.

Kanemaru, who blocked the ball, instinctively glanced toward second base.

'Fast! That guy is still so fast!'

In the moment the ball was hit, Carlos was already nearing second base.

'There wasn't enough time!'

Kanemaru realized that if he threw to second base, he wouldn't be able to tag Carlos.

His only option was to throw to first base.

Turning, Kanemaru made the throw.

As he wound up, Carlos landed hard on second base.

His whole body moved like a flash of light, propelling him forward.

Instead of staying on second base, he charged straight for third.

Having already left second base, he was just 25-26 meters from third base.

With his speed, he could reach it in under three seconds.

As Kanemaru tossed to first, the first baseman turned the ball back.

There was simply no time.

Running, Carlos's mind was working fast.

And he succeeded!

The first baseman didn't manage to throw the ball back in time.

Though Shirakawa, who batted second, was Out, Carlos made it to third.

"SAFE!!"

As Carlos reached the base safely, thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.

"This is it!"

"This how a big game should be!!"

This was a classic showdown worthy of the history books, not the childish play of before.

Inajitsu vs. Seidou!

From the very beginning, these two teams created a tense atmosphere. Who would emerge victorious?

When Narumiya walked up to the Batter's Box, a wave of commotion swept through the crowd.

"Can Narumiya still play?"

"He had fainted on the field earlier, clearly exhausted."

"While he had a day of rest, surely he can't play under these circumstances? Right?"

"Yet, he is on the field."

The players of Seidou High School wore heavy expressions as they watched him.

"I can't believe Narumiya-kun has recovered so quickly!" Akiko Owada said, holding a camera in the stands.

'Previously, Fujio-senpai had said that if Narumiya could play, it would only be at the end of the game as a secret weapon.'

"I underestimated Coach Kunitomo!" Fujio sighed, his face the kind that would easily get lost in a crowd.

"I really can't make excuses for myself here," he added.

Akiko Owada playfully fluttered her eyelashes and asked, "What do you mean?"

Why had Fujio underestimated Kunitomo?

"If Narumiya-kun isn't injured, then it makes sense for him to be in the game."

But Kunitomo would never let Narumiya pitch the entire game; that would be suicidal.

It would be irresponsible not only to Narumiya but also to Inajitsu High School.

Therefore, Kunitomo wouldn't do that.

However, if the game required it and Narumiya was not seriously injured, he could still perform effectively.

Fujio believed Kunitomo would send Narumiya in as a secret weapon when the game was tense.

Unexpectedly, Kunitomo had let Narumiya play right away, though as an outfielder.

"But what's the point?" Akiko questioned. "Even if he's not seriously injured, he fainted from exhaustion earlier, so he must be low on stamina! Putting him in the outfield will still take a toll on him. His pitching quantity and quality…"

Akiko's analysis was reasonable.

While pitchers have the highest physical demands on the field, other positions still require significant energy.

Putting Narumiya in the outfield was like self-sabotage.

"No, this is precisely where Coach Kunitomo is clever," Fujio remarked with admiration.

"Both pitchers and outfielders consume a lot of stamina, that's true. But the level of consumption is different. It's not that there's no impact, but it's not as severe. In previous games, Sawamura-kun was often placed in the outfield to ensure he could be switched in during crucial moments while conserving energy. The physical toll on a pitcher from outfield play isn't particularly serious, especially since opportunities for long throws are rare!"

"Of course, that's not even the scariest part of Coach Kunitomo's plan."

Regardless, Narumiya's presence on the field meant he would expend energy.

Kunitomo took the risk of having Narumiya play from the start because he had a plan.

"First, Narumiya's batting ability is strong. His presence can greatly enhance the team's scoring potential."

"Second, it provides a significant morale boost for his teammates, signaling that their Ace pitcher can come in at any time, which makes their perseverance more meaningful."

"This is not just for Inajitsu High School but also serves as a deterrent to their opponents. As long as Narumiya is on the field, it means he could return to the mound anytime. To secure a victory, Seidou High School will likely go on the offensive early on."

When Fujio finished speaking, Akiko's eyes widened in astonishment.

Her Senpai's words are logical.

"Provoking Seidou High School's lineup isn't wise for Inajitsu High School," she argued.

Despite her critique, Fujio felt relieved.

After his careful training, his partner was no longer a baseball novice.

She had grasped the game to a certain extent.

Yet, she still seemed somewhat naive.

"Deliberately provoking the opponent's lineup isn't a wise strategy. But it depends on the specific situation. If the pitcher is Narumiya, who relies on striking out batters, he doesn't depend much on defense. His goal is to keep the opposing batters from hitting the ball. If they remain calm and don't swing, he'll likely be pleased. But Hirano is different! His skills are decent, but he's not in the same league as Narumiya!"

After a year of learning, Akiko had moved beyond her initial naivety, and Fujio's words clarified many things for her.

"So, Inajitsu's decision to put Narumiya in the outfield is to force Seidou's batters to swing? So the lineup will face Inajitsu defense as a whole and not focus on the pitcher."

As she made this deduction, her eyes widened in realization.

While she was still concerned about whether Inajitsu could score first, Fujio had already seen this far ahead.

Were they really watching the same baseball game?

"Baseball isn't that simple!" Fujio said, reflecting on the situation.

***

In Seidou High School's dugout, Coach Ochiai stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"It's really not simple!"

Playing against Inajitsu High School felt like a master chess match.

The opponent seemed to anticipate everything, making every move exceedingly difficult.

For instance, he understood Narumiya's role clearly.

Ochiai knew exactly what Kunitomo planned.

He was aware of every move to come.

But he felt powerless.

Every piece on the board was monitored and countered by the opponent.

Ochiai knew that the objective was to force Seidou's batters to swing actively.

But even knowing this, what could they do?

They still had to swing!

If they were skilled, they wouldn't have to resort to this.

But what was Seidou High School to do?

In the face of uncertainty about when Narumiya would pitch, they had only one option.

That was to attack aggressively and force Narumiya onto the field as soon as possible.

That way it would be easier for the battery to make them swing at tricky balls and depend on the defense to block them, getting easy Outs.

This wasn't a conspiracy; it was a straightforward strategy.

"What a brilliant two-birds-one-stone tactic!"

…