Chapter 18: Fighting Spirit

Inui's guess was correct.

Indeed, Sawamura was aiming for a straight pitch.

While Sawamura could not decipher the exact secret of Mukai's pitching, he understood its effects. Although it was more advanced than a regular Moving Ball, its specific effect should be quite similar to an ordinary Moving Ball.

Sawamura couldn't figure out precisely how Mukai's pitch was used, but he was very clear about how to use the Moving Ball. In this regard, he was confident that no one could surpass him.

Since Mukai's pitch has the same effect as the moving ball, it must involve a combination with a straight ball, in addition to its rough usage. Sawamura knew that combining his ordinary Moving Ball with a Straight ball would significantly enhance its effectiveness.

Therefore, what Sawamura needed to do next was straightforward.

He needed to make the opponent realize that he had seen through Taiyou's pitching, thereby forcing the Teito battery to use the straight ball!

Naturally, this was a high-risk move. Especially since Sawamura was targeting a Straight ball with the final pitch.

If Teito High's battery didn't throw a Straight ball, Sawamura could easily be Out.

Without the lead, Sawamura wouldn't dare to take such a gamble.

But with a one-point lead, the situation was different. This advantage could snowball and grow larger.

With this confidence, Sawamura could boldly test his hypothesis.

The score was 2:0!

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Seidou High had nearly secured the victory.

Given how Teito's batters had performed against Sawamura previously, it seemed unlikely they would score more than three runs off him in the final innings.

"Sawamura!"

"Sawamura!!!"

Thousands of fans in the stands chanted Sawamura's name in unison.

The stadium shook with the excitement.

Amid the cheers, Sawamura circled the field and returned to home plate.

Following this, Miyuki and Maezono could not continue the offensive.

Despite hitting a home run, Taiyou did not falter; instead, he grew even more resolute. The ball in his hand moved like a series of flying knives, targeting the batter's weaknesses with precision.

Miyuki, facing the 3D Phantom for the first time, struggled to adapt. Even though Sawamura had briefly told him about Taiyou's pitching earlier, seeing it in action was a completely different experience.

Even Miyuki found it challenging to handle such misleading pitches.

However, he noticed something interesting: Inui's Mitt appeared unusually large.

After the inning, he shared this observation with Sawamura.

Sawamura nodded, "It seems the visual misalignment affects not just us but also Teito's players."

Even catcher Inui couldn't catch accurately, which surprised Sawamura.

In the top of the seventh inning, Teito High was on the offensive.

Sawamura suddenly changed the rhythm and used the Moving Ball.

Teito's batter, who had been struck out by Sawamura before, saw this easier pitch and swung aggressively, hoping to hit it.

After the Moving Ball was hit, it bounced in front of the fielders and was caught.

Two Outs, no one on base.

"Fourth Batter, Catcher, Kengo-kun!"

Kengo Inui came up for his third turn. Miyuki and Sawamura hesitated but decided to use the Moving Ball.

With no runners on base, using the Moving Ball against Inui Kengo was acceptable.

Ping!

Kengo Inui, a top batter, made a clean and powerful swing, and even in the heavy rain, his strength was undiminished.

The ball was hit into the outfield gap, resulting in a long hit.

Inui Kengo reached second base in one breath.

Two Outs, a runner on second base.

Sawamura and Miyuki looked embarrassed. They had underestimated Inui and nearly allowed a run.

However, it was manageable. With two Outs, they only needed to retire Teito's fifth batter to complete the inning.

Sawamura and Miyuki intensified their efforts, which most players found hard to handle.

Teito High's fifth batter felt like he was on a roller coaster, continuously facing Sawamura's varied pitches.

The final pitch, a Forkball, successfully tricked the batter into a swing, resulting in a strikeout.

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!"

Three Outs, offense and defense exchange.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, everyone thought the game would proceed without further complications.

Unexpectedly, the lower batting lineup suddenly exploded.

After Shiratsu's fly ball, it was Toujou's turn.

Facing Toujou, Mukai was cautious. He valued this opponent, whom he had faced since middle school, and used the 3D Mirage pitch.

This pitch had only been hit once before by Sawamura, and Mukai was confident it would work.

Toujou, who was aiming for a straight ball, fell into the trap.

He initially swung with both hands but switched to one hand when he couldn't hit the ball. This adjustment allowed him to make contact.

Ping!

The white ball was hit and fell behind the first baseman, creating a long hit.

Toujou Hideaki dashed to second base with his impressive speed, catching the outfielder off guard. As the outfielder retrieved and threw the ball, Toujou sped to third base.

One Out, runner on third base.

"Eighth batter, third baseman, Kanemaru-kun."

Ping!

Kanemaru's clean hit brought Toujou home. This hit was due to Kanemaru's skill, and Teito's Ace Mukai made a rare throwing error.

The rain, tense game, and numerous pitches had overwhelmed the talented pitcher.

In Seidou High's dugout:

"How many pitches has Mukai thrown so far?" Kataoka asked.

"Over 100, 103 to be exact. Even though we've had few hits, we've forced him to throw a lot of pitches."

Kataoka nodded after hearing the record and said nothing.

In the stands, senior reporter Fujio from Baseball Kingdom magazine and his partner Owada Akiko had high praise for the recent score achieved by Toujou and Kanemaru.

"Mukai's pitch just now was significantly different from his previous ones!" Fujio noted. He pointed out that while Mukai's earlier pitches were well-placed in the corners of the strike zone, the last pitch was slightly off-center. For a pitcher like Mukai, who relies on precision, that pitch could be considered a mistake.

"But to hit such a pitch, we must commend the batters from Seidou. Their lineup has truly flourished in this game. Kuramochi led off with a speed-driven run, followed by a home run from the powerful Sawamura, and finally the flawless combination of Toujou and Kanemaru."

"There's one more point worth mentioning. Although Seidou's players did not deliberately tire Mukai's arm in this game, his pitch count must be approaching 100. In contrast, Sawamura's pitch count is only around fifty or sixty…"

"With a fatigued pitcher and such a significant lead, Teito High School might be powerless to make a comeback!"

As a professional baseball reporter, Fujio rarely makes such definitive statements. The game can change rapidly, and making bold predictions often leads to embarrassment. Fujio's confidence indicated that he was certain of the outcome.

Teito High School had lost their chance to retaliate.

In Teito's dugout, Coach Okamoto hesitated for a moment before instructing the substitute pitcher to warm up. Despite this, he had no intention of replacing Mukai Taiyou.

"A man only grows through experiencing failure," he thought, glancing over at Seidou's dugout.

In Seidou's dugout, Coach Kataoka wore a stern expression. Next to him, Sawamura sat calmly in the front row, embodying the self-confidence of the Champions.

"Damn it!" Okamoto muttered.

He hadn't expected that even after Seidou's third-year students had retired, they would still maintain such strong performance.

Their offense was perfect: speed, power, skills—all aspects were executed flawlessly.

But this perfection exposed a significant flaw in Seidou High School's lineup. After the third year's retirement, Seidou lacked a batter capable of decisive hits.

Relying solely on Sawamura had its limits. If Okamoto were the coach of Seidou High School, he would next focus on reconfiguring the lineup and finding ways to connect their batting order.

Seidou had accumulated many hits previously but had struggled to convert them into runs. The main issue was their inability to play a smooth sequence of innings.

Of course, Okamoto would not volunteer this insight to Seidou's coach.

On the other hand, Seidou's coach, Ochiai, stroked his goatee thoughtfully.

'The team had many excellent players, so why did it feel so disjointed?'

Currently, Seidou's strongest players were the top four batters. Even against Mukai, they had performed well, scoring two runs in six innings.

Against a strong opponent like Teito, this level of offensive power was decent, though not outstanding. The problem was that these two runs were largely due to individual skills.

As a team, their performance was rather average.

"After the game, the lineup needs refinement," Ochiai decided. The first four batters' cooperation had been disappointing, and Maezono, the fifth batter, had not performed at all. Conversely, the lower part of the lineup, including Toujou and Kanemaru, had been unexpectedly impressive.

Ping!

Asou's hit turned into a double play, ending Seidou High School's offense in the seventh inning.

Taiyou, whose stamina was nearly depleted, still had a determined glint in his eyes. This resolve not only inspired his Teito teammates but also earned admiration from Seidou's players.

"The Ace of Teito is quite strong!" Kuramochi commented for the first time, recognizing Mukai Taiyou's strength.

Toujou and Kanemaru were also very impressed.

"In this rainy weather, he's thrown over 100 pitches with such concentration. What kind of training has he undergone in Teito?" Kanemaru wondered.

"No success is handed to someone on a silver platter. If they stand out in front of others, it's inevitable they've trained hard behind the scenes," Sawamura noted, a sentiment shared by his teammates.

Seidou High School's players embraced this philosophy. They believed that hard work could make them stronger.

"With such a strong opponent, we can't lose too!" Miyuki declared with a smile.

"Yes!" Seidou's players prepared for defense.

"The last two innings will be a battle," Miyuki told Sawamura before he took the mound.

"Don't worry, I won't give them a chance," Sawamura assured.

The Teito batters made a desperate final push, but Sawamura, the 'Demon King,' along with Miyuki, stifled their efforts.

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE!!!"

"STRIKE BATTER OUT!!!!"

"STRIKE BATTER OUT!!!!!"

"STRIKE BATTER OUT!!!!!!"

With three outs, offense and defense exchange.

The 'Demon King' revealed his ferocious side, frequently using Forkballs and Straight Fastballs against Teito's lower lineup batters.

Even the top batters at Koshien struggled with these pitches, making it even more challenging for Teito's batters.

They could only watch helplessly as the baseball flew past them repeatedly, swinging their bats in vain.

"Demon King!"

"Demon King!!!"

The cheers from the stands grew louder and echoed throughout the stadium.

In this atmosphere, the game moved into the bottom of the eighth inning, with Seidou High School on the attack. Mukai, looking exhausted, still managed to deliver impressive pitches.

Kuramochi failed to reach base. While Haruichi got a hit, Sawamura failed to get a hit resulting in a double play.

Like this, the game proceeded to the final inning.

…