Chapter 4: Call Me Aniki

The way Nishiyama said he is a pitcher made Sawamura's pride ache.

He is usually nice with his Kohai and he wouldn't pressure them from the get-go.

But when he was being challenged like this, he wouldn't just stand down.

"Pitcher? Then, we'll be competitors from now on!"

As these words escaped Sawamura's lips, it felt like a hailstorm had swept through the entire No. 5 dormitory.

The atmosphere turned icy and unnerving.

Kuramochi, who was playing a fighting game, glanced at Sawamura in surprise.

He clearly hadn't anticipated Sawamura to express such fierce hostility toward these two Kohais.

Who is Sawamura Eijun?

He's one of the top pitchers in the country, hailed by the media as a 'Maou' (Demon King).

In the realm of competition, anyone labeled as a "Maou" is invincible in their field.

Given Sawamura's current status, did he really need to say such things to two freshmen just starting school?

Kuramochi Yoichi couldn't understand.

He noticed a guy named Asada, who was trembling in fear.

Faced with Sawamura's sharp edge, he looked utterly confused.

In contrast, Nishiyama showed no signs of backing down.

His eyes were locked onto Sawamura, unflinching.

'What a fearless little calf!'

Kuramochi figured Nishiyama's calmness must stem from his confidence in his own abilities.

But the terror of the Maou isn't something you can truly grasp unless you stand on the field and experience it firsthand.

When they trained together later, he would likely understand what the Maou Sawamura was really like.

This was Kuramochi's perspective, but Sawamura Eijun wouldn't see it that way.

Though time has blurred his memory, he still retains key information.

For example, he remembers that Nishiyama rose to fame as a teenager.

If Sawamura recalls correctly, this guy once represented Japan's team and was the runner-up in the Little League World Series.

While it was merely a youth baseball tournament, he was still a world champion in his age group.

If were just the height of achievements, Sawamura may not stand a chance against him.

Sawamura initially played only softball, winning the national league in that realm.

But what about Nishiyama?

He is a runner-up in a world tournament, one of the best players in his age group worldwide.

Such a person would naturally not be intimidated by Sawamura's fame.

'I'm looking forward to seeing his current skills.'

In the awkward silence, none of the four spoke.

Just then, there was a sudden knock at the door.

"Shisho!"

"Captain!!"

Two voices called from outside Room 5.

Sawamura, who had been passively terrorizing his Kohais, paused at the familiar sounds.

'Is it them?'

After a moment of surprise, Sawamura realized why the voices were there.

Earlier during winter break, he had partied with friends and learned that Hirota and Matsumoto received invitations from Seidou High School.

They had even consulted Sawamura for his opinion on the matter.

"If you want to dominate the country and have an unforgettable youth, then come! But let me clarify: Seidou High School is not an ordinary team. Sometimes, even with enough effort, you may not achieve results."

"If after hearing all this you still choose Seidou, then I welcome you."

He hadn't expected them to actually come.

Sawamura opened the dorm door, and sure enough, Hirota Hikaru and Matsumoto Jun were standing outside.

"Shisho!"

Matsumoto Jun's eyes were teary.

This kid had a rough upbringing. Sawamura initially thought a child raised in such an environment would be as tough as nails, unafraid of anything.

But reality proved otherwise; this guy was deeply emotional.

He cried at the drop of a hat, his tears flowing like a kite with a severed string.

He cried when moved, when sad, even when laughing, and cried even harder when losing or winning a game.

"Why are you crying?! Your tears could power a family of five with hydroelectricity," Sawamura had once teased him.

Now, just a few months later, upon seeing Sawamura, he burst into tears again.

Inside the dorm, Kuramochi, Asada, and Nishiyama were peeking outside.

They had no idea what they were expecting.

"Damn kid, you really came!"

Sawamura hugged Matsumoto tightly.

Their bond was more than just Senpai and Kohai, or captain and team member.

After Hosho graduated, Matsumoto became Sawamura's partner.

They had even won the Championship together.

Not to mention Matsumoto's baseball skills were nearly all taught by Sawamura.

So Matsumoto often referred to Sawamura as 'Shisho' and his gratitude was deeper than what Sawamura felt for Chris-senpai.

"Captain!!"

As the two embraced, another friend was eager to join in.

He was another one of Sawamura's Kohais.

Hirota Hikaru!

This guy had entered the Akagi Middle School baseball team through backdoor means (A recommendation by a sponsor). When he first joined, he boasted to Sawamura that he could play any position.

At that time, in order to get the sponsor's support, Sawamura reluctantly let him try every position.

He was shocked by what he discovered.

He could play any position, yet he was equally incompetent in all of them.

Aside from hitting, he had no other strengths.

Moreover, the damn boy still thought of himself as some kind of genius.

But to be fair, his batting skills were decent.

During the previous holiday, Sawamura had assessed his abilities.

He was quite good!

Though still a bit shy of being a regular starter, his batting power definitely reached the first-string level.

For Seidou High School, which lacked strong hitters, he might have a good chance.

Though he was also a student of Sawamura, he didn't call him "Shisho" like Matsumoto. Instead, he preferred to call Sawamura "Captain".

Maybe that title felt more familiar to him.

"Who are these two?"

Seeing Sawamura's Kohais actively finding him to say hi, Kuramochi could hardly contain his curiosity and stepped forward to ask.

"They're Kohai from my hometown. This is Hirota Hikaru, and this is Matsumoto Jun. Both received invitations from Seidou!"

As he spoke, Sawamura looked particularly proud.

It's important to note that Seidou High School's recruiting standards have improved significantly.

To put it bluntly, it is uncertain whether the current third-year students at Seidou could even get a special invitation.

Under such circumstances, it was impressive that his two Kohais received special invitations.

Sawamura certainly felt a sense of pride.

Even if Seidou High School had plenty of money, their special recruitment quotas weren't unlimited.

"I'm the Senpai of your Senpai, Kuramochi Yoichi!"

Kuramochi boldly moved in front of them and introduced himself.

'The Senpai of the Senpai?'

'Isn't that just our Senpai?'

'Do they go with a different routine here or something?'

Hirota was a bit puzzled by this, and Matsumoto's tears came quickly and faded just as fast.

Now recovered, he curiously asked, "If you're the boss of our boss, what should we call you?"

"Aniki!"

"Aniki!"

Sawamura and Kuramochi said in unison.

...

T/N: 'Aniki' is how you call your Seniors/Senpais in the gang. So basically, Kuramochi is trying to establish a small gang for him in Seidou XD.

That's it for now!

As always, Thank you all for reading guys!

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