Chapter 9: Not Sorry

No Outs, a runner on second base.

"Third batter, outfielder, Sawamura-kun!"

"Seidou!"

"Seidou!!"

"Sawamura!!"

"Sawamura!"

Even when Kuramochi and Haruichi were at bat earlier, the supporters of Seidou did not stop cheering.

Everyone was actively cheering them on!

But once Sawamura took the Batter's Box, the atmosphere noticeably changed. While there had been plenty of noise before, it had seemed somewhat chaotic.

Now, the cheers were different—extremely orderly and rhythmic.

In this situation, the pressure on the opponents was immense.

On the mound, the Kasuga pitcher's hand trembled slightly. It was unclear whether it was from excitement or fear. Not only did others not know, but he himself was unsure.

'What was happening?'

No one could provide an answer.

'Do you need to Walk him?'

The catcher hesitated, glancing at the dugout.

'It's pointless!'

In the dugout, the Kasuga High coach shook his head firmly.

The current situation was no Outs, and even if Sawamura was Walked to first base, the situation would not change. They would still face a scenario of no Outs with runners on first and second against Miyuki.

Of course, Walking Miyuki was an option, but then they'd still face Seidou's batters with the bases loaded.

Not everyone could attempt such a risky thing.

'In this case, it was better to go all out and confront the batter directly.'

The Kasuga's coach had a clear understanding of the situation.

After the catcher nodded, he signaled the pitcher on the mound.

There was no need to Walk Sawamura, but they shouldn't give him too much room either. Even if they Walked him, it wouldn't change much.

'Aim for the corners of the strike zone and be aggressive.'

As long as they maintained an aggressive front, that would be sufficient.

The catcher's approach was actually not wrong. If they could manage this step, even if they couldn't get Sawamura Out, it would prevent the situation from worsening further.

However, the pitcher on the mound was bewildered.

He didn't even know what was wrong with him. He had no power at all while throwing.

Whoosh!

'A Straight ball right down the middle!!!'

Seeing the pitch, Eijun's first thought was that it might be a trap.

'Kasuga's pitcher wasn't exceptionally strong, but he wasn't weak either. His speed and control were decent.'

According to Seidou's previous assessment, this game was likely to go to the ninth inning.

'Could a pitcher of this level suddenly miss a pitch?'

'It couldn't be a trap, could it?'

'Is it a trap or an error?'

This thought lingered in Sawamura's mind for a moment, but he eventually brushed it aside!

'Who cares!'

Whether it was a trap or a missed pitch, he wasn't going to let this one go. He was ready to swing.

'With the situation so favorable, now was the time to strike and defeat the opponent decisively.'

No mercy!

He raised his bat high and his stance open, he swung the bat with full force.

PANG!!!

The white ball was struck and soared high into the sky.

The ball continued to fly, never to be seen again.

"A HOME RUN!!"

The ball was blasted out of the field.

Sawamura hit a two-run home run.

The score was now 3:0.

The spectators in the stands were thrilled, jumping and cheering as if they wanted to crush the stadium.

The game was still at the beginning, but the outcome was already clear in everyone's mind.

The question now was how many runs Seidou could score this inning.

How many runs could Seidou High School win in this game?

"Fourth Batter, catcher, Miyuki-kun."

"Nice Batting!"

Sawamura had left no chance for him, which frustrated Miyuki a bit.

If there were runners on base, he would find it easier to guess the opponent's pitches.

"TIME!"

At this moment, the Kasuga's catcher called for a time-out.

He hurriedly rushed to the mound to talk with his pitcher.

'Hmm?'

This small detail might be overlooked by most, but Miyuki, being highly perceptive, noticed something intriguing.

'After a home run, the catcher stepping up to help the pitcher adjust wasn't unusual'.

'But why was the opponent so anxious?'

'Something must have happened that surprised and shocked the catcher.'

'What could it be?'

'If nothing unexpected had occurred, the pitcher would have simply missed the pitch.'

'Interesting!'

Miyuki, who had figured everything out at a glance, was extremely enthusiastic.

It felt like discovering some hidden secret.

Miyuki's mischievous nature made him more thrilled rather than confident.

'After a missed pitch and a home run, how would the catcher call the next pitches?'

'Naturally, he would use the pitcher's strongest pitch to help him regain his form.'

'According to the data collected by Nabe, the pitcher's best pitch was the straight ball, around 140 km/h. While he did have breaking balls, they were not his core weapons.'

'The best pitch was the straight ball, aimed directly at the batter's chest.'

'Here it comes!'

Seeing through the opponent's pitch calling, Miyuki acted without hesitation, adopting a normal stance. The moment he saw the ball was thrown, he took a step away from the zone.

And swung with all of strength!

PAAANG!!!!

The ball was hit high and flew out of the field!

After Sawamura's home run, Miyuki followed with another home run.

The score was now 4:0.

This lead was beyond reach.

Miyuki's home run had completely pushed Kasuga to the brink.

The game continued, and Seidou's scoring didn't stop.

"Fifth batter, outfielder, Shiratsu-kun."

In the past month, Seidou High School's lineup has been adjusted.

Shiratsu had performed consistently and emerged as one of the core batters of the new team.

Now, he stepped into the Batter's Box.

He raised his bat and calmly focused on the pitcher, ready to deliver a decisive blow.

Ping!

"FOUL!!"

Shiratsu did not flinch, enduring several pitches.

Finally, on the seventh pitch, Shiratsu hit the ball.

The ball landed in the fielding gap, and Shiratsu advanced to first base.

No Outs, runner on first base!

The score is 4-0, and up to now, Kasuga hasn't secured a single out.

Seidou's offense shows no signs of stopping.

At this point in the game, it seems like there's no longer any value for either team.

On the other hand, the spectators, especially Seidou High School's supporters, are thrilled with this situation.

Before, when Seidou unexpectedly lost, their hardcore fans endured a lot of frustration.

Online fans of Inajitsu High School had mocked them mercilessly.

Even with the great Maou Sawamura Eijun, they said it wasn't enough. Seidou could only be the constant second place.

How irritating is that?

The die-hard Seidou supporters were eager to it is not.

Now, they are finally feeling vindicated.

The more Seidou dominates, the more satisfied they are.

Just wait.

Even though there's no chance for that in this playoffs now, Seidou High School will definitely get their revenge in Koshien.

At that time, they'll make the Inajitsu High School team see who the real King is.

Even for these enthusiastic zealous fans, Seidou's offense will not slow down.

"Sixth Batter, first baseman, Yamaguchi-kun."

If there has been a major change at Seidou High School this month, it's the first baseman position.

The underperforming Maezono has now become a substitute player. In this game, Yamaguchi has taken Maezono's place.

Yamaguchi is a powerful batter, muscular and explosive.

Standing in the Batter's Box, he stared intensely at the pitcher, as if he were going to devour him.

'Scary! Scary!'

From his look, the Kasuga players could clearly sense the intimidation.

It felt like seeing a tiger at the zoo and realizing its cage door was left open.

'Terrifying!'

'Scary!'

Kasuga High School's catcher swallowed nervously.

His confidence was shattered.

Next, the pitcher missed again and threw a sweet ball.

Faced with this easy pitch, Yamaguchi had no reason to hold back.

'I have been dying to get this opportunity. Sorry man, but I am not sorry!!!'

BUZZZZZZ!!!

Now was the time to get what he wanted all along.

PAAANG!!!

He mercilessly bombarded the ball out of the park.

The white ball soared with a long tail and flew out of the field for the third time in this inning.

The score became 6-0!

…