[250] A Step Forward in Evolution

Chapter 250: A Step Forward in Evolution

A Perfect Pitch.

An impeccable changeup. Haruichi's eyes flickered with amazement.

At least in his perspective, Eijun's changeup now rivaled Narumiya Mei's in terms of visual impact.

The only noticeable gap lay in the value of their fastballs.

Narumiya Mei's fastball speed far outstripped Eijun's, complemented by his exceptional control and consistency in pitch trajectory.

These factors lent more potency to Mei's changeup.

However, if those external conditions were stripped away and the focus was solely on the changeup's trajectory and movement, Eijun's pitch was already a perfectly controlled masterpiece of speed and trajectory.

In this regard, Eijun stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Narumiya Mei.

Miyuki and Chris both nodded lightly in acknowledgment.

After enduring the trials of Koshien, Eijun's abilities had ascended to a new level.

His mastery over various pitches and refinement of pitch trajectories had reached unprecedented heights.

More importantly, facing off against the batting lineups of powerhouse schools and confronting the ace pitchers of rival teams provided Eijun with invaluable experience.

These lessons, in their own way, spurred his evolution.

Whether it was Chris, Miyuki, or even Coach Kataoka and others, they all believed firmly that Seidou High School was on the brink of welcoming an ace pitcher capable of rivaling, if not surpassing, Narumiya Mei.

The potential and expectations surrounding Eijun were simply that high.

"Next pitch, cutter. Target the batter's chest."

Eijun nodded, taking a deep breath. His eyes locked onto Haruichi's stance ahead, and he moved decisively. In the batter's box, Haruichi's expression tightened.

With purposeful steps and a swinging arm, Eijun subtly adjusted his stride, shifting slightly inward. His left arm's release point was also marginally higher.

Whoosh.

In the next moment, a streak of white light shot from Eijun's hand.

From behind the plate, Miyuki's pupils narrowed sharply as he tracked Eijun's every move, reflecting the precision of the pitcher's mechanics.

A cold gleam flashed.

The ball hurtled toward the batter's box with blinding speed.

Haruichi, having anticipated the pitch type and trajectory, swiftly adjusted his stance, swinging his wooden bat forcefully.

Swish.

The ball, gleaming under the stadium lights, closed in on home plate.

Ping!

The instant the ball collided with the bat, the sharp vibration reverberated from the bat to Haruichi's hands, causing his expression to shift slightly.

Snap!

A crisp sound echoed clearly.

The ball ricocheted off the bat, slamming into the ground before bouncing away rapidly.

Judging by its trajectory on the field, it was a textbook infield grounder.

Of course, given the timing, the ball's speed upon bouncing was extremely high.

Whether the infield defense could successfully intercept it was a 50-50 proposition.

However, with Seidou's infielders like Ryousuke and Kuramochi in place, the success rate might increase by 10-20%.

Still, the crucial point was this: Haruichi had swung knowing the pitch type and trajectory.

That made the result all the more extraordinary.

Haruichi stared at the slight crack running through his metal bat, his face filled with disbelief.

Was Eijun's cutter really this difficult to counter?

The pitch had completely overpowered his swing in terms of both strength and angle.

Without perfectly centering the ball on the bat, Haruichi struggled to maintain control.

If Eijun's pitch velocity were just a bit faster, with even more force behind it, breaking a wooden bat, much like Sanada had done in the original series, wouldn't be out of the question.

Even Eijun himself was slightly astonished by what had just happened.

That pitch—it felt reminiscent of the Cutter Kai/Improved Cutter from the second part of the original manga. A sharper deflection, a more precise timing, and an aggressive inward angle.

This evolution caught Haruichi, who had prepared to counter a standard cutter, completely off guard.

Eijun's pitch had transcended the usual trajectory of a cutter. It could now be considered his unique, personalized version.

Had he unintentionally refined this pitch ahead of schedule?

Eijun had thought his control needed further improvement and had planned to set this pitch aside for now.

Yet, here it was, fully realized without him even trying.

This unexpected development left Eijun stunned.

And if Eijun himself was surprised, Miyuki and Chris were even more so.

It was clear to both of them that Eijun's cutter had taken a significant step forward in terms of power and effectiveness.

"The higher-speed spin has made the pitch sharper, and the angle shifts more inward," Chris observed quietly.

"Sawamura, did you adjust your stance just now?" Miyuki asked, standing up and addressing Eijun, who was staring at his left hand with an incredulous expression.

"Uh, sort of. While pitching, I felt that moving slightly inward allowed my arm to fully extend. Also, my release point was slightly higher than usual," Eijun replied, quickly analyzing the adjustments he had made during the pitch and explaining without hesitation.

Miyuki and Chris exchanged glances, both breaking into smiles.

"Only you, Sawamura, could pull off something this reckless during a pitch," Miyuki remarked, shaking his head with a grin.

Eijun scratched the back of his head, letting out an awkward laugh.

He hadn't planned this—it was simply his body instinctively seeking a more comfortable and effective motion.

It seemed like a lucky fluke that had brought the Cutter Kai into existence ahead of time.

"This pitch is sharper than a typical cutter. Eijun, you truly are something," Haruichi finally snapped out of his initial shock, looking at Eijun with admiration. His praise made Eijun a bit embarrassed, prompting an awkward smile.

After all, even Eijun himself was still processing what had happened.

"A sharper version of the cutter, huh? Then let's call it the Cutter Kai. It looks like you've successfully solidified the second refined pitch in your Numbers series," Miyuki said after a moment's thought, a broad smile spreading across his face.

Eijun blinked in surprise, taking a moment to register Miyuki's suggestion.

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