Chapter 56: A Joke

"Fourth batter, first baseman, Yuuki."

A light breeze blew across home plate, making it and the strike zone pristine.

In the wind, Tetsu's eyes were locked on Sawamura on the pitcher's mound. His gaze was deep and enigmatic.

From the catcher's position, Miyuki was very concerned. With a batter of Tetsu's caliber, any ball in the strike zone was hard to miss. Simply put, if it was a strike, he would likely hit it.

'Against such a batter, coming up with a game calling was essential.'

Miyuki kept observing Tetsu, hoping to find some weakness.

'Nothing. Still nothing!'

There was no visible weakness. Even if Sawamura faced Tetsu directly, winning wasn't guaranteed. If Tetsu got on base, the consequences would be dire.

Behind Tetsu were Chris, who was a well-rounded offensive player, and Masuko, who excelled at both powerful hits and bunts. The offensive strategies they could employ were numerous and formidable.

It wasn't enough just to consider the opponent's tactics; Miyuki had to come up with a new plan.

Determined, Miyuki gave Sawamura the signal for a risky pitch.

'Even though it was a high-risk move, using an uncertain pitch right away is crucial. If we are going to use it, it should be the first pitch!'

Given Tetsu's habits, he was less likely to swing at the first pitch, especially against a sudden breaking ball.

'Let's do this!'

Miyuki felt like a witch tempting Sawamura with a dangerous spell, urging him to take the risk.

"Playing with you is never boring!" Sawamura said a satisfied smile on his face. He too enjoyed the thrill of uncertainty.

As the tension of the game reached its peak, Sawamura prepared to deliver the pitch. A smile appeared on Sawamura's face.

He also has a gambler side in his bones, and he enjoys this feeling very much. Where he doesn't know what the result will be, and he has to give it his all for a chance to win.

Badum! Badum!!

'Even in the hustle and bustle of the field, I can clearly hear my heartbeat.'

That's what it feels like, head-to-head with the opponent, and then use his superb pitching to solve the opponent.

'Tetsu-san, this is a special pitch I've prepared for a batter of your level. Enjoy the show!'

Without hesitation, Sawamura took his stance and threw the ball with full force.

Whoosh!

The small white ball streaked toward Tetsu like a cold flash.

'So fast!'

'Faster than before.'

'A Straight Fastball?'

Tetsu briefly considered this thought. The pitch was so fast it was disorienting.

Against such a sudden and unfamiliar pitch, Tetsu generally wouldn't swing. But this time was different—he had resolved to swing at the first pitch before he even stepped up to the plate.

With Sawamura's many breaking balls, it was unrealistic to predict the exact pitch. It was better to rely on instinct.

So, Tetsu was determined to swing at the first pitch.

When he saw the fastball coming, his resolve only strengthened.

He swung the bat.

At that moment, he had calculated everything in his mind—when to swing, where to hit the ball.

Everything was planned, but the ball he was about to hit suddenly disappeared.

'Hmm?'

The pitch that seemed to be locked in the strike zone had vanished.

SNAP!

"STRIKE!"

Before Yuuki could process what happened, the sound of the ball hitting the Mitt echoed.

On the sidelines, the Ota's voice suddenly rose in disbelief.

"How is this possible?"

His brow furrowed deeply as he stared in shock at Tetsu, who had just swung and missed.

"Why would Yuuki swing at such a Ball?"

Next to Ota, Takashima was equally stunned. "Why would Sawamura-kun, a left-handed pitcher, throw such a ball like this? It doesn't make sense."

In the third-year rest area, Isashiki looked puzzled. "Was that what they call a Level 5 breaking ball?"

Chris shook his head with a wry smile. "It shouldn't be, if it was, it's quite a joke."

When Miyuki and Sawamura first proposed the Level 5 Breaking Ball for training, they intended to keep it a secret. But is there truly such a thing as a perfectly airtight secret?

Despite their 'concealed' training sessions, others hadn't seen the pitch firsthand but had heard whispers about it. On a team as close-knit as theirs, it's nearly impossible to keep something entirely under wraps.

Especially more if it was their Ace who was doing it.

Among the rumors, the most widespread was about the Level 5 Breaking Ball. It was said to be extraordinary. Previously, Sawamura's Breaking Balls were at levels one, two, and three at most.

Sawamura's Level 3 Breaking Ball was his signature pitch, alongside his straight fastball and forkball. His teammates knew well how tricky these pitches could be.

The new Breaking Ball was rumored to be two levels higher than these, an improvement that stretched their imagination to its limits.

Now, they finally saw it for themselves, and it was a far cry from their expectations. They had anticipated something spectacular from Sawamura's new Breaking Ball, but in reality, it was quite underwhelming.

This so-called Level 5 Breaking Ball seemed to be nothing more than a Straight Fastball on the outside corner.

If a batter was determined, they could still hit it—even if their bat might not be long enough. But with proper preparation, such a pitch could be avoided or dealt with in various ways.

It didn't seem like a pitch that could surpass the straight fastball or forkball in terms of difficulty.

Everyone was puzzled. How could Sawamura call such a pitch Level 5?

From the observer's angle, it made sense that there was confusion. But standing in the batter's box, Yuuki saw things differently.

He initially thought Sawamura had thrown an inside corner ball, but when Miyuki caught it, the ball had actually landed on the outside corner—missing the strike zone by about twenty centimeters(8 in.)

The difference was striking.

Yuuki frowned and looked at the pitcher's mound.

On the mound, Eijun was deeply embarrassed. He wanted to hide.

'This was so embarrassing!'

The new Pitch didn't work.

He wondered how his teammates perceived the pitch. They probably thought he was crazy for missing so badly.

Although he had tricked Tetsu-san into swinging, the pitch had too many flaws.

'I didn't expect it to deviate so much!' Miyuki frowned.

The pitch was still very unrefined and unsuitable for actual play. They had hoped it would be a bluff, but in a live game, the deviation was too great.

'That Breaking Ball can't be used right now!' Miyuki concluded.

Sawamura, on the mound, nodded in agreement, his face red from embarrassment. The pitch had been a total failure.

It seemed today wasn't the right day for this Breaking Ball.

Others couldn't know what was going on in their minds. Despite the pitch seeming like a joke to them, they didn't underestimate Sawamura.

Amateurs watch for fun, while experts see the details.

Though the pitch appeared comical from the stands, it had successfully tricked Yuuki into swinging.

If the pitch had such an effect from the batter's perspective, it meant there was something to it.

Everyone watched Sawamura intently, trying to decipher the mystery of his Breaking Ball.

Even Yuuki, usually calm, had his expression change after seeing the pitch.

Miyuki sighed with relief.

'Although the pitch seemed like a joke, it had successfully made an impression on Tetsu-san.'

As long as Yuuki remembered that pitch, it was an opportunity for them.

'Let's go!'

After some thought, Miyuki signaled again.

'Really stubborn!' Sawamura thought.

No matter how unexpected the situation, Miyuki wouldn't let frustration affect his judgment. He would find a way to resolve it.

'Since my partner is so reliable, I can't lag behind!' Sawamura, despite his earlier mistake, was determined to rectify it.

He raised his right foot high and then brought it down like a battle axe.

As his body shifted, the baseball flew from his hand like a bullet.

Whoosh!

The ball shot toward the batter like a laser.

Yuuki, who had missed the previous pitch, swung hard at this one, expecting Sawamura's Straight Fastball.

It looked very similar to the previous pitch.

At that moment, Yuuki's mind flashed with the memory of Sawamura's earlier pitch.

Ping!

The ball struck the bat and shot past the third baseline.

"FOUL!"

With one Strike and one Foul, Sawamura led with two Strikes.

"Whew!"

Yuuki's swing was too late. Miyuki and Sawamura both realized simultaneously that Yuuki's state was problematic.

The previous pitch had made a deep impression on Yuuki. There was a chance, a big chance!

The two of them were like lions sensing prey, their eyes gleaming with resolve.

If the previous pitch was still on Yuuki's mind, then this was their chance to strike out.

Miyuki didn't waste time and made a sign to Sawamura.

Seeing Miyuki's sign, Sawamura took a deep breath, adjusted his stance, and threw the ball.

The first pitch had been a wrong-breaking ball, and the second was a Straight Fastball.

Despite their differences, both were incredibly fast.

Fueled with energy, Sawamura threw the third pitch.

Whoosh!

Yuuki, in the batter's box, watched the baseball approach.

He could have waited until the ball was closer to swing, but he hadn't identified the problem with Sawamura's Breaking Ball.

So he decided to try hitting the ball foul first to observe it.

But unexpectedly, as his bat swung through, the ball never arrived.

Snap!

After a moment, the sound of the ball hitting the Mitt was heard.

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

The final pitch was a Change-up!

Sawamura used a Change-up to Strike Out Yuuki.

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