Chapter 83: Like Hell I Will Let It!

The moment they had heard the umpire, everyone in the field felt it.

It was the air became heavy like it was charged with power and excitement.

"OOOOOHH!!!"

"WHAAAAA!!!"

"AAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"

Seidou's fans in the stands were shouting unintelligible things like they had become a wild beast in the wild.

But their excitement was clear and obvious for anyone to see!

Against all the odds, against all the hardships, Seidou managed to catch up and tie the score!

It was a long and grueling battle, with both sides fighting desperately. One side is trying to keep their advantage, and the other refusing to lose.

Finally, Seidou managed to snatch a comeback from the northern monsters' jaws.

"RAAAAAAAAAA!!"

Kuramochi jumped on Miyuki who was standing to have his turn, howling toward the sky like a wolf, or a weasel in his case.

With Kuramochi Yoichi reaching base, Seidou High School's score changed from one point to two.

The players of Seidou had expressions of joy and exhilaration.

"SAWAMURA!!"

"SAWAMURAAA!!!"

"KURAMOCHII!!!"

They all yelled the names of Sawamura and Kuramochi, and soon the whole stadium joined them.

Miyuki Kazuya stepped into the Batter's Box and glanced at the electronic scoreboard.

At that moment, the display seemed to be catching up, slowly changing to show the score as 2:2.

"Not bad!"

Everyone's attention was on Sawamura, who had just made a hit and was holding his fist up in the air while standing on the second base, his performance was impressive.

He made a clean hit and reached base himself.

'It was a beautiful play that can leave anyone speechless, really.'

'Even though he hadn't pitched today, he remained a crucial part of the team.'

Without Sawamura, they wouldn't have tied the score right now.

The score on the field would likely be 2:0 against them!

"Really, thank you for choosing to come to Seidou."

Miyuki quietly murmured this.

This sentiment wasn't Miyuki's; it was voiced by the graduated Senpais.

Miyuki once thought he could understand the feelings of the Senpais.

But ever since he became captain and the backbone of the team, he realized he couldn't fully grasp the seniors' emotions at that time.

Or perhaps his previous understanding was too simplistic.

The true significance of Sawamura's strength and charm to Seidou High School was much greater than he had imagined.

'Really grateful!'

Miyuki expressed this heartfelt sentiment.

If it weren't for Sawamura, they would have to face the monster Narumiya in the same district.

When would they get their chance to shine?

But now, Miyuki could see the dawn of that day.

Next, it was about building an era for Seidou High School alongside his teammates.

Miyuki felt confident about this.

To build an era, they had to win every single game ahead.

Now that Sawamura had tied the score, he would take his responsibility as the team's fourth batter.

'Time to deliver the final blow for victory.'

In the catcher's position, Renji was already frowning deeply.

He understood the current situation: if Miyuki got a timely hit now, it would spell disaster for them.

Conversely, if he could walk Miyuki, the game could shift to extra innings.

In a tie, the stamina of the pitchers would weigh heavily in favor of Seidou.

The balance of victory would surely tilt toward them.

Renji looked deeply at his own dugout.

Coach Nitta was no longer angry; he sat calmly on the bench, expressionless and still.

It seemed he had no intention of replacing Hongou.

This meant the intense showdown would continue.

'Could it be that the Coach's care for Masamune had surpassed his commitment to the team's performance?'

'No, it shouldn't be that way.'

'Rather, the Coach believed no one could replace Masamune at this moment.'

'This was a battle that allowed for no retreat!'

Both sides had loaded their weapons, preparing for a true showdown.

Renji felt his adrenaline surging.

Even after giving up a timely hit, Hongou's expression remained unchanged.

Those unfamiliar with him would find it hard to detect any clues in his demeanor.

Only Renji, who spent every day with Masamune, knew how furious he truly was.

His body began to tremble slightly, and the muscles in his face shook.

Hongou was furious to the extreme.

'If they were going to go head-to-head, he would unleash all the fire within him at this moment.'

Renji made a strong determination and opened his Mitt.

In that small action, he had already signaled the play.

Here it comes!

At that moment, everyone in the stadium focused on the field.

This pitching duel would significantly influence the game would proceed next.

Both competitors knew this, and as they began, neither showed any intention of holding back.

His arm raised high, he shifted his weight and threw the ball with all his might.

Roaar!!

All of Hongou's strength converged into his two fingers as he pitched. At that moment, he channeled all his anger into the throw.

This pitch was incredibly powerful.

Miyuki, standing in the Batter's Box, felt a tremor run through him.

What lay before him was not merely a baseball but a monstrous beast.

This beast was about to devour him whole.

"Scary!" Miyuki muttered quietly.

Though he seemed shaky, he had no intention of backing down.

The bat in his hands rose high like an ancient warrior raising his sword to charge at a mighty beast.

As the white ball flew toward him, a glimmer of joy flashed across Miyuki's face.

The position and movement of the ball matched his expectations perfectly.

That's the kind of player he is: the more information he has, the more precise his analysis and judgment become. Especially when there are runners on base, his predictions become even sharper.

It's like solving a problem—more ideas and hints make finding the answer easier.

With one Out and a runner on second base, it was not difficult for Miyuki to guess what kind of pitch the opponent would use.

In fact, Renji and Hongou, the pitching battery, were likely well aware of this too.

Yet, they chose to confront Miyuki head-on, fighting it out directly.

This wasn't a brainless move; they had absolute confidence in their ace pitcher's abilities.

Even if Miyuki guessed the pitch, hitting it well would still be a challenge.

This belief allowed them to make such a bold choice.

Unfortunately, they clearly underestimated Miyuki's skills.

Facing that tricky pitch, Miyuki swung cleanly and decisively.

Ping!!

With the right pitch guessed, his hitting was nearly unstoppable.

The white ball, upon contact, drew a perfect arc and fell into the outfield.

The outfielder failed to catch the baseball immediately and could only watch as it sailed away.

As the ball was about to hit the ground, Sawamura had already left second base, heading for third.

Drawing from his own experience, he predicted that the ball would land and not be caught.

With this mental preparation, he acted faster than most.

As the white ball fell, rolling away, Sawamura reached third base in the blink of an eye.

Upon arriving at third, the third base coach signaled for him to continue.

'There's an opportunity!'

Without even looking back, Sawamura stepped on third base and sprinted toward home plate.

At that moment, the outfielder had just picked up the ball, positioned at least 60 meters away from the catcher.

This distance was more than enough; long throws often come with errors.

Even without mistakes, Sawamura had a great chance of scoring.

There was plenty of time.

Whoosh!

It took almost two seconds for the white ball to cover that distance.

Adding the catcher's reaction time, it could take even longer.

Meanwhile, Sawamura, running at full speed, took just over four seconds to dash from third base to home plate.

The odds were in his favor!

Thus, the third-base Coach decisively signaled Sawamura to advance.

Sawamura had no doubts about his teammates' abilities.

Upon receiving the signal, he sprinted toward home plate without hesitation.

At the same time, the outfielder who had intercepted the ball in the outfield noticed Seidou High School's unusual activity.

"Stop underestimating us!!!"

In the freezing, snowy conditions of Hokkaido, systematic baseball practice was a challenge.

After all, snowflakes do not bounce the baseball.

As a result, much practice simply couldn't happen.

What they could do was practice catching and throwing in the snow.

Day after day, year after year.

Time can create miracles; nationally, only Komadai Fujimaki High School could reliably make 60-meter throws without errors.

For other teams, Sawamura's chance of safely reaching home was almost guaranteed.

However, for the players of Komadai Fujimaki High School, catching Sawamura was not impossible.

SNAP!

With Sawamura just four or five meters from home plate, the baseball reached Renji's mitt with pinpoint accuracy.

This sudden turn of events left the spectators stunned.

Some, overwhelmed with anxiety, covered their eyes, unable to bear watching Seidou High School waste this golden opportunity.

Of course, others watched with wide eyes, excited.

For example, potential rivals like Inajitsu and Seihou High School appreciated seeing Seidou's struggle.

What a thrill!

When had they ever seen Seidou struggling like this?

It was strangely satisfying.

The Seidou High School baseball team was far too tense to enjoy any amusement.

They were so nervous they forgot to breathe.

At home plate, the confrontation between Sawamura and Renji was underway.

After receiving the ball, Renji positioned himself directly in front of home plate.

'Sorry, Sawamura-kun! This ends here!'

His entire body tensed; he was ready to tag Sawamura the moment he came close.

'Come on!'

Renji didn't retreat at all.

'Like Hell I Will Let It!!!'

Sawamura, too, had no intention of backing down.

He barreled straight toward Renji, looking as if he intended to collide with him.

'What?!'

The home plate umpire tensed, mouth agape.

'In high school baseball, collisions are strictly prohibited.'

'Surely, Sawamura wouldn't forget that, would he?'

Of course, Sawamura hadn't forgotten. His actions were just a feint.

As he neared Renji, his body twisted like a spinning top.

Then, at an incredible angle, he evaded Renji's Mitt.

One hand firmly touched the home plate.

"SAAAAAFEEEEEE!!!!!!!"

The crowd erupted.

"SEIDOU!

"SEIDOU!!"

"SAWAMURA!"

"SAWAMURA!!"

Those who had covered their eyes earlier now found themselves bewildered, unsure of what had just happened on the field.

But the result spoke for itself.

The score was 3:2, with Seidou High School taking the lead!!

In the ninth inning, at the game's final moments, Seidou's lineup, previously struggling, finally rallied.

Kuramochi led off with a hit.

Following that, Sawamura and Miyuki both secured hits, allowing the team to reverse the score in one breath.

Now the score read 3:2.

Seidou High School was ahead.

A profound sense of helplessness enveloped every player of Komadai Fujimaki High School.

In this game, they had led for a full eight innings.

Just as victory seemed within their grasp, they were unexpectedly overturned by Seidou in the last moments.

Each player wore a grim expression, their faces clouded with dismay.

Their coach, Nitta, stared with fierce determination in his eyes.

The score of 3:2 held steady into the bottom of the ninth inning.

During this time, Shiratsu hit an infield grounder and Komadai got a double play.

And so, the game reached the bottom of the ninth inning…

…

T/N: Now we are at the final step of the game.

Thank you all for reading!

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