Chapter 38: Yakushi’s Apocalypse

"EH?!"

"WHAT?!"

"All Replaced!!"

"And most of them are first-year players at that!!"

In the stands, the gathering area of Seidou High School.

Everyone was left dumbfounded and mouth agape.

As a well-established powerhouse team, Seidou High School often makes substitutions, and they do so frequently.

If nothing else, pitchers may change several times during a formal game.

But they had never seen a substitution like this before.

Yakushi High School had actually replaced all the players on the field in one go.

It was simply unbelievable.

"Aren't they afraid of collapsing?"

Maezono muttered.

"Since Yakushi dares to do this, there must be a reason. Either they've already given up on the game, or Coach Todoroki has absolute confidence in these players on the field."

The players from Seidou High School's baseball team leaned more toward the latter.

Although the Coach of Yakushi High School seemed a bit abnormal, no one could guess what kind of tricks he had up his sleeve.

However, based on their previous encounters with him, they knew one thing for sure:

The Head Coach of Yakushi was definitely crafty.

Someone so cunning wouldn't just give the opponent a chance.

With this analysis, the only reasonable explanation for the situation before them was that Todoroki Raizou had absolute confidence in these first-year players.

The Yakushi team in front of them was entirely made up of first-year players.

Kuroki, Tomobe...

There were as many as five newcomers who had been substituted.

These players had already gained some recognition before entering high school. Though their fame wasn't as loud as the great Igarashi Sora, their potential was highly regarded.

This lineup also greatly surprised the players from Seidou High School's baseball team.

"I thought we were lucky to recruit so many talented newcomers this year. I didn't expect Yakushi High School to be so strong this year."

"After all, there are so many players across the country. Even if the star players are one in a hundred, you'll still end up with a lot of them. Some top teams are bound to attract many promising newcomers."

Previously, Seidou High School had been at its lowest point, failing to reach Koshien for five consecutive years.

But even then, they relied on the golden reputation of Seidou High School to recruit many promising newcomers.

Not to mention that Yakushi High School was currently in its peak period and a super dark horse favored by all teams.

For many players, leaving the giants' invitations behind to join a team like this was also an acceptable choice.

After all, a team like this had a very high chance of reaching Koshien.

After the substitutions, Yakushi High School performed very strongly.

Tomobe, who was pitching, didn't give up any runs in the fourth inning. On the contrary, they even scored a point.

This officially extended their lead to ten points.

The total score was 10:0, and the game entered the fifth inning.

Up until now, except for the players from Oikaze High School, everyone else believed the game was over.

Todoroki Raizou laughed excitedly in the dugout.

His confidence had swelled to an unstoppable level.

He believed that winning against the opponent was as easy as picking a fruit from a tree.

It only took the last three outs.

Tomobe stood on the mound again.

Tomobe, also a pitcher, was a very… distinctive-looking person.

Fortunately, his temperament was good enough to give him some redeeming qualities in terms of looks.

He liked reading adult books and was a very active figure among the newcomers at Yakushi High School.

Todoroki Raizou, the coach, spoke highly of him.

He said that Tomobe had become an important force in the team.

Being praised like this by his own Coach showed just how strong and promising Tomobe was.

His position was as a pitcher, and even after promoting Igarashi Sora, Todoroki still moved him up to the first-string team.

This also showed how much he was valued.

Strong players are naturally proud.

Tomobe was no exception.

He was holding back his energy, not wanting to lose to Igarashi Sora when he took the mound.

So he pitched with great effort.

Unfortunately, he didn't meet the right opponent.

His current opponent was the fourth batter of Oikaze High School, a character who seemed relatively unknown.

The batter held his bat high and then gently wiggled it.

His preparation stance was quite standard.

It was clear that he had undergone a lot of practice in private.

As the ball flew toward him, he calmly stepped forward and swung the bat.

Ping!

It was as though the trajectory of the ball had been preset in advance, and the ball flew off.

The baseball flew into the fielding gap, hit the ground, and bounced back.

Oikaze High School finally got their first hit.

It felt like a celebration, with the players shouting and jumping around.

The pressure that Yakushi High School had placed on them was so overwhelming that they hadn't been able to recover until now.

Now, this hit meant much more than just a successful base hit.

It represented their hope for an offensive comeback.

Seeing a runner on base, Tomobe's mood became a bit anxious.

They were just three Outs away from sealing the game.

Why was there such a deviation at this point?

'Absolutely not allowed.'

Previously, Igarashi Sora had perfectly dominated the game. He had to do the same.

As a rival, if the opponent could do it, he could do it too.

With determination, Tomobe pitched the ball again.

Now, the catcher wasn't the usual Akiba, but another rookie catcher!

When he saw the ball, a sense of panic filled his heart.

'Isn't this pitch a little too high?!!'

Thinking this, he quickly stretched out his Mitt to catch the ball.

The young catcher showed courage.

Unfortunately, there was no chance. A bat suddenly appeared in front of him.

Ping!

The ball was hit and flew off.

Looking at the flying baseball, Tomobe didn't show a surprised expression. Instead, there was a sense of satisfaction.

"Kuroki!"

The baseball flew directly to where Kuroki was fielding.

'If Kuroki could catch the ball, they would have secured the first Out.'

'The process of getting Outs should not be rushed.'

'The more anxious you are, the more likely you are to make mistakes.'

'You need to take it one step at a time.'

Although Tomobe was anxious, his calm personality helped him settle down.

Kuroki immediately rushed to the spot where the baseball was falling.

But for some unknown reason, the ball didn't land in his mitt and instead fell behind him.

An easy fly ball became a base hit!!!

On the pitcher's mound, Tomobe's eyes widened in disbelief.

'How is this possible?'

'How could you miss such an easy catch?'

***

The situation on the field has begun to shift in a relatively unfavorable direction for Yakushi High School.

However, not many people have noticed this yet; the majority still believe that Yakushi High School holds an overwhelming advantage.

Instead, it is the coach of Yakushi High School who is wearing a bitter expression.

Todoroki Raizou might have impulsive tendencies, but his ability is unquestionable. He is undoubtedly one of the best Coaches and instructors in high school baseball today.

He has already identified the huge problem his team is facing right now.

The biggest issue is that he can no longer substitute his precious son and Sanada Shunpei onto the field.

Yakushi High School has many star players, but very few can stand on their own. Even fewer can lead the team forward.

Up until now, the only ones who could do that were Sanada Shunpei and his precious son Raichi.

Mishima and Igarashi might have this ability, but they don't hold enough prestige within the team.

When Raichi and Sanada could no longer play, Todoroki Raizou lost control of the game's situation.

He could offer tactical advice, but other than that, the players had to adjust on their own.

There's no issue with the strength of these freshmen. Even if they don't have a significant lead, they wouldn't necessarily lose if they faced their opponents head-on.

But the real question is, can they play to their full potential?

In an impulsive move, Todoroki Raizou put all the freshmen on the field. Almost as soon as he made the decision, he regretted it.

He suddenly realized a very serious problem.

'What happens when a team loses its soul?'

Yakushi High School is inevitably facing an unprecedented and severe test.

"But this is their own problem."

Todoroki Raizou has come to terms with it. Seeing that there's no way to control the situation any longer, he no longer cares.

He decided to use this as an opportunity to test the newcomers.

'Let's see who is genuine gold, and who is just scrap?'

Treat the Kanto Tournament as a trial for the new players.

There's probably no one else in the whole country who has the guts to do this, other than Todoroki Raizou.

What Todoroki Raizou anticipated was entirely correct, and the situation quickly spiraled out of control.

***

Top of the 5th Inning!

Oikaze High School, which had been docile until then, suddenly began to show its fangs.

The champion of Chiba Prefecture seemed unable to deal with Yakushi High School's main lineup.

However, when it came to Yakushi's newcomers, they were full of energy.

From the fourth batter onward, there were three consecutive hits and two runs scored.

Then, using a hit-and-run tactic, the runner on third base was walked back to home plate.

In one fell swoop, they scored three runs.

The score on the field became 10:3, with Yakushi's lead reduced to just seven points.

Tomobe, standing on the pitcher's mound, had a blue face like he was going to lose consciousness at any moment.

For the recent hits, there was only one real responsibility that could be placed on him, the rest were caused by his teammates.

Playing in front of tens of thousands of spectators, feeling the rhythm of high school baseball.

'These guys were obviously nervous, their reactions were delayed, and they couldn't play to their full potential.'

'What should we do now?'

The young man was truly anxious, but there was nothing he could do.

He had just joined the team, and his significance was obviously not enough. Even if he wanted to lead by pitching, his pitching wasn't at the level where he could strike out batters.

At this point, Tomobe truly realized the terrifying difference of high school baseball.

This was completely different from the baseball they played in middle school.

'The gap was too big!'

But even if it was in vain, he had to do something. He couldn't just sit here and wait to lose.

Thanks to excellent performances in hitting, Oikaze High School's pitching became smooth.

They didn't concede any runs in the bottom of the 5th inning.

The game continued into the 6th inning.

The situation on the field began to change.

The crowd also began to shift their attention, eagerly watching to see how far Oikaze High School could go.

But even now, not many believe that Oikaze could truly make a comeback.

Those who were familiar with Yakushi High School knew exactly what kind of team they were.

Such a super underdog, everyone had seen them turning the tables on others, but no one had ever seen anyone counterattack against Yakushi.

But the developments in the next part of the game shocked everyone.

Oikaze High School started to show the strength of their Chiba Championship title.

As a regional champion, Oikaze High's power should not be underestimated.

However, when they previously faced Yakushi, they were stunned by Raichi's performance.

But now, facing Yakushi's fresh batch of juniors, the true strength of the Chiba champions came through.

They realized that the team they were facing wasn't as terrifying as they had thought.

Moreover, Yakushi's newcomers couldn't keep up with the pace of the high school game, often making mistakes in their defense.

Balls that could have been caught ended up as hits.

This was absolutely deadly.

The score on the field kept changing.

In the 6th inning, Oikaze scored two points.

In the 7th inning, they scored four more.

By the end of the 7th inning, the score had narrowed to 10:9.

Yakushi High School was now on the verge of being overtaken.

The Seidou High School baseball team, sitting in the stands, watched in shock as the score continued to close in.

"The score is closing too fast!"

"Yakushi High School is literally killing itself."

"They threw in so many freshmen at once and didn't even let them adjust to high school baseball. If it weren't for the fact that high school baseball doesn't allow private betting, Todoroki Raizou would probably be investigated."

When Sawamura said this, his friends all looked at him curiously.

"Do I have something on my face?"

Sawamura, feeling a bit embarrassed, asked.

"Who would think that way?" Miyuki asked, intrigued.

Faced with this question, Sawamura could only smile bitterly.

Before his regression, he was a Major League player, so this mindset was hardly surprising.

Whether overtly or covertly, the Major Leagues often had countless betting pools.

If a coach or player made any unusual moves during a game, it was definitely suspicious.

Even if no solid proof was found, the team's board or coach would still take action in private.

Seeing Yakushi High School's situation, Sawamura said it naturally.

Now that he thought about it, he could only smile wryly.

This wasn't the Major Leagues, but pure high school baseball.

A place where players could play freely and focus on their game.

Inexplicably, Sawamura smiled.

Originally, he thought high school baseball couldn't satisfy him, but before he knew it, he had become a bit lax.

Miyuki had said that Sawamura's condition was poor after his pitch speed increased.

Sawamura had accepted it at face value.

But now, it seemed like his mindset had changed.

He suddenly realized how precious this period of high school baseball was.

He wasn't about to waste it, no matter what.

After all, there was only a little more than a year left to play this carefree baseball.

How could he not cherish it?

…