Chapter 30: Tears Of Gratitude

Yoh Shunshin walked decisively up to Coach Kunitomo.

After a slight bow, he didn't say anything.

Although he said nothing, the question in his eyes was impossible to ignore.

Coach Kunitomo shook his neck to make it crack before speaking calmly.

"The opponent is a team we invited for a practice match, and the result of this match is essentially already decided. If I send you out now, I'm confident you'll be able to close out the final three innings."

Yoh Shunshin continued to stare at Coach Kunitomo without blinking.

The more Coach Kunitomo explained, the less it seemed to make sense to Yoh Shunshin.

Seeing Yoh Shunshin's confused expression, Coach Kunitomo sighed inwardly and continued explaining.

"Besides the Tokyo University players, the opponent also has four well-known pro baseball players. Though they've made a name for themselves in professional baseball, their foundations are still shallow.

A single accident could destroy their careers. These players are helping out because of their attachment to their old teams; otherwise, given their current standing, participating in such a game would be harmful rather than beneficial."

Winning would be dishonorable, and losing would be utterly humiliating.

"I can't let them return with a defeat!"

When Coach Kunitomo spoke so openly, Yoh Shunshin felt as though his worldview had been shaken to the core.

'Isn't the purpose of a match supposed to be victory?'

If you take away the concept of winning and losing, what's the point of the game?

Although Yoh Shunshin didn't voice this question, Coach Kunitomo could still read it from his eyes.

"This isn't a formal match!" Coach Kunitomo explained.

"Furthermore, I haven't asked the players to give up on winning. I've simply made some adjustments to the lineup. Whether or not they seize this opportunity is still uncertain…"

Umemiya from Ugumori High School.

He was a very unique pitcher among all the pitchers in Tokyo.

Though he would sometimes make mistakes, when he was in form and performing fiercely, his ability was among the very best in the country.

Even compared to Sawamura or Narumiya, he was not necessarily much worse.

Coach Kunitomo had given him the opportunity, but would the pro players be able to seize it?

That was still a question.

"He's a slow starter. The longer the game goes on, the more invested he becomes."

Thinking this, Coach Kunitomo focused his gaze on the field.

He looked at Tetsuya, standing in the Batter's Box, and thought:

The opportunity was right at the start. If the pro players couldn't seize it early, turning the game around later would be no easy feat.

"Although This Is Our First Time Partnering, I'll Be Counting On You Guys To Back Me Up!"

On the mound, Umemiya greeted his teammates behind him enthusiastically.

As he spoke, he deliberately looked toward the Seidou and Inashiro players.

"Don't think just because they're your Senpais, you can take it easy…"

'Damn!!'

Including Miyuki and Sawamura, all the players Umemiya had singled out had very unpleasant expressions.

They certainly had no intention of letting up, but now, even if they had such an idea, they had to suppress it.

If they made an error in defense after being singled out like this,

they'd lose all face…

Even though they were reluctant and uncomfortable with it, both teams now had to show support.

"Stop assuming that others think like you."

"Don't worry, if the ball comes here, I won't let it get past."

"Mind your own business, don't let them hit a home run."

Though their tone was somewhat harsh, the team had become more united than ever.

Though Sawamura and Narumiya were stronger individually, their interaction with teammates wasn't nearly as harmonious.

In the team's bench area, Coach Kunitomo slightly moved his neck and then shifted his gaze back to the mound.

'Umemiya Seiichi.'

He hadn't expected him to be able to unite the team with a few words, in such a short time.

That was impressive!

'Perhaps this was the most remarkable thing about him.'

Otherwise, in terms of pitching, although Umemiya was excellent, he still didn't have any significant advantage in this team.

He wasn't at a level where he could rival Sawamura or Narumiya.

Yet, because of this unique trait, despite his overall weakness, Umemiya was still one of the four main pitchers of the current All-Tokyo team.

'Perhaps in the coming match, under certain specific circumstances, he might serve as a wild card.'

Coach Kunitomo thought to himself.

At that moment, Umemiya on the mound suddenly made a move.

Whoosh!

The pitch seemed ordinary at first glance. Standing outside the Batter's Box, there was nothing particularly threatening about it.

But only when standing in the batter's position could one appreciate just how surprising that pitch was.

After the umpire called for the start, Umemiya timed the pitch perfectly.

Whoosh!

The baseball flew, cutting inside the strike zone, and heading straight for the inner corner.

The pitch was a little unexpected.

But Tetsuya in the Batter's Box seemed completely unbothered.

Umemiya attempted to throw off the batter's rhythm, but in the face of Tetsuya, it was all for nothing.

Tetsuya wasn't thrown off at all.

Watching the baseball sail into the strike zone, he swung his bat with impeccable timing.

PAAK!!!

With a deep, satisfying crack of the bat, the ball was hit with an incredible speed.

The baseball was struck, creating a perfect arc, and fell onto the field.

Just as Umemiya had pointed him out, Shirakawa, as if guided by some alien force, had already moved into position and was waiting for the ball's descent.

He leaped up, ready to snatch the baseball out of the air.

Unfortunately, his height wasn't quite enough. (Pfft!)

Despite his best effort, Shirakawa's hand missed the ball by a good thirty to forty centimeters.

The baseball fell over his head, landing just beyond his reach.

Tak!

The baseball hit the ground and bounced into the outfield.

The two outfielders sprinted toward the ball's landing spot.

But they were too late.

Tetsuya, having hit the ball, was already sprinting past first base, heading for second.

"SAFE!"

Before the ball could even be thrown back, Tetsuya had already stepped on second base with one foot.

In the All-Tokyo team's bench area, Coach Kunitomo's gaze was deep and thoughtful. He muttered to himself,

"It seems like you've seized this opportunity!"

A gust of wind blew against Umemiya's face, but it did not offer him any relief.

Standing on the pitcher's mound, Umemiya had only just entered the game. But sweat already glistened on his forehead.

After Sawamura had pitched three innings, Superintendent Kunitomo decisively took him off the mound and replaced him with Umemiya.

When he received the order, despite knowing the formidable opponents he would soon face, Umemiya was still incredibly excited.

In his eyes, this was a great opportunity to level up.

Not to mention, the opponents in front of him were far from ordinary foes—each one was a top-level boss.

Facing such opponents in a brutal showdown, if he could survive, Umemiya was certain that his own abilities would improve significantly.

Therefore, the moment he stepped onto the mound, his fighting spirit was exceptionally high. However, he never expected that as soon as he entered the game, he would be struck by a blow right to the head.

Yuuki Tetsuya.

The former captain and fourth batter of the Seidou baseball team.

Umemiya was very familiar with his name. However, they had never faced each other in a major competition, as they had been in different regions until now.

Now, face to face, Umemiya found himself caught off guard.

He had never imagined that Yuuki's strength would be so terrifying.

From the catcher's position, Miyuki furrowed his brows slightly.

Umemiya did not know Yuuki, but Miyuki, on the other hand, knew him all too well.

Miyuki was well aware of how powerful their former team captain was. Hadn't Sawamura just been overwhelmed by Yuuki earlier?

After entering professional baseball, Yuuki underwent a transformation.

'His swing had changed, and his swing speed was faster than before.'

'Had he adjusted his batting style because he switched to using a wooden bat?'

Miyuki glanced deeply at Yuuki, who stood on second base, his mind racing.

'Judging from the situation just now, Umemiya's pitching was solid.'

The reason the ball was hit was mainly because his opponent was too strong.

With no Outs and a runner on second base, facing the fourth batter, Fumei, the situation looked grim. Moreover, with the ball just having been hit, the pitcher's form was another issue.

Miyuki raised his head and looked toward the pitcher's mound.

'Theoretically, in this situation, it would be best to throw a ball outside the strike zone to gauge the pitcher's condition and potentially bait the batter into swinging.'

But as Miyuki looked at Umemiya on the mound, he hesitated.

'This guy doesn't seem to be the type of pitcher to follow that approach...'

Though he enjoyed using tricks and strategies, when it came to direct confrontations, Miyuki was never one to shy away.

Having faced off with Umemiya from Ugumori before, Miyuki had a certain understanding of him.

He knew well that Umemiya would be eager for a one-on-one showdown with the batter.

Should he suppress the pitcher's nature and follow a set routine? Or should he fully unleash the pitcher's potential and let him fully showcase his power?

Miyuki hesitated.

If it were his old partners, Sawamura Eijun, or Furuya Satoru, Miyuki would have had no second thoughts and would have unleashed their full potential.

But for Umemiya...

Though he knew him to some extent, they hadn't yet built a strong trust. After all, their time working together was still short, and just now, his pitch had been hit.

Miyuki hesitated, but his peripheral vision caught sight of Sawamura at second base.

Sawamura's defense seemed standard, and there was no direct eye contact between them during the play.

But Miyuki could still sense Sawamura's regret.

'Faced with such formidable baseball players, he hadn't had the chance to truly challenge him, and that must have been very frustrating for Sawamura.'

Miyuki, as his teammate, understood Sawamura's feelings all too well. After all, hadn't he felt the same way before?

As the thought crossed his mind, Miyuki suddenly realized something.

Umemiya's eyes right now looked exactly the same as Sawamura's.

'In that case, why hesitate?'

'Come on! Throw the ball, I believe in you!!!'

Miyuki crouched back down and gave Umemiya a sign.

When Umemiya saw the signal from Miyuki, it felt like every inch of his skin was charged with static electricity. It sent a shiver down his spine.

'So what if they're professional players? They haven't grown three heads and six arms! Why should I be afraid?'

Whoosh!

With that thought in mind, Umemiya made up his mind and threw the baseball with all his might.

Seeing the sharp first pitch, the batter, Fumei, appeared to be taken by surprise. He didn't swing, merely watching the baseball fly past without making a move.

Snap!

"STRIKE!"

The ball flew smoothly into Miyuki's open Mitt.

Count: 1 ball, 0 strikes.

With a Strike ahead, Miyuki quickly signaled for Umemiya to throw a ball outside the strike zone.

Snap!

But Fumei didn't bite the bait.

The count shifted to 1 ball, 1 strike.

'He's calm!' Miyuki thought with a wry smile.

With Umemiya's ability, he had no problem dealing with high school players, but when it came to professional-level superstars, he seemed a little lacking.

His pitch speed was too slow—just over 130 km/h. Trying to deceive a batter like Fumei with just that speed wasn't enough.

To make Umemiya's pitching truly shine, he needed to make use of his off-speed Curveballs.

With that in mind, Miyuki decisively gave Umemiya the signal for a Curveball.

'Finally!'

At this moment, Umemiya on the mound felt his mind overloaded with adrenaline.

Miyuki's pitching calls were amazing, it felt as if he was extracting all his potential, pushing him to unleash everything within himself.

'Alright!'

This feeling of being dragged along both felt strange and ignited Umemiya's fighting spirit.

He pulled back and threw the ball with great force.

Whoosh!

As the ball flew toward the Batter's Box, Fumei blinked in disbelief.

The pitch speed was so slow!

The previous pitch was just over 130 km/h, which wasn't particularly fast but still acceptable. But this one? It wasn't even 90 km/h!

It looked like it was crawling like a turtle!

For most batters, facing such a pitch would inevitably spark some sense of superiority.

But Fumei didn't feel that way.

On the contrary, when he saw the ball, a cautious expression crossed his face.

The speed difference was a massive 40 km/h—from 130 km/h down to around 90 km/h. This was clearly the pitcher's signature move.

Fumei could've waited for the ball to pass and prepared to hit the next one, but instead, he decided to wait for the ball to drop even further.

Right when the ball was about to reach his sweet spot, Fumei adjusted his swing to match the ball's downward motion.

Paak!

The bat made perfect contact with the center of the ball, sending it soaring toward second base.

Sawamura sprinted, desperately trying to reach the ball's landing point.

But it was too late.

The ball was hit with such speed—90 km/h was too slow, but when hit, it reached at least 200 km/h. (124 mph)

Not even Sawamura could catch it in time. Not even the world's best infielders could stop this hit easily.

Tak!

The ball landed and bounced into the outfield.

Fumei, without hesitation, sprinted to first base.

Yuuki almost reached third base and planned on heading for home plate.

At that moment, he saw the third base coach giving him the signal to stop.

'Stop?'

Yuuki was stunned.

Turning around, he saw the ball flying back like a laser.

'So fast?!'

Carlos had already managed to reach the ball just in time and was returning it to home plate.

Unbelievable!!!

From the catcher's position, Miyuki was equally astonished.

If it had been any other outfielder, that run would have been in for sure.

But Carlos had stopped it cold.

'What a reliable teammate!'

Yet, when he was an opponent, such a player was someone to watch out for.

The game between Seidou and Inashiro was looking more and more complicated.

"THANK YOU!!!!"

Umemiya on the mound was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes.

He looked toward Carlos in the outfield, incredibly grateful.

If it weren't for Carlos, that run would've been in the bag.

"Not a big deal."

Carlos smiled nonchalantly, acting as though it wasn't a big deal.

In the dugout, Narumiya was unleashing his inner child shouting loudly.

"That Was Dangerous!!! Nice Work Carlos!"

Although Carlos' help kept the All-Tokyo team from conceding a run, for now, the situation on the field was turning increasingly unfavorable for them.

No Outs, runners on first and third base.

The professional players invited by Tokyo University were unleashing their worth.

"Fifth batter, catcher, Harada Masatoshi."

At that moment, Harada stepped up to the Batter's Box.

...