Chapter 75: Take This!

The braided Bill, however, was not present with the others in the dugout, absorbing the manager's guidance.

But several years ago, Walter had said these same words to him.

"Isn't being a Coach too easy for you?"

At that time, Bill was a rebellious teenager.

The more teachers and Coaches told him to do something, the more he refused.

He said he wanted to live his own life.

He didn't take baseball seriously.

He never considered baseball a critical part of his life.

But this rebellious teenager, when he first met Walter, almost had his lungs burst with anger.

He was relaxed, but Walter was even more relaxed.

He often said a few simple words and then took naps in the dugout.

Bill was infuriated, so he decided to have a serious talk with this lazy guy.

"What's the point of talking to a bunch of fools?"

At that time, Walter had not yet achieved success and had not learned to disguise himself.

He spoke frankly, not afraid of hurting the players' self-esteem.

This stunned the rebellious Bill.

The New York team, though not as renowned as it is now, was still highly regarded across America.

Everyone, even if they didn't show it, would speak highly of the New York team.

But to Walter, all these so-called geniuses were just a bunch of fools.

Conflict arises, followed by clashes, and then more conflict and clashes...

People who can't stand each other can't coexist peacefully.

At that time, Bill and Walter looked like enemies. They competed with each other, each trying to outdo the other.

It was then that Bill started taking baseball seriously.

From that point on, there was no turning back.

Later, when the Dream Team achieved success, many reporters asked Bill what motivated him to focus on baseball.

"I forget about it!"

That was Bill's answer.

But in reality, he hadn't forgotten. He just buried it deep inside.

He wasn't willing to share it with anyone, and he had no face to talk about it.

How could he tell others that he only learned baseball because he was angry with his Coach?

That would be ridiculous.

In the end, the more clashes there were, the more Bill and Walter became good friends, regardless of age.

Sometimes, Bill wonders, if it weren't for Walter, what would his future have looked like?

When he thinks about it, he shudders.

In fact, he doesn't even want to think about it. The more he thinks, the more tears he feels.

Before Bill took the plate, Walter patted him on the shoulder.

Even though Bill, now an old friend of Walter, understood Walter's meaning instantly.

"You've got this!"

Sawamura's ability is extremely formidable, and his skills are very comprehensive.

Without more intel, even Walter has no way to deal with Sawamura.

Before he stepped into the Batter's Box, Walter intentionally patted his shoulder as they were about to part ways.

Even though Bill was both a student and a close friend of Walter, he instantly understood Walter's meaning.

"It's up to you now!!"

Sawamura's strength is incredibly formidable, and his skills are all-around. Without more intel to back him up, even Walter has no way to counter Sawamura.

'That guy is no longer a player who can be tackled by mere strategies.'

'If you really want to eliminate this guy and remove this huge obstacle, you'll have to go head-to-head.'

Only in a direct confrontation, if you truly defeat the opponent, will Dream Team have a chance for a counterattack.

'Hit it!!'

Carrying such expectations, Bill walked into the Batter's Box.

After entering, he focused intently, his eyes locked on Sawamura. In his mind, scenes replayed like a movie.

Whether for the team or for his mentor and friend, Walter, Bill had to hit the ball.

The prized "golden" reputation of Dream Team cannot be ruined here, and Walter's legendary status as a Coach cannot be tarnished either.

To achieve these two things, the most direct way is to take down Sawamura.

'BRING IT!!'

At this moment, Bill's eyes were filled with a crimson glow.

With top-tier dynamic vision and terrifying hitting techniques, Bill, fully determined to hit the ball out, seemed to shine with an intense aura that made it impossible to take your eyes off him.

This performance naturally didn't escape the notice of Miyuki and Sawamura.

Miyuki was distracted.

His intuition told him that using ordinary pitching wouldn't be enough to handle Bill.

So, he deliberately gave Sawamura a glance.

Even with a distance of several meters between them, and the interference of his helmet and mask, Sawamura should have been unable to receive the look.

But in fact, Sawamura not only caught it but quickly responded.

'No!'

Miyuki frowned slightly.

He understood exactly what Sawamura was worried about. Today's game is different from the previous ones.

There are more reporters, and there's live television coverage.

Millions of fans in Japan are eagerly watching this match.

Those teams that view the Seidou High School Baseball Team as their primary target would not miss an opportunity to observe their strength.

If they used the Level-Four breaking balls here, it would no longer be a secret.

Although the Summer Tournament is just around the corner, there's still some time.

In this span, even pigs would come up with strategies to counter it.

If the Summer Tournament had already started, and others discovered the level-four breaking balls, it would be much harder to resolve.

After all, reality doesn't leave them much time.

Miyuki understood all of this clearly.

But he originally thought that Sawamura was hoping to fight the Dream Team head-on, and had no idea he was still worried about this...

'Since that's your decision, let's start then.'

Sawamura, considering the overall situation, didn't want to go against Miyuki's intentions, so they decided to fight Bill head-on, fair and square.

'Let's go!!'

Miyuki crouched down and extended his Mitt.

Even without turning around, Bill clearly understood Miyuki's every move.

He had a feeling that the baseball was about to come his way.

WHRROOSH!

As Bill expected, Sawamura raised his right leg high and then brought it down powerfully.

It felt as if an axe was about to strike him directly.

If you focused on his foot, you'd be drawn into Sawamura's overwhelming momentum and miss the pitch.

Bill, however, would never make such a mistake. He kept his eyes on Sawamura's arm, waiting for the baseball to come out.

'Sure enough!'

With his top-tier dynamic vision, Bill observed every detail of Sawamura's pitching.

To others, Sawamura's series of pitching actions appeared seamless, perfect, and flaw-free.

But to Bill, Sawamura's entire motion was divided into individual frames of a picture.

Every detail of those frames was crystal clear.

He could see Sawamura's movements and the trajectory of the ball.

He even clearly observed the spin on the ball.

At that moment, Bill didn't notice that what he saw was clearer than ever before.

Fully focused, his power was enhanced.

As the ball neared the strike zone, it suddenly moved.

Paak!

The baseball was hit, landing just outside the third-base line.

"FOUL!"

The foul ball left everyone on edge.

If the ball hadn't landed foul and instead stayed in play, Seidou High would have lost a massive extra-base hit.

The fielders were cold with sweat, surprised by the sheer strength of their opponents.

But Sawamura and Miyuki, the two key players on the mound and behind the plate, remained calm, unaffected by the tension.

For them, the result was everything.

No matter how intense the process was, the reality was that they were ahead by one strike.

In this situation, they were in a favorable position.

'Keep going!'

Without hesitation, Miyuki crouched again, ready to catch.

They were determined to finish off their opponent while they still had the momentum.

Strike while the iron is hot—don't slack off at the start.

So Sawamura decisively pitched his second ball.

'Here it comes!'

Bill, standing in the Batter's Box, saw the ball coming and his heart raced, his eyes widened, and his mind raced.

And the world around him slowed down.

During their earlier encounter, Bill had fully grasped Sawamura's Moving balls.

Upon seeing a similar motion again, Bill quickly deduced what kind of pitch was coming.

"Take this!"

Bill put all his strength into the swing and managed to forcefully hit the ball.

PAAAK!!!

The baseball flew into the deep outfield!

Bill couldn't hide his joy.

With one breath, he dashed to second base.

"SAFE!!"

He made it on base!

Another base hit!!

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