Chapter 7: No Slacking Off!

Hachioji Stadium.

The Summer Koshien Preliminary, West Tokyo Regional Tournament, Third Round.

The match between the Seidou High School baseball team and Minori Shigeru has yet to begin.

Yet the winner has already been determined.

In the stands of Hachioji, the crowd is packed tightly.

Looking around, it's a sea of people; it's impossible to even guess how many have arrived.

The entire stadium seems filled with spectators.

The players of Minori Shigeru have never seen such a scene before. They're completely dumbfounded.

"What's happening here?"

"This is just the third round of the West Tokyo regional tournament!"

"Even if it were the finals of West Tokyo, would it be this explosive?"

And those people with long cameras and telephoto lenses—there must be at least ten or more of them.

Where did they all come from?

It's just the third round of the West Tokyo regional tournament, is it really necessary to have so many reporters?

Moreover, what's going on with those cheerleaders?

Seidou High School has its own cheerleading squad, with a live orchestra to assist.

It looks so extravagant.

In the past, every time they saw it, it would infuriate their opponents.

But compared to this time, the Seidou High School of the past now looks too simple.

This time, there are over a hundred cheerleaders, and they are all bursting with youthful energy.

They wear matching cheerleader outfits, holding banners with the name of Sawamura Eijun.

'What did I do to deserve their support?'

Sawamura is not someone who usually exposes his emotions, but this time, he was genuinely touched.

Sawamura longed for the stage, for the recognition of those around him.

Before his regression, he was very obsessed with these two things.

Whether it was the baseball field or his fans, they held a very special place in his heart.

What he was seeing now was something Sawamura had never experienced before.

He sincerely thanked these people, grateful that they could like and support him.

But what could he do for them?

Sawamura thought to himself that what he could give in return was very little.

All he could do was push forward and not disappoint their expectations.

"Let's go all out from the beginning! Show them the dominance of a Champion!" Sawamura said to Miyuki before the game began.

His enthusiastic attitude caught Miyuki's attention.

In Miyuki's previous impression, Sawamura didn't seem like such an impulsive person.

'Had there been this many supporters before?'

Looking up at the stands, Miyuki understood why he wanted to do it.

Sure enough, with so many people even Sawamura can' stay calm.'

"Okay, let's do it!"

Apart from this, everything at Seidou High School was proceeding as usual.

They had already discussed tactics for this opponent last night.

Now it was just a matter of waiting for the right moment in the game to execute.

On the other hand, the Minori Shigeru players were different.

Except for Hanayama, none of the players had properly trained in baseball before high school.

Let alone playing in such a highly anticipated game.

Seeing the scene before them, all the Minori Shigeru players were incredibly nervous.

The shortstop had already gone to the bathroom three times.

The others had faces full of disbelief and shock.

"How could there be so many people?"

"It is still the third round!"

They had never imagined that a high school game could attract this many spectators.

"Nothing strange about it, they're Seidou after all," Hanayama said calmly.

Last summer, their team was disqualified from official competitions due to a violence incident.

Reluctantly, Hanayama went to watch last year's finals.

If his memory served him correctly, the outer field stands at Jingu Stadium was open during that game.

In comparison, the fans at today's game weren't that many.

"You've got experience, of course, you're not nervous. But we…" one of the teammates said.

His thoughts echoed the views of most of the Minori Shigeru players.

Although they didn't want to admit it, the reality was clear.

Some people were just born with a halo; they couldn't compete.

Just like the Seidou players, and even Hanayama in their team.

The Minori Shigeru players had no confidence in challenging the Seidou High School baseball team.

Clap! Clap! Clap!!

Hanayama clapped and gathered his teammates.

"When we first started playing, who thought we could beat Sanae?"

Upon hearing Hanayama's question, everyone fell silent.

Sanae had a good record in the spring tournament and was recognized as one of the strongest teams in West Tokyo.

Before the game, almost everyone thought Sanae would be Seidou's competition.

But in the end, it was they who reversed the match.

Recalling this, the Minori Shigeru players felt pride.

Perhaps they had never felt this honored in their lives.

"We're the same, same age, we have also trained hard. How can we know we'll lose if we haven't played yet?"

After receiving this motivational speech, the players' faces brightened.

Upon reflection, they realized their Ace was right.

In baseball, who could predict what would happen?

Maybe Seidou's baseball team wasn't as strong as they imagined.

Maybe they would collapse at the start of the game; that wasn't impossible.

Inspired by their Ace's mood, the Minori Shigeru players quickly regained their confidence.

Before taking the field, they gathered together to cheer.

Their collective shout was so loud it almost drowned out the sound of the thousands of spectators in the stadium.

In Minori Shigeru, there were only three players who had truly undergone Little League training.

These three were the only ones who posed a threat to Sawamura.

One of them was the first batter.

Although he hadn't shown any outstanding talent during his middle school days, he had been playing baseball since he was a child and had persisted until now.

When it came to insight and understanding of the game, he was undoubtedly experienced. His understanding of baseball even surpassed that of many players on the Seidou High School baseball team.

This player stood in the Batter's Box, facing the legendary "Great Demon King" Sawamura.

Naturally, he was curious to see what kind of pitch this famous player, the 'Demon King', would throw.

The moment he saw the first pitch from Sawamura, he was stunned.

'Fast!'

The baseball was like a flash of light, passing through his line of sight in an instant.

He didn't even have time to react.

SNAP!

"STRIKE!"

Before the game began, Minori Shigeru had already collected data on Sawamura.

It wasn't that they thought too highly of themselves; rather, it was because this was Seidou High School's opening game.

The important opening game, so naturally, only the team's Ace could be the starter.

Thus, they had expected to face Sawamura.

The Demon King Sawamura!

They didn't need to go out of their way to collect information on him. A quick search online yielded plenty of detailed analysis posts written by eager fans and self-proclaimed experts.

These analyses were surprisingly well done.

Summing it up, Sawamura's pitching had two key characteristics that could not be ignored.

One of these was his Moving ball!

This was the foundation of Sawamura's dominance and the convenient weapon he used in games.

The second feature was his unique pitching form.

It made it hard for batters to spot his release point!

Because of this, the ball appeared particularly fast from the batter's perspective.

Some even theorized that the reason Sawamura could pitch this way was due to his naturally flexible joints.

In preparation for this, Minori Shigeru's players had undergone special training before the game.

But it was all for nothing! (Pfft!)

Even with the special training, standing in the Batter's Box, facing Sawamura's pitches, the first batter from Minori Shigeru had to admit that he couldn't touch the ball!

It was too fast!

He hadn't expected that from the Batter's Box, Sawamura's pitches would be so fast!

And because he couldn't see the release point, his timing was completely off.

Under these circumstances, the chances of him hitting the ball were almost non-existent.

He was too strong!

Just from seeing one pitch, the batter of Minori Shigeru realized this.

He felt that he and Sawamura were on entirely different levels.

SNAP!

"STRIKE!!"

While the batter was stunned, Sawamura had already thrown his second pitch.

Two Strikes, the batter was being chased.

At this point, the batter had no choice but to swing!

But was he really going to hit the ball?

Of course not. The batter quickly devised a countermeasure.

Faced with Sawamura's pitch, he assumed a bunt position.

As long as he made contact with the ball, there was a chance. It was far better than being struck out.

On the pitcher's mound, Sawamura saw the batter's stance and smirked inwardly.

'Didn't they gather information on me?'

Sawamura subtly tightened his grip on the ball and, in the instant it left his hand, forced a change in the pitch's trajectory.

'Here it comes!'

The batter, ready with his bat, saw the ball flying toward him. He braced himself.

Just as the ball was about to reach him, it suddenly dropped to the ground directly into the waiting Mitt of Miyuki.

SNAP!

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

This maneuver blew the crowd away.

Even though the batter had been forced to go for a bunt, Sawamura didn't let him touch the ball!

The Great Demon King truly lived up to his name—no ordinary player could compare.

The tens of thousands of fans in the stadium stood and applauded, offering their idol their highest respect.

"Sawamura!"

"Sawamura!!"

"Demon King!"

"Demon King!!!"

The cheers almost shook the stadium to its foundation.

He wasn't the only one who couldn't touch the ball. The next two batters faced the same fate.

After stepping up to face Sawamura's pitch, they realized they couldn't hit the ball at all.

It wasn't any special pitch—just a standard fastball.

At around 147 km/h, combined with the difficulty in spotting the release point, these two factors were enough to neutralize the batters from Minori Shigeru.

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!"

Three Outs, offense and defense exchange!

Sawamura had thrown only nine pitches in total.

Not a single pitch was wasted. Except for the last pitch against the first batter, all of them were strikes that sealed the outcome.

In this way, Sawamura easily secured three Outs.

As Miyuki put it, "This is a bit of overkill."

Sawamura's abilities had long surpassed his peers.

In high school, there were very few players who could even be considered rivals for him.

The players from Minori Shigeru, no matter how good, were just from a public school.

Their level was far below Sawamura's.

It was like comparing silver to the strongest champion—there was no contest!

In this situation, it wasn't surprising that the batters from Minori Shigeru were at a loss.

"Didn't you shout that balls are coming? I've been waiting for ages, but not even one hit!" Kuramochi grumbled from the dugout.

"I didn't expect them to be this weak," Sawamura chuckled.

Although the opponent had performed well in the previous round, the Seidou High School players saw their strength as nothing special.

Defeating them was not going to be much trouble.

That's why they were so relaxed.

"Don't be careless. The most important thing is to score quickly and secure the win," Coach Kataoka immediately advised as he sensed the players' attitude.

In short: no slacking off!

"Yes Sir!"

The team listened without question.

In the bottom of the first inning, Seidou High's batters were up.

"Hyaa-ha-haa!"

Kuramochi dragged his bat as he walked up to the Batter's Box.

His expression was fierce, like a predator ready to pounce.

This was a feeling that clearly reached the pitcher's mound.

In the dugout, Sawamura and Miyuki discussed the pitcher, Hanayama.

"We watched their previous games. Hanayama's pitching doesn't seem that great. Was he really that famous in middle school?" Sawamura asked.

"He was! Although Hanayama's pitching talent is slightly lacking, his tactical acumen is incredibly strong," Miyuki replied, pointing to his head.

Sawamura understood. Hanayama was excellent at on-the-spot decision-making, with unique tactical insights.

Such a player was still a gem in baseball.

However, Sawamura wasn't worried.

When it came to high-level tactics, who would come out on top: the fierce player or the brilliant tactician?

Ultimately, it would come down to who had the greater efficiency.

And for that, Sawamura had great confidence in Kuramochi.

The nickname "Cheetah" wasn't given to him for nothing.

While his mind might not catch everything, his body's reaction was top-tier.

Whoosh!

As the baseball flew toward him, Kuramochi didn't act rashly.

He calmly observed the ball until it was right in his strike zone.

He didn't move an inch.

Snap!

"STRIKE!"

They had already analyzed Hanayama's pitching beforehand.

Now, after observing him closely, Kuramochi confirmed his initial judgment.

The opposing pitcher was clearly a contact pitcher—someone who relied on fielding to make Outs.

Given this, their overall defensive abilities were very strong.

Finding a gap wouldn't be easy.

Kuramochi would need to catch them off guard.

Whoosh!

Hanayama's second pitch came in.

Just as Kuramochi had prepared for a regular swing, he suddenly switched to a bunt.

Ping!

The baseball flew off his bat, and Kuramochi sprinted toward first base.

"Leave it to me!"

The third baseman of Minori Shigeru rushed forward, trying to field the ball.

But someone was faster!

With the grace of a panther and the speed of a cheetah, Hanayama darted forward, caught the ball with ease, and threw it to first.

'That was fast!'

Kuramochi was stunned.

Hanayama's reaction speed was far quicker than he expected.

But just as Kuramochi thought his chance was gone, an error occurred.

For some reason, Hanayama's pitch went a bit high.

Minori Shigeru's first baseman leaped up desperately but missed the ball, which flew out of bounds.

'An error!'

The unexpected turn of events took even Kuramochi by surprise.

At that moment, Seidou's rigorous training paid off.

Even if a player couldn't react in time, their body would automatically take over.

No opportunity for an attack was ever wasted!

Even a small mistake like this couldn't be ignored.

Kuramochi sprinted with all his might, like a predator chasing its prey, racing past first base and heading for second.

He was so fast!

By the time the opposing players retrieved the ball, Kuramochi was already comfortably sitting at second base.

Had the first baseman been any slower, Kuramochi would have been rounding third base.

As it was, the second base was fine.

No outs, runner on second.

Now, Seidou's second batter, Kominato Haruichi, was up.

Whoosh!

Haruichi had planned to observe a few pitches. During this time, he could engage with the pitcher, looking for a chance to hit.

But when the first pitch came in, he saw an opening.

When an opportunity appeared, Haruichi couldn't let it slip.

He swung with full force, sending the ball flying.

Paak!

The baseball drew a perfect arc and landed in the gap in the defense.

"Hyaa-ha-haa!"

A lightning-fast figure dashed from second base, heading straight for third.

…