Chapter 75: I Am the Captain!

"OUT!"

This sudden "Out" felt like a turning point.

Before this Out, the Seidou High School baseball team was in full bloom. Even though they were one point behind, the atmosphere at the scene suggested that Seidou High still held an absolute advantage.

It seemed that they had no problem winning the game today.

Sawamura had just broken the strikeout record for West Tokyo!

From the current situation, there was no doubt that Seidou High was in a very favorable position.

No matter how you analyzed it, there seemed to be no issue with Seidou High's baseball team securing a win.

But ever since that "Out" number appeared, everything changed.

Anyone with a brain could understand the dire situation Seidou High's baseball team was now facing.

First, there was Narumiya of Inajitsu High School, who had saved his trump card pitch for the final act.

Why had he waited until now to use that pitch?

Of course, it was to gain control of the game.

Like this, the chances of Seidou High's players getting a hit off Narumiya Mei, the Tokyo Prince, were getting slim.

The previous situation was a mix of luck and coincidence!

If Sawamura were to face Narumiya again, the fans would still believe that the great Sawamura could create another miracle and get a hit off Narumiya.

But the problem was, with the game progressing as it was, Sawamura wouldn't even have the chance to bat again by the end.

Even if Seidou's players managed to get a hit, by the time it was Sawamura's turn to bat, there would already be two Outs.

With two Outs, even if Sawamura faced Narumiya head-to-head, he probably wouldn't have the upper hand!

That one Out had changed the whole game situation.

In the stands, Fujio from the Baseball Kingdom magazine scratched his head.

"No wonder it's Coach Kunitomo!"

Next to him, Akiko was confused.

She was worried about Seidou's baseball team and Sawamura. Why was Fujio-senpai instead reflecting on the situation?

She couldn't help but glance at Fujio, her eyes full of curiosity.

"I'm just curious," Fujio said. "Why did the Inajitsu High School baseball team allow Sawamura to rack up so many Strikeouts? He even broke the record! It turns out they were deliberately trying to diverge Seidou's attention!"

Being one point behind, logically speaking, Seidou High's situation was definitely not optimistic.

Even if the game proceeded smoothly, they were still one point behind.

It was only under the hype of breaking records that Seidou's players had momentarily lost themselves.

And not just the players of Seidou High, but also the fans.

The reason they forgot that Seidou was behind was because Sawamura's performance was so outstanding.

Especially Sawamura, who looked so cool on the field that it was hard to look away.

He performed particularly well, people's attention was naturally diverted to him, causing them to overlook crucial details.

For example, the fact that Seidou High was still one point behind.

Coach Kunitomo had likely designed this strategy with the intention of inflating Seidou's confidence.

But Sawamura, who had been dominant throughout the country since he was young, clearly didn't fall for the trap. He continued to perform with his usual strength, even against Narumiya's new pitch.

When he realized he couldn't make solid contact with the ball, he immediately adjusted his strategy and hit a foul ball.

Among all the high school players in the country, only Sawamura could handle this so calmly.

But anything can happen on the baseball field.

No one had expected Shirakawa to climb into the stands like a monkey and make an opportunistic play. The scariest part was that he actually succeeded.

Thus, the outcome turned out like this!

Though the process didn't go exactly as Inajitsu had planned, the result was certainly in line with their objectives.

If Seidou High's players managed to get a hit in the next at-bat, they would still have a chance.

But judging by the current form of Inashiro's players and Narumiya, even if that slim chance existed, Seidou's chances of capitalizing on it seemed incredibly low!

Inashiro wasn't going to give them that chance.

If they couldn't get a hit, then by the final at-bat, it would be impossible for the cleanup batters to take the plate.

And that would be the end of it—Seidou High, trailing by one point, would be sentenced to defeat.

Given that Narumiya had kept his new pitch hidden until now, other batters were facing it for the first time.

This meant Seidou's hope was on the slim side.

Sawamura returned to the dugout.

His face was expressionless, giving nothing away.

It wasn't clear whether he was frustrated or if it didn't bother him at all.

Just as he walked back, Miyuki came across him.

Miyuki opened his mouth, but truth be told, he didn't know what to say to Sawamura at that moment.

If anyone on Seidou's team could be counted on without worry, it was Sawamura.

Since he joined Seidou, no one had ever had to worry about him.

No matter the time or place, Sawamura had always been the most reliable player.

Even when he was a first-year, Coach Kataoka and the coaching staff had already treated Sawamura like a cornerstone of the team.

Now, facing Sawamura, Miyuki didn't know how to offer comfort after his Out.

Should he say the previous pitch wasn't his fault and that the opponent was too clever?

Did Sawamura not already know that?

Miyuki couldn't help but wonder, though, what Sawamura was thinking.

After a while, no words came out of Miyuki's mouth.

After more than a year together, he no longer saw Sawamura as just a junior. They were equals—partners.

If Sawamura had been a junior, Miyuki might have been able to motivate him.

But as equals, how could he encourage him?

Instead, it was Sawamura who stopped suddenly while they crossed paths.

Miyuki, confused, looked at Sawamura, wondering what he wanted to say.

"It should be a cut fastball," Sawamura said softly, almost whispering. "It looks just like a fastball, with almost the same speed. The break is small, maybe just a ball's width. It's not a pitch that's hard to hit, but it's one that's hard to hit cleanly."

They only had a few seconds, so they didn't talk for too long, keeping their conversation brief.

Miyuki immediately understood that Sawamura was not affected. He was still the same strong, unshakable Sawamura.

Miyuki nodded subtly.

"Leave it to you, Captain!"

With that, Sawamura walked away, not looking back.

Miyuki, too, didn't look back.

Instead, he walked to the Batter's Box.

His eyes were icy as he focused on Narumiya on the pitcher's mound.

Let's do this!

The time they faced each other lasted only four or five seconds. If it dragged on too long, it would definitely raise suspicions.

So, while walking at a slow pace, Sawamura quietly relayed this information to Miyuki.

To the outside world, it seemed as if the two teammates had not communicated and had merely crossed paths.

The moment Eijun spoke, Miyuki understood that his partner was fine.

He was still the same powerful, invincible "Great Demon King."

While they crossed paths, Eijun briefly explained the characteristics of Narumiya's new pitch in detail.

Miyuki, of course, understood why Sawamura was doing this and gave a barely noticeable nod.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Captain!"

After saying the last words, Sawamura resolutely walked back to the resting area.

During this process, he didn't even turn his head.

Miyuki also didn't turn back.

He didn't look back to greet his teammates in the resting area or glance at Sawamura's back; instead, he walked directly to the Batter's Box.

He fixed his cold, piercing gaze on Narumiya, the pitcher on the mound.

Bring it on!

To the supporters and players of the Seidou High School baseball team, Sawamura's Out was like the end of the world.

They had always believed that Seidou High's baseball team had no trouble winning this game.

No matter who it was?

No one could stop the Seidou High baseball team's progress.

But the Inajitsu High School baseball team, with their skill, slapped everyone's face hard.

Though Seidou High had the momentum, as the game entered its final stages,

It was Inashiro, not Seidou, who had the upper hand.

The tide had shifted!

Inashiro's momentum shot to its peak.

Even if they couldn't get a hit or score off the "Great Demon King" Sawamura, so what?

Inashiro, already ahead, only needed to hold onto that lead to win.

That one run, which no one had initially paid attention to, had now become the deciding factor of the game.

Even Inashiro's players hadn't anticipated it.

But that didn't stop them from accepting this result.

If the game continued like this and Inashiro won in the end,

Whether it was Coach Kunitomo, the coaching staff, or the players themselves,

They would proudly thump their chests and tell the media:

"This was all part of our plan!"

History is always written by the victors.

As long as Inashiro wins, they can say whatever they want.

What they say will become the truth.

Pride and joy!

The state of Inashiro's players could be described perfectly with these two words.

They were all confident, eager to rack up more outs.

Coach Kunitomo in the resting area couldn't sit still, constantly urging his players to stay calm and play steadily, never taking unnecessary risks.

Outs are earned one by one.

Kunitomo usually didn't do this, but now he was.

This showed how uncontrollable the pride of Inashiro's players had become.

Miyuki looked coldly at the mound of Inashiro's pitcher, waiting for the ball to be thrown.

Though he appeared calm on the surface, his heart was pounding fast.

After receiving the intel from Sawamura, Miyuki started thinking about his next move.

Putting himself in the shoes of Tadano and Narumiya, they will only pitch their new decisive ball to Miyuki once.

Too much of it would be bad, and too little would also be bad.

If the opportunity arises, they would use that pitch to defeat Miyuki.

If not, they'd use it to mess with Miyuki's rhythm.

In this situation, Miyuki faced two choices:

One: To take a swing at that Cut ball without preparation.

Or two: To forgo Narumiya's newly developed decisive ball and focus on his other pitches.

For some reason, Miyuki's mind recalled the last words Sawamura had said to him.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Captain!"

It had been a while since Sawamura had asked Miyuki so seriously.

Miyuki understood very well that even though Sawamura hadn't shown it on the surface,

He must have been deeply frustrated by that last ball.

That's why Sawamura wanted Miyuki to play the role of the captain.

'He really knows how to apply pressure!'

Miyuki felt the weight of responsibility growing heavier as if the fate of the team rested entirely on his bat.

It was indeed a lot of pressure!

But Miyuki didn't dislike this feeling.

In fact, he kind of liked it.

He liked this intense, heart-pounding showdown. He liked the feeling of his heartbeat racing in his chest.

He liked facing Narumiya head-on in this atmosphere.

Roaar!

Just as Miyuki was getting lost in thought, Narumiya's pitch came.

'No!'

Seeing the ball, Miyuki instantly stopped his reflexive swing.

Snap!

"STRIKE!"

It was a sharp fastball, and Miyuki didn't swing at it.

He let that pitch go by.

At that moment, Miyuki seemed to realize something about himself.

Becoming the captain of Seidou High's baseball team, Miyuki believed that he had changed a lot, but now he realized that he hadn't changed at all.

He was still the same Miyuki who loved taking risks!

After seeing Narumiya's new decisive pitch, Miyuki couldn't control the boiling power inside him anymore.

He wanted to hit! He wanted to send that pitch flying!!

Ordinary pitches no longer excited him.

Since becoming Seidou High's captain, Miyuki hadn't unleashed his true self in a long time.

He always chose the safest pitches and the most reliable strategies.

As the leader of the team, he felt responsible for them.

Over time, he even forgot what made him special and became a bit unlike himself.

Why did Sawamura tell him, "I'll leave it to you, Captain!" at the end?

Was it to affirm his role?

From what Miyuki knew about Sawamura, that wasn't the case.

Sawamura's request was meant to help him return to his true form.

"No matter what you do, you are the captain of Seidou High's baseball team!"

"BALL!"

"BALL!!"

Paak!

"FOUL!!"

After some back-and-forth, the count became two Balls, two Strikes.

Miyuki, as the batter, was now being pressured.

If he didn't get a good hit soon, the only batter left on Seidou's team who could pose a threat to Narumiya Mei would be out.

On the mound, Narumiya showed no sign of fatigue, despite having thrown over 100 pitches.

On the contrary, his pitching was becoming even more ferocious.

His pitching power was as strong as it had been at the start.

'Now! Regret it later!!!'

In Narumiya's mind, time reverted back to that summer three years ago.

At that time, he had extended an invitation to Miyuki.

Miyuki's response was: "Rather than joining such a great team, I'd rather face off against them!"

Now, their dream had come true, and they were opponents.

Both of them had participated in Koshien twice and were now top national stars.

This was their last showdown, their final resolution.

At the Batter's Box,

Miyuki's eyes were as bright as 200-watt light bulbs.

They were frighteningly intense!

'Here it comes!'

'The cutter that Sawamura had described!!'

The pitch was nearly identical to a fastball, but it moved toward the inside corner, about one ball's width.

Having never seen a pitch like this, Miyuki placed 100% trust in Sawamura's judgment and swung at the ball.

PAAAKK!

The small baseball was struck, drawing a beautiful arc as it fell into the fielding area of Inashiro's team.

The Inashiro players quickly retreated, preparing to catch the ball.

But in the end, they were a step too slow!

So they could only watch as the baseball flew past them!

…

T/N: As always, Thank you all for reading!!

And I hope you all have a good day!

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