Chapter 78: Non-Quick-Witted People

Hosho Okuchi, the catcher, felt a deep sense of helplessness.

Although they had prepared for the game beforehand, it was only during the actual match that he was stunned to realize.

It seemed like his preparations were far too simplistic, and they didn't pose much of a threat to the opponents at all.

The second batter for the Seidou High School baseball team, Kominato Haruichi.

Although Hosho had always believed that Haruichi wouldn't pose much of a threat to Nanami Haruka, he had to admit that Haruichi had a strong presence on the Seidou High School baseball team.

He was an opponent they had to take very seriously!

If they weren't careful when dealing with this opponent, they could very well end up losing to him.

Before facing Kominato Haruichi, Hosho Okuchi was already mentally prepared.

So, he was being cautious and careful, making sure not to overlook anything.

However, because of this, he unknowingly cornered himself into a dead-end.

In the end, they ended up walking this opponent with four balls.

Looking at Sawamura now standing in the Batter's Box.

Seeing Haruichi Kominato, who was eagerly poised at first base and ready to steal, Hosho Okuchi felt like he might just burst into tears.

It wasn't that he couldn't keep up with the times; it was that the changes were happening so fast.

In the blink of an eye, they were already outplayed by the Seidou High School team's players.

He took a deep breath, then forcefully exhaled.

Hosho Okuchi focused all his attention on his old teammate.

Among all the high school baseball players across the country, who knew Sawamura the most?

It was hard to define exactly.

There were many players who knew Sawamura well, but how much each one understood? That was a matter of perspective.

It was difficult to truly compare.

However, from any perspective, Hosho Okuchi was one of the few who knew Sawamura very well.

They were former teammates, and even after entering high school, Hosho Okuchi's attention to Sawamura had not diminished.

He had seen Sawamura gradually rise to his current level.

He knew every detail of Sawamura's changes.

Logically speaking, facing an opponent he knew so well should not be too difficult.

But if that opponent was Sawamura, then it was a different matter.

At least Hosho Okuchi had little confidence that he could gain an advantage in a face-off against Sawamura.

It wasn't just about gaining an advantage; because they were so familiar with each other, they might even end up at a disadvantage!

Ever since Sawamura became the nationally recognized "Demon King," people's impressions of him had always been based on that mighty figure.

It seemed as if he was born to be invincible!

No matter who the opponent was, Sawamura could use his powerful pitching to crush them.

People seemed to have forgotten that when the Akagi High School baseball team was just established, the ace standing on the mound had another side to him.

In terms of cunning and strategy, he was second to none!

This point was also something Hosho remembered very clearly.

If Sawamura decided to play some tricks in the Batter's Box, he wouldn't be surprised at all.

The understanding was mutual.

Those of them from Nagano knew Sawamura inside out.

Having once been his opponent, they never stopped following him, so it would be rare if they didn't understand him.

Similarly.

Sawamura knew them—his former opponents and teammates—very well too.

Even if he wasn't paying as much attention to them as before, from their previous encounters, Sawamura could still predict their development and improvements.

He could guess what kind of progress they had made and what their current abilities were.

Today, people's impression of Sawamura is often limited to his role as a pitcher.

Honestly, this view is very one-sided.

Those who truly knew Sawamura wouldn't forget his performance on the Akagi High School baseball team.

He wasn't just a player; he was also an excellent coach.

His understanding of baseball and the game itself was unparalleled.

In this situation, if Sawamura had a plan to counter the Hoshiryu High School team from Nagano, could they stop him?

Hosho Okuchi honestly wasn't confident.

Facing an opponent like this, avoiding the confrontation would be unwise.

Hosho Okuchi decided to let Nanami Haruka face him head-on.

Of course, before that, they needed to set things up.

Whoosh!

The small baseball whizzed toward Sawamura's chest.

Sawamura, in the Batter's Box, took a step back and avoided the pitch.

Snap!

"BALL!"

Such a dangerous pitch couldn't be ignored by the umpire, who immediately warned Nanami.

During previous encounters, the umpire had already formed a fixed pattern of thinking.

For example, when Kominato didn't swing, he naturally assumed Nanami had thrown a Ball.

He believed Haruka was deliberately trying to trick Kominato Haruichi into swinging.

And now, with this pitch!

The ball veered so far from the strike zone that the umpire instinctively made a judgment.

He thought Haruka was intentionally trying to scare Sawamura, forcing him to back off.

He was confident in Haruka's control, believing that a pitcher of his skill couldn't miss the strike zone by such a large margin.

This judgment was an unwarranted disaster for Hoshiryu High School.

They couldn't help but wonder if the umpire was on Seidou High School's side.

Why did it always seem like the umpire favored them?

Clearly, this was a gray-area situation where both sides could be at fault.

Yet somehow, the blame always seemed to fall on them.

It was hard to understand, even impossible to imagine.

The Hoshiryu High School players were extremely frustrated.

In the stands.

Owada Akiko, a reporter from Baseball Kingdom magazine, looked at Nanami Haruka, who was now throwing Balls, and remarked with some regret.

"I thought we would see a face-off between two Aces, but it seems like they've already decided to walk him with four balls."

Given the situation, it seemed Hoshiryu High School was opting for an offensive four-ball strategy.

Otherwise, their first pitch seemed meaningless.

Next to her, Fujio frowned slightly but didn't say anything.

In the Hoshiryu High School dugout.

Coach Hosho Ryuki watched his pitcher throw a Ball without any expression on his face.

Afterward, on the second pitch, Nanami Haruka, having attacked the inside corner, threw the ball to the outside corner.

And this pitch was different from the first—this one didn't miss the strike zone.

Originally, Sawamura had taken a step back, but when the outside pitch came unexpectedly, he was caught off guard.

He didn't have time to swing the bat at the first opportunity.

He could only watch as the ball sped past his eyes.

Snap!

"STRIKE!"

In the blink of an eye, the count was one Ball, one Strike.

In the Hoshiryu High School dugout, Coach Hosho Ryuki seemed to have anticipated this situation.

He stared at the ongoing confrontation, eyes wide open, watching Haruka and Sawamura face off.

With no Outs and a runner on first, considering Sawamura's terrifying offensive ability, honestly, Hoshiryu High School didn't have to face him directly.

For safety's sake, choosing to walk Sawamura at this point might not be a bad option.

If they choose to Walk Sawamura, the difficulties they encounter in the rest of the match will likely be much smaller.

However!

If they do that, the momentum of Hoshiryu High School will definitely suffer a significant blow.

If they don't have the confidence to directly challenge the opposing batters, then what are they even doing?

From the perspective of strength comparison, Hoshiryu High School is inherently weaker than the Seidou High School baseball team.

At this point, there are only two things they can compete with the Seidou High School baseball team for:

One is teamwork, and the other is fighting spirit.

Let's set teamwork aside for now; without fighting spirit, this match for Hoshiryu High School will end prematurely.

Compared to conceding runs, momentum is what Hosho Ryuki values most.

He cannot allow the opponents to show off or dominate over them.

Even if the opponent is Seidou High School, ranked number one in the country, it still cannot be allowed.

Hosho Ryuki also clearly knows that this game against the king, Seidou High School's baseball team, is almost impossible for them to win.

It's because both sides know each other too well that their contest will be a pure battle of strength.

The side with the stronger strength will likely stand until the end.

If they have any hope in this game, it's probably in the hands of their pitchers.

Hoshiryu High School's only hope in this game is that Seidou High School doesn't send out Sawamura right away.

If they want to gain the upper hand in this match, they must handle this well!

This can't just be a pitcher's duel, or rather, it can't just be a pitcher's duel.

It must be turned into a battle of batting or even a half-batting battle.

The score can no longer be determined by just one or two runs.

Only then will they have the possibility of gaining the advantage and initiative in this contest.

Before the players of Seidou High School react, they must grab the lead.

This lead is naturally like a military strategy: the more the better.

In this situation, deliberately avoiding a showdown with Sawamura is unwise.

Hosho Ryuki does not plan to do that; he plans to have his players face off directly with the opponents.

Even if they lose points, it doesn't matter!

Of course.

If, under these circumstances, Nanami can properly defeat Sawamura, that situation would undoubtedly be even more perfect.

The players of Hoshiryu High School clearly prepared for this situation long ago.

Then, they just have to wait for Sawamura to face off directly with their Ace.

Although they clearly understand that this move carries great risk.

But they are willing to take it.

It's just like someone being pushed to a dead end; at this point, no matter if they choose to resist or submit, the final result won't be much better.

In such a case, it's hard to simply wait to die.

In most cases, they will rise up in defiance.

They'll rebel!

Even if the consequences of the rebellion are severe.

Each of them is willing to take it.

No matter what, they are not willing to settle for just a superficially impressive result.

They have ambition, they have aspirations.

In this situation, the entire Hoshiryu High School baseball team is united as one.

They are determined to fight Sawamura to the end.

Standing in the Batter's Box, Sawamura is rather accustomed to such a situation.

He can clearly feel the collective will of the opponents.

It feels as though the overwhelming momentum is about to swallow him whole.

Honestly, it is a little frightening!

Sawamura clearly feels this momentum but doesn't pay much attention to it.

He's seen large-scale situations like this many times; simply relying on the momentum of Hoshiryu High School won't crush him.

He squints, examining his opponent.

On the pitcher's mound, Nanami's current state isn't great.

He looks somewhat dizzy, but his eyes still carry a spark of determination.

He's eager to face off against Sawamura!

This means that, on the next pitch, he definitely won't back down.

He wants to go head-to-head with Sawamura and settle things right there.

With the current popularity and status of Sawamura, his opponents have made it clear that they want a direct confrontation.

Naturally, Sawamura has no reason to avoid it.

Although he could choose to lightly let the pitch pass, after all, he still has one good ball left to use.

But Sawamura clearly doesn't want to do that.

That would be too cowardly; he doesn't like that!

A man can't back down.

If the opponent wants to fight, then let's fight.

No matter where the pitch goes, as long as the ball enters the strike zone.

Sawamura will definitely swing his bat without hesitation.

He will strike the ball with all his might, not showing any mercy in the process.

Here it comes!

On the pitcher's mound, Nanami doesn't hesitate.

He decisively throws the baseball out of his hand.

It's clear that in his mind, he must have simulated this situation countless times.

Facing what kind of scenario, what kind of pitch should be thrown?

He had already planned for this moment.

That's why, at this time, he throws the baseball without any hesitation.

Sawamura, facing such a fast pitch, is finding it difficult to get into a rhythm.

'But what does it matter?'

He already guessed the pitch the opponent would throw.

Hosho, Nanami.

These two guys, while having good talent and strength, aren't very quick-witted.

They rarely have any clever tricks.

What they intend to do, others can easily guess just by watching.

'Here it came!'

The long-anticipated confrontation between the two sides was about to collide.

PAAAK!!!

Sawamura's bat made solid contact with the ball.

From the recoil felt in the bat, it was clear that he hadn't completely hit the ball's sweet spot.

The recoil felt off, and the bat felt heavier than expected.

Did he miss?

In that split second, Sawamura's mind raced.

He realized that he may have been a bit careless and underestimated Nanami and Hosho.

Before this showdown, it was obvious that the two of them had done a lot of preparation work.

On the contrary, Sawamura had become a bit complacent upon seeing the predictable behavior of his opponents.

If he had fully committed to his swing from the start, he could have hit that ball far, even without hitting the sweet spot, using sheer power to send it flying.

But now, such a hypothetical was irrelevant.

Sawamura had no choice but to adjust and find other ways to solve the problem.

He wasn't the kind of person who just went through the motions on the Seidou High School baseball team.

Hundreds of swings in practice every day.

Even if the pitch had some unexpected variations, Sawamura wasn't without a plan!

In the split second of hitting, he pushed his arms down.

As the bat made contact with the ball, an upward force was added.

The ball, which should have flown straight, instead shot up high.

The teammates from Hoshiryu High School were all dumbfounded.

Some were confused, some didn't understand what had just happened.

'Why did the ball fly so high?'

"Great!"

After hitting the ball, Sawamura had a slight smile in his eyes.

Although the process was a bit unexpected, the result was good.

It was precisely because he knew his opponent so well that Sawamura was able to make this adjustment.

The ball, which could have been caught as a line drive, was now sent high into the air.

The ball sailed over the head of the first baseman, Matsumoto, and into the outfield.

The outfielder from Hoshiryu High School raced toward the ball's landing spot.

But by the time he arrived, the baseball had already bounced off the ground.

It flew over the first baseman's head and passed through the outfielder's defense.

Though the distance wasn't far, only about 50 or 60 meters, it still counted as a super long hit!

As the ball bounced another 20 or 30 meters, no one could stop it.

By the time someone ran to pick it up and throw it back, a lot of time had already passed!

At first base, Haruichi had already judged the ball would land and began running towards second base.

He dashed past second base and headed straight for third.

The third-base coach signaled for him to continue.

This meant he could keep running forward.

Kominato's short legs pumped furiously as he sped ahead.

In the blink of an eye, he passed third base.

Before the Hoshiryu High School players could throw the ball back, he had already crossed home plate.

He helped the Seidou High School baseball team tie the game at 2-2!

At the same time, Sawamura, who had hit the super long drive, was also running hard towards third base.

No Outs, a runner on third!

This sequence of events was enough to leave everyone in the stands in awe.

The fan groups of Sawamura were ecstatic.

They waved everything they could, expressing their excitement.

"Awesome!"

"So Cool!"

This kind of showdown excited every fiber of their being.

It was impossible not to get worked up!

On the other side, the players from Hoshiryu High School looked somewhat hopeless.

They had high expectations for the showdown between their Ace and Sawamura.

To say they weren't hoping for Nanami Haruka to take down Sawamura would be a lie.

But the reality was cruel. Despite their efforts, they hadn't been able to defeat Sawamura.

Not only had they failed, but they might also face even greater troubles.

Neither Sawamura nor Seidou High School's baseball team were the type to just accept defeat.

After being outwitted once, they wouldn't fail to think about getting revenge.

…