Chapter 83: Very Dangerous Move

In the bottom of the 6th inning, the Seidou High School baseball team is on the offense.

The first to step into the Batter's Box is Kuramochi.

Earlier, Kuramochi had already faced the Ace pitcher from Hoshiryu High School twice.

To be honest, even though Kuramochi is Lee-Hyun's teacher, Lee-Hyun had to admit one thing:

During those encounters, Kuramochi was at a clear disadvantage.

The Ace pitcher from Hoshiryu High School may not seem overwhelmingly strong at first glance, but his ability is top-tier.

So far, Seidou High's players have rarely been able to hit any singles off him.

In this situation, how could Kuramochi expect to achieve something?

If he really wants to get a hit, or even just to get on base, he must show real skill!

If Kuramochi were given enough room to perform, Lee-Hyun didn't doubt that his teacher could find a way to get past the opponent.

But the players from Hoshiryu High are no fools.

They've researched Kuramochi's weaknesses thoroughly.

From the beginning, they set up a forward defensive formation.

The entire infield was tightly packed, leaving no space for Kuramochi to make a move.

There was no chance for him at all!

Given this situation, even if Kuramochi tries a bunt to get on base, it wouldn't be that easy.

Perhaps the Hoshiryu players don't practice as intensively as the Seidou players, but over the past three years, they've trained hard every single day.

Each of them is well-trained.

If Kuramochi tries a bunt, the chances of the ball being stopped are high!

Kuramochi isn't like Sawamura, whose bunt skills are exceptional. While Kuramochi's bunting is good, it's not extraordinary.

He can't always control exactly where the ball goes.

Thus, bunting isn't really an option, so he'll have to rely on normal hitting!

On the stands, a strange scene unfolded.

The spectators in the stands were riled up, fervently cheering for Kuramochi to get on base.

On the other hand, Seidou High's own teammates had less confidence.

They didn't have the simple-minded view of the spectators.

Though they all hoped for Kuramochi to get on base with a nice hit, no one openly expressed it.

What if it doesn't work?

If they put too much pressure on Kuramochi, and he hesitates, falters, or makes a mistake during the confrontation, wouldn't it be a disaster for them?

This wasn't a small chance, given their previous encounters. The probability of such an outcome was quite high.

So, the Seidou players were cautious in their support.

Even when cheering, they were careful, not to shout anything too optimistic like "Hit the ball out!"

They simply cheered for Kuramochi!

Though their cheers were loud, Kuramochi didn't feel comforted.

'These annoying guys, not one of them had faith in me.'

'Why were they only cheering my name like idiots, instead of saying "Hit the ball out" or something?'

Did they think he, Kuramochi, wasn't capable?

Well, Kuramochi had to admit that hitting the ball out wasn't that easy.

Haruka Nanami's pitches weren't as overpowering as Sawamura's, and he couldn't throw at 160 km/h.

That's why his stamina consumption was much lower than Furuya's.

Although Nanami had thrown a similar number of pitches, he didn't look fatigued at all.

He appeared energetic, and his pitching quality hadn't declined.

Kuramochi could only hope to make contact with the ball, but hitting Nanami's sweet spot was another story.

If it were that easy, Seidou's players wouldn't still be struggling to get past him.

Kuramochi's eyes were fixed on the opponent.

His mind was racing, thinking of how to make solid contact with Nanami's pitch.

Hitting the sweet spot seemed tough!

'Then I'll just have to hit the ball, even if I don't hit the sweet spot!'

Under his Seidou uniform, Kuramochi's abdominal muscles began to tense up.

Although Kuramochi looked a bit slim compared to typical baseball players, he was far from weak.

When he took off his top, his abdominal muscles were solid, like iron.

People may think he lacks power due to his build, but they would be wrong.

Kuramochi wasn't the type to use brute strength, but that didn't mean he lacked power.

If anything, he was just more focused on bunts and regular hits.

But now, with no other choice, Kuramochi was ready to show his true power.

While he couldn't swing for a home run like a power hitter, he could increase the power of his swing, all while keeping his form intact.

It was risky, but wasn't all growth a risk?

It was like climbing a mountain—falling would be painful, but without that risk, how would you ever see the view from the top?

'It's time for me to step up!'

His teammates had all improved in some way, but he felt like he was still stuck in the same place for a while now.

Kuramochi didn't want to fall behind.

He was willing to take risks to improve his strength even further.

As Nanami threw the next pitch, Kuramochi raised his bat high and swung hard at the approaching ball.

As he swung, all his strength was focused on that moment.

Ping!

As expected, the ball shifted slightly when it neared Kuramochi's bat.

That was Nanami's version of Cutter ball.

Though Nanami couldn't throw the Moving ball like Sawamura, his pitches had similar deceptive qualities.

It was hard for batters to hit the sweet spot, and his Cutter was quicker and harder to read than Sawamura's.

With that, Nanami had been able to suppress Seidou's batters, keeping them in check.

Despite the tricky pitch, Kuramochi didn't flinch.

Though he knew he wouldn't hit the sweet spot, he used all his strength to powerfully drive the ball.

The rigorous training of Seidou's hellish practices showed their effects.

Though Kuramochi wasn't a power hitter, his hitting strength had surpassed that of an average player after two and a half years of intense training.

Ping!

The ball shot off the bat.

Though it didn't travel far, it had speed and was placed in a difficult spot.

'Nice!'

Kuramochi thought to himself as he tossed the bat aside and sprinted toward first base.

He felt that his hit had been great!

Even in Seidou's team, not many could pull off a hit like that.

Even Miyuki wouldn't have been able to guarantee such a result.

If it had been Sawamura, Kuramochi didn't even compare himself to such a monster anymore.

He wasn't going to set himself up for trouble by comparing himself to Sawamura.

He just needed to compare himself to regular players like Miyuki or others on Seidou's team.

As Kuramochi rushed toward first base, his teammates on the bench were ecstatic.

"Go, Cheetah!"

"Keep running and don't stop!"

This unexpected hit from Kuramochi gave Seidou's players renewed confidence.

If he made it to first base, scoring another run was very likely.

Considering the reliability of the next batters, even adding one or two more runs wasn't out of the question.

They had every reason to be excited, but things didn't go as smoothly as they hoped.

Suddenly, a figure rushed out from third base!

It was Tsuchihara, the third baseman for Hoshiryu High School.

While he seemed unremarkable in other aspects, his defensive skills were top-notch, and that was why he was Hoshiryu's lead-off batter.

He had earned his place in the team.

With his quick reflexes, Tsuchihara dove to intercept the ball.

He quickly locked eyes with first baseman Masamoto and prepared to throw.

Though Kuramochi's hit was solid, Tsuchihara believed his defensive play would have been perfect.

But Tsuchihara had underestimated Kuramochi's speed.

In the blink of an eye, Kuramochi had covered half the distance to first base!

With a burst of speed, Kuramochi was closing in on first base like a hunting cheetah.

Tsuchihara's heart raced as he tossed the ball to first base.

But no matter how fast he reacted, it still took time.

When the ball reached Masamoto, Kuramochi had already crossed first base!

This incredible play left the spectators in awe, their eyes glued to the field.

It was simply amazing!

They had thought Kuramochi's hit was good enough for him to get on base, but Hoshiryu's Tsuchihara had intercepted the ball and thrown it fast.

And even more surprising was Kuramochi's incredible speed!

The crowd was stunned by this duel.

They had no idea who to cheer for now. Though they were Seidou's supporters, they couldn't help but respect Hoshiryu's players.

About one-third of the audience stood up to applaud the brilliant play.

In a game without home runs, strikeouts, or record-breaking events, a stolen base had caused such a stir!

It was unbelievable!

Owada Akiko, a reporter for "Baseball Kingdom," was equally impressed.

Looking at the standing crowd and the applause spreading throughout the stadium, she was deeply shaken.

Such a scene was likely to stay in her memory for a lifetime.

"These kids are incredible. The level of this game has already surpassed high school standards."

Hearing this, her colleague Fujio looked at her in surprise.

Her quick grasp of the key moment was impressive.

Indeed, the quality of play in this duel had far exceeded the level expected from high school players.

Had it been Sawamura or other famous star players, it would have been understandable.

But these two players, Kuramochi and Tsuchihara, weren't national-level stars.

Even in their own teams, they weren't the top players.

Yet, in this showdown, they both displayed a level of play beyond that of typical high school players.

That was truly remarkable!

At this moment, Fujio and Akiko didn't realize that the most exciting part of this game hadn't even begun yet.

Neither did the spectators or Seidou's players. They expected Kuramochi to get on base, but no one foresaw this exciting twist.

Kuramochi's name would soon shine bright in this game.

No Outs, and a runner on first base!

At the Batter's Box stood Kominato Haruichi, who had earlier drawn Four Balls.

This guy had already awakened!

Even Nanami Haruka wasn't confident in getting him out.

On first base, there was Kuramochi Yoichi.

This man, the offensive engine of the Seidou High School baseball team, is known as the "Cheetah."

Getting rid of him was even more troublesome than dealing with Kominato Haruichi.

Two such troublesome players — if possible, Nanami Haruka wouldn't want to deal with either.

But now, he had no choice but to face these two problems.

If he didn't get rid of them, the next batters from Seidou High School's baseball team would be an even bigger problem!

The Great Demon King, Sawamura Eijun.

Even without standing on the mound, simply being in the Batter's Box.

His presence was enough to make many feel fear.

And then there was Miyuki!

If Nanami didn't deal with these two right here, Hoshiryu High School's baseball team would face even bigger troubles later.

With that in mind, these two opponents in front of him had to be dealt with.

Nanami lowered his head again, his mind already made up.

The players of Hoshiryu High School's baseball team, receiving Nanami Haruka's signal, began to burn with determination as well.

The more critical the situation, the less they could afford to panic.

They needed to stay calm and look for an opportunity.

Only then did they have a slim chance to turn the game around.

Of course, before seizing that opportunity.

They first had to deal with the immediate problems.

Kuramochi on first base, and Haruichi in the Batter's Box.

What were Kominato Haruichi's plans?

Up until now, Hoshiryu High School's teammates had no clue.

This didn't need to be said much.

But Kuramochi's movements were different!

This guy had made his intentions clear — he was preparing to steal the base.

He didn't even bother pretending, already leaving first base and slowly moving toward second.

As he moved, he faced the pitcher, his feet spread apart.

Even if he was slightly farther from the base, it didn't affect his movements!

Whether he had to return to first base under a throw or continue on to second, it was very convenient.

Nanami tried to use his gaze to restrain Kuramochi.

Hoping to control him with eye contact.

But Kuramochi stood on the base, completely unmoved.

It seemed like he didn't even see Nanami Haruka's stare.

Nanami, standing on the pitcher's mound, could only force a smile.

He knew very well that Kuramochi wasn't ignoring his gaze to bluff.

'He is confident.'

Confident that after Nanami threw the ball, he could safely return to the base.

A player with such confidence didn't need to bluff.

No wonder he was called the offensive engine of the Seidou High School baseball team, the "Cheetah."

Dealing with him was indeed troublesome!

Fortunately, before the game, Hoshiryu High School's baseball team had thought of all sorts of possibilities.

Among them was a strategy to deal with Kuramochi.

In case this guy made it to base, what would they do?

This was highly likely to happen, and the players of Hoshiryu High School had to have made preparations.

The opponent was now actively moving forward!

He had already shown his cards — no matter what they did, he was going to steal the base.

To be honest.

This wasn't entirely bad for Hoshiryu High School's players.

The opponent's intentions were clear now, and the next thing they needed to think about was how to counter.

And the strategy for that had already been prepared.

"Next comes the moment to witness a miracle!"

During the pitch, Nanami didn't even bother to use his eyes to restrain Kuramochi.

He completely let Kuramochi move freely.

This was a very dangerous move…

…