[384] Ugumori High School’s Explosive Power

Chapter 384: Ugumori High School's Explosive Power

"A vertical slider? That's unexpected."

Miyuki furrowed his brow. This pitch, unlisted in the data, had caught Seidou off guard.

But at least they'd forced it out in the first inning.

"By the way, you actually managed to react to that on your first try? That pitch had a nasty angle, right? Your batting skills are getting sharper."

"Haha." Eijun awkwardly scratched the back of his head and smiled.

I can't exactly tell you I watched it multiple times on my computer in a past life, can I?

Honestly, if it were the captain or Miyuki here, they'd probably knock it out of the park. I still have a long way to go, Eijun thought to himself.

"Fourth batter, catcher, Miyuki."

Without Inashiro Industrial as a guinea pig, that power curveball—essentially a vertical slider—debuted as a secret weapon in the first inning. It successfully shut down Seidou's third and fourth batters, leaving Eijun and Miyuki with no results.

Eijun had been thrown out.

Even though Miyuki had watched that pitch from the sidelines, it was still tough to react effectively in real time. After a slow curveball, the power curveball's speed contrast and sharp break made it nearly impossible to handle.

Without prior practice, even Miyuki couldn't accurately catch up with it. He ended up hitting a high fly ball to left field, which Ugumori High's left fielder easily caught.

"Out! Three outs! Change sides!"

After Miyuki's out, the spectators erupted in murmurs and gasps.

What seemed like a strong start for Seidou ended without any runs—a surprising turn of events for everyone watching.

Most notably, Ugumori's ace, Seiichi, exceeded expectations.

Facing Seidou's cleanup hitters, his fearless demeanor and the unexpected vertical slider caught the audience's attention. For a moment, it seemed like this game might have a few surprises in store after all.

"A vertical slider?"

Kuramochi raised an eyebrow, a look of surprise crossing his face.

"He never used that in any of his previous games," Maezono said with a frown.

"Yeah, Watanabe had no intel on that pitch," Shirasu agreed with a nod.

"It must be a long-hidden finishing pitch. But forcing it out in the first inning is a big deal. If he'd waited until the middle innings, we'd be in trouble," Miyuki said, his face darkening slightly.

"The control is still in our hands. No need to change the rhythm. In this first time through the lineup, just swing freely. Don't hold back," Coach Kataoka said, surveying the Seidou players with a firm voice.

"Yes!"

Over on Ugumori's third-base bench:

"They're a pain, every last one of them. Each pitch, they swing at it like it's a sure thing," Seiichi grumbled loudly as he returned to the dugout.

"It's like they're going all out on offense," Kondou remarked.

"This is the spirit of the mighty Seidou."

"Forcing out Sei's power curveball in the first inning… they really are something else."

"Well, it's Seidou. We knew this was coming, right? In a way, it's good—now we can go all out." Sitting in his wheelchair, Matsubara crossed his hands on his knees and smiled warmly.

"Yeah, I get it. As challengers, we need a challenger's mindset. I never thought the road to the top would be smooth sailing," Seiichi said with a wide grin, showing off his gleaming teeth.

"Let's show them what our perseverance looks like!"

"Ohhhhhh!"

"Top of the second inning, Ugumori High School's turn at bat. Batting cleanup: pitcher Umemiya-kun."

And here he was, Ugumori High's undisputed centerpiece—their ace and cleanup hitter, Seiichi Umemiya.

As Seiichi stepped into the batter's box, the tension on the field mounted.

In center field and at home plate, Eijun's eyes narrowed as a solemn expression crossed his face.

For Eijun, it came from a lingering apprehension instilled by the original story in his previous life.

For Miyuki, it was simply his own sharp instinct and intuition.

As he would jokingly describe it:

Miyuki's sixth sense was screaming that the player standing nearby was extremely dangerous—exceptionally dangerous.

It wasn't just the pregame lineup draw or the matchups earlier in the inning.

At that very moment, as Seiichi stood beside Miyuki, he could distinctly feel the intense aura emanating from Seiichi—a presence filled with unrelenting menace.

That overwhelming pressure sent a clear message to Miyuki: this batter was no ordinary opponent.

Use a fastball to establish the count, and finish it off with a breaking ball for the kill!

In an instant, Miyuki devised a pitch sequence in his mind.

Even for a dominant catcher like Miyuki, facing the opponent's central figure demanded a careful, calculated approach. Seidou wasn't exactly holding the upper hand at the moment.

The first pitch: an inside fastball. No high throws—Furuya, you should understand that.

On the mound, Furuya nodded slightly, his expression calm.

"Whoosh."

Furuya's arm whipped forward, a cold gleam reflecting off the ball.

Miyuki knew there was no need to hold Furuya back now. He let him pitch freely, unleashing his full strength. The powerful motion of his arm and the thunderous roar of the ball echoed like a lightning strike across the sky.

A pitch straight to the heart of the matter.

At the plate, Seiichi showed no fear. He stepped forward decisively, swinging the bat with cold precision.

The atmosphere around him, his arms mid-swing, and the slight quivering of his muscles—all highlighted the raw strength of his attack.

"Shush."

"Clang."

A piercing crack echoed through the air.

The jolt of impact sent a sharp pain through Seiichi's hands, causing him to grimace.

Furuya's fastball was more formidable than Seiichi had anticipated.

Especially given his misjudged angle, it was impossible for him to connect effectively.

"Whoosh."

"Bang."

The ball rebounded forcefully.

With a disgruntled expression, Seiichi watched as the ball hit the ground to the right of the mound.

Kuramochi smoothly slid into position and intercepted it with ease.

"Whoosh."

"Pop."

"Out!"

Rough and straightforward.

Furuya's pitching demonstrated sheer dominance, a forceful display of power.

With just one pitch, Seiichi was out.

And after that, Ugumori's fifth batter, Kota, and sixth batter, Takagi, were also quickly subdued.

A roaring start, as dazzling as a masterpiece.

By shutting down Ugumori's top hitters with an authoritative pitching performance, Furuya's momentum reached its peak.

-----------------

If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Leonzky