[517] Self-State During the Inashiro Game

Chapter 517: Self-State During the Inashiro Game

"Strike! Batter out! Three outs — change!"

As the umpire raised his right hand and shouted with authority, at the batter's box, Haruichi's expression twisted in frustration.

Three consecutive inside fastballs!

Haruichi clenched his teeth and let his arms drop in helplessness. His eyes, obscured by his bangs, were locked onto the retreating back of Narumiya, who was jogging back to the dugout.

A cold gleam flickered in his eyes.

Next time… next time, I'll definitely take you down!

...

"Narumiya is so strong."

"Well, he's called the strongest left-hander for a reason. No, honestly, watching him now, he might have a real claim to being the strongest pitcher among current high school players."

"A candidate for No.1?"

"His fastballs and breaking balls are both sharp, and his control is top-tier. It's going to be tough for Seidou to score."

"I was rooting for Seidou at first, but seeing Sawamura's shaky condition today… I'm starting to doubt it."

"Yeah, this game is looking dangerous for Seidou."

...

The first inning may only be one of nine, but both Seidou and Inashiro made strong impressions — especially the pitching duel between Eijun and Narumiya.

It tilted the scales in the minds of many spectators.

Thinking five steps ahead from one move — from the current momentum, there's no doubt that Inashiro has seized early control of the game.

And with this kind of dominant rhythm, if Seidou makes even a single misstep or allows Inashiro to find a weakness, the game could be over for them — GG.

...

In the stands—

Teammates like Chris, Okumura, Seto, Aotsuki, and Eijun's family, along with others cheering for Seidou, were all showing worried faces.

Especially Wakana, watching from the west stands — her childhood bond with Eijun giving her a unique intuition.

Looking at Eijun stepping onto the mound once more,

Wakana couldn't shake the feeling that he was pushing himself too hard.

Her beautiful eyes shimmered with concern and tenderness.

"Eijun…"

...

Top of the 2nd inning. Inashiro's at-bat. Batting sixth — catcher, Tadano-kun.

As the inning began, Inashiro launched another offensive.

Eijun's fastballs seemed slightly less forceful than before.

His breaking pitches lacked their usual sharpness.

The pitch locations were still tricky — but at key moments, the ball tended to rise just a bit.

In other words: today's ace… isn't in top form.

At least not at 100%.

Tadano gently swung his metal bat, his senses sharp from being a catcher. His keen instincts allowed him to quickly assess Eijun's condition.

"Lock onto the fastball and wait for a chance when he throws a decisive pitch!"

That wasn't just Coach Kunimoto's bench-side strategy.

It was also the most fitting read that Tadano could make on the spot.

...

The bottom of the lineup had less power, so rather than overpowering them, control would be the key.

On the mound—

Eijun's eyes flickered slightly as he exchanged glances with Miyuki behind the plate.

The two nodded, perfectly in sync.

Eijun intended to conserve energy and avoid mistakes — especially wild pitches or misfires.

The numbness and stinging in his arm were still there, and the amount of force he used would determine how severe the pain became.

So if he could save strength, he would.

Miyuki, on the other hand, thought Eijun was pacing himself because it was the bottom of the lineup and still early in the game — possibly a long, drawn-out battle.

He was even admiring Eijun in his heart: not just his skills, but his mentality had matured. He'd truly become an ace.

...

"First pitch: change-up."

A deceptive pitch to throw off the batter's timing.

Eijun stepped forward and swung his arm.

Swoosh—

As his arm whipped through the air,

a streak of white light burst from his fingertips.

That sharp white flash carved through the sky—

And in the batter's box…

Tadano's expression froze as he stared at the seemingly straight pitch heading his way.

Gripping the bat tightly, he instinctively relied on his experience and swung.

"Whoosh!"

The bat sliced through the air—but the ball was still far away.

Tadano's face immediately changed.

A change-up!

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

So this is Sawamura Eijun's change-up?

It didn't have Narumiya's terrifying deceleration (probably because of the difference in fastball speed), nor his sharply dropping arc, but this pitch—following what looked like a fastball trajectory—was actually even trickier to deal with than Narumiya's.

...

Tadano took a deep breath, reset his stance,

and this time choked up slightly on the bat.

Beside him, Miyuki's eyes gleamed subtly.

His fingers signaled beneath the mitt—

Second pitch: a high-velocity fastball down the middle.

Eijun gave a small nod and began his motion again.

"Swoosh!"

His arm snapped forward.

A streak of white light burst forth, cutting through the air like a blade.

The straight beam raced toward home.

Just as the ball neared the plate, it suddenly surged —

a visual illusion that made it look like it accelerated.

"Whoosh!"

This time, Tadano's swing was the complete opposite of the first — he hadn't even finished swinging before the ball had already flown past.

"Pop!"

A crisp sound echoed through the field.

In the batter's box, Tadano's face turned grim.

"Strike!"

From a change-up to an accelerating fastball—

the drastic difference in speed was one of Eijun's weapons.

Tadano bit his lip.

Even if his fastball velocity doesn't match Narumiya's,

that contrast in speed alone makes it nearly impossible to time a proper swing.

Control over pitch velocity variation—

For this young catcher, still lacking experience, the pressure was starting to crack him.

"Swoosh!"

The final pitch: a low and outside fastball.

Pinpoint accuracy, devilish placement.

Even if it lacked raw power, it didn't matter—

you can't hit what you can't reach.

"Pop!"

"Strike three! Batter out!"

...

Dominant.

Sharp.

Unlike his shaky start in the previous inning, Eijun came out this inning firing—three straight pitches, one strikeout.

It was as if the true ace of Seidou had finally arrived.

The roar of his presence surged through the field.

The ace's battle—had officially begun!

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