"Well then, let's help him achieve it!"
Kunitomo gave the signal to the seventh batter, telling him not to be afraid of Sawamura's momentum and to face him head-on.
The result!
"STRIKE!"
"STRIKE!!"
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!"
Three Outs, change of sides.
With one more strikeout, Sawamura's strikeout record reached 12.
There were still four innings left!
He was only five short of tying the record.
At this point, nearly everyone in the stadium was drawn in by this event, forgetting the situation of the game.
At this moment, the kingly Seidou High School baseball team was still trailing by one run.
"STRIKE!"
"STRIKE!!"
"FOUL!!"
"FOUL!!"
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"
Ping!
"OUT!!"
"OUT!!!"
On the other side, Tokyo Prince Narumiya also didn't back down, setting his own strikeout record at nine.
He also made three consecutive batters from Seidou go down in order.
Even striking out Shiratsu.
His performance was so amazing that it left everyone speechless.
The two of them were going back and forth, refusing to give an inch.
Thus, the game reached the sixth inning.
Sawamura struck out two more batters, smoothly dealing with Inajitsu High School's eighth and ninth batters.
These two players' performance was strange; although they couldn't possibly hit Sawamura's pitches, they showed no sign of attempting a bunt, as if they didn't want to disrupt Sawamura's pitching rhythm, almost deliberately letting him rack up more strikeouts.
Sawamura was completely baffled, not understanding what Inajitsu High School was trying to do.
Nonetheless, his strikeout total kept growing and was getting dangerously close to the record.
By the top of the sixth inning, after getting two Outs, Sawamura's strikeout count had reached a terrifying 14.
Only three more to go to tie the record.
When Sawamura recorded his 14th strikeout, the atmosphere at the stadium was like water that had reached a boil.
It had completely exploded!
Under the leadership of the Demon King's Guard and the Brotherhood Red Heart, the fans went wild, cheering and celebrating as if they had lost their minds.
There are many exciting points to watching a game.
For example, when a player from your side performs excellently when there's a strikeout, a hit, or even a home run.
These moments all trigger cheers and enthusiasm from the spectators.
Moreover, when a fielder makes a brilliant defensive play, or when an unprecedented, brilliant strategy is displayed on the field...
These too can lead to cheers from the audience.
So, what is it that the spectators most look forward to seeing on the field?
If you were to ask 100 spectators, probably more than half would say the moment they remember the most is witnessing a record-breaking moment.
While enjoying an exciting game, they also get to witness the birth of history.
Just thinking about this can get one's blood pumping, making it impossible to hold back excitement.
And generally, most people will never get to experience such a moment. But for those who do, it's a scene they'll remember for the rest of their lives.
Sawamura has many supporters.
It seems that after following Sawamura for some time, people naturally become his hardcore fans.
This is a strange phenomenon.
And once someone becomes a hardcore fan of Sawamura, they will eagerly discuss every one of his games.
Some common phrases are: "Do you know who holds the current record for home runs in the high school baseball tournament?"
"Do you know who holds the most strikeouts in a single game in the high school tournament?"
Even when it comes to high school, nothing has changed in this regard.
When people talk about Sawamura, they often ask: "Do you know who the man was who tied the home run record at Koshien?"
"Do you know who currently holds the record for the fewest runs allowed by a pitcher?"
"Not even knowing that? How can you call yourself a fan?"
But if the person does know and mentions Sawamura's name, the fan will proudly smile and say:
"Did you know? I was actually there at that game."
As Sawamura's fame grows, recordings of his games spread everywhere.
Whether they were actually there or not, every fan of Sawamura deeply remembers every detail of his games.
Especially the games where records were broken, these are often used to show off.
At these times, Sawamura's fans stand especially proud, almost as if they themselves were the ones who set the record, not their idol.
That's the charm of being a fan!
With Sawamura's rise to fame, the Seidou High School baseball team became the top-ranked team in the country.
Every opponent that faced Seidou would intentionally devise strategies targeting Sawamura.
Although the Demon King remained as strong as ever, it wasn't as easy for him to break records anymore.
Even the hardcore fans had not witnessed Sawamura break a record for quite a while.
Given the intensity of high school games, even for Sawamura, breaking records wasn't as simple as before.
Although fans accepted this reality, they couldn't help but feel a bit of regret, always hoping for the day when Sawamura would break a record again.
No one expected that in this game against Inajitsu High School, the Demon King, Sawamura, would have another chance to break a record under the perfect circumstances.
In the top of the sixth inning, after Sawamura struck out the 8th and 9th batters of Inajitsu High School, he had already accumulated a terrifying 14 strikeouts!
He was only three away from the record of 17.
How could they not be excited? How could they not expect more?
"Demon King!"
"Demon King!!!"
Thousands of fans in the stands shouted Sawamura's name in unison, their rhythm as orderly as soldiers chanting a slogan.
If there had been background music, it would have been an incredibly intense piece.
On the pitcher's mound, Sawamura stared coldly at Carlos, his opponent, with a calm demeanor.
Though he appeared composed on the outside, his blood was boiling inside.
'Fourteen Strikeouts!'
For any pitcher, it was hard to remain calm in such a moment.
Such an opportunity to steal the spotlight could not be missed.
Not to mention, it seemed like Inajitsu's team was up to something, and that made Sawamura uneasy.
He couldn't read what the coach, Kunitomo, was planning.
To prepare for any potential moves, they could only focus on two things: offense and defense.
As for offense, Sawamura couldn't control too much yet, but when it came to defense…
He wasn't going to let Inajitsu get any more chances.
Facing Inashiro's core batter, Carlos, for the third time, Sawamura knew that dealing with him wouldn't be easy.
Thinking of this, he exchanged a glance with Miyuki, his catcher.
Miyuki had a perfect understanding with Sawamura.
Almost every time Sawamura signaled, Miyuki knew exactly what he had in mind.
This was exactly what they had planned.
Before the tournament, Sawamura and Miyuki had been working on developing a new Level 4 pitch.
In addition to the one they had been working on, they had also developed another variation.
That meant Sawamura could now throw two and a half variations of Level 4 pitches.
One was the one he had used in America, while the other was the new one he was about to use.
And as for the half variation…
It was the most mysterious and tricky of all his Level 4 pitches.
It could be developed and upgraded further.
If, in the future, Sawamura were to develop a Level 5 pitch, that half-pitch would serve as the foundation.
'The first pitch, Level 4, Rocket Ball!!'
Seeing Miyuki agree with his plan and signal him, Sawamura nodded slightly and then took a step forward, his right foot striding out with power!
As he made his stride, his mitt, like a wall, blocked the batter's view, pushing through any resistance in front of him.
At the same time, his left hand whipped through the air like a whip, accelerating before delivering the pitch.
Carlos, standing in the batter's box, tightened his expression.
Previously, no matter what pitch Sawamura threw, his stance and movements weren't that pronounced.
Upon further research, it became clear that Sawamura's change came mostly from his grip on the ball.
When it came to talent, Sawamura could make every other genius feel ashamed. Simply by changing his grip, the baseball naturally altered its break.
Among all the known players across the nation, no one had ever seen a monster like Sawamura.
Some people who had studied him were left in awe.
Sawamura had been famous since he was young, and while hard work was undoubtedly important, his talent was innate.
He was a born monster, and strength came naturally to him.
Such a monster, without changing his pitching stance, could throw so many strange and unpredictable pitches.
What would happen if he changed his stance?
Many had speculated about this, but no one could give an accurate answer. Carlos had also wondered, what would happen if Sawamura changed his pitching style.
Now, Carlos knew.
Sawamura had altered his stance. His stride was longer, his center of gravity lower as he threw.
Carlos's heart raced uncontrollably. His eyes were fixed on the pitcher's mound.
He didn't know what Sawamura would do next.
He didn't know what kind of pitch would come from this new stance.
But his gut told him that Sawamura's pitch would be incredibly fast.
Roaaar!!
The small baseball shot through the air like a rocket, speeding up and reaching Carlos before he could react.
Carlos immediately felt the speed.
Although Sawamura's pitches were fast, this one seemed even faster.
Such an eerie pitch made Carlos decide to take it, not swinging.
Boom
"STRIKE!"
After Carlos had fallen behind with a Strike, Sawamura immediately threw the next pitch without hesitation.
'Same location, same stance.'
'Here it comes again?'
No matter how unsure Carlos felt, he had no choice but to swing.
If he didn't, he would be forced to face a worse outcome.
This was Sawamura. Being forced into a corner meant a dire result.
Buuuuzzzzzzz!!!
Carlos, trying not to get into a tough spot, swung at the pitch with all his might.
But his swing was late, and he missed.
He could only watch helplessly as the ball sailed past him and into Miyuki's mitt.
Boom!
"STRIKE!!"
The crowd erupted in excitement.
One pitch was too fast to swing at; the next, Carlos was too slow to catch.
Famous batter Carlos couldn't even make contact with Sawamura's brand-new breaking ball.
The final pitch was almost identical to the previous one.
'This was insane!'
As Carlos stared at Sawamura on the mound, his eyes nearly popped out.
Another pitch, one he had never seen before!
Roaar!
Boom!
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!!"
…