Chapter 420: The Unbroken Battle Against Ouya
The ball narrowly missed.
Although it was foul, the high-speed trajectory of the ball and the piercing aura it carried made Ouya High's third baseman, Ito, display a look of lingering fear. This ace from Seidou—his batting power was terrifying!
The speed of that swing.
If it had been just a little more accurate...
Ito swallowed hard, unable to stop himself from thinking.
"Damn, such a tricky inside pitch, and he still managed to pull it to that spot? Well then, how about this pitch?"
With a side motion, Wakabayashi once again executed his sidearm throw, a stance he had perfected in the heat of battle.
The form looked impressive, but this time, as the ball came flying toward him, Eijun's bright blue eyes narrowed slightly. As the ball's shadow loomed in front of him, he showed no sign of swinging.
He simply watched as the ball passed into Sumi's glove behind him.
Snap!
"Ball!"
As expected, the sidearm throw didn't have the same control as usual.
Eijun squinted his eyes.
His gaze, sharp as if seeing through everything, locked onto Wakabayashi.
Wakabayashi couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
It was as though Eijun had seen through all of his secrets.
Third pitch.
With gritted teeth, Wakabayashi couldn't hold back any longer.
Whoosh!
He threw with everything he had.
The ball shot through the air.
The shadow of the ball quickly dropped as it approached the plate.
Eijun's expression stiffened. He gripped the bat tightly, his posture bending as though the bat might snap in two. He used his lower body weight to drive the swing down, perfectly utilizing his torso's power.
Whoosh!
The glint from the edge of the bat shimmered.
Bang!
A deafening crack echoed through the field.
The flashing light, the bright scene—though the ball flew out, Eijun furrowed his brow.
Whoosh!
Bang!
As expected, the ball landed heavily outside the first base line, making a dull sound as it hit the ground.
"Foul!!"
This guy's splitter is indeed tough to handle—the speed, the angle, the tailing movement—it's really been perfected to a level that's exceptional for a high school player.
Eijun took a deep breath.
However, this kind of pitch won't shake me.
If you don't have anything else...
"attack, attack, attack."
"We're right behind you."
"Take that guy down!"
"Go, Gou!"
The sudden cheers echoed in the air, and the shift in the defensive positions caught Eijun's attention, making his eyes sharpen.
"Heh, I was thinking of having a proper showdown with you, but it's a real shame…"
Eijun's eyelids flicked slightly.
A golden flash passed through his pupils.
This was also a display of tactical skill.
Eijun adjusted his stance slightly, leaning forward just enough to shift his weight forward.
Whoosh!
The next moment.
The swing he had anticipated, and the pitch he had predicted, came exactly as he expected.
It was as if everything had been rehearsed in advance.
Whoosh!
Without even needing to look, Eijun had mentally corrected his stance and synchronized his swing with Wakabayashi's arm movement.
Stepping forward with his left leg, he placed himself firmly at the front of the batter's box, his bat perfectly positioned to intercept the outside pitch.
It looked as though the bat was already waiting there.
Then, the ball collided.
The sound of the perfect hit rang out.
Boom
With the perfectly timed connection, the ball flew with incredible precision.
There was no need for any correction in his swing. Eijun put his full strength into it, transmitting the power from his lower body into his arms, whipping the bat fiercely.
The ball flew with immense force.
The dazzling light soared into the sky.
It raced across the white line in the sky, and the players from Ouya High immediately showed expressions of varying levels of shock.
The crowd in the stadium erupted in astonished exclamations.
"Ohhhhhh!!?"
This ball.
There was no luck, no coincidence, no other possibility.
A perfect parabola.
The ball traced a trajectory in the sky like a shooting star.
In the outfield of Ouya High, the right fielder could only watch in disbelief, and Wakabayashi stood frozen, his face one of utter shock.
Chua
The ball landed in the trees outside the field, making a rustling sound as it hit.
"Whoa! A home run! In the top of the fourth inning, with one out and a runner on third, the third batter, the ace, Sawamura Eijun, perfectly timed the outside fastball and hit a brilliant shot—a two-run home run to right field! Seidou takes the lead!!!"
"Great hit!"
"As expected, this is when we rely on you, Sawamura."
"Go ahead, Ace, take all the spotlight."
"Go, Eijun!"
"Seidou, Seidou, Seidou!"
The Seidou crowd erupted, and Eijun, who was rounding the bases with clenched fists, became the center of attention at that moment.
On the pitcher's mound, Wakabayashi's right hand, which had been resting on the brim of his cap, trembled slightly.
He had expected to be hit.
He also had a strong feeling they would give up a run in this inning.
However, this kind of run was not something Wakabayashi had anticipated or was willing to think about.
This hit, while not enough to break Ouya's spirit, had certainly weakened it.
From this point on, the game would fall into Seidou's rhythm.
Clap!
A loud high-five echoed.
Miyuki's lips curled into a slight smile.
"I knew you would hit it, but you really went for the home run, huh? Did you plan on doing that from the start?"
"Yeah, that was the plan. I wanted a good showdown, but since they handed me the weapon, how could I refuse? When someone offers you such a chance, you have to take it, right? I couldn't possibly turn down the opportunity that Ouya gave me."
Not at all surprising to Miyuki.
Eijun nodded with his unique style, showing no humility in the least.
It was moments like these that this kid was entirely unapologetic.
Miyuki shook his head in amusement, chuckling inwardly.
"Alright, Miyuki-senpai, now it's your turn. You've got to keep the offense going."
Eijun gave Miyuki a light punch on the chest, then winked with a bright smile.
Miyuki raised an eyebrow.
"Heh, trying to put pressure on me? Haha, Sawamura, now that you've said that, I guess I'll have to hit one too."
"Besides, I bet their confidence is shaking right now. Or maybe they're starting to doubt themselves."
Miyuki spoke with an air of confident determination.
His gaze locked onto Wakabayashi.
Eijun lifted his head, and in his pupils, the image of Wakabayashi, slightly lowering his cap, appeared, a knowing look crossing his face.
"Fourth batter, catcher, Miyuki-kun."
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