Chapter 470: Seiko Showdown – A Crucial Decision
Cheers erupted from Seidou's dugout.
In this opening phase of the game, Seidou had completely seized the initiative.
On the mound, Seiko's ace Kojima Ryuhei stood stiffly, frustration written all over his face.
His narrowed eyes burned with unwillingness.
He had prepared himself.
He'd steeled his resolve to face Seidou head-on.
So why?
Why had things unraveled so quickly—so violently—so early?
And it wasn't just Kojima.
All of Seiko High was caught off guard by the fury of Seidou's offense.
They hadn't expected Seidou to come out swinging this hard.
And just one inning in, they already felt overwhelmed.
...
"Batting fifth, first baseman, Maezono-kun."
With a powerful physique and a bold, focused expression, Maezono Kenta stepped up to the plate.
His mere presence gave off the aura of a power hitter.
At home, Masu Shinichirou felt the mounting pressure.
What now?
Ryuhei clearly couldn't regain his form this inning.
Yet with runners on second and third and no outs, they couldn't afford another run.
If the gap widened any further—
They'd be in serious trouble.
Masu bit his lip so hard he didn't even notice the thin line of blood trickling down.
...
"Shinichirou!!"
Just as the umpire was about to signal the next pitch—
a voice rang out from Seiko's third base dugout.
Coach Oga stepped into view.
Beside him was a short, round figure—
Masu's pupils constricted in shock.
On the mound, Kojima's expression twisted with frustration and disbelief.
And in the stands, gasps rippled across the stadium.
From Seidou's dugout, Coach Kataoka and Ochiai tensed.
In the stands, former players—Tetsuya, Chris, and Masuko—furrowed their brows.
And in the Seidou dugout, Sawamura Eijun's expression darkened.
That familiar stocky silhouette—he knew it all too well.
His eyes narrowed sharply.
"Ogawa Tsunematsu… that damn fatass."
In the original timeline, he'd only come in during the second inning.
But now he's entering in the first?!
"You better be ready for this, you bastard."
Eijun clenched his fists, jaw tight with boiling hostility.
He glared as Ogawa slowly waddled up the mound—
like a grade schooler strolling through the park.
Cold rage flickered in Eijun's eyes.
...
The stadium announcer boomed:
"Seiko lineup change: Batting 3rd, pitcher Kojima becomes center fielder. Center fielder Jojima is replaced by the new pitcher—batting 7th, Ogawa-kun."
"Kojima: now center field. Ogawa: now pitcher."
...
"What?! They're changing pitchers already?!"
"First inning and the ace is pulled? That's unheard of!"
"What kind of move is this…?"
"So the ace was totally crushed, huh?"
"Well, maybe it's the only choice. Kojima clearly couldn't stop Seidou's momentum—maybe sending him to cool off in the outfield isn't a bad idea?"
"True. At least he's not benched. He can still return later if he finds his rhythm."
"But this… this is a turning point."
"Yeah, yeah. Now it all depends on whether this freshman reliever can stop Seidou's momentum."
"Given the current situation, unless this pitcher is really solid, it's almost impossible to avoid giving up more runs."
"Even if they do give up a run, they have to keep it to a minimum—one run, tops."
"Exactly. If they can limit Seidou to just one more run, Seiko still has a chance. Otherwise…"
...
Seiko's decision to pull their ace pitcher in the very first inning stunned not just Seidou, but the entire stadium of over ten thousand spectators.
In such a critical game, this kind of early substitution was almost unheard of.
...
"Get your butt up there faster, you damn slacker!"
On the mound, Masu Shinichirou gritted his teeth as Ogawa Tsunematsu lazily strolled up, taking his sweet time.
Could he be any more carefree?!
"Eh? Don't you think this entrance is kinda cool, Masu-san?"
Ogawa casually flipped the tuft of hair over his forehead, looking absurdly pleased with himself.
Masu twitched in frustration.
Can someone please correct this idiot's warped sense of confidence?
He was out of energy to even comment.
...
"Anyway, you do understand the situation we're in, right?" Masu asked seriously.
"Yeah, totally. I just gotta take out every batter and keep 'em from scoring, right?"
Ogawa said it like it was the easiest thing in the world, chest puffed with pride.
Masu rubbed his temple.
"It's easy to say, but can you actually do it?"
"Don't worry, don't worry! I'm way more reliable than that shrimp Seidou calls their ace. You've got to believe in me, Masu-san!"
Ogawa pounded his own chest with a loud slap, his round face stretching into a wide, toothy grin—bordering on maniacal.
...
Masu stared into his eyes. Then:
"Tsunematsu… I'm counting on you."
He lightly thumped Ogawa's chest with his glove.
"Leave it to me!!"
...
"Here we go!!"
"OHHHHH!!"
The stadium exploded again.
"After giving up two runs, Seiko High is still in a dangerous position with runners on second and third and no outs. Stepping into the batter's box is Seidou's fifth batter—Maezono Kenta. Will Seidou deliver another devastating blow, or will Seiko finally stop the bleeding? The showdown begins—now!"
...
"!!!"
First pitch—inside fastball. Go all out, Tsunematsu!"
Masu didn't even bother with any tricky pitch calls.
Ogawa's control wasn't reliable. So their strategy was simple:
Power. Speed. Weight.
Overwhelm them.
Crush Seidou head-on.
...
A roaring beast, untamed and wild.
That was Ogawa's pitching—brutal and direct.
He raised his leg high.
His left arm swept upward.
"BOOM!!"
A thunderous sound erupted as Ogawa whipped his arm forward.
"WHOOOSH!!"
The ball rocketed through the air—a sharp glint under the sun.
As it closed in on the plate—Maezono Kenta's eyes flared red.
His stance exploded into motion.
"PING!!!!"
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