'This is too much!'
The anger in Maezono's heart, if fully unleashed, could burn a hole in the sky.
The frustration he felt inside was something no one could understand.
As the core batter of the Seidou High School baseball team, he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Sawamura and Miyuki.
Even though Maezono knew that he wasn't in the same league as those two monsters, he had never compared himself to them directly.
If he were to compare himself to them, he would probably jump into a river.
Compared to those two monsters, Maezono undeniably belonged to the category of being discarded.
He had this self-awareness, but it didn't stop others from comparing him to them.
If the opportunity was right, opponents would have no hesitation in Walking Sawamura and Miyuki.
And then, they would choose to face him head-on.
Again and again, opponents made this choice, and almost every time, they succeeded.
If Maezono were a player with no aspirations for the future, a mediocre one at best, then he might have been able to brush it off.
But he wasn't. He was a player with significant ambitions for his future.
As time passed, their high school graduation was drawing closer.
In terms of grades, Maezono didn't have much of a future if he wanted to go to college.
The only future with prospects for him was in baseball.
He had to play baseball, and he had to produce results.
Originally, as the fifth batter, the core hitter of the Seidou High School baseball team, he could directly enter the draft. While it wasn't guaranteed that he would be a top pick, he would definitely be selected in a few rounds.
But after being repeatedly humiliated by opponents, if the chance to enter the draft came, would he even get picked?
Honestly, Maezono had no confidence in it at all.
These opponents repeatedly exposed his weaknesses and flaws, perfectly displaying them in front of all the professional scouts.
Even with his eyes closed, Maezono could imagine what the scouts' evaluations of him would be.
It certainly wouldn't be good!
To tell the truth, Maezono's performance wasn't all that bad.
It's just that when he was placed in the fifth-batter position at Seidou High School, his ability appeared somewhat lacking.
And with Sawamura and Miyuki's presence, that inadequacy became even more evident.
This gave people the impression that Maezono was weak.
But in reality, when it came to the national level, Maezono's strength was still noteworthy.
He was also holding back, wanting to prove himself.
The previous monstrous players, it was understandable that they chose not to rely on him to secure Outs against Sawamura and Miyuki.
Maezono had no complaints about that.
But now, a first-year player from Yakushi High School was doing the same thing.
This was beyond bearable—Maezono couldn't stand it anymore.
His eyes widened like copper bells, locking firmly on the opponent.
As soon as the opponent threw the ball, he would hit it without hesitation.
At this moment, Maezono seemed to transform into an enraged, golden-eyed Boss Monster.
His entire demeanor carried an overwhelmingly strong presence as if he was about to crush his opponent.
On the pitcher's mound, Igarashi of Yakushi High School wasn't too concerned about Maezono.
He had seen all kinds of players in the national competition.
Players like Maezono, who could create such strong pressure just by standing there, were common in America.
These types of batters usually had great power but lacked precision in their swings.
As long as they swung their arms hard enough, they could overpower the opponent by using the momentum of the ball.
Whoosh!
Thinking of this, Igarashi threw the ball cleanly and decisively.
The ball was fast!
Really fast!!
The baseball seemed to fall from a mountain, looking so imposing that it made it hard to even think about resistance.
A first-year pitcher with such strength.
Even Maezono had to acknowledge that.
But acknowledging it was one thing—he wasn't going to give up just because of a pitch like that.
Facing the incoming baseball, Maezono swung his bat without hesitation.
Ping!
The baseball was hit, but it soared out of bounds.
"FOUL!"
This result had a strong visual impact.
One out, bases loaded.
In this situation, whether for the batter or the pitcher, the pressure was enormous.
However, given Igarashi's experience, his mental fortitude was probably better.
Maezono, on the other hand, after enduring so many rounds of blows, was not very reliable.
"Go, go!!"
"Hit it out!"
"it's all up to you!"
"Let these guys see what you are made of!!"
"It's time to hit it, Maezono!"
The cheers from the second-string cheerleaders and the Seidou High School baseball team's bench rang out.
Maezono wasn't bad when it came to his relationships with others.
You should know that, in Seidou High School's baseball team, it was not easy to popular in the team.
You had to put in more effort than others to gain recognition.
Otherwise, it wouldn't work at all.
That was the rule of the Seidou High School baseball team.
But now, standing in the Batter's Box, Maezono couldn't hear those cheers.
All of his attention was focused on his opponent.
Igarashi, a first-year player, was two years younger than Maezono.
But his strength made Maezono look at him in a new light.
Maezono wasn't a genius, and he had never been at the very top of his high school.
For someone who had never been at the top of the pyramid, his feelings were more direct.
'These first-year kids should not be underestimated.'
'If you underestimate them, they might just overtake you.'
This was not an exaggeration—this was happening right now.
The opponent wasn't using any breaking balls to avoid the confrontation, nor was he throwing Balls to tempt Maezono into swinging.
Compared to his earlier hesitation against Sawamura and Miyuki, this was a completely different scenario.
Igarashi was going all out, using every bit of his strength, determined to knock Maezono down.
"Whew!"
Taking a deep breath, Maezono worked hard to adjust his state to its peak.
If he didn't, he wouldn't even have the confidence to face this two-year-younger opponent.
At this moment, the words of Watanabe and Kataoka, who had discussed the opponent earlier, flashed in his mind like a movie.
"The opponent's trait is obvious—he uses his natural height advantage to throw from above. Coupled with his terrifying fastball, he gains an unparalleled advantage."
"When batting, be careful, because the baseball travels in a diagonal line from top to bottom, not a straight line. The key is to find the point where the ball meets the bat. If you can find this spot, you can hit the ball safely."
This was the information collected by Watanabe.
For Seidou High School's baseball team, because of their experience, they weren't unfamiliar with opponents like Igarashi. The strategies to deal with him were well-known.
However, this kid was quite cunning, and defeating him wasn't so simple.
"There's no need to aim for a long hit. Against a pitcher like him, who has tailing velocity, the more you chase long hits, the more likely you are to hit a pop fly."
"In their previous match against the Sankou High School, at least half of their Outs came from pop flies. This year, while Yakushi High School's overall strength has greatly improved, they still have many problems that they haven't overcome yet."
"Such as their defense—it's not as perfect as people think. As long as the baseball touches the ground, a hit is guaranteed!"
Kataoka's advice echoed in his ears.
Maezono tightened his grip on the bat.
'Here it comes!'
Without much waiting, the baseball came flying towards him, extremely fast.
Maezono felt his vision sharpen, the ball's flight path looking very familiar.
It was like a light shining brightly in front of him.
He saw the exact point where the ball would meet the bat.
'Now!'
'Right here!!'
"Hm!"
With a grunt, Maezono used all his strength and swung the bat hard at the incoming ball.
PAAAAAANNGG!!!!!!
The bat connected solidly with the ball, sending it soaring to the outfield!
In the Batter's Box, Maezono raised his arm in excitement.
He then tossed aside the bat and sprinted forward.
On the bases, Seidou's players didn't waste time either.
They moved forward cautiously, as long as the ball wasn't caught, they could advance without issue.
However, considering the possibility of a catch, they didn't dare run recklessly.
Otherwise, if the ball got caught, it would be too late to regret it.
The baseball kept flying, all the way to the outfield.
The outfielders from Yakushi rushed to the ball's landing point but couldn't get there in time.
Pak!
They could only watch as the ball bounced off the ground.
"Yeah!"
"Run!!"
As soon as the ball hit the ground, everyone sprinted.
At this point, there were no more concerns.
Haruichi was the first to return to home plate, scoring Sankou's run.
Sawamura followed closely behind, crossing third base and returning to home plate to score the fourth run.
Now, Miyuki after a long run, was also rounding third base.
Yakushi's outfielder picked up the ball and threw it toward home plate.
Seeing this, Ono, the third-base coach, didn't hesitate and signaled Miyuki to continue.
And Miyuki didn't stop either. He ran straight toward home plate with his top speed.
Snap!
Just as Seidou expected, the long throw from Yakushi's outfielder was off by three or four meters.
By the time Akiba recovered the ball, Miyuki was already safely at home plate.
"SAFE!!"
Three runs!
With the bases loaded, Maezono, the fifth batter, didn't disappoint. He hit a three-run hit!
He helped Seidou High School seal the victory.
The score was now 5:0!
If Yakushi High School could still make a comeback under these circumstances, then Seidou High's teammates could buy a piece of soft as a marshmallow and hit their heads with it to death.
It would be that embarrassing.
…
T/N: Well, he did it!
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