Seidou High School Baseball Team
Facing an unknown underdog, they were very cautious.
Not only could they not afford to lose this match, they couldn't afford to even lose a single point.
If the Seidou High School Baseball Team were to be beaten by an unknown underdog team by several points, they would be finished!
The fans' spit could drown them.
The King Seidou
The name "Seidou" brings not only honor to the Seidou High School Baseball Team but also responsibility and obligation.
Their matches must not only secure victory but also satisfy their supporting audience.
To wear the crown, one must bear its weight.
This is exactly what this phrase means.
Under these circumstances, how could the Seidou High School Baseball Team afford to be careless?
Not only the result of the match, but the process itself was also very important.
To the point that now, Coach Kataoka, without securing an absolute advantage, is hesitant to let the substitute players take the field.
In the past, he had no such worries.
Even during the spring Koshien, Coach Kataoka directed the team freely and without hesitation.
But now, the Seidou High School Baseball Team's identity has changed, and their goals have also shifted.
To become a legend, they couldn't afford to play cautiously until the end.
It couldn't give the impression that the Seidou High School Baseball Team's potential victory was simply due to luck.
That would never do.
They needed to crush their opponents with dignity and show all of Seidou High School Baseball's enemies and all the fans across the nation that their success wasn't based on luck or tactics but on their sheer strength.
Coach Kataoka, though now refining his baseball strategies and on-site directing skills, was not pursuing just this.
On the contrary.
What Coach Kataoka truly pursued was for the players to grow strong enough to crush their opponents with their own strength.
Rather than being called a master of baseball tactics, Coach Kataoka preferred to be called a Coach, mentor, or even simply "teacher."
Someone who could help players break through their own limitations and finally achieve greatness.
That was his true life's pursuit.
Seidou High School Baseball Team is serious now.
The players of the Nanakyo High School Baseball Team were in for a rough time.
They stood frozen, staring at the Seidou High School Baseball Team's lineup.
Their Coach and Hanagata had both warned them that their opponents would likely be careless and said that the beginning of the game would be their chance.
But from their understanding of the Seidou High School Baseball Team, the current lineup didn't seem like one that would show mercy.
They were sending out all their main players!
Moreover, from the very start, they had to face the Ace pitcher, the "Demon King" on the mound.
The one who, in legend, had never been defeated.
How were they supposed to deal with this?
Although they had been burning with anger earlier, ready to take on Sawamura and give it their all, now that they stood on opposing sides, Nanakyo High's players couldn't help but feel tremors of fear.
The first batter to step up was the short and thin Koyama from Nanakyo High.
Koyama's body was frail and his height wasn't impressive.
He looked like a small, weak opponent.
Even standing next to Kominato Haruichi, Koyama probably wouldn't even reach his height.
This unremarkable figure made both Sawamura and Miyuki wary.
Though they acted like they didn't know anything about their opponent, given Seidou High's intelligence network, they certainly couldn't be completely unaware of Nanakyo High.
In fact, Seidou High's teammates had already gathered quite a bit of intel on this team.
The core of the team was of course Hanagata, the first baseman, but Koyama and their backup pitcher were also formidable players.
Without them, even Hanagata would struggle to carry Nanakyo to the top of Kyoto.
It's important to remember that Kyoto has two major powerhouse teams. Although these powerhouses aren't particularly dominant on a national level, the strength of a powerhouse is undeniable. Even if they aren't exceptional, their deep foundations are still present.
To become a powerhouse, a team at the very least needs the strength to reach the top eight in West Tokyo and possibly challenge for a spot in the top four.
Now imagine, would the core players of such a team really be weak?
Nanakyo High's bench also had its share of tall, strong players.
If the player before them wasn't impressive, there's no way he'd be on the main lineup, let alone batting first.
Facing such an opponent, they couldn't afford to be careless.
Miyuki exchanged a look with Sawamura.
Sawamura immediately understood what Miyuki meant.
So, they decided to go all out!
Starting strong from the get-go was very taxing for a pitcher.
But now that they were forced into this, no matter how exhausting it would be, Sawamura had no choice but to do it.
He lifted his leg high on the mound before forcefully bringing it down.
As his body's momentum shifted, the baseball in Sawamura's hand rocketed forward with a screeching sound.
Koyama, filled with nervous energy, stared intently at Sawamura's left hand as he pitched.
Although he had never faced Sawamura before, Koyama had seen plenty of online analysis of Sawamura's pitches.
With such fame, there were countless analyses of the "Demon King's" pitching.
Before even making it to Koshien, Koyama, as a baseball fanatic, had searched for news of Sawamura countless times.
When he learned that they were facing Seidou High, Nanakyo's players made a special effort to analyze Sawamura.
Their goal was to defeat Seidou High, so they naturally had to study Sawamura.
As a result, they knew a lot about the various rumors and characteristics of Sawamura's pitching.
It was said that the "Demon King" had the same pitching form for every pitch, and the release point of the ball was impossible to see.
So, from the Batter's Box, Sawamura's pitches seemed much faster.
How much faster exactly?
There was no definitive answer, as different players described it in different terms.
So, it wasn't something that could be concluded without experiencing it firsthand.
Koyama had always been curious about this and had imagined what it would be like facing Sawamura.
Which version of the pitch was the real one?
Koyama didn't know.
He could only wait for the real game to see it for himself.
And now, Koyama saw it!
WHRROOSH!!
The baseball zipped through the air like a laser, instantly piercing Koyama's heart.
Unable to react to the sudden speed of the pitch, Koyama didn't even have time to swing his bat.
All he could do was watch as the ball zipped past him and landed in the catcher's glove.
SNAP!
"STRIKE!"
This result sent the fans in the stands into a frenzy.
What they loved most was watching the Demon King crush his opponents.
Facing the Demon King's pitch, opponents often didn't even have time to swing.
"And even if he managed to swing..."
"He wouldn't hit the ball."
"This poor Nanakyo player is utterly helpless."
"His height was barely 1.6 meters, shorter than many junior high school students."
"He looked like a child."
"This child was facing Sawamura's pitch—of course, he was powerless."
The audience couldn't help but feel a strange sense of satisfaction as if Sawamura was bullying the opponent.
With his skill, only a rare few players in the country could hit his pitches.
And this little guy definitely didn't look like one of those rare players.
He represented the level of Nanakyo High.
Looking at the depth of Seidou High's team, it was clear this was a true competition—they were sending out their core weapons.
"It almost feels like bullying."
Nanakyo High probably felt the frustration.
Seidou High's players were truly bullying them!
…
T/N: Well, That's it for now.
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