The 4th batter of the Komadai Fujimaki High School baseball team, while not their strongest or the most feared batter, holds this position, which in itself proves his strength.
The young man has a solid and towering physique. He certainly exudes significant strength at first glance.
Once he makes contact with the ball, even if the hit isn't perfect, the ball could fly far.
This guy's batting carries a fierce momentum.
He is a powerful hitter...
One wonders what kind of training Coach Nitta has been putting them through behind the scenes. Every player on this team might not appear exceptionally talented, but each one has developed an incredibly formidable skill.
Once the ball is struck by them, the consequences are unimaginable.
In Sawamura's mind, a sudden premonition arose.
There was no warning, but this feeling appeared all at once.
From Sawamura's intuition, although this guy isn't famous, the threat he poses is considerable.
This is interesting!
Speaking of which, Seidou High School and Komadai Fujimaki High School faced off back in March.
That was during the final matches of the Spring Koshien.
Back then, Komadai Fujimaki High School was strong, but definitely not at the level they are now.
They managed to make Sawamura feel a chill, a real sense of danger.
But now, even with Sawamura's increased strength, the players of Komadai Fujimaki High School still manage to create a sense of unease, like needles pricking at his back.
That's very interesting.
The players of Komadai Fujimaki High School, it's as if they've taken some kind of stimulant—each one is pumped up beyond belief!
At this point, Seidou has to admit it.
The opponent is strong!
They truly deserve to challenge the mighty Seidou High School baseball team.
They are not bluffing, nor are they joking.
They are genuinely qualified to face Seidou.
Komadai Fujimaki High School's baseball team is, without a doubt, an exceptionally strong and tough team.
The players on this team, especially the 4th batter?
In less than five months, they've undergone a complete transformation.
How much of a change is that?
Take Sawamura for example.
Just five months ago, Seidou High School didn't even need to send their Ace, Sawamura, onto the mound. Furuya was enough to face Komadai Fujimaki High School.
Back then, they had that kind of confidence.
They could do it. They were certain of it.
But now? Forget putting Furuya on the mound—just having Sawamura standing there feels like an immense pressure.
The players of Komadai Fujimaki High School are really strong.
It's not just their Ace, Hongo, either. Even the other players have improved significantly!
In the face of this situation, Sawamura's reaction was peculiar.
Instead of panicking or saying something excessive, he became exhilarated!
Actually, when Hongo had solved him earlier, Sawamura had already shown this kind of intense momentum.
How interesting!
Sawamura once thought that there wouldn't be much fun left for him in high school baseball.
The next year and a half might pass rather quietly.
But now, it looks like he had completely underestimated the situation.
The world always has rising talents, each dominating for a few years.
In high school baseball, there will always be those monstrous players who suddenly emerge.
Some of these monsters truly appear out of nowhere, springing into prominence.
Like the ace of the Kanetsu-Norin team—who could have guessed that such an excellent pitcher would come from a small-town baseball team?
Another type emerges after building a certain reputation, having gone through numerous competitions and experiences, then undergoing a complete transformation before rising to the top.
The 4th batter from Komadai Fujimaki High School's team is exactly this type.
Already with some fame, after several months of sharpening, his skills have become purer and even more refined.
Even Sawamura now feels a significant threat from him.
Such an opponent naturally piques Sawamura's interest.
Seeing Sawamura's interest, Miyuki couldn't help but feel reassured.
Seidou High School's previous achievements were already magnificent.
Even though, up until now, Seidou High hasn't gained an advantage in this game,
Miyuki still has complete confidence.
He believes they will emerge victorious in the end—the legendary path of the king, Seidou High's baseball team, cannot be stopped by anyone.
At this point, he's no longer satisfied with just that.
He has greater desires and ambitions.
He doesn't only want the result; he also hopes that his teammates can fully enjoy the match.
What's the point of bullying the weaker teams?
It's like doing first-grade math problems—no matter how many times they score 100%, there's nothing to be thrilled about for Sawamura and the others.
Now, the opponent is different!
Although both teams may not be evenly matched, the game is no longer at an elementary level.
On this level of competition, achieving a perfect score is something worth celebrating for Sawamura.
"The opponent you've been waiting for has arrived. Don't hold back now. Show all your power!"
Miyuki crouched, positioning himself to catch.
His Mitt resembled an endless black hole, ready to absorb anything that came its way.
Sawamura, standing on the mound, appeared neither happy nor sad.
When he saw Miyuki's Mitt, he nodded slightly.
He raised his right foot high and brought it down like a battle axe.
As his body shifted, his left hand swung like a whip, and his right mitt shielded his body, pushing all obstacles ahead of him.
The 4th batter from Komadai Fujimaki High School's team didn't take his eyes off Sawamura's body the entire time.
His bat was ready, as if it would smash Sawamura pitch the moment it appeared.
This wasn't the first time he had faced Sawamura, during his growth at Komadai Fujimaki, they had encountered Seidou several times.
Throughout this process, the current 4th batter was the one who had made his way through.
In his original impression, he had never seen Sawamura's arm move to pitch.
He couldn't see the release point!
From the first time he saw Sawamura pitch until now, that sensation hadn't changed.
He could never see the release point.
It was so strange!
Without seeing the release point, all they could do was wait for the ball to fly out and then judge its direction and movement.
That would definitely put them at a disadvantage.
Moreover, Sawamura's pitch speed isn't slow.
Though it doesn't reach 150 km/h, it's still around 147 km/h.
By the time the ball leaves the pitcher's hand and reaches the catcher's mitt, it takes around 0.4 seconds.
The human eye needs 0.25 seconds to react.
That means their true thinking time is only about 0.15 seconds.
What can one do in such a short time?
Most people probably won't even have time to understand what happened before they're forced to swing their bat.
The 4th batter from Komadai Fujimaki High School's team now faces this very challenge.
BUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!
As he estimated the timing, he swing his bat with full power.
The baseball passes through the strike zone and into Miyuki's Mitt.
When Miyuki caught the ball, feeling the power in it, he couldn't help but smile.
Incredible!
Even though this wasn't their first time working together, every time they do, Miyuki notices something new.
Like now.
Despite Sawamura seeming a bit down and out of sorts, his pitching showed a new kind of life.
"STRIKE!"
Ping!
"FOUL!!"
The first pitch was missed, but on the second pitch, the 4th batter from Komadai Fujimaki learned from the previous mistake and swing with precision, sending the ball flying.
Unfortunately, it didn't land in bounds.
From the dugout of Komadai Fujimaki High School, cheers echoed.
It seemed everyone was in good spirits.
The batter's excellent performance gave them hope.
"YOU ARE SEEING IT!!"
"DO IT!!"
"SEND IT FLYING!!"
Despite the batter's performance, after two pitches, he was inevitably pressured.
After forcing his opponent into a tight spot, Sawamura concentrated all his strength into two fingers.
Those fingers gripped the ball tightly and sent it flying.
WHRROOSH!!
Seeing the ball come at him, the 4th batter from Komadai Fujimaki's team knew the real test had begun.
Which pitch would Sawamura use next?
Sawamura's pitches are countless.
Predicting them precisely is nearly impossible.
While guessing the exact pitch and its trajectory is hard, certain things can still be inferred by observing.
Like right now.
The 4th batter from Komadai Fujimaki High School didn't disappoint his position.
The moment the ball reached him, he swung and hit it.
Ping!
The bat made solid contact with the ball.
At that moment, the batter had been nervous, unsure if Sawamura had something trick up his sleeve.
It wasn't paranoia—it was very likely given Sawamura and Miyuki's track record.
But now, he could finally relax for a moment.
The baseball hit and flew high.
But oddly, it suddenly stopped in midair, as if some magic had been cast on it.
That ball seemed to lose all its energy and dropped straight down!
Sawamura, standing on the mound, didn't even look up at the ball.
Snap!
He simply raised his mitt and caught it as it fell.
No steps taken.
It was a high catch on the mound!
Familiar to those who know Sawamura well—The Swallow's Homecoming!!
The special move had made its appearance once more!
Although this technique sparked a huge response from the crowd,
Sawamura didn't seem to care about any of it.
'Two more Outs...'
…