"The game between the West Tokyo Seidou High School baseball team and Nagano Prefecture's Hoshiryu High School baseball team is now starting!"
After the mutual salutes and a brief warm-up, the game between the two teams officially began.
The first team to attack was the Hoshiryu High School baseball team.
Their lead-off batter was Oda.
In the Seidou High School baseball team's dugout, Sawamura furrowed his brows slightly.
There had been significant changes in Hoshiryu High School's lineup.
While there weren't many adjustments to the key players, the batting order had changed drastically.
Oda, who had previously been considered a semi-regular, was now leading off.
Oda's skill was average, so it was difficult for him to stand out in such a team.
The fastest player in Hoshiryu High School was Hattori, who had been on the same team as Nanami Haruka before. He was known for his lightning speed.
Theoretically, he was the best choice to be the lead-off batter for Hoshiryu High School.
His speed could rival that of Kuramochi, and once he reached base, he would certainly be a big problem for the opposing team.
But now, this guy wasn't even in the starting lineup and was sitting in the dugout.
Instead, Oda, who was slower and had no distinct traits, became the first batter.
'Something felt off.'
With such a big change in the lineup, there was no way Hoshiryu High School hadn't planned something. Sawamura knew they were scheming something.
As Sawamura, the left fielder for Seidou, considered this, the Hoshiryu High School dugout was also busy with its own concerns.
Seidou High School's lineup had similarly caused quite a stir.
Hoshiryu High School had always considered themselves a strong team, although not the absolute top tier, they were still quite formidable.
Even when facing Seidou, they expected Seidou's team to be fully prepared.
Especially at this crucial moment.
Seidou's baseball team was on the road to legend.
At this time, they couldn't afford to be affected by any negative emotions.
Sawamura, as the Ace of the team, was supposed to be on the mound.
While Hoshiryu High School had prepared strategies to deal with pitchers like Furuya, most of their focus was on how to score off Sawamura.
Strategies for dealing with Furuya were only considered when Sawamura wasn't pitching.
"How arrogant!"
Tsuchihara said angrily.
Seidou High School didn't even send out their best lineup against them.
That really irritated him.
"This guy is also strong, but he's still easier to handle than Sawamura, right? This might actually work in our favor."
Hosho replied calmly.
Today, Seidou's starting pitcher was Furuya.
Their old friend Sawamura was guarding the left field.
When Hosho Ryuki saw Seidou's lineup, he was surprised.
It was completely different from what they had expected.
However, he also felt a sense of relief inside.
As his son had said, this might not be a bad thing for them.
For whatever reason, Hoshiryu's players lacked momentum when facing Sawamura.
This was an undeniable fact, and they couldn't escape it.
In comparison, they didn't have the same issue when facing Seidou's other players.
Two or three years ago, Nagano had been completely turned upside down by Akagi Middle School's baseball team.
Except for Hosho and Oda, everyone on Hoshiryu's team had suffered great losses at the hands of Sawamura.
The reason Hosho and Oda hadn't lost wasn't because they were stronger than the others.
It was because they had been on the same team as Sawamura.
They were beneficiaries of his growth.
Despite being more skilled, they were still overshadowed by him.
And it wasn't just once.
Anyone in their shoes would have felt somewhat bitter about it.
It made sense that Hoshiryu's players, being from Nagano, would have some psychological scars.
Now that the opponent had changed, Hosho was feeling a bit better.
Before Oda took the field, he called him over and gave him a serious reminder.
"This pitcher is something else, known for having the fastest pitch speed in high school. Because of Sawamura's presence, he hasn't pitched much, especially in crucial games. Given that, while we don't have complete information, it's hard to fully grasp his style. My task for you is, when you get on the field, don't rush to get a hit. Instead, focus on getting a feel for his pitching style first."
Standing in the Batter's Box, Oda thought back to his coach's instructions, feeling nervous.
His opponent was the fastest pitcher in high school, Furuya, who had been called a monster when he debuted at Koshien in his first year.
Even if his skills didn't surpass Sawamura's, he was still a top-tier player in the country.
Once he unleashed his full potential, he could suppress even top teams.
For Oda, being asked to observe such a player was no easy task.
"I'm just an ordinary player, why do I always have to carry such responsibilities beyond my capabilities?"
Oda felt extremely wronged.
Despite feeling this way, he didn't shy away from his responsibilities.
He focused, determined to fulfill his Coach's request.
His eyes remained locked on the pitcher, watching closely for any change in his movement.
Here it comes!
Like a cannon shot, the pitch from Furuya rocketed toward him.
Vrooooooooo!!!!
'So Fu*king Fast!!'
These were Oda's first instincts.
It was like a sudden shell blast on the battlefield, catching him off guard.
The pitch was fast and powerful!
Faced with such a pitch, Oda hadn't even planned to swing.
Even if he had, it would have been difficult to make contact.
Vrooooooooo!!!!
With a sharp, eerie whistle, the small baseball came hurtling toward him.
It didn't feel like a baseball coming at him, but more like some strange beast flying toward him.
The pitch seemed almost alive.
It was enough to send a chill down the batter's spine.
Kaboom!!
"STRIKE!"
Behind the plate, Miyuki caught the ball firmly.
Though he caught it smoothly, the ball was extremely restless in his Mitt.
It felt like it could fly out of the Mitt at any moment.
This wasn't a comfortable sensation for the catcher.
But Miyuki was quite pleased.
'Not bad, not bad!'
The ball had a strong spin!
This indicated that Furuya was in great form today.
Everyone knew that he had a tendency to start games off a little unstable.
This had been a concern for the Seidou team.
What if he faltered at the start?
With Sawamura not on the mound, there would be a major risk.
The game on the field could change in the blink of an eye.
What might seem like a small issue could quickly turn into a big problem?
For example, two outs, with runners on first and second.
This might not seem like a crisis.
Seidou wouldn't think of replacing anyone in this situation.
But if Hoshiryu's player hit a home run here, it would create a three-run gap between them.
That difference could be fatal!
Even for Seidou, making up those three runs wouldn't be easy.
That's why Miyuki had been so worried before the game.
But now, it seemed like his fears were unwarranted.
Furuya was performing just fine.
Just one pitch!
With one ball, Miyuki could determine if Furuya's condition was okay, right?
No, not at all. Not even a bit.
In this situation, the role he could play, though not as great as Sawamura's, was much stronger than that of the other players.
Right now, Furuya definitely possesses the top-tier skills in the entire country.
"Great, keep it up."
Miyuki gave Furuya an encouraging look before passing the ball back to him.
Snap!
Furuya firmly caught the ball in his mitt, and his fighting spirit seemed to burst out of him.
'This feeling was really good!'
'Extremely, extremely good!'
Compared to sitting in the dugout watching Eijun strut his stuff on the field,
Furuya felt like he was in heaven being able to play the game himself.
Although he never regretted joining the Seidou High School baseball team, over the past year, Furuya could feel his strength improving rapidly.
Furuya might say he's not one to admit defeat, but deep down, he was impressed.
He believed he should be satisfied now.
He had improved his skills, secured a spot on the team, and even got a chance to pitch when rotating.
Compared to his middle school days, his current situation was undoubtedly much better.
But once he stood on the field, on the pitcher's mound,
his inner self felt like a ravenous beast that could never be satisfied.
Baseball was truly only fun when he played it himself.
Sitting in the dugout as a spectator was not enough for Furuya.
He wanted to play, he wanted to become the ace.
Every time he stood on the mound, this thought would fill his heart.
It wasn't that he wasn't grateful for Eijun's friendship; it was just, in his worldview,
he didn't see anything wrong with his desire, and he didn't think Eijun would be disappointed or oppose it if he knew.
Eijun should be happy!
That guy had become somewhat lonely in high school, and now he could find a rival, so why wouldn't he be happy?
With these thoughts in mind, Furuya cherished every opportunity to showcase his strength.
Watching Oda from the mound, he threw the baseball without hesitation.
As he pitched, his body's center of gravity shifted, with every power point of his body perfectly coordinated.
Feet, thighs, joints, waist, arms, wrists, fingers.
All the joints aligned as they pushed the baseball forward.
At that moment, all the spectators and fans, including the players on the field and those watching from the stands,
unconsciously turned their attention to the pitcher's mound.
At that point, they vaguely had a feeling,
something big might happen.
Then,
the baseball shot out like a cannonball.
VROOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
In that instant, those with a little imagination might have visualized the scene of the world collapsing.
It was terrifying!
The baseball whizzed through the air as if it drained the life force from everything around it.
The baseball, filled with destructive power, went from the mound to the catcher's Mitt.
After seeing this pitch,
not just Oda in the Batter's Box, but even Miyuki in the catcher's position was stunned.
'Fast!'
'Too fast!'
'Almost like…!"
And from Miyuki's own perspective, he felt the pitch was not just fast.
It was as if some unknown monster was shrieking sharply.
Roaring towards him!
'When did this guy become so terrifying?'
Even Miyuki himself was startled.
He focused all his attention on the incoming baseball.
Miyuki made up his mind and opened his Mitt.
He absolutely couldn't let this ball fly past him.
If he couldn't catch this ball, how disappointed would Furuya be?
Here it comes!!!
Oda in the Batter's Box didn't even have time to react.
The baseball flew like a laser, passing right in front of him and landing in Miyuki's Mitt.
KABOOM!!!
The crisp and clear sound of the ball entering the Mitt seemed to echo throughout Koshien Stadium.
At that moment, all eyes were on Furuya.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Even the umpire, after a long pause, finally announced the result.
"S-S-STRIKE!!"
The umpire's view wasn't much different from Miyuki's.
So, his astonishment was exactly the same as Miyuki's.
'This ball was that fast?'
It completely exceeded his expectations.
Even though the one on the mound was the nationally renowned fastest pitcher in high school, Furuya Satoru.
The umpire was shocked.
Since he started guest-judging for high schools, this was the first time he had seen a pitch so fast.
So fast, it was almost terrifying.
The baseball broke through all obstacles instantly.
And landed in the catcher's Mitt.
The members of Seidou High School's baseball team were equally stunned.
They stared at the scene, unable to comprehend.
Could someone kindly explain to them what just happened in that brief moment?
Why, when they finally came to their senses, was the scene before them like this?
"Look!!"
In the dugout,
Nishiyama pointed at the big electronic board above Koshien in shock.
Not only did it show the team and players' names, but also the score.
Of course,
At this moment, these things were of no importance.
Because at this moment, they were all drawn to another astonishing number.
The display of the pitch velocity.
Although not every ball showed the speed, most of the time, the speed of the pitch was clearly shown on the electronic board.
The speed monitor in the stadium had always been on, tracking the pitch speeds, and feeding this information to everyone.
Previously, Furuya had already demonstrated his unmatched pitching velocity and proven his abilities.
He was the fastest pitcher among all high schoolers today.
Just this fact alone made him famous nationwide.
Though not as decorated as Sawamura with all his impressive records, Furuya still became famous with his natural talent!
He was the fastest pitcher in high school, and it was widely acknowledged that as long as he was in good form, he possessed the strength of a top-tier pitcher.
But now, this outdated view needs to be revised.
Perhaps he didn't even need to be in perfect form, as long as this man stood on the mound, he could prove something to everyone around him with his abilities.
160!!!
The electronic board displayed the number of 160 km/h!! (100 mph)
The first high schooler in the country to throw such a terrifying pitch speed had been born.
Furuya broke the previous records with his unparalleled talent.
There had been similar speeds before.
But sometimes the machines malfunctioned, and sometimes spectators thought it was inaccurate.
From their perspective, the ball didn't seem that fast, so how could it have such an insane speed?
Only Furuya's pitch made everyone naturally accept that it deserved such a speed.
If it didn't have that speed, they couldn't imagine what such a pitch would look like.
"So fierce!"
"So Cool!!"
"As expected of the King Seidou."
Even with their Ace pitcher not on the mound, the Seidou High School team's players had already shown unparalleled strength.
This feeling was so imposing!
Nothing could stop them!
"SEIDOU!"
"SEIDOU!!!"
"FURUYA!!"
"FURUYA!!"
Furuya, who had worked hard for the team, was now fully supported by everyone.
They all cheered and clapped for him.
Although there was a little regret that they might not see Sawamura's amazing pitching today,
even with the substitute pitcher on the mound, they were already thrilled to see such extraordinary strength.
They were beyond happy.
Before, when Sawamura set two records, the players watching the game nearly exploded with excitement.
…
T/N: Well, That's it for now!
As always, Thank you all for reading, guys!
Have a good day!
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