Chapter 468: Seiko Showdown – The Hand of Fate
With a calm, unhurried stride, Eijun stepped into the batter's box, exuding a composed presence.
He was no longer the rookie who had first arrived at Seidou just a few months ago.
Now, he stood as one of the most experienced and commanding ace pitchers in all of high school baseball.
The trials of summer.
The glory of summer.
The climb to the top.
That summer, Seidou made Sawamura—and Sawamura, in turn, made Seidou.
Especially those two final matches.
They gave him more than just growth in ability.
They sparked a transformation in his mindset—An awakening of a deep, internal strength.
Now, Eijun wasn't just a threat on the mound—
He was dangerous at the plate too.
Just his presence alone was pressure enough.
Right now, as he calmly stood at the plate, the tension within every Seiko player skyrocketed.
At home, Masu Shinichirou braced himself.
On the mound, Kojima Ryuhei's expression hardened.
And throughout the entire stadium—every single gaze was locked onto Eijun.
In this current era, in all of Tokyo—
When it came to name recognition and attention, Eijun was undeniably No. 1.
Even Narumiya Mei couldn't match that.
After all, the title of Summer Koshien Champion Ace was an honor no one could ignore.
It was also why Narumiya held such a deep fixation on defeating Eijun.
Not just because of his loss in the summer, but because Eijun had claimed the crown Narumiya so desperately sought.
To defeat Eijun on the field—
That was Narumiya's obsession. His ambition.
...
"Let's go, Sawamura! One more hit right here!"
"Come on, Ace! Smash a big one!"
"Sawamura-kun!"
"Shine, Diamond Ace!"
"Seidou! Seidou! Seidou!"
The roaring cheers thundered like crashing waves, sending the stadium into a frenzy.
The swelling energy added unbearable pressure on Seiko's players.
Yet Eijun stood in perfect calm.
Holding his bat steadily, his eyes locked onto Kojima with serene confidence.
And that unshakable gaze—sent a chill down Kojima's spine.
At Masu's signal, Kojima took a deep breath to calm himself.
Then, with a high leg kick—his arm swung forward.
"Whoosh!"
The ball shot toward the plate like a white-hot bullet.
Eijun remained still until the last moment.
His eyes tracked the pitch.
Suddenly—
He stepped forward.
Lowered his center of gravity.
And unleashed the bat with full-body force.
"Swish!"
The metal bat flashed with cold light.
"PING!"
A powerful roar erupted as bat met ball.
"THUMP!"
The ball smashed hard into the ground near third base.
"Foul ball!"
Eijun pulled the bat back calmly, a trace of frost and thought flickering in his eyes.
Is my timing sharp yet?
He muttered inwardly.
First pitch again...
Masu clenched his teeth behind the mask.
Seidou really was going all-out in this first inning.
This was a national champion team.
And even their offense was fearless and dominant.
Masu grit his teeth harder.
...
Next pitch: outside breaking ball.
Masu made the call—not to engage directly.
The rhythm and momentum were all in Seidou's favor.
It was wiser to avoid a head-on clash.
Kojima didn't love the decision—But as the ace, he understood.
"Fwoosh!"
The arm whipped forward.
A white streak curved toward the outside corner.
"Swish!"
"PING!"
Sawamura swung almost without hesitation.
The bat exploded with another sharp, violent sound.
"Whoosh!"
The ball streaked forward, flashing above the first-base line.
Seiko's first baseman, Nagata, dove with full extension.
But the ball just cleared his glove, sailing over.
And in that instant—
As Masu Shinichirou's expression twisted in disbelief—
Even Eijun himself didn't expect what happened next.
"THUMP!"
The ball grazed the inside of the foul line, bounced violently off the turf—
And ricocheted in the opposite direction.
"Plop!"
The ball rolled into shallow right field.
Fair ball!!
Eijun, who had only started jogging instinctively, froze for a fraction of a second—
Then bolted for first base at full speed.
Haruichi, who was already on first, turned and gunned it for second.
...
"Right field!!"
Chaos erupted in Seiko's defense.
They had not expected this.
That angle, that bounce, that trajectory—how was that not foul?!
It felt like a joke from the baseball gods.
Even Seiko's well-drilled fielders were thrown off by the absurdity of the play.
...
"Whoosh!"
"Smack!"
Right fielder Nishijima reacted quickly and fired the ball to first base—But Eijun was just a step faster.
He touched first base as the throw arrived.
The umpire raised both arms.
"Safe!"
The entire stadium erupted in shocked gasps.
"No way—was that really fair?!"
From the stands, Isashiki Jun's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"I thought for sure that was going foul!"
"Haha, looks like luck's on our side today." Kominato Ryousuke chuckled, eyes twinkling.
"No outs, runners on first and second."
"If we can get another hit here..."
From the back row, Miyuki's predecessor, Tetsuya, narrowed his eyes—focused and sharp.
...
"Huff... huff..."
Eijun stood on first base, patting his chest, still looking a little stunned.
Even he thought that ball was going foul.
His run to first had been on pure reflex.
If he had hesitated any longer, he would've been out.
But fate had smiled on Seidou.
No outs. Runners on first and second.
A perfect opportunity.
Eijun glanced up—
And smiled as he saw the next batter rise from the on-deck circle—
Miyuki Kazuya.
As that tall, confident figure stepped into view—
The cheering grew louder.
...
"The stage is set, captain."
"We've laid the groundwork—now it's up to you to finish it."
Their eyes met.
Matching smiles tugged at the corners of their lips.
The battery—together again.
And ready to strike.
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