"Ohhhhhh!!! Amazing, Shuuzou!"
"Haha, as expected of our cleanup hitter! I knew you'd pull it off!"
"Sano-kun, that was so cool!"
"That's Seihou's swing! This is the powerhouse Seihou High!"
"Shuuzou-kun, beautiful hit!"
With his triumphant right hand raised high, Sano's confident stride around the bases was t with thunderous cheers from Seihou High's bench and cheering section.
Their roaring voices echoed throughout the stadium.
The stands erupted with noise, as excited discussions rippled through Koshien Stadium.
A ho run in his very first at-bat.
The scoreboard displayed the pitch speed—152 km/h (94.4 mph)—highlighting Sano's remarkable strength even more.
It was his 68th ho run, further centing his terrifying record.
In the stands, Ochiai frowned slightly.
This hit was devastating.
The question now was how Furuya would handle the situation.
Ochiai's gaze lingered on Furuya, who stood on the mound with his cap pulled low.
He thought to himself:
If he collapses here, it would be disastrous—not just for Furuya, but for Seidou as a whole.
anwhile, Seidou's bench and cheering section were eerily silent.
While they'd considered the possibility of Furuya's pitch being hit, no one had imagined it would be crushed so decisively.
A second-inning ho run had given Seihou the lead, and frankly, no one on Seidou's side was ntally prepared for it.
Coach Kataoka's expression grew increasingly stern.
Next to him, Ota was visibly anxious, frequently signaling with his eyes, practically begging Kataoka to make a pitching change.
In contrast, Seihou's coach Nishidera was satisfied, nodding approvingly.
"Well done, Shuuzou," he said, patting Sano's shoulder as he returned to the bench.
"That pitcher is still a bit green," Sano replied, removing his cap. His tone carried a hint of respect as he watched Miyuki call for a tiout and jog to the mound to speak with Furuya.
"If that forkball had dropped just a little faster, I would've been out. Once he improves his control and pitch variation, very few will be able to stop him."
Coach Nishidera's face reflected a subtle, ambiguous agreent.
"Listen up!" he addressed the Seihou players. "Shuuzou has broken the ga open. Keep up the aggressive offense this inning and secure our advantage early!"
"Yes, sir!"
On the mound, Miyuki's expression was serious as he spoke to Furuya.
"Furuya, forget about that last pitch. It was my mistake in pitch selection, not your fault. What's important is to suppress the next batter. Got it?"
Miyuki had noticed the flaws in Furuya's previous pitch—minor issues with timing and the speed of the drop.
These weren't major problems, just areas needing refinent.
Though known for his sharp tongue and harsh words in the original story, Miyuki chose a different approach here, recognizing the need to help Furuya relax.
But the next words out of Furuya's mouth caught Miyuki off guard.
"It's because I didn't et your expectations, Miyuki-senpai. That pitch was my fault."
Furuya lifted his head, his eyes burning with resolve.
Stubborn and unyielding, his current state of mind was crystal clear.
"Please don't take out. The next pitch—I'll definitely throw it exactly where you want it, Senpai. Please, don't take out."
His defiant expression and tightly bitten lip struck a chord deep in Miyuki's heart. He couldn't explain why, but in that mont, it felt as if sothing inside him had been shaken.
This simple, pure pitcher…
Whether it was Eijun or Furuya, both were the kind of pitchers who made catching feel irresistible.
What could he even say to them?
Looking at Furuya now, Miyuki couldn't help but feel both exasperated and amused.
This guy hadn't listened to a single word he'd said earlier. All of Miyuki's efforts to calm him down seed wasted.
Miyuki delivered a light chop to Furuya's head.
"Ouch…"
"You need to listen when people talk to you. I already told you—focus on the next batter. Stop worrying about everything else, got it?" Miyuki's tone carried a lightheartedness that helped ease the tension.
As long as Furuya wasn't truly shaken by the ho run, the situation wasn't irreparable.
Judging by his expression, the hit had affected him, but it was still within manageable bounds.
This realization brought Miyuki so relief.
Furuya, being the straightforward kid he was, didn't overthink things. Just hearing that he wouldn't be pulled from the ga was enough for him.
A visible sigh of relief escaped Furuya as he let out a faint smile, which made Miyuki shake his head.
What a simple, earnest boy.
"Handle the next batter properly. Got it?"
"Yes, I understand, Miyuki-senpai."
Furuya nodded firmly, replying in a soft but determined voice.
"Fifth batter, catcher, Misaki-kun."
With unyielding determination and a pure desire to pitch, the young pitcher nad Furuya continued to take one step at a ti on the battlefield, steadily moving toward becoming stronger.
...
"Whoosh!"
"Pop!"
"Strike! Batter out!"
"Three outs! Switch sides!"
"With unyielding determination, Seidou High School's first-year pitcher—Furuya Satoru—stood tall on the mound even after conceding a ho run. Despite facing another crisis with a runner on third, Furuya did not falter. He denied Seihou High any additional runs, ending their offense in the bottom of the second inning with only one run scored!"
"Great pitch, Furuya!"
"You've got this! Keep it up, Furuya!"
"Furuya-kun, that was a beautiful performance!"
"That's how you do it, Furuya! Keep it going!"
After Sano's ho run, Seihou's fifth batter connected with a powerful drive to center field, successfully reaching second base.
Next, Seihou attempted a bunt to advance the runner, but Miyuki anticipated the move, leading to a failed bunt that resulted in an out while leaving the runner stranded.
Seihou's seventh batter hit a weak ground ball to the infield, barely allowing the runner to advance to third base.
With two outs, Furuya faced the eighth batter. Displaying his fierce pitching style, he struck out the batter in three pitches, ending Seihou's offensive push and limiting the damage to a single run.
Yuuki, Isashiki Jun, and Ryousuke all smiled in approval as the crowd erupted into thunderous applause, cheering for Furuya's performance.
In the dugout, Coach Kataoka and Ochiai in the stands nodded in quiet affirmation.
This is the Furuya Satoru they were hoping to see—a pitcher with true potential for growth.
For a pitcher, natural talent was undoubtedly important, but hard work and inner strength were equally critical.
Of these three elents, natural talent could be slightly lacking, but the other two were non-negotiable.
In this inning, Furuya had proven he possessed the ntal fortitude essential to becoming an ace pitcher.
Even Eijun could sense the blazing fire of determination ignited within Furuya's heart.
The battle for the next ace of Seidou had truly begun, and the flas of competition were now burning brighter than ever.
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