"Fourth batter, pitcher, Tachi."
"Two outs, a runner on second base, and Kiryuu High School's core player, their cleanup hitter Tachi, steps up to the plate. In this crucial mont, can his swing turn the tide of the ga? Will it tie the score or perhaps even achieve a dramatic coback?"
"Go for it, Tachi! This is your mont!"
"Don't overthink it, Hiromi. You're the strongest out there!"
"Ace and cleanup hitter, we're counting on you!"
"Crush that kid! We believe you can do it!"
With a slim one-run lead in the middle stages of the ga, Seidou now faced Kiryuu High School's most dangerous batter.
The desperate cries from Kiryuu's dugout revealed their collective determination: they needed to score, and they were banking on Tachi to make it happen.
"Boom!"
The tal bat swung nacingly, making sharp, intimidating sounds with every motion.
Eijun stood on the mound, his chin slightly raised and his eyes gleaming with determination.
The look in his eyes seed to say, I struck you out the first ti, and I'll stop you again this ti!
The atmosphere between the two competitors was electric, the tension like a firework waiting to explode.
Even before the battle began, the field was charged with intensity.
"Play ball!"
At the umpire's signal, Eijun's left arm exploded into motion.
"Whoosh!"
With a powerful stride and a whirling arm motion, he unleashed a pitch that blazed toward ho plate like a streak of light.
"Swoosh!"
The ball, gleaming under the sunlight, hurtled into the strike zone and straight into Tachi's line of sight.
Tachi's lips curled into a savage grin as he locked onto the ball. His feet shifted, his stance widened, and the tal bat swung with full force.
"Ping!"
The violent collision between bat and ball sent shockwaves through the air.
"Whoosh!"
The ball rocketed off the bat, soaring high toward third base, before slamming into the outfield wall near the bleachers with a deafening thud.
"Foul ball!"
"The first pitch was an outside fastball, slightly off-target, resulting in a foul ball down the third-base line!"
As expected from Kiryuu's batting lineup.
By the second round, they had already begun to adjust to Eijun s fastball trajectory.
And that power—without the unique quirks of his pitch, it could have easily been a clean, long-range hit.
Miyuki's eyes narrowed slightly as he silently analyzed the situation.
Eijun's expression remained cold and focused, but he couldn't deny being slightly shaken.
The ball had barely gone foul; it was a hair's breadth away from being a ga-changing hit.
With a runner on second base, an outfield hit could easily score a run unless Isashiki Jun fielded it perfectly and made a direct throw to ho.
Eijun took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. His gaze sharpened, showing unwavering determination.
He hasn't fully figured out the timing or the angle yet.
The next pitch will be a changeup.
I'll shake his confidence with this one. As long as I can make him hesitate, I'll have the upper hand.
Miyuki signaled for the changeup with a subtle movent of his fingers, and Eijun nodded solemnly.
In the next mont, Eijun's arm swung with precision, his body moving like a well-oiled machine.
"Boom!"
A puff of dust rose from the mound as his right leg slamd down with force.
"Whoosh!"
The ball, now slower yet deceptive, roared toward ho plate, gleaming brightly as it approached its target.
The duel continued, with tension mounting on every pitch.
In the batter's box, Tachi's expression was sharp as he swung his tal bat with full force.
Yet, as the ball entered his line of sight, it seed slower than expected.
A changeup!?
Tachi's pupils shrank as the thought flashed through his mind.
In the next mont, with his incredible control and power, he forcibly slowed his swing mid-motion.
To Miyuki's astonishnt, Tachi managed to adjust and make contact.
"Ping!"
The ball and bat collided fiercely, and for a split second, Eijun thought it was all over.
However, the imperfect angle of the swing caused the ball to shoot downward instead of forward.
"Thud!"
The ball slamd into the ground and then bounced foul down the first base line.
"Foul ball!"
He reacted to that!? This guy almost got ...
A bead of sweat rolled down Eijun's forehead as he glanced at Tachi's ferocious expression. Internally, he let out a sigh of relief.
"The second pitch was a changeup! Seidou's battery didn't hold back on their aggressive approach, but Kiryuu's cleanup hitter, Tachi, is clinging stubbornly to Sawamura's pitching!"
"You can do it, Sawamura!"
"Go for it, Eijun!"
"Tachi, you've already locked onto his pitches! This next one is yours to crush!"
"Seidou! Seidou! Seidou!"
"Tachi, this is your mont!"
"Cleanup hitter, ace pitcher, we're counting on you to deliver!"
"Go, Sawamura!"
The overwhelming cheers from both sides created an electrifying atmosphere.
Even in this semifinal match, with the ga only in the middle innings, the energy in the stadium was already at its peak.
Eijun took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, his eyes gleaming with a unique intensity.
A faint golden hue seed to radiate from his focused gaze—a testant to the willpower of a pitcher.
This is it. I'll take him down with this pitch, Miyuki-senpai.
With his body slightly hunched and his eyes locked on the batter, Eijun conveyed his unwavering determination to his trusted partner.
Miyuki's expression froze for a mont before a faint smile crept across his lips.
This guy… You're really going to use the new pitch, even though you've barely mastered it? Classic Sawamura.
Fine. If you're ready for it, then let's do it. Show him your best pitch, right here and now.
Miyuki had no hesitation. In his mind, if the pitcher's will was to attack, then there was no reason to hold back.
Eijun raised his right leg high and began his pitching motion.
His eyes remained fixed on Tachi, who stood in the batter's box, gripping his bat tightly with a fierce expression.
Unfazed, Eijun swung his left arm forward with all his might.
"Whoosh!"
A bright flash erupted as the ball shot toward ho plate with an intimidating presence and razor-sharp montum.
Inside corner—it's here!
Tachi's eyes widened as he tracked the pitch's trajectory. Determined, he swung his bat with full force, aiming to connect.
"Swoosh!"
The bat cut through the air, but the ball suddenly vanished from sight, as if it had disappeared entirely.
The tal bat swung into nothingness.
Before Tachi could even register what had happened, the ball landed cleanly in Miyuki's glove.
"Pop!"
A crisp sound echoed through the stadium.
"Strike! Batter out!"
The umpire's call was accompanied by the sight of Eijun's triumphant figure on the mound, which filled Tachi's ears and vision.
It was a cutter kai—a newly refined pitch.
A new weapon, a new threat, making its debut on the field.
Eijun had struck out Kiryuu's cleanup hitter, Tachi, for the second ti!
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