The final batter in the bottom of the lineup—the one who links to the top of the order.
Although he lacked a bit of finesse, Seikou's number nine hitter definitely didn't fall short in raw power.
Eijun had to admit—a full-force swing like that still put pressure on any pitcher.
Whoosh—
Ping—
Whizz—
A white streak shot across the sky.
Even though Eijun had forced Shirota to miss the sweet spot, the combination of a tal bat and raw strength still showed itself— the ball flew high and far.
It arced awkwardly through the air, drifting and wobbling...
Finally, it ca down.
Thwack.
Center fielder Tojou made the catch cleanly.
"Out!"
"First batter, catcher, Masu-kun."
"Shinichirou," Shirota said with a bitter smile as he passed him, "this guy's completely different from Furuya. But his pitches… they feel heavy, almost like you can feel the pitcher's will in every throw. It's suffocating. Be careful."
Masu Shinichirou nodded seriously, his expression solemn.
"…Yeah. I get it."
As Eijun's tall, commanding figure ca into view, eyes glowing sharply under the light, Masu took a deep breath and stepped into the batter's box, settling into position.
"The top of the order's coming up. Stay sharp, Sawamura."
"Yeah, I got it, Miyuki-senpai."
Eijun nodded solemnly.
First pitch: changeup. Make sure it stays low.
Masu was a left-handed batter. While Eijun's changeup had improved significantly over ti,
there were still risks when facing lefties.
So in this case, the changeup would be bait—
ant to draw a reaction.
It had to be thrown low, absolutely.
From the mound, Eijun gave a small nod.
He gripped the ball in his signature five-finger "OK" grip and began his motion.
Whoosh—
With a long stride and a sharp arm swing,
the ball burst forth like a streak of silver.
A flash of light cut through the air, entering Masu's sightline just slightly delayed.
Swish—
Masu swung.
But the pitch felt too far off—mistid and just out of reach.
Pop!
"Strike!"
Damn, he started with a changeup!?
Masu clenched his jaw, his face twisted in frustration.
Second pitch: a fastball.
Ti to capitalize on the speed difference between pitches.
Whoosh—
Eijun lunged forward with a clean, powerful motion.
He channeled all his strength into his throwing arm.
The ball streaked toward the plate—sharp, clean, and direct.
A flash of brilliance headed straight for the strike zone.
Masu's eyes narrowed.
In that instant, everything he'd read about Eijun's pitches flashed in his mind.
Swish—
He twisted his body, ready to swing—
As his body twisted, Masu Shinichirou accelerated his swing in a way even Miyuki hadn't quite anticipated.
And with perfect timing, his bat intercepted the ball.
Ping!
This ti, he didn't miss.
This ti, the timing was spot-on.
Masu Shinichirou connected cleanly with Eijun's speeding fastball.
At ho plate, Miyuki showed a flicker of surprise.
Whizz—
The ball shot off the bat and bounced sharply down the third base line.
Kanemaru and Kuramochi reacted imdiately—
but they couldn't stop it.
The ball zipped past the infield and rolled into left field.
Masu wasted no ti sprinting and reached second base.
"What a hit! Cleanly intercepted that inside fastball that's the captain of Seikou for you! Masu Shinichirou lands a hit into left field and reaches second! Seikou has a runner in scoring position, and with just a one-run gap, they're igniting a counterattack in the top of the eighth!"
"Beautiful hit, Masu-san!"
"Knew you'd co through, Captain!"
"Ti to press the attack!"
"Charge, Seikou!"
"One more run! Let's go!"
From the mound, Eijun's brow furrowed slightly as he looked toward Masu standing on second.
(He reacted that fast… Even to a fastball on the first look?)
(As expected of a key player who carried them in the original.)
Eijun silently acknowledged it.
At the sa ti, Masu himself felt a growing weight settle in his chest.
(If I'd been even half a beat late, that would've been a whiff— or at best, a lazy fly out.)
But now, he was in scoring position.
He crouched slightly, muscles tense, inching off the base.
That movent—caught Eijun's attention.
(This guy…)
(Though, from what I rember in the original stats—he's not exactly fast. No need to overreact.)
Their eyes t across the diamond.
Miyuki and Eijun both gave a slight nod.
"Second batter, shortstop, Yamashita."
If he can hit, he should.
If not—just move the runner forward.
In the dugout, Coach Oga weighed the situation carefully.
He finally signaled for the play.
(Against Seidou… this isn't like those earlier matches.)
(With pressure mounting from both offense and defense, every call had to be made with triple the caution.)
It might've looked like they were backing down from their usual aggressive style, but fundantally, Seikou hadn't changed.
They were still a team built to score through strength.
The objective remained the sa—only the thods had shifted slightly.
"Mm!"
With the signal made, both Masu and Yamashita subtly touched the brim of their caps,
their expressions turning serious.
"!"
The umpire gave the signal.
Whoosh—
As Eijun raised his arm, a glint of cold light flashed from his fingertips.
At that exact mont, Yamashita bent forward, squaring up for a bunt.
Masu took off from second.
"He's stealing!"
"Sacrifice bunt!?"
Ping!
The bat t the ball cleanly, the sound echoing sharp and crisp.
But the impact was heavier than expected—
Yamashita's expression shifted slightly.
Whizz—
Thud!
The ball flew with an awkward spin,
slamd into the dirt—
And skidded wide.
The base umpire near third shouted:
"Foul ball!"
The first bunt attempt had failed.
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