Chapter 426: The Fierce Battle of Ouya
"Second batter, second baseman, Kominato Haruichi."
"Be careful, Haruichi, that guy's pitching power hasn't weakened at all—in fact, it might have even strengthened. His control is the same, favoring low pitches, which might be even harder to hit than before."
"Understood."
With a solemn face, Haruichi nods and tightly grips his wooden bat.
His expression is grave as he steps onto the field.
Is this the pitcher Eijun respects so much? (Eijun: Hey, hey, hey!) To stand so resolutely on the pitcher's mound after losing four runs in the previous inning.
The first pitch.
A splitter on the outside corner.
At home plate, Sumi's fingers twitch slightly.
Facing a batter with a wooden bat, a sharper angle and a more incisive type of pitch are the best tactics.
"Hmm."
Wakabayashi nods, his expression a mix of cold and fervent.
As he looks out,
The figure of Haruichi comes into view, intensifying the robust aura around him.
"Boom!"
Heavy footsteps resonate, kicking up dust.
Adding even more intensity to Wakabayashi's pitch.
"Swoosh!"
As his right hand swings down,
A streak of light releases from his grip, heading resolutely toward home plate.
The shadow of the ball flickers.
Haruichi quickly makes a judgment call, his body twisting sharply, his left leg stepping out.
"Swish"
His bat swings through the air.
"Whoosh"
"Snap!"
"Strike!!!"
The ball suddenly drops, its sharpness beyond Haruichi's expectations, falling into Sumi's glove behind him.
"The timing and speed have increased!?"
Haruichi had been prepared for the splitter.
Yet, this pitch seemed even more incisive than before.
This slight miscalculation in Haruichi's judgment led to a perfect miss.
"It's gotten sharper, this guy's pitches."
Eijun, squatting in the batter's box, squints slightly.
A faint chill flickers in his eyes.
Perhaps this was always Wakabayashi's true ability, only now fully unleashed.
"It looks like he's going to collapse, yet he never does. Wakabayashi Gou, I might have underestimated you a bit, to have such resilience!"
Eijun watches as Wakabayashi raises his arm to pitch once more.
He grips his bat tightly, murmuring softly.
"Swoosh"
"Thud!"
"Whoosh"
"Bang!"
"Third baseman!"
A sharp inside fastball.
Haruichi has mastered the timing.
Unfortunately, though,
He still can't quite capture the trajectory of the pitch.
And the characteristics of a wooden bat don't match those of a metal bat.
The ball bounces off the ground, rebounding toward third base.
Caught effortlessly by the third baseman of Ouya High School, the ball was swiftly flipped toward first base.
"Snap!"
"Out!!"
"Wow, great pitch, Gou."
"Beautifully thrown, Wakabayashi-kun."
"Two outs, two outs, two outs."
"You can do it, Wakabayashi."
"Come on, Ouya, the game is far from over, there are plenty of opportunities left."
"Third batter, left fielder, Sawamura-kun."
If we're not yet at the brink of collapse, then let me deliver the final blow!
A fierce light flashes in Eijun's eyes.
A dangerous aura emanates from his whole being.
On the pitcher's mound, facing the batter's box where Eijun stands, Wakabayashi Gou appears calm, but his eyes are filled with deadly intent. The heaving of his chest and the veins bulging on his forehead reveal his inner turmoil.
Perhaps it should be said.
Since the fourth inning.
Wakabayashi has been pitching in a contradictory state.
Yet, in such a mental state, Wakabayashi has unleashed his full potential.
"!"
At the umpire's command.
The catcher and pitcher lock eyes, a tacit understanding between them.
The next moment.
"Swoosh"
The swinging arm, the flickering light.
A roaring breath comes rolling in.
At the batter's box.
Watching the incoming sharp pitch, Eijun's expression remains unchanged, his gaze deep and focused.
"Thud"
His steps are firm and composed.
"Swish"
Summoning all his strength, Eijun swings the bat with full force.
As the ball reaches home plate.
The shadow of the ball emerges.
The bat resounds.
"Bang!"
A loud explosion echoes.
Eijun's hands tremble slightly, feeling the impact deep within his palms.
Eijun frowns.
"Boom!"
The air ripples outward.
In that split second, Eijun leans forward rapidly, twisting his waist, lowering the pitch's angle to avoid the risk of a fly ball, relaxing his elbows.
With a not-too-stiff motion, he pulls the ball into play.
"Swoosh"
A flashing white light.
Straight toward first base.
Kasuga's pupils catch a faint glimmer of light.
He leaps, intercepting the ball with his glove in a fleeting moment, passing by sideways.
"Bang!"
"Out of bounds!!!"
"Darn, I almost caught it."
Kasuga glanced at the ball that had ricocheted away, visibly annoyed as he pounded the ground.
"That was close, close, close..."
Eijun sighed in relief at the batter's box.
The pitch had actually been high, but Eijun had prepared for a low pitch, resulting in a critical mistake in the angle of his swing.
If he hadn't adjusted at the last moment,
That ball might have been easily caught.
"Jeez, didn't get him out, huh?"
Wakabayashi's eyes flickered, a chill passing through his gaze.
Where to place the next pitch?
Wakabayashi's eyebrows raised slightly.
At home plate, Sumi nodded subtly, patted his hand behind his back, then positioned his glove at the inside corner.
"Swoosh"
Lifting his leg, twisting his torso, then swinging his arm.
All movements flowed seamlessly into one another.
Nearly perfect pitching form.
The precise barrage that came from the side made Eijun momentarily think he was facing a seasoned sidearm pitcher.
"Whoosh"
The chilling pitch came in.
Unlike before, this pitch seemed flawless.
Eijun couldn't make the wisest decision in that instant and had to rely on his instincts to swing the bat.
"Swish"
"Bang!"
Another loud explosion rang out.
Eijun's face remained composed, his pupils flashing coldly.
"Swoosh"
The white light of the ball darted out.
It smashed hard against the ground.
"Bang!"
"Shortstop!!!"
Ouya High School's shortstop, took a side step, easily blocking the path of the ball.
"Snap"
He caught the ball in his glove.
In a swift motion, he threw it toward first base.
"Snap"
"Out!!!"
"Three outs, switch sides!!!"
Eijun, who had just started running, sighed in resignation and slowly stopped his steps.
This guy.
His pitches are getting sharper.
Taking a deep breath, Eijun looked towards the pitcher's mound, his eyes shimmering with a peculiar expression as he watched Wakabayashi Gou.
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