One out, bases loaded.
The batting order brought up Azuma Kiyokuni, known as West Tokyo's strongest batter.
The title "strongest batter" was never officially bestowed upon him. It was something people started calling him, and over time, it simply stuck. The few players who could once contend with him had long since fallen behind.
He even carried a certain reputation in professional baseball circles. Many believed that among players of his generation, his hitting ability ranked in the top three.
The only thing Azuma Kiyokuni lacked was a performance at Koshien.
If he could also shine on that stage, he might truly contend for the title of the strongest batter of his generation.
Thinking about it, a player with no Koshien appearance at all had still earned such a reputation. That alone spoke volumes about Azuma Kiyokuni's strength.
Yet now, with the bases loaded and facing this terrifying batter, Inashiro Industrial chose not to trust their ace. Instead, they sent a first-year rookie to the mound.
That decision said everything.
Some in the stands thought Inashiro Industrial was giving up on the game.
But Seido High School's director and players didn't see it that way.
What kind of people were Coach Kunimoto and the players of Inashiro Industrial? No one understood that better than Seido, their longtime rivals. These were ruthless individuals who wouldn't bow even with a knife at their throats.
Giving up was impossible.
Since it wasn't surrender, there could only be one explanation.
Compared to their current ace, Inashiro trusted this first-year rookie even more.
Narumiya Mei.
Or rather, this rookie was the true, hidden ace of Inashiro Industrial High School.
"A first-year student?"
Azuma Kiyokuni glanced at the pitcher's mound, putting on a casual expression. Even so, his heart remained cautious.
Reality had already proven that first-year students these days were not to be underestimated.
Seido had two living examples.
Zhang Han. Miyuki.
Both had firmly secured starting positions. Azuma had witnessed their growth firsthand and understood their strength better than anyone. Because of them, his view of rookies had completely changed.
Originally, as a talented upperclassman with years of training, it was hard for him to see rookies as equals. But with such clear examples in front of him, he had no choice but to admit it.
Even first-years could be terrifying.
Just like the pitcher standing before him.
They hadn't officially faced each other yet, but the fact that this rookie had replaced Nishimonji meant only one thing.
He was stronger.
That alone demanded respect.
Having made up his mind, Azuma Kiyokuni raised his bat high.
Behind the plate, Harada stared at the massive figure in the batter's box with disbelief. He hadn't expected the pressure to be this overwhelming.
Watching Seido's offense from the catcher's position was completely different from watching it on defense.
Unlike Harada, the first-year pitcher on the mound looked calm and composed. There wasn't a trace of pressure on his face. If anything, he looked excited.
Challenging Tokyo's strongest batter thrilled him.
Harada carefully called for a pitch, but the kid shook his head. This was Seido's cleanup hitter. Playing tricks was meaningless. If he was going to do this, he would face him head-on.
Harada was helpless. He turned to the dugout.
Coach Kunimoto nodded coldly.
Fine.
The junior was crazy, and the coach was crazy too. If they'd made up their minds, who was he to stop them? If something went wrong, it wasn't his responsibility.
The first pitch was a strike, straight and close to the center.
Azuma Kiyokuni froze.
He had imagined countless scenarios and prepared himself carefully. He hadn't expected such a pitch.
"Haha!"
Since the opponent was courting danger, why should he hold back?
Azuma gripped his bat and swung fiercely.
He was ninety percent sure he could crush a ball in that location. Even with some movement, his power would still send it flying.
Just as the bat was about to connect, the white ball suddenly curved.
Such a sharp breaking ball!
Azuma's heart jolted.
This pitcher was even better than he'd expected. But it was still within his reach.
Instead of retreating, Azuma pushed forward. He trusted his swing completely. If he believed he could hit it, then he would.
"Ping!"
The bat met the ball, sending it screaming down the third-base line.
"Tsk…"
Azuma clicked his tongue.
Bad luck. Just a little off.
If that ball had landed fair, it would've been a massive hit. At least two runs would've scored, maybe all three. Instead, it missed by mere centimeters and turned into a foul.
Harada felt his heart leap into his throat.
Narumiya Mei, however, looked unconcerned. He watched the ball and sighed softly.
"What a monster."
He'd never seen his slider pulled that far before.
It surprised him, but it didn't matter.
A foul was still a foul.
"One strike!"
"Whoosh!"
"Ping!"
"Foul ball!!"
Two pitches in a row were hit foul, both just barely missing fair territory.
If either had landed in, Seido scoring was inevitable. At least two runs would've come in. With Azuma's power, even a home run wasn't out of the question.
Normally, a pitcher would be shaken in this situation.
But Narumiya Mei showed no sign of nerves.
With two strikes, his third pitch came straight down the middle, a perfect strike.
Azuma Kiyokuni would never let that go.
He raised his bat and swung with full force.
But just before reaching the bat, the ball dropped sharply.
The bat cut through empty air, missing the ball completely.
"Thwack…"
"Strike!"
"Strikeout!!!"
Seido's cleanup hitter was struck out cleanly.
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