"Fleeing at the last minute?"
Azuma Kiyokuni had always disliked Miyuki.
Later, as he grew up and joined a professional baseball team, Azuma Kiyokuni once thought he had been too stubborn back then, not magnanimous enough as a senior.
If he had been a bit more tolerant and accommodating, perhaps his interactions with that genius junior would not have been so strained.
Professional baseball was different.
Although Miyuki's words were harsh, he was at least showing concern for Azuma Kiyokuni. Azuma Kiyokuni could clearly feel the goodwill he carried.
Professional baseball.
Even within a team, everyone basically looked out for themselves, not caring about others at all. If you didn't demonstrate your own value, no one would even look at you properly.
In comparison, the high school companions were simply angels.
But now, Azuma Kiyokuni wanted to retract his previous judgment. All his kind speculations about Miyuki were just his own imagination.
This guy was as annoying as ever.
Even though Azuma Kiyokuni was now a professional baseball player, it didn't mean he didn't pay attention to high school baseball.
Not to mention, when Zhang Han started practicing left-handed pitching last year, Azuma Kiyokuni, as a third-year senior, had left the team but hadn't finished his studies.
He was still attending Seido High School.
In addition to his studies, he would also practice on the field.
He had personally witnessed Zhang Han's left-handed pitch grow step by step.
To have him face Zhang Han, Azuma Kiyokuni genuinely felt a bit apprehensive.
Originally, he could have politely declined, having a ready excuse to use directly.
"The Summer Tournament is about to begin, and if our Ace's condition is affected by this showdown, it would be a huge loss."
As Seido High School Baseball Team's former Fourth Batter and now a professional player, Azuma Kiyokuni had the right to say such words.
But now, Miyuki had blocked him with his words.
If he said that, he would essentially be telling all his companions.
He was truly planning to flee at the last minute.
Neither Azuma Kiyokuni's current status and position, nor his past achievements with the Seido High School Baseball Team, allowed him to do so.
Azuma Kiyokuni racked his brains, looking around as if searching for something.
At this moment, more and more eyes were cast upon Azuma Kiyokuni.
Initially, everyone might not have thought much of it, but now, Azuma Kiyokuni's attitude made it impossible for them not to overthink.
Could it be that Zhang Han's pitching had truly reached such an incredible level?
So much so that their team's former Fourth Batter, the renowned professional player Azuma Kiyokuni, didn't dare to confront him head-on.
The third-year players felt a bit complicated inside.
After all, many of the third-year companions had previously looked up to Azuma Kiyokuni as their idol.
For example, Isashiki Jun.
When they saw such a situation, they easily associated many things.
The image of their idol, once towering in their hearts, crumbled at this moment.
He didn't even have the courage to face him.
This was nothing like the Azuma-senpai they had known before.
Azuma Kiyokuni saw the gazes of those around him and knew that at this moment, he was in a difficult position.
No matter what he originally thought, it was meaningless now; he could only bite the bullet and face Zhang Han.
Just as Azuma Kiyokuni was about to agree.
He suddenly saw a figure emerge from the crowd, a figure that felt strangely familiar to him.
It was him.
Soon, Azuma Kiyokuni retrieved the memory of the young man in front of him from his mind.
He truly hadn't expected that this kid had actually joined the Seido High School Baseball Team.
However, this was also good.
Before facing Zhang Han, he could warm up perfectly.
"Hey kid over there, long time no see. Have you grown again this past year?"
In their previous showdown, Azuma Kiyokuni had been struck out once but also hit a Homerun.
They were evenly matched, a draw.
Now, encountering each other for the second time, Azuma Kiyokuni showed an eagerness to face the newcomer.
His way of changing the subject made many of the onlookers feel very uncomfortable.
The surrounding environment immediately became incredibly quiet.
At this moment, even if a needle dropped to the ground, everyone would probably hear it.
Zhang Han cleared his throat, breaking the silence first.
"Our junior here has made great progress recently; his tail is practically wagging. It's good for Senpai to give him some pointers!"
Zhang Han then changed the subject.
Other companions also quickly followed suit.
No matter why Azuma Kiyokuni was unwilling to face Zhang Han, he had already made his attitude so clear, even at the cost of losing face.
How could the companions not grant his wish?
But the more they said this, the more Azuma Kiyokuni's face fell.
It looked as if he was truly afraid of Zhang Han.
But in reality, who was afraid of whom?
"Don't act like it's nothing. I'm just warming up with this kid first. Our showdown certainly won't be missed, so get ready and wait for me."
With no retreat, Azuma Kiyokuni completely let loose.
Since a showdown was inevitable, he would naturally go all out. In Azuma Kiyokuni's view, their showdown had already begun.
A look of surprise flashed across Zhang Han's face.
"Send two people to guard the school gate; don't let any reporters in."
After seeing this scene, Takashima Rei not only did not stop it but actively helped.
Without any video, just people's one-sided accounts, even if the news came from Seido High School, it couldn't be used as evidence.
She had done this many times before and was very skilled at it.
Sawamura, who had squeezed in to watch the excitement, was surprised to be roped into it, his face full of bewilderment.
What surprised him even more was that Azuma-senpai was so petty, remembering something from a year ago so clearly.
"And Miyuki, don't be a coward either. You started this, so you continue to be this kid's partner."
"My pleasure."
Miyuki readily put on his gear, ready to catch the pitch.
Before going on the field, Miyuki specifically called Sawamura aside.
"Don't think you can easily take care of Azuma-senpai like last year."
At that time, Azuma Kiyokuni knew nothing about Sawamura, which was why he fell for it.
After a year, Azuma Kiyokuni's strength was already incomparable.
More importantly, it wouldn't be so easy for them to win by surprise...
Despite this, Miyuki Kazuya still had great confidence in their upcoming showdown.
There was a very important reason why he was so confident: Sawamura's own growth and progress.
This year, Azuma Kiyokuni had undergone the baptism of Koshien Stadium, experienced the draft process, and been through the second team and substitute roles in a professional team.
Later, he even represented the team in several professional games.
His strength was already incomparable.
But Sawamura hadn't been idle, had he?
In the past year, Sawamura, who joined the Seido High School Baseball Team, also made rapid progress in his strength.
Azuma-senpai knew absolutely nothing about his current strength.
This was their biggest confidence.
"Although I'm very sorry, but to give our companions more confidence during the Summer Tournament. Sorry, Senpai."
Miyuki put on his gear and squatted in the catcher's position.
"Best of three, or…"
Miyuki looked up at Azuma Kiyokuni in the batter's box and asked.
"Of course, one game to decide the winner! I don't have that much time to waste with this little brat."
After hearing Azuma Kiyokuni's words, Miyuki, who had been somewhat worried, completely relaxed.
One game to decide the winner!
For Sawamura, who had few breaking balls, this was almost their best option.
Even if Sawamura didn't have many breaking balls, for just one showdown, he could still pitch completely different trajectories.
Miyuki believed that Azuma Kiyokuni would be very surprised.
"Come on, Sawamura!"
Miyuki opened his glove.
That dark vortex seemed to have a special kind of attraction.
Sawamura, who had been forcibly roped in, was initially full of bewilderment. But when it came to the actual showdown, he quickly cast aside all his messy thoughts.
He fully immersed himself in the showdown.
Seeing the transformation in his mindset and actions, the companions of the Seido High School Baseball Team were all incredibly surprised.
This guy was simply a born pitcher.
He could remain completely unaffected by external interferences and wholeheartedly enjoy the showdown.
If Sawamura could maintain this state, he might truly be able to snatch the Ace position from the monster Furuya Satoru.
Players who originally had no expectations for the outcome were now involuntarily drawn in.
They were eager to know if today's showdown would be different in any way.
Sawamura raised his leg high on the pitcher's mound and then brought it down heavily.
As his body's center of gravity shifted, the small white ball in his hand also whistled out.
Azuma Kiyokuni watched from the batter's box.
Sawamura's movements were much smoother than before.
This guy seemed to have improved a lot.
Just as this thought emerged in Azuma Kiyokuni's mind, he then saw an incredible sight.
Throughout Sawamura's entire pitch, he never once saw Sawamura's arm swing.
The baseball just suddenly appeared.
So fast.
It wasn't that Sawamura's ball speed truly surprised Azuma Kiyokuni.
In fact, such a ball speed was basically useless in a professional game.
It served no purpose at all.
He might even be treated as a live target.
This was Azuma Kiyokuni's original feeling.
Standing in the batter's box, Sawamura Eijun's pitch felt completely different.
Because the release point was invisible, the baseball seemed to come at a faster speed than imagined.
So much so that Azuma Kiyokuni couldn't even judge the timing to swing, and could only watch the ball pass by.
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
This scene looked exactly the same as when the two faced each other a year ago.
The surrounding companions even couldn't help but whistle.
"Senpai is observing the ball's trajectory this time too, right?"
"Make sure to observe carefully, don't be like last year."
Led primarily by the third-year companions, they began to tease Azuma Kiyokuni.
This left the first-year juniors, who were watching the show, utterly confused.
"Did something happen before?"
They hadn't noticed anything at all.
In this atmosphere, Sawamura prepared to pitch his second ball.
During this process, Azuma Kiyokuni didn't say a word.
He completely ignored the teasing words around him and was wholeheartedly engaged in the showdown with Sawamura Eijun.
This also made the companions who were more familiar with Azuma Kiyokuni clearly realize that their current Senpai was truly different from before.
In the past, Azuma Kiyokuni would absolutely not have been able to endure such an insult.
Even if it was just verbal, he would definitely get his revenge.
But this time, he ignored these people and focused entirely on battling Sawamura.
"Ping!"
With the experience of the first pitch, Azuma Kiyokuni hit the second ball beautifully, sending it flying far away.
If the baseball hadn't gone foul, this would have been a genuine Homerun.
One strike, one foul.
Sawamura, a first-year, facing Azuma Kiyokuni, who had entered professional baseball, surprisingly took firm control of the game with just two pitches.
This left the companions watching from the side in awe.
Even those who had been most optimistic about Sawamura before hadn't expected such a result in the end.
It was truly hard to describe.