Although Seidou High School's teammates took the lead in this inning with Sawamura's powerful home run, giving them their first point, the team was not celebrating.
Whether it was the dazzling double play or Miyuki's infield rebound, it was clear to Seidou High School's players.
This game would definitely not be as easy as they thought.
In Seidou High School's dugout, Sawamura glared at Miyuki.
"Didn't I tell you not to swing at his winning shot? That pitch is tricky, and who knows how that guy throws it? I thought we'd discuss it and come up with a strategy when you got back, but you just went ahead and swung!"
How bitter must Miyuki feel now?
No need to elaborate. He felt as if bitter water would flow from his mouth if he lowered his head.
In fact, he had intended not to swing at Nanami's winning shot, following Sawamura's advice.
The pitch that Sawamura had just hit out for a home run was the very same type of pitch.
At the time, Miyuki thought that no matter how good Nanami Haruka's mental fortitude was, he could never throw that kind of pitch on the very first throw after it was just hit out for a home run.
That would be unreasonable!
The pitch that had just been hit out for a home run would undoubtedly leave the batter with a mental shadow.
The likelihood of using that pitch again would be less than 10%.
He was betting on that 90%.
But to his surprise, the opponent was even tougher than he imagined. Even after his winning shot had just been hit for a home run, Nanami still didn't hesitate to throw that same pitch again.
In this situation, it was they who had been outwitted.
"Stop talking about this useless stuff, let's talk about that pitch!"
Miyuki was now more interested in Nanami's winning shot.
But now, they had no time to discuss this; the game continued, and it was time for them to take the field again.
In this inning, the first to stand in the Batter's Box for Hoshiryu High School was their cleanup hitter, Nanami!
Ace pitcher and cleanup hitter.
There's no need to describe more; just looking at this arrangement shows Nanami's importance at Hoshiryu High School.
Earlier, after being hit with a home run by Sawamura, Nanami returned to the dugout.
"I'm sorry!"
When he returned to the dugout, he apologized to all his teammates and coaches.
Hosho Ryuki, after hearing his apology, slightly frowned.
Then, in a very indifferent tone, he said:
"The run we just lost can't be entirely blamed on you. If anyone is to blame, it's just that our opponents are too strong!"
When Hosho Ryuki said this, his tone had a hint of emotion.
Back in Nagano, he had witnessed Sawamura growing step by step.
Although he already knew back then that Sawamura's abilities were extraordinary, continuing to develop, he could very well become a legendary player.
But high school is a short period, and no one knows how far Sawamura can go.
If he keeps burning his potential like Akagi, he might destroy himself before even making it to the professional ranks.
That path isn't viable.
It seems like Sawamura understands this very well, so he didn't follow in Akagi's footsteps and chose a grassroots team to create a legend.
Instead, he joined the top-tier powerhouse Seidou High School baseball team.
At that time, people couldn't understand his choice.
Joining a powerhouse was not wrong, but Seidou wasn't the best choice at the time.
The Seidou baseball team had not made it to Koshien for several years, so they didn't have much exposure.
And Seidou wasn't Sawamura's hometown, so he didn't have any particular reason to join them.
Looking back now, Sawamura's choice wasn't bad.
In fact, it was maybe the best choice!
The game continued, and soon it was the second inning.
Haruka Nanami steps up to bat!
If Sawamura is the number one player of the Seidou High School baseball team, Haruka holds a similar position in Hoshiryu High School.
He is also the indisputable number one.
Now that he stands in the Batter's Box, his performance will greatly influence the outcome of the game.
As all eyes focused on the pitcher-batter showdown, there was one person in the Hoshiryu High School dugout who was different.
Facing Nanami, Miyuki, and Furuya were racking their brains, trying to figure out how to deal with him.
Nanami's style was similar to Sawamura's, and his abilities were not limited to just pitching.
His batting skills were equally impressive.
Even though Furuya was in good form, getting past him wouldn't be easy.
Fortunately, with Miyuki's help, their combined efforts were quite formidable, especially with Furuya in good form.
Vrooooooooooo!!!!
A pitch like a cannonball soared toward home plate.
Even Nanami couldn't remain calm facing such a terrifying pitch.
The power of the throw was too strong!
Standing in the Batter's Box, facing such a pitch was like facing the impact of a tsunami.
Who could remain calm?
Taking a deep breath, Nanami was somewhat relieved.
There was a time in the past when he lost interest in baseball.
This even made him consider quitting baseball when he was still in middle school.
At that time, he thought about going to high school and playing other sports.
It was during that time that he met Sawamura.
In his almost invincible era, Sawamura brought him tremendous pressure.
He realized there was such a terrifying presence on the baseball field.
This reminded Nanami at all times.
If he chose to quit, it wouldn't be quitting after being the best.
It would be the retreat of a coward, a runaway!
Nanami rediscovered his love for baseball. In high school, he gathered his teammates again.
If he wanted to conquer strong enemies, Haruka believed there was no more reliable group than his teammates.
As long as they were together, no opponent was unbeatable!
Haruka Nanami always believed this.
But when he really started playing high school baseball, he realized how narrow-minded he had been.
This world was much deeper and more complex than he had imagined.
The players in this world were far more terrifying than he had thought.
Even without Sawamura, Haruka encountered many opponents in high school who could rival him.
Some of them even had a slight edge over him.
At those times, Nanami was deeply grateful.
Thankfully, he hadn't given up on baseball due to a moment of arrogance.
If he had, how could he have witnessed such brilliance?
How could he have faced such a powerful opponent?
Nanami gazed passionately at Furuya on the pitcher's mound, his fighting spirit blazing.
He loved this feeling, the thrill of facing off against a top-tier opponent.
In the past, because he had gathered his teammates, he naturally carried a sense of responsibility.
For the sake of that responsibility, Haruka couldn't act recklessly.
There were many things he had to consider.
But now, this was their final chance.
His teammates had already perfected their coordination and techniques.
In this situation, they didn't need Haruka to worry about them.
Haruka could completely unleash himself, do what he wanted, and pursue his desires.
Facing Furuya's pitch, Haruka didn't hesitate.
He decisively took his stance, concentrating all his strength into his arms.
Then, he swung his bat with all his might.
Ping!
The bat collided with the baseball, producing a loud cracking sound.
The ball bounced back.
SNAP!
"OUT!"
A nimble figure dashed out and stopped the ball.
Then, it was passed to the first baseman.
The batter was called Out.
The series of changes happened so quickly that it caught everyone off guard.
In the showdown of two strong players, the outcome was decided by defense.
Such a result was hard to accept for some.
But they had no choice but to admit that this was the ideal outcome.
"STRIKE!"
"STRIKE!"
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!"
Ping!
Snap!
"OUT!!"
Without any hesitation, after dealing with Nanami, neither Masamoto nor Hosho could escape their fate.
One by one, they were all Out.
…