Chapter 533: The Inashiro Match – A Firework's Brilliance
"Whoosh"
"Clang"
"Bang"
"Foul!!"
Damn it! The pitch is clearly stronger than before.
The speed is definitely approaching 140 KM/H.
He doesn't look injured at all!
At the plate, Carlos gritted his teeth as he fouled off another pitch, his face dark with frustration.
This kind of overwhelming pressure, this level of skill, this dominating presence…
As he looked toward the mound at Eijun—
That cold, focused posture—
In Carlos's eyes, two figures were beginning to overlap.
This kind of performance...
Even Inashiro's coach, Kunimoto, watching from the first-base bench, had turned solemn.
Their young catcher, Tadano, furrowed his brows.
This... this wasn't what he had anticipated at all.
Yet on Inashiro's side, only Narumiya Mei's eyes sparkled with intense excitement.
"I waited five innings for this. Are you finally showing your true power, Sawamura Eijun!?"
"Yes… this is what I wanted! Only defeating this version of you has any meaning!"
The flame of competition blazed brightly.
"Good… Good… GOOD! This is the rhythm I was waiting for!"
If anyone on the field was the most excited right now, without a doubt—It was Miyuki behind the plate.
As a catcher, what could be better than receiving a pitch that not only meets but exceeds your expectations?
There's no question—Eijun's current pitching was giving Miyuki that very thrill.
The ultimate joy of a catcher.
"Next one—a two-seam fastball. Let's take him down!"
"Got it!"
With that signal, Eijun swung his arm without hesitation.
"Whoosh!"
As the sharp gleam of the ball shot forward,
Carlos gritted his teeth and stepped forward, swinging his bat with all his might.
"Whip—"
But just as the ball neared, it suddenly dipped downward and veered—
A sharp, violent break.
Carlos was caught completely off guard.
"Smack!!"
"Strike!! Batter out!!"
Two-seam fastball!!
"Damn it!!"
After missing with a full-power swing, Carlos stumbled unsteadily, casting a bitter glance at Eijun on the mound before walking off in defeat.
"Amazing, Sawamura-kun!"
"Haha, that's it! That's it, our ace!!"
"Keep it up, Eijun-kun!"
"Seidou! Seidou! Seidou!"
Even though no one knew exactly what was going on,
They could clearly see that their ace's pitches were fiercer than ever.
Their ace was peaking right before their eyes—
And they couldn't be happier.
Cheers erupted across the dugout.
This was Seidou's fight song—for their ace!
But what they didn't know…
Was that beneath Eijun's composed exterior, he was enduring waves of sharp pain.
The sweat beading on his forehead—If you wiped it away, it wouldn't feel hot…
It would feel cold as ice.
"One out!!"
And yet, the fire of battle still burned bright in Eijun's eyes.
These dazzling pitches, like brilliant fireworks in the night.
Those who knew the truth couldn't smile so easily.
Kuramochi and Haruichi looked on with worry,
Watching their teammate burn everything he had into each and every pitch.
Even in the dugout, Coach Ochiai's brows were tightly furrowed.
And Coach Kataoka's eyes gleamed with an icy sharpness.
As coaches, how could they not understand the choice Eijun had made at this moment?
But could they stop him now?
Could they really interrupt him when he was in this state?
"Eijun…"
"Sawamura-kun…"
"Sawamura-senpai…?"
"Sawamura…"
Coincidence?
In the stands, whether it was Chris who always kept a close eye on Eijun, his childhood friend Wakana, the clumsy manager who held special feelings for him,
Or even that scrappy little wolf cub—As if connected by some invisible thread, Each of them felt a ripple of unease welling up inside at that very moment.
They all stared at Eijun on the mound.
They sensed it—
A subtle but ominous shift brewing in the air.
"Batting second, the shortstop, Shirakawa-kun!"
"Be careful out there," Carlos said softly as he passed by Shirakawa.
"He's nothing like how he was in the first five innings. His pitch pressure has leveled up, and the velocity—don't swing at the first pitch. Take a look first."
"Hmph."
Shirakawa gave a curt grunt, not bothering to respond as he stepped into the batter's box.
"First pitch—inside Cutter, modified."
Miyuki's fingers gave a subtle signal beneath his glove.
Eijun nodded and moved into position, raising his left arm high—
And then he snapped it down with force.
"Whoosh!"
A flash of light shot toward home plate.
The sharp glare and overwhelming presence of the ball made Shirakawa's expression shift.
That oppressive pressure—it was like the air itself was being crushed inward.
"Tch!"
He swung hard,
"Boom!"
"Clang!"
But the ball veered with exaggerated break and spin,
Colliding just ahead of his swing.
The impact in his hands nearly made him lose grip of the bat.
"It's that strong!?"
"Whizz—Bang—Foul!"
Carlos watched from the dugout and shook his head.
I told him to wait and see. This pitch has a whole different level of power and follow-through compared to before. And the velocity—Was he hiding his real strength this entire time?
Second pitch—low outside fastball.
Classic pitch sequence.
Fully utilizing the wide in-and-out corners of the strike zone—
This was a signature tactic of Eijun and Miyuki.
And ever since they developed the tighter-angle inside Cutter,
That strategy became even more deadly.
"Whoosh—Swish—Smack!"
"Strike!"
After facing a sharp Cutter, That outside low pitch felt impossibly far for the batter to reach.
Third pitch—Changeup!
Width, height, depth, vertical drop—
Eijun made use of all of it.
This was the true pitching of Seidou's Ace—Eijun!
"Whish!"
The ball gleamed as it drew near home plate like a streaking aurora.
By now, Shirakawa was completely disoriented—
Crushed under the weight of the pressure.
He couldn't even tell which pitch to expect.
"Swish!"
He swung out of desperation—
A pure reaction based on instinct and experience.
But such a swing…
Could never touch Eijun's pitch.
"Smack!"
"Strike three! Batter out!!"
The pure-white flash of the ball, That flawless motion,
And now—two strikeouts in a row.
The energy radiating from Seidou's Ace was reaching its peak.
If it must burn out like a fleeting firework—
Then in this final moment, It would burst into a sky of blinding, beautiful color.
This—
This was the true form of Seidou's Ace—Sawamura Eijun.
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