AN: Sorry for not uploading yesterday, I've severely underestimated the world of a webnovel writer and I'm way behind on writing. I will upload 2 chapters tomorrow and then I will take a week from uploading so I can get a bunch of chapters written so apologises in advance!
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"Is there something you need?" I asked.
Furuya slightly clenched his fist for a moment.
"How do you do it?" He asked.
"Do what?" I responded with my own question.
"You make it seem like you belong on the team, like you have been playing with them for years, fitting in easily. How do you do it?"
I looked at him after he said this.
He looked frustrated.
I let out a little sigh and gestured to the front of the dugout.
He turned around to see the team shouting their lungs out as Kuramochi had hit a double, allowing Shirasu to make it back home easily.
"We all have the same goal Furuya. To make Seido the best team in Japan." I said from behind him, also looking at the team cheering.
"To fit in with this team, you need to have this mindset. You also need to use that goal to bring out your best in every game you play. I did exactly that in this game so far, and I think that's why the team is warming up to me. You just need to do the same when you play as well, Furuya." I said whilst standing up to be beside him.
He slightly turned to me, but I just kept looking forward as I continued.
"I don't know what your past was like in terms of baseball, but I can make a guess."
I then turned to him.
"It was lonely, wasn't it? A pitcher that no catcher could handle."
He slightly flinched and tightened his grasped fist.
"But the past is the past Furuya. You are now in the best environment as a pitcher as we have the best catcher in Japan on our team. So, unleash everything you have when you're on the mound. Try to become the best pitcher on the team and in Japan. Because I will be doing the same thing."
After I said this, Kominato, after fouling back a lot of pitches, hit a grounder for an easy third out.
With the inning ended, and it was time for the top of the ninth.
I grabbed my glove and cap and then turned to Furuya for a final time.
"We will be rivals for three years. Let's push each other to our limits throughout this time, all for the sake of Seido."
I then turned and walked out of the dugout.
Furuya was still for a moment, thinking deeply about my words to him.
'Rival…' He thought.
Suddenly his eyes burst with flames and a thick aura started spreading around him.
"Oi Furuya, what's wrong?"
"Furuya calm down!"
The players in the dugout who felt the outburst tried to calm him down after seeing him all riled up.
'Hahaha, that's more like that the Furuya I know. But no matter what, I won't let you be the ace.' I thought as I felt his aura whilst walking away from the dugout.
I then cleared my mind and focused on the task ahead.
'One more inning. 6th, 7th, 8th batters in the order. Only the 9th batter has seen my pitches. I can't be complacent though; they will throw everything they have at me.' I thought as I walked up to the mound.
I bent over and picked up the rosin bag while a saw Miyuki walking up to Homeplate and the batter of Yokohama walking up to the batter's box.
"It's the top of the ninth inning here in this game. Seido has gained another run in the last inning and has taken their total to 7, while Yokohama has struggled to gain any momentum on offense after Seido's pitcher change at the top of the seventh, when Seido's 'Demon Rookie' came onto the mound. Yokohama's score is still on 2. Can this demon keep up the performance or can Yokohama gain some traction? Let's see." The commentator said, looking to the field.
Once they were both in position and I had a ball in my hand, I looked to Miyuki for the call.
He glanced at the batter, seeing him pulled back for a full swing from the first pitch.
'He looks eager to swing, start with a change up.' Miyuki thought as he signed to me.
I nodded and threw.
Whoosh
The batter then pulled his bat back down for squeeze bunt.
'Bastard! A squeeze here?' I thought as I saw his motion.
TINK
He perfectly bunted the ball down the 3rd baseline and sprinted off to first.
I was slightly late in reaction as I wasn't expecting such a play.
I ran towards the ball whilst also checking for Masuko so I wouldn't run into him.
He was further from the ball than me, he was caught on the backfoot as well.
I grabbed the ball and instantly swung my body to face 1st base.
I saw the runner approaching the base with speed and I threw the ball toward Yuki with everything I had.
THUD
PAH
The ball and the runner made it to 1st at the same time.
Both Yuki and the runner looked at the umpire.
"Safe!" He called.
The Yokohama player went wild after that.
"They've done it. Finally, Yokohama has managed to get a runner on base for the first time since Sawamura Eijun has stood on the mound. They really caught Seido on the backfoot with that squeeze bunt. Now, let's see how Sawamura can handle the pressure of pitching whilst there is a runner on base." The commentator said into his mic.
'Shit! They got me! I wasn't expecting a squeeze on the first pitch.' I thought as I punched the inside of my glove as I walked back to the mound.
I saw Miyuki walking up to me as I arrived.
I held my glove in front of my mouth, and he did the same.
"My bad, I was slow off the mound to get to the ball." I said to him.
"Nah, that one was on me. He looked eager to swing so I called for a change up. I basically gave him a feebie." He replied.
"Looks like he got us both. I don't want to leave it at that. He's not making it to second." I said back to him.
"You want to pick him off?" Miyuki asked.
"Damn right, he'll be eager to run to second to be in a scoring position. I want to make his life as a runner living hell for the next few minutes. Once he shortens his lead a bit, you get him." I said.
Miyuki looked at me for a second and then started chuckling.
"Hehe, you're an evil guy, you know that right?"
"Hehe, of course. But don't tell me you didn't have the same thought."
We both started chuckling into our gloves on the mound, looking like a pair of evil villains plotting our next attack.
He then jogged back to Homeplate while I got into my set position.
Once Miyuki was back into his crouched position, the game of cat and mouse was on.
I stared down the runner as he started taking a big lead off the base.
I turned to look at Miyuki and then back at him.
I then turned to Miyuki and then threw towards 1st base.
The runner was slow to react and dived back.
Luckily for him, he reached the base just as Yuki tagged him.
"Safe!"
The runner glanced at me for a second.
'He's good at pickoffs, I'll have to be careful.' He thought.
I caught the ball from Yuki whilst staring down the runner still laid on the ground.
'This is just the start.' I thought as I stared at him.
I then got back into set position while the runner stood up and started taking a lead again.
I looked at him then back at Miyuki.
Then back to him, then Miyuki, then him.
Then I threw towards Miyuki with a four-seam.
WHOOOOOSH
The runner instinctively hesitated as he saw my starting motion, thinking I was going to throw a pick off again.
BANG
By the time he realised I was throwing to Miyuki, it was already too late.
"Strike!"
He got annoyed at himself from my fake.
'Hehe, got you!' Both me and Miyuki thought at the same time.
I then caught the ball back from Miyuki and went back into set.
I stared at the runner, then Miyuki, then back at him.
As I was turning towards Miyuki again, I threw the ball towards first base.
The runner was even slower to react but still leaped back.
He reached the bag at the exact same time as Yuki's tag.
The umpire considered for a moment.
"Safe!" He called.
The runner let out a big breath.
'That was too close.' He then turned towards the pitcher on the mound.
He saw the piercing golden eyes staring at him.
He got slight chills from that.
'This guy is a monster.' He thought.
I got back into set position and watched as the runner took his lead again.
'He's taken a smaller lead this time. Better not waste it.' I thought as I instantly threw towards Miyuki, far outside the strike zone on the opposite side of the batter.
WHOOOOOOOSH
I soon as I threw, the runner started running towards second.
'Huh?' He thought as he ran.
'Why do I feel so sluggish? Was it from constantly diving?'
He tried to speed up, but he couldn't gain any traction.
BANG
"Ball!"
The ball landed in Miyuki's mitt, and I instantly crouched down.
He instantly threw towards second where Kuramochi was waiting.
WHOOOOOOSH
BANG
The ball landed perfectly in Kuramochi's mitt, blocking second base as the runner just got to him.
He was instantly tagged out.
"Out!" The umpire called.
"What a beautiful play by Seido! Sawamura Eijun did brilliantly just there, using deception to throw the runner off his game, making him second guess when to run and making him take a shorter lead from base. Then Miyuki Kazuya finished the job with his rocket arm to second base for the out. Truly a well-executed plan from the Seido battery right there. Now Seido has 1 out with no runners on base." The commentator shouted down the mic.
"SHAA! One out!" I shouted out to the field.
"YAHA! Nicely done Sawamura!" Kuramochi replied.
I then turned back to Miyuki down at Homeplate and held out my fist in the air with a grin.
He giggled slightly and did the same from his position.
We then both got back into position to face the batter.
'Okay, so one ball, one strike. He's only seen my four-seam so far.' I thought as I started focusing on the batter.
Miyuki then called for a splitter.
I nodded my head, started my windup and threw.
WHOOOOOOOSH
The batter swung, thinking it was another four-seam.
SHUM
BANG
"Strike!"
'Nice! We've got him cornered.' I thought.
"Nice pitch, Sawamura!" Miyuki shouted as he threw the ball back.
I caught it and gave him a nod.
He then called for another splitter, only this time inside.
I nodded, started my windup and threw.
WHOOOOOOOSH
The batter swung again, thinking I wouldn't throw two splitters in a row.
SHUM
BANG
"Strike! Batter out!"
"YOSH!" I shouted, pumping my fist.
"A second splitter in a row! Yokohama's batter went down swinging! Sawamura Eijun seems to still be at his best! One more out to win the game!"
'One more batter to go. The first batter I faced in this game. He has seen the four-seam and the changeup, I think.' I thought to myself as I looked at the batter walking up to the box.
His whole demeaner changed from when he walked up last time.
He no longer had that confident smirk on his face, only nervousness and determination.
Once he got into position, I looked toward Miyuki.
Miyuki gave a call for a cutter, I instantly nodded.
I started my windup and threw.
WHOOOSH
The ball came down to Homeplate with less speed that the others.
The batter saw this and instantly swung for the hills.
SHHWWWIIPP
PAAH
"Strike!"
'T-The ball disappeared…'
The batter was truly confused.
He then started getting more nervous, he looked towards the mound once getting back into position.
He felt an immense pressure bearing on his shoulders when he looked there.
He swore he could see a deep red aura around the pitcher, on his golden blazing eyes burned brightly for contrast.
'Demon…' The batter thought as he gripped his bat tighter.
WHOOOOOOOSH
BAANG
"Strike!"
'Huh? When did he throw?'
The batter then shook his head and tried to get in the game, he was distracted momentarily.
I looked towards Miyuki for the final call.
He gave a sign for a splitter.
I nodded and started my windup.
I planted my foot.
THUUD
And threw.
WHOOOOOOOSH
The batter swung hard at the incoming ball.
SHUM
After the ball broke, the batter swung at air.
BANG
The ball landed in Miyuki's mitt.
Silence descended around the stadium for a moment as the echo of the ball hitting the mitt travelled around them.
"Strike! Batter out! Game set!" The Umpire shouted.
The game was over.