Chapter 477: Seiko Match – Born of Impulse
The ball, crushed by the bat—
Its heaviness and violent spin made it nearly impossible for Kuramochi to keep a firm grip.
He lost control.
"Whoosh!"
The ball bounced sharply off the ground.
Second baseman Tamaki jogged forward a few steps and calmly scooped it up.
"Whip!"
"Smack!"
The throw reached first base, where Nagata caught it cleanly.
Despite Kuramochi's blazing speed, he only made it halfway down the baseline before being thrown out.
Even the "Cheetah of Seidou" couldn't beat that throw.
His face darkened visibly with frustration.
He had underestimated this guy's pitch quality.
Kuramochi shot Ogawa Tsunematsu a sharp glare, then turned and walked back to the dugout, shaking his head.
...
"Batting second, second baseman, Kominato-kun."
Kuramochi-senpai got shut down that hard...?
This pitcher's pitch weight is even more intense than I thought...
Haruichi held his wooden bat tightly, a serious look in his eyes as he stepped into the batter's box.
...
"A wooden bat, huh? With those skinny arms? You really think you can generate any power? I'll break your bat in half."
On the mound, Ogawa Tsunematsu licked his lips.
A red glint flickered in his eyes as he thought to himself with ruthless determination.
...
"First pitch: outside fastball. Don't miss the zone, Tsunematsu."
Even if it's just a setup pitch, Masu had high standards.
He knew all too well how bad Ogawa's control could be—and if this went off target...
It could be a disaster.
Ogawa gave a casual nod.
As soon as the sign was confirmed, he powered forward—
"Whoosh!"
A bright streak flashed through the sky.
Sharp and fierce, the pitch thundered toward the plate with overwhelming force.
That velocity. That presence.
...
In the batter's box, Haruichi's eyes gleamed coldly.
"Boom!"
His arms whipped up.
His body coiled and uncoiled in a powerful motion.
"Swish!"
His wooden bat cut through the air, exuding a chilling sharpness.
"Ping!"
Bat met ball with a clean sound.
"Whizz!"
"Thud!"
"Foul ball!!"
...
"Whew… that pitch weight... it's nearly on par with Furuya's. That must've been at least 145 km/h."
Haruichi exhaled and lightly twirled his bat before resetting his stance.
...
Next pitch: another outside fastball—try to place it more precisely this time.
"Whoosh!"
"Smack!"
"Ball!"
As expected, Ogawa's control didn't hold up. Asking him to paint the corners was too much.
This pitch missed well outside, and Haruichi wisely didn't swing.
Masu shook his head in resignation.
...
Next pitch: straight down the middle.
Masu gave the sign again, subtle and sure.
"Whoosh!"
A direct, aggressive approach—
This was Ogawa Tsunematsu's only real path.
Everything else was bait.
Seidou knew it too.
But still—
His pitch weight, velocity, and especially his spiral ball's trajectory—
Made him a massive headache to deal with.
...
"Whoosh!"
"Tap!"
"Thud!"
"Foul ball!"
"Whoosh!"
"Thunk!"
"Ball!"
"Whoosh!"
"Tap!"
"Foul ball!!"
Each pitch—fierce in velocity, heavy with follow-through.
It left Haruichi struggling to keep up.
Especially that spiral ball, which moved in the opposite direction of a curveball—combined with a 145 km/h fastball, it was almost impossible to adjust to in time.
...
"Whoosh!"
The relentless barrage left Haruichi's arms fatigued.
As the next pitch rocketed in, he gritted his teeth and forced the swing—
"Ping!"
Bat met ball again—but this time…
Haruichi's expression changed instantly.
"Creakk!"
A muted, splintering sound.
A sure sign.
The bat was on the verge of breaking.
He couldn't counter the force.
"Whoosh!"
The ball popped upward, sailing weakly between second and third.
"Whoosh—Smack!"
Seiko's third baseman Shirota calmly caught it.
"Out!"
A routine infield pop-up—
Haruichi was out.
...
"OHHHHH! Beautiful pitch, Tsunematsu!"
"Knew you had it in you, big guy!"
"Keep crushing them just like that!"
"Two outs, two outs!"
With two quick and commanding outs, Ogawa Tsunematsu ignited Seiko's dugout.
In the stands, murmurs of surprise spread through the crowd.
No one expected Tsunematsu to handle Seidou's top lineup with such ease.
...
But now—
The true test began.
The main event.
All eyes turned toward the on-deck circle.
Where one player stood up slowly—
The embodiment of Seidou's pride.
A symbol of their golden era.
The Ace of Aces. The strongest lefty of his generation
Seidou's Golden Battery: Sawamura Eijun.
...
"Batting third, left fielder, Sawamura-kun."
...
"Careful, Sawamura-kun," Haruichi said quietly as he passed him, his tone heavy.
"That pitcher's pitch weight is heavier than it looks."
Eijun's eyes flicked to Haruichi's cracked bat.
He nodded solemnly, his grip tightening.
Then, with powerful strides, he marched into the batter's box.
...
"Ohohoho! He's here! He's finally here!"
"Masu-san's always going on about how amazing this guy is... Well, I'm gonna show him how wrong he is."
"This time, I'll crush him. I'll completely destroy him."
"The so-called 'Ace of Aces'? The strongest lefty? That title belongs to me!"
On the mound, Ogawa Tsunematsu crouched slightly, eyes glinting with dangerous light.
His wide grin revealed the intense confidence boiling beneath his skin.
...
Behind the plate, Masu caught on instantly.
He could read his younger teammate's cocky attitude.
He narrowed his eyes, a stern warning in his voice—
"Tsunematsu!! Don't underestimate him!!"
...
At that moment, Eijun stepped into the batter's box.
Locking eyes with Tsunematsu's sharp, provocative glare—
The gold flame in Eijun's eyes flickered and blazed.
An overwhelming aura surged from his entire being.
...
"Fatty, I'm here."
You'd better grit your teeth and brace yourself.
...
Born of impulse.
Driven by primal desire.
Right here—
Eijun swore: He would give this arrogant fatso a lesson he'd never forget.
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