Chapter 432: Battle Against Ouya—Taking the Initiative
"Ooooooohhh!?"
At the very moment Eijun leapt—
The ball came down right beside him.
On the field, everyone stretched their necks, eyes locked intensely toward left field.
At that moment, every heartstring in the stadium was pulled tight.
Just one hit.
Just one run.
But in this moment, it could completely shift the momentum of the entire game.
Not even a second passed—
Or perhaps it felt like an eternity—
As the dust began to settle…
A figure rose from the ground.
Covered in dirt, Eijun's messy silhouette appeared before everyone. But more importantly, his right hand was raised high—revealing the white ball secured in his glove.
And in that instant, the stadium exploded!
"OUT! Three outs! Change sides!"
"He caught it!!! Wakabayashi's desperate blast has been caught by Seidou! The left fielder—and ace—Sawamura Eijun, proved once again that no matter where he plays, he is the heart of the team! With that decisive play, Seidou limits the damage to just one run!"
"Hahaha! Nicely done, Sawamura!"
"Our ace is too cool!"
"The Diamond of Seidou—unmatched!"
"Seidou! Seidou! Seidou!"
As the announcer's voice rang out with excitement, the bench and stands erupted in joy. Everyone on Seidou's side stood with arms raised, cheering proudly for their ace and the core of their team.
"Haha, that kid… I knew he'd pull it off!" Sakai laughed heartily, slapping his knee.
"He gave us the same sense of reassurance back in the summer tournament," someone added.
"Yeah… Sawamura really has grown into his role as ace," someone remarked. "No matter where he's playing defense."
"That sense of stability—" added Yuuki quietly with a nod, "—is exactly what the coach values most in Sawamura."
Chris didn't say a word, but the warmth in his eyes and the smile tugging at his lips said it all.
This was the junior he had helped raise.
In that moment, Chris was filled with emotion.
Maybe… over these next two years, Eijun really can lead Seidou to conquer the whole country.
At home plate, Kawakami, having returned to cover the base, exhaled deeply and patted his chest in relief.
Thank goodness Sawamura caught that… If he hadn't, we'd have given up another run for sure.
Even though Kawakami had grown mentally stronger, the thought of allowing that run still shook him. It wouldn't have broken him, but it would've left a mark. Eijun catching that ball made all the difference—it meant the world.
Standing beside Kawakami, Miyuki also glanced out toward left field, where Eijun stood. Shaking his head slightly, he gave a small smile.
"That guy… seriously..."
All around the field and in the dugout—Kuramochi, Haruichi, Coach Kataoka, Coach Ochiai, and even those watching from the stands like Yuuki and Chris—all wore different kinds of smiles.
But what those smiles all had in common—
Was the deep trust and reliance they felt toward that lone figure in left field.
Their ace.
No matter what position he's defending, whether he's at bat or in the field—
He's always the most reliable one out there.
Standing in left field, Eijun held up the ball for the umpire running over to check.
A joyful smile spread across his face.
He brushed the dust off his uniform and jogged back to Seidou's dugout.
Seidou's cheers stood in stark contrast to Ouya High's dejection.
Everyone had thought that hit was almost guaranteed to land.
Even Katou on third had assumed he could stroll home with ease.
But who would've thought… that guy actually caught it?
Seidou's ace—even without taking the mound—still cast a shadow they couldn't escape.
A two-run homer on offense.
A highlight-reel defensive play.
So even if the "Diamond of Seidou" isn't pitching…
They still have to overcome him to win?
At that moment, the morale on Ouya's side hadn't completely collapsed—
But deep down, something unsettling had started to fester.
That hit had looked solid from every angle… so why was it caught?
In the dugout, Kasuga, Yamazato, Sumi, and the others wore grim expressions.
Wakabayashi's twisted expression was growing darker by the second.
His gaze locked onto Eijun's figure near Seidou's bench—his eyes gleaming with a dangerous, icy light.
Ouya's ace—Wakabayashi—
Was on the edge of a full-blown meltdown.
Clap, clap, clap.
"All right, let's not dwell on what just happened,"
Coach Araki said, clapping his hands and speaking in a calm but firm voice.
"The important thing is—we got on the board. That proves their pitcher can be hit. We've got four innings left, we're only down by three. Stay locked in, hold them off, and wait for our opportunity."
"Yes, sir!!"
Just wait, Seidou.
The real match starts now.
A cruel smile curved at Wakabayashi's lips. A flicker of red danced in his eyes.
Coach Araki, watching from nearby, couldn't help but show a trace of concern.
...
"Top of the sixth inning! Seidou High is on the attack! Batting fourth, the catcher—Miyuki Kazuya!"
Rage fuels momentum.
Momentum fuels power.
It might sound a bit exaggerated—
But on the baseball field, it's very real.
Emotion fuels instinct.
And anger is one of the most powerful catalysts.
Right now, Wakabayashi was in that exact state.
Each pitch carried a weight that even surprised Miyuki at the plate.
Whoosh!
Clang!
Boom!
"Foul ball!"
His control was definitely slipping due to the emotional surge—
But the added velocity and force were enough to suppress the batter.
Even Miyuki couldn't swing lightly.
But still…
Whoosh!
Pop!
"Ball four! Batter walks!"
When it comes to pitch selection, Miyuki is one of the best in all of high school baseball.
Against Wakabayashi's erratic, emotion-fueled pitches, he calmly chose not to swing.
The result?
Exactly what Miyuki had predicted—
A walk to first base.
Of course, in this regard—
Ouya High's battery, Wakabayashi and Sumi, had anticipated this outcome.
From the start, Miyuki wasn't their real target.
After all, trying to take down a batter of his caliber was simply too difficult.
Instead, they opted for an aggressive strategy: intentionally walking him to cut off his momentum. A walk was acceptable.
Their goal was clear and consistent—
Focus on the next batter.
"Batting fifth, the first baseman—Maezono-kun."
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