"Criticized?"
Upon hearing Akiko's statement, Fujio found it quite laughable. Although this amateurish partner of his often claims to be a fan of the Seidou High School baseball team, it was evident that she had little understanding of the team's status and identity.
"Do you think that the pitcher of Yakushi High School would be criticized if he walked Sawamura?"
Akiko did not understand why Fujio asked that, but she was quite certain about the answer.
"It shouldn't be. As Sawamura's reputation grows, people gradually start to see it as a given."
Fujio nodded and continued, "Then do you think it would be incredible if Yakushi High School's pitcher Walked Sawamura for the entire game?"
"It shouldn't be either. People would just think that Sawamura is indeed very impressive."
"Exactly. So even if Yakushi High School gets 24 Strikeouts, what does it matter? People would only think that Sawamura from Seidou High School is really amazing. On the contrary, for those who are really interested in baseball, when they see such a monumental record, what would they do?"
"People who haven't watched the game would definitely try to find the video to see how amazing the Demon King's performance was. They'll also want to see what kind of opponents they were up against, and how valuable this record really is."
"Whether it's Coach Raizou or Coach Kunitomo, they'll become the backdrop. It's shameful, but they're confident in their own players' performance."
"That's why they would choose to do this."
As Fujio spoke, his gaze shifted to the rest area of the Yakushi High School baseball team.
Is it true that there are no saints in this world?
But, one must admit, most people are selfish. Just like Coach Raizou's decision, it clearly has a selfish side.
After this game, if Sawamura could set another record, it would definitely attract more attention from professional scouts or Head Coaches.
No matter how busy they are, they would certainly take time to study Sawamura's pitching.
Whether they plan to recruit him or face him as an opponent in the future, preparing in advance is never a bad idea.
If it were an average player, it wouldn't matter so much. But a player like Sawamura, no matter which professional team's Coach it is, they'd surely spend time studying him.
Preparing for the future.
In this case, the possibility of seeing a video of this game is even higher.
When they finally see the footage and witness that the Demon King is even scarier than they imagined, what will they do?
Putting yourself in their shoes, if Fujio were in their position, he would definitely try to find players who could counter this monster.
When the Seidou High School baseball team was in high school, competing with the powerful team, any player who showed promise would definitely grab everyone's attention.
So, in today's game, who would be the one to stand out while facing Sawamura?
If you asked the fans in the stands, the answer would almost come out immediately.
Of course, it's the Thunder Beast, Todoroki Raichi!
And what relationship does Raichi have with Coach Raizou?
Once you think about it, it's not surprising that Coach Raizou made such a decision.
To say his mind was only full of dark thoughts would be unfair. In this line of thinking, he definitely considered the benefits of his own Yakushi High School baseball team as well.
But to say he had no thoughts of this kind at all...
Fujio wouldn't believe that.
With the strength of Yakushi High School's baseball team, there are many ways to challenge Seidou High School's team.
Out of all these methods, he simply chose the one most beneficial to his precious son.
It could only be described as riding the wave of the situation.
As for Sawamura, under such a high level of competition in West Tokyo, he was still able to set an unprecedented record.
That could only be attributed to perfect timing, location, and circumstances.
At the right moment, he pitched a game destined to be sensational.
Of course, all of this depends on Sawamura's own strength.
If he didn't have the ability, no matter how perfect the opportunity, he wouldn't be able to seize it.
Even if heaven did drop a pie, it would only fall into the hands of those capable of snatching it.
Bottom of the fourth inning, Yakushi High School's turn to bat.
The first batter was Raichi, the son of Coach Raizou, whom he had high hopes for.
It must be said that having Raizou bat first was a brilliant arrangement.
This way, as long as Raichi could hit the ball once, it would create an excellent scoring opportunity.
If he hit a home run, there would be no need to say more.
Even if he only got a single, with Raichi's speed, Yakushi High School would have a very good chance of scoring.
Making such an arrangement was certainly meant to counter Sawamura.
If they were facing other pitchers from Seidou High School, Yakushi High School wouldn't need to go to such lengths.
There were plenty of other ways to handle it.
Only when Sawamura was pitching, would this arrangement have a chance to work.
In the rest area of the Seidou High School baseball team, Coach Kataoka had a grim expression on his face. He looked up at the Yakushi High School rest area, already understanding their plan.
He had to admit, this plan wasn't bad at all.
If executed smoothly, the chances of success were high.
But the question was, would it go smoothly?
Even if Yakushi High School had already guessed that Seidou High School would send out Sawamura for the final match, so what?
As Seidou High School's reputation grew, their style became known by more and more people.
For important games, Coach Kataoka always gives it his all, crushing opponents with sheer strength. He never uses elaborate and tricky tactics unless absolutely necessary.
With his team-leading style, how could he possibly send out someone he didn't trust in such an important game?
The only ones Kataoka would trust to take the mound in such a critical moment were his Ace pitchers.
It's only natural for the opponents to guess that. It wasn't surprising at all.
Knowing the opponent would guess it, Kataoka had no hesitation in doing so.
Why?
The reason was simple: because Kataoka had complete confidence in his Ace pitcher.
With Sawamura on the mound, it's not something the opponent can just handle.
On the mound, Sawamura looked at Raichi, whose every movement radiated a beastly aura.
He could feel every cell in his body trembling with excitement.
For a brief moment, he suddenly had a strange feeling.
'This pitch... it's going to be hit!'
Since Sawamura's power had increased, especially after he developed the Level 4 breaking ball, he hadn't had this feeling for a long time.
This feeling appeared for just a split second before disappearing without a trace. No matter how hard Sawamura tried to focus, he couldn't feel it again.
'Was it just an illusion?'
Sawamura was confused. As per his usual habits, he would try to slow the tempo or switch pitches.
But this time, he didn't do that.
It felt like a strange instinct took over him. He just wanted to see whether this feeling was truly an illusion.
If it had been the old Sawamura, he wouldn't have done this. Once he sensed danger, he would avoid it.
Why would he seek danger?
In the Major League, Sawamura had achieved some success, but he had never been number one at any stage or in any region.
Even within his own team, there were players stronger than him.
Although he had worn the number one jersey once, he had never truly become the absolute Ace.
But now, things are different from the past.
Sawamura was the undisputed Ace of the Seidou High School baseball team.
And even nationwide, his strength was second to none.
So much so that he hadn't faced an opponent of enough weight in a long time.
Once someone reaches this level, their mindset naturally begins to change.
For example, in this situation, before Sawamura pitched, he had a faint sense that this pitch was going to be hit.
The feeling wasn't strong—it was just a fleeting moment.
If this had happened in the past, Sawamura, being extremely cautious, would have immediately reacted. But this time, he chose to go towards danger knowingly.
He suddenly wanted to test whether his feeling was still reliable.
His right foot was lifted high, then came down like a battle axe. As his body's center of gravity shifted, Sawamura's left hand swung like a whip.
During this process, his right hand kept the mitt in front of him, like a wall, pushing away the resistance while blocking the batter's view.
On the batter's box, Raichi's eyes were wide open, like the eyes of a bull, staring intently at Sawamura.
He couldn't see anything, not even a little bit.
Before Sawamura released the ball, he couldn't see his release point at all.
By the time he saw the flash of white light, the small baseball had already been pitched.
'So fast!'
Even with Raichi's standards, the speed of Sawamura's pitch was shockingly fast.
However, this speed wasn't enough to make him panic.
Quite the opposite, Raichi's momentum now skyrocketed to an overwhelming level.
By the time the baseball was within his reach, it seemed like his brain had not processed any thoughts, and he just swung the bat without hesitation.
Raichi's feeling about his swing was very strange.
He didn't even know whether Sawamura's pitch had any other movements.
And at the same time, he didn't know whether the swing he just made would actually connect with the ball.
Right now, in his mind, there was only one feeling.
That was: Hit It!
As soon as the bat was swung, Raichi felt a jolt throughout his body, and then a sense of calm like never before.
After swinging the bat, he felt an unprecedented tranquility in his heart.
The pressure that Sawamura had placed on him vanished in an instant.
"Kehahaha! Kehahahaha!!"
A low, eerie laugh came from his mouth.
PAAAAAAAAANNNNNNGGGGGG!
Accompanied by the eerie laughter, the small baseball was struck and transformed into a streak of light, traveling across several dozen meters, and falling into the outfield.
Although Shiratsu rushed toward the ball's landing spot, he was still a step too slow.
He could only watch as the ball landed on the field!
"OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
"It's A Hit!!!"
"Todoroki Raichi, the Thunder Beast, Got A Hit Off The Great Demon King!"
This scene caused a huge stir in the stadium.
Although this wasn't the first time Sawamura had given up a hit, this hit was definitely different.
With no Outs, Raichi immediately ran to second base.
The situation turned into no Outs with a runner on second.
Anyone familiar with baseball rules could immediately see the implications.
The batter had entered the scoring position, and what's more, he did so with no Outs.
In such a favorable situation, the chances of Yakushi scoring were very high.
As long as Yakushi High School's team executed well, they could potentially score a run.
Raichi's father, Raizou, in the Yakushi team's dugout, grinned widely, showing his teeth.
At this crucial moment, his foolish son had indeed come through.
He never expected that his son would actually get a hit off Sawamura.
If the game proceeded smoothly, and Sawamura was able to rack up a high number of strikeouts again, then when people came to watch the game, they would surely see his son's performance.
In today's world, just getting a hit off the Great Demon, Sawamura, was enough for many people to boast about for a lifetime.
To get a hit in such a key game and then perform excellently in the subsequent games...
Wouldn't those who failed to get Sawamura's attention be moved by Raichi?
This was what's known as a brand endorsement.
It was like those small stars in the entertainment industry who liked to get into arguments with big-name celebrities.
A typical case of "scamming the spotlight."
If possible, Raizou wouldn't want his beloved son to become famous in this way.
But he had no choice.
This was the helplessness of reality.
In the West Tokyo region, there was a giant, the Seidou High School baseball team, standing in their way.
Even if they made 100% of their efforts behind the scenes and had some confidence in their own players, Raizou still had to admit that their chances of defeating Seidou High School and making it to Koshien were slim.
In this case, they had to consider alternative plans.
Raichi and Seidou High School's golden generation, especially Sawamura, were all in the same grade.
If Seidou High School remained this dominant, then over the next year or so, Yakushi High School might not make it to Koshien even once.
Although Raizou wouldn't give up on fighting for victory, he still had to make another arrangement.
That was, if they couldn't make it to Koshien in the future, how would he make the players who believed in him and followed him to Yakushi High School famous?
In high school baseball, fame was also very important.
Especially when a professional baseball team might come looking for you, fame becomes especially crucial.
First, it concerns your future — whether or not you can be recruited by a professional team.
Secondly, fame also affects how your future contract will be valued.
If a player is exceptionally good-looking, and everyone loves them, even if their skills are a little lacking, professional teams would still offer them top-tier salaries.
As for why they do this, anyone who isn't an idiot can figure it out.
...