Chapter 481: Seiko Match – Relentless Offense and Unyielding Resolve
The ball shot out like a bullet.
A sharp whistling sound pierced the air.
"Bang!"
The ball slammed hard into the ground in front of third base.
Kanemaru tensed instinctively, quickly diving toward where the ball bounced, hoping to intercept it a moment before it rolled free.
Unfortunately...
The ball bounced first and spun foul.
"Foul ball!"
Was the ball's power just suppressed? What terrifying strength...
At home plate, Miyuki narrowed his eyes, a serious glint surfacing within them.
With a subtle flick of his fingers behind his leg, he gave the signal—
A fast forkball.
This pitch should disrupt the batter's timing and rhythm.
"Yeah," Furuya nodded lightly.
His arm swung once again.
"Whoosh!"
As he lifted his hand, the ball flashed into view.
A rush of air surged with the pitch's fierce glow blazing through the air—
Straight toward the plate.
In the batter's box...
Having made contact once already, Kojima Ryuhei refused to give an inch.
Pouring all his strength into it—
He abruptly swung his metal bat.
A dark, looming shadow cut through the path of the oncoming ball, its surface emitting a chill as it neared—
Just before the drop.
"HAAH!"
Kojima launched himself forward aggressively—
Unexpectedly speeding up his swing—
"Wham!"
"Clang!"
At the very limit of reach, Kojima intercepted the forkball.
As Miyuki's eyes widened in shock—
"Whoosh!"
"Thud!"
The ball slammed hard into the ground.
Between second and third base, Kuramochi reacted with lightning speed, diving to intercept it. But the speed of the hit was too great—far too great.
Kuramochi couldn't reach it in time.
The ball had already escaped past the infield, rolling deep into the outfield.
In the distance—
Eijun sprinted toward the ball.
"OHHHHHH!! The second-pitch fast forkball—perfectly read and smashed into left field! A clean single! The ace, Kojima, takes back the run he allowed with his own bat—safe on first!"
As Eijun scooped up the ball and looked toward first base, he saw Kojima Ryuhei striking a confident pose, already safely on base.
Eijun sighed and let his left arm, which had been raised to throw, fall slack.
"He actually kept up with Furuya's forkball?"
In his eyes, a cold glint flickered.
Miyuki felt the same shock at the plate, especially after witnessing the swing at such close range.
"He sacrificed the ideal timing just to swing early and intercept the ball before it broke?"
Miyuki glanced toward Seiko High's dugout, a sharp edge flashing in his eyes.
They really went all in, huh, Seiko High...
"Cleanup hitter, first baseman, Nagata!"
"ROAR!!"
A wave of pressure exploded outward.
It was the bloodlust of a beast unleashed.
The cleanup slugger stepped up to the plate once more.
The fourth batter—Nagata.
"Fuhaha!!"
A hulking presence stepped into the batter's box—
A frame like a beast, broad shoulders and a barrel chest.
Nagata strode up, his massive figure casting a long shadow.
The very moment he entered the batter's zone, the pressure in the air surged again, closing in like a vice.
On the mound, Furuya's expression turned visibly grimmer.
"Relax a bit, your face is way too stiff."
At the plate, Miyuki signaled with a loose, casual stance.
Furuya rubbed his cheeks, shaking off the tension.
The red haze in his eyes faded—clarity returning to his focus.
"You've got this, Furuya."
"Top of the 4th. Seiko's offense is back at it again—runner on first, cleanup hitter at the plate. Can Seidou hold their ground? Or will Seiko's heavyweight lineup score again?"
"High leg kick—throws!!"
"Whoosh!"
A dazzling streak burst toward home.
"HAH!!!"
A metallic roar tore through the air.
"Swish!"
A massive dark blur cut across the batter's box—
The ball zipped past, just barely avoiding contact.
"Thud!"
"Strike!!"
"Heh heh!! This is it! This is what I live for!! That speed, that sound... I just can't get enough!!"
Hit him... I've gotta hit him! I need to crush him!!
Nagata licked his lips, his feral expression dripping with menace.
His entire aura exploded outward like a beast off its leash—
Crushing, suffocating pressure.
"Whoosh!"
Even Furuya's raw power—
At this moment—
Was being challenged head-on by Seiko's unstoppable force.
"Swish!"
The next pitch came ripping toward the plate,
No deviation, no hesitation—
Just power—pure, unleashed power.
Furuya poured everything into that fastball.
"Clang!!"
The moment the ball cracked against the bat—
Furuya's heart sank.
"Whoosh!!"
The ball rocketed skyward—
A brilliant arc gleamed across the sky.
"Right field!!"
Miyuki's eyes widened as he shouted.
But Nagata's bat speed and brute force—
Top-class in the autumn tournament—
Wasn't something even Shirasu could react to in time.
"BAM!!"
The ball smashed into the turf hard.
"OOOOOHHHHH!!!"
Cheers erupted.
Kojima and Nagata each charged onto second and third base, respectively.
"A massive hit! Cleanup batter Nagata smashes through Seidou's ace, Furuya! A deep right-field hit! No outs, runners on second and third! Seiko's power lineup is relentless!!"
They actually crushed Furuya's power pitch... head-on!?
At the plate, Miyuki clenched his jaw—
His face twisted into frustration for the first time in this game.
That last pitch—
Was not easy to hit.
On the field, Kuramochi, Maezono, and Eijun all wore grim expressions.
In the dugout, Coach Kataoka and Coach Ochiai exchanged stiff looks.
Even in the stands, veterans Isashiki-senpai and Kominato-senpai showed concern.
Ota was already up and nervously shouting Eijun's name.
On the mound—
Furuya's breath had grown ragged.
"Huff... Huff..."
It was only the fourth inning— But Seiko's lineup brought immense pressure.
Sweat beaded down Furuya's forehead.
His stamina wasn't even halfway depleted—
But mentally—he was nearing the brink.
The back-to-back hits—
The intensity—
It crushed his lungs.
It suffocated his resolve.
But I can't fall. I won't fall.
This is my battlefield. This is my stage.
I can't give it up—no matter what.
His determined gaze sharpened.
A glint of stubborn pride.
Even as his right hand trembled slightly,
He stood tall.
I won't give this up.
This spot—
This position—
I won't hand it over to anyone. Not now. Not ever.
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