Chapter 261: Seidou's Terrifying Monsters!
At first, the players from Ichizen High School couldn't believe what they were seeing.
But as the at-bat dragged on to the 17th pitch, their eyes were filled with fear. The players and fans alike felt chills running down their spines.
"Oh my god… this guy's a monster!!"
From their perspective, it was impossible to understand—how was Seidou High School's No. 2 batter able to consistently foul off their ace's pitches?
Every. Single. Pitch.
"It doesn't make sense. No matter how skilled he is, there's no way he should be able to keep up with even the trickiest breaking balls."
The Ichizen players were in total shock.
And it wasn't just them—even the players on Seidou's bench were stunned.
Of course they knew just how good Ryousuke Kominato's batting technique was. But they also knew full well that Wada, Ichizen's ace, was no slouch either.
His fastest pitch clocked in just under 140 km/h, and his blend of fastballs and slow pitches, paired with his uncanny ability to toy with hitters, was the real deal.
Seidou's players had sized up Wada and concluded that he could be just as troublesome as You Shunshin, the dominant pitcher they'd faced previously.
That's not to say Wada and You were equally skilled—but they shared a style that could give any team serious trouble.
And no one on Seidou had forgotten what it was like facing You Shunshin. They remembered vividly how much they struggled in that game.
It was because of that experience that many Seidou players had mentally prepared themselves for a tough battle today.
But judging by what they were seeing now, their expectations were off.
Wada might be solid—but he wasn't on You Shunshin's level.
And even if he was… the Seidou team now wasn't the same team from back then.
Their roster hadn't changed, but their strength and experience had grown significantly. They weren't just better—they were battle-hardened.
So even against a pitcher like Wada, they remained composed.
Pop!
Ryousuke didn't swing this time.
After an 18-pitch showdown, a winner was finally decided.
Just as Ichizen's players and fans were about to cheer, the umpire's cold voice cut through the tension:
"Ball four! Batter walks!"
With a calm smile, Ryousuke dropped his bat and jogged to first base.
"Thanks for the match," he said cheerfully.
The situation now: one out, runner on first.
Ichizen's catcher, still crouched behind the plate, could feel cold sweat dripping from his forehead.
During the previous showdown, it didn't matter where Wada aimed his pitches or what kind of breaking balls he threw that monster from Seidou High could foul off every single one of them with pinpoint precision.
Whether it was 110 km/h or 135 km/h, it made no difference to him.
He handled the bat with such effortless control, directing the ball exactly where he wanted it to go.
It was as if he could read Wada's mind—knew exactly where the pitch would land before it even left his hand.
Even now that the duel was over, Ichizen's starting catcher still felt a chill down his spine whenever he recalled that at-bat.
Strangely enough, losing that battle almost came as a relief.
Don't dwell on it, the catcher told himself. That guy's an exception. Even if we can't get him out all game, we can still shut down the rest of the lineup.
He knew exactly what was on Wada's mind and stepped up immediately to support him, assuring his partner that it was okay—even if they couldn't stop Ryousuke, Wada could still stick to his pitching style.
Baseball was all about matchups. Sometimes, a batter was just naturally built to counter a pitcher.
Wada, standing on the mound, no longer wore the same bright smile.
He'd gone into the matchup brimming with confidence, but facing off against Seidou's infamous "Devil Batter" had exposed a clear gap in their ability.
Still, Ichizen's catcher knew exactly what they had to do.
"Forget about the last batter. Don't let them get into your head—focus on your pitching!"
Wada took a deep breath, returning to his usual composure.
"Right. Let's deal with the next guy."
With renewed focus, the Ichizen players turned their attention to Seidou's next batter.
And then they saw him.
Whether it was the players on the field, those on the bench, or even the fans in the stands—they were all stunned speechless.
The man stepping into the batter's box sported a scruffy goatee and had an unmistakable delinquent aura.
From any angle, he looked like a thirty-year-old adult—at the very least, someone in his mid-twenties.
"Hey, isn't this cheating? They've got a grown man out there!"
One fan couldn't help blurting it out.
"There's no way," another fan replied calmly. "All players in the tournament are officially registered. At most, he's a third-year—seventeen, tops."
But that explanation only made things worse.
"What did you say?! There's no way that guy's only seventeen!"
Seventeen-year-olds were supposed to be youthful and full of energy—
but Jun Isashiki, with his two little beards and rough aura, gave off nothing of the sort.
Ichizen's catcher clenched his jaw.
They'd seen him on tape before—but seeing him in person?
Was an entirely different experience.
Just like now, Wada's heart was shaken to its core.
"This guy looks way too mature!"
Facing a batter who looked like a grown man, it was hard not to feel unsettled.
Even Wada, standing on the mound, was no exception.
He had just been completely outplayed by Ryousuke Kominato—the so-called "Devil Batter" from Seidou.
And even though he had more or less regained his composure, deep inside, he was still carrying a lot of frustration.
It wouldn't take much to ignite that bottled-up emotion.
Just like now.
Looking at that senior with a mustache—Jun Isashiki—and his unusually mature face, Wada could feel flames rising in his chest.
"Why can't you guys ever play by the book?"
Originally, Wada had planned to throw a slow pitch.
But the sight of Jun's face made him change his mind.
He wanted to test these Seidou veterans—see what they were really made of.
"Whoosh!"
The ball came flying in—fast.
Back in Seidou's dugout, several teammates frowned.
Looks like Wada's back to full form...
Which, of course, wasn't great news for them.
The pitch was fast, and it was aimed uncomfortably close to the batter.
It was clearly a message—to push the batter back and shake him up.
This was a classic move from pitchers with sharp control.
And Wada was clearly one of those.
"Watch out!"
Some of the players in Seidou's dugout couldn't help shouting out.
Not everyone could read the pitch properly, and they didn't trust Wada enough not to hit their teammate.
When they saw the angle of that throw, they immediately yelled in warning—afraid it might slam into Isashiki.
Sure, a hit-by-pitch would mean a free base—but none of them wanted that.
They were far more concerned about Juun's health than a free trip to first.
Standing in the batter's box, Jun Isashiki understood Wada's intentions perfectly.
And being the one facing him, he could see it even clearer than anyone else.
"You think you can scare me? With that?"
As the ball came screaming toward him, Isashiki calmly adjusted his stance at the plate.
He looked like an old-school swordsman—facing his opponent head-on, swinging the bat like a katana cutting through the air.
"What the heck is that swing?!"
The fans in the stands were left baffled by the sight.
Some of them even chuckled or sneered in disbelief.
From their perspective, Isashiki's stance was completely unorthodox—reckless, even.
He's not taking this seriously at all! they thought.
But just as that thought formed in their minds…
Something unbelievable happened.
"PING!"
The white baseball soared off the bat and flew into the field!
The crowd went silent, eyes wide with shock.
Even the fielders from Ichizen High hesitated for a second, unable to process what just happened.
What the hell?!
By the time they realized what was going on and scrambled into motion, the ball had already hit the ground and bounced away.
The Ichizen fielders had missed their chance to stop it cleanly.
They could only watch helplessly as the batter made it safely to first.
And thanks to the chaos, Ryousuke took the opportunity to dash from first to second.
One out. Runners on first and second.
Just when Ichizen High's ace had finally regained his rhythm…
He was immediately met with back-to-back hits from Seidou's fearsome line-up.
Even the players from Ichizen High, no matter how confident they were in their own strength, couldn't help but freeze at the sight of what was unfolding.
Their beautiful Coach frowned deeply.
The game was already spiraling far beyond anything they had anticipated.
Sure, she had mentally prepared herself.
This was Seidou—the returning kings.
Whether it was the Kanto Tournament or the Western Tokyo finals, Seidou had torn through their opposition with ruthless precision.
They had bulldozed their way into Koshien.
And now, their momentum was peaking—making them more dangerous than ever.
Yes, the coach had expected a tough fight.
But even so, she hadn't expected Seidou to reveal their full power this early.
And no one understood Wada's strength better than Ichizen's own coach and players.
It was thanks to him that they'd come this far in the first place.
If you had to divide credit for making it to Koshien—Wada easily carried one-third of that burden alone.
And yet, that very ace—the one they leaned on so heavily—was now being completely overwhelmed by Seidou's batters.
A walk.
Then a clean hit.
Needless to say…
Their morale was crumbling.
On the other hand, Seidou's dugout was blazing with energy.
And the inning wasn't over yet.
Next up to bat—Yuuki.
"Batting fourth, number three, first baseman—Yuuki!"
How strong was this batter?
Even before Seidou returned to Koshien, the name Yuuki Tetsuya was already being whispered across West Tokyo.
He was one of the Three Great Sluggers.
Casual fans might not know the full story…
But scouts, analysts—and especially rivals—knew exactly what kind of monster Yuuki was.
Wada had looked forward to this showdown.
He'd been excited to face one of Tokyo's most feared hitters.
But now?
Forget what Wada was feeling…
Even Ichizen's bench was rattled.
They didn't believe for a second that their ace could stop this man.
He couldn't even get past Seidou's second and third hitters.
"What do we do?"
The Ichizen players were all asking the same question in their hearts.
But up on the mound, Wada clenched his jaw and hurled the ball.
Whoosh!
The white baseball exploded toward the plate.
This pitcher—renowned for his ability to read minds—seemed to have completely lost his composure.
All he could do now was throw with everything he had.
As the white baseball came screaming toward the plate, Yuuki, who had been perfectly still up until now, suddenly moved.
He had been still like a stone.
But the moment he moved, it was like thunder had struck.
Boom!
From the catcher's view, the bat seemed to expand right before his eyes—like it was coming straight at him.
Ping!
The sound was deafening.
The ball was crushed, rocketing off the bat like a comet streaking through the sky.
Thud!
It slammed down just past the third base foul line, bouncing off the ground with so much force it rebounded more than ten meters.
Not a single fielder from Ichizen moved.
Not because they didn't want to—but because they couldn't.
Their minds had gone completely blank.
It wasn't until a long moment later, when a stunned Ichizen fan in the stands let out a low groan:
"Are these guys even human…? They're monsters…"
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