Chapter 262: Bases Loaded—The Demon King Takes the Stage!
One out, runners on first and second.
The players of Ichizen High's baseball team were more desperate than ever for their team to turn things around.
But against Seidou, against that man named Yuuki, they were completely overwhelmed.
At the start of the game, they had managed to retire Seidou's leadoff hitter with ease.
Back then, the players of Ichizen High firmly believed:
They would make something happen in this game.
Even though that monstrous first-year on Seidou's team had left a terrifying impression—
Many of Ichizen's players still hadn't recovered from that fear.
Still, they had something to hold onto:
Baseball isn't a game won by a single player.
Even if that player is Furuya—a terrifying ace—it wouldn't be enough on his own.
They hadn't figured out how to beat Seidou yet, sure.
But that didn't matter.
As long as the game continued, they were certain they'd eventually find a weakness in Furuya's pitching.
And so, the game reached this point.
Now, the belief they once had… was completely gone.
Or maybe, their way of thinking had been wrong from the start.
They thought Seidou's success came entirely from Furuya.
That he alone had carried this once-declining powerhouse back into the spotlight.
But that assumption couldn't have been more wrong.
Of course, Furuya deserves credit—tremendous credit.
It wouldn't even be an exaggeration to say Seidou wouldn't be where they are now without him.
But the players and fans of Ichizen clearly misunderstood one thing—
Seidou has never been a one-man team.
Not in the past.
Not now.
And not in the future.
As one of the nation's top-tier powerhouses, Seidou stands on its own strength.
Furuya's arrival gave them wings, yes—
But to say they've made it this far just because of him… is seriously selling them short.
Seidou's second- and third-year core players each carried their own sense of pride.
Especially the third-years—their performances on the field could only be described as absolutely brilliant.
From the second batter, Ryousuke Kominato, to the third batter, Jun Isashiki, and now the cleanup hitter, Tetsuya Yuuki—
Seidou's third-years each displayed their own unique style.
But they all had one thing in common:
Pure skill.
Even though it was their first time facing a pitcher like Wada, they had quickly spotted his weaknesses.
Balls kept getting sent flying off their bats!
It felt like at any moment now, Ichizen High would give up a run.
Earlier, the players of Ichizen High had believed they could keep up with Seidou only because they trusted their ace pitcher.
They were convinced that even if their offense couldn't score right away,
They didn't need to worry too much.
Because their ace—Wada—would keep the game under control.
But now, it seemed their earlier expectations had been far too optimistic.
The sheer strength of Seidou's players had far exceeded anything they had imagined…
Especially those third-years—each with a completely different style, yet all of them were terrifyingly strong in their own way.
As one of the nation's top powerhouse teams,
Ichizen High had always been confident in their batting lineup.
After all, elite schools never lacked powerful hitters.
Before this game, they had never once felt outmatched in that department—no matter who they faced.
They had been full of confidence.
And yet, in hindsight… maybe that confidence had been overly naive.
The reality unfolding before them was nothing like what they'd expected.
Forget that monster of a first-year pitcher—
Even the Seidou batters currently at the plate,
Ichizen couldn't name a single player on their team who could compare to them.
"With players this good, how could Seidou High have failed to reach Koshien for so many years?"
In the dugout, Ichizen's head coach murmured to himself.
His voice was quiet.
But the dugout had grown so silent, you could hear a pin drop.
So even in a low voice, his words reached every player's ears.
Hearing their coach's remark, the players all furrowed their brows in unison.
Because they were all thinking the same thing.
"West Tokyo isn't like our prefecture—it's a warzone. There are so many powerhouse teams competing for a spot at Koshien. Seidou's failure in previous years wasn't just bad luck—
One major reason was Inashiro Industrial."
Their coach—beautiful and commanding—
remained composed even with her team falling behind.
She radiated a strong and unyielding spirit, unwilling to concede defeat.
"Don't forget—Seidou made it to Koshien this year by defeating Inashiro. And from what I've heard, this year's Inashiro team is the strongest they've been in over a decade."
The players of Ichizen were shaken to their core.
It was as if they had suddenly realized—
Just how terrifying the opponent they were up against truly was.
"Man… what are we even supposed to do now?"
Ichizen's coach wasn't some clueless amateur when it came to baseball.
Their school had become a regular at Koshien over the years, earning a reputation as one of the nation's elite programs.
But now… that reputation felt awfully fragile.
But even among the nation's top powerhouse teams—there are levels.
Take Ichizen High, for example.
If they want to recruit promising young talent, they can only scout within their own prefecture…
While they may be called a national powerhouse, in reality, they're just the dominant team of their local region.
Teams like Seidou High or the juggernaut Osaka Kiryu—
Those are true national powerhouses of a different class entirely.
When it comes to recruiting, their reach is nationwide.
They don't limit themselves to a single area or prefecture.
And what does that say?
It clearly shows that—even though Ichizen is considered a top-tier school—they simply can't be compared to Seidou.
Just like the last time they faced Inashiro on the Koshien stage—
The gap was undeniable.
The truth was—these two teams were never on the same level.
When Inashiro Industrial was unexpectedly eliminated, Ichizen High had thought they might catch a lucky break.
What they never expected… was that the team replacing Inashiro would be an even stronger monster—Seidou!
Just as Ichizen's head coach was left speechless and unsure of what to do next—
Coach Aihara, their fierce and fearless female manager, suddenly clapped her hands together with a sharp snap.
All the players in the dugout instinctively turned their attention to her.
"Against a team this strong, there's only one thing we can do—go all out! Anyone who loses their fighting spirit out there—I'll bench that fool without hesitation!"
All of Ichizen's main players were out on the field defending.
The dugout was filled with substitutes.
These bench players already had limited chances to get on the field, and with the game turning against them, there was a real possibility—
Their Koshien journey might end here.
For the second-years, that thought stung.
For the third-years… their eyes were already turning red.
This was their final shot at playing high school baseball.
Even if their ability wasn't enough to make a difference, just getting on the field at Koshien meant the world to them—
Sitting on the bench couldn't even compare.
The dugout, once quiet and still, suddenly turned into a battlefield of emotions, sparked by a single line from Coach Aihara.
Ichizen's head coach shivered instinctively.
Every time he partnered with that fiery coach and listened to her tough-as-nails pep talks, he himself felt like jumping into the game to fight alongside the players.
The atmosphere in Ichizen's dugout burned hot.
But on the field—it was a different story.
The players locked in the game were filled with doubt.
Even though the two sides had only faced off briefly—
They had already realized one thing clearly:
Their ace wasn't on the same level as the other side.
If they challenged Seidou head-on, the outcome would be obvious—
They'd give up runs.
Behind the plate, Ichizen's catcher was furiously working through the situation in his head…
He was weighing the options.
Should they give up the fight?
Or go all in and face Seidou directly?
Maybe they could limit the damage and take out Yuuki by sacrificing a run or two.
But now—even that strategy felt impossible.
The starting players on Ichizen's side knew it too well.
If they gave up here—
They'd lose control of the game completely.
And they hadn't forgotten that monster of a first-year pitcher Seidou had.
The impression he left on Ichizen's players was far too deep.
Traumatizing, even.
To the point where now—they couldn't afford to give up any runs.
Not two.
Not three.
Not even one.
Because if they did—they knew they'd never get it back.
At the plate, Yuuki stood like an immovable mountain.
His batting stance alone was enough to give Ichizen's players a headache.
"Going head-to-head with this guy… might be the worst move we could make.
Especially right now…"
After much deliberation, Ichizen's catcher narrowed his eyes with a sharp glint.
At the same time, the ever-smiling Wada showed a rare flash of killing intent in his gaze.
They both understood better than anyone—
Just how dire their team's situation was.
And because of that—
They made the same decision without speaking a word.
"If we can't win this cleanly… Then screw it—we'll gamble everything on this!"
These two weren't just any high school players.
They were among the very best.
And up to this point, the game was still tied.
But the two of them knew full well—Seidou High had already seized control of the game.
If Ichizen didn't make a move soon, Seidou would simply keep pressing forward, step by step, until they had pushed them to the brink.
Rather than be slowly strangled like that—
It was better to gamble everything in a do-or-die fight.
With that realization, Wada hurled a blazing pitch.
The white baseball flew straight toward Yuuki's head.
In the Seidou dugout, the players all watched with bated breath, their hearts skipping a beat.
"He's desperate now?"
"Losing control already…"
They didn't care what Wada did—
but they couldn't afford to let Captain Yuuki get hurt over something reckless like this.
As their concern peaked, they watched as the pitch whizzed just past Yuuki's chest.
"Pop!"
"Ball!"
At the plate, Yuuki didn't flinch—not even a twitch—as the pitch nearly struck him.
The players and fans of Ichizen turned pale.
Wada's intent was obvious.
Even if it meant giving up a walk, he was going to stay aggressive.
But to their shock, Seidou's cleanup hitter stared them down like they were just kids playing pretend.
Unfazed. Unshaken.
No matter what they tried—it just didn't seem to affect him.
"These guys… this guy!!"
Ichizen's starting catcher felt something churning inside him.
The opponent was just too calm.
He himself was one of Ichizen's top hitters,
but standing opposite this monster of a batter, he couldn't help feeling utterly inferior.
Same cleanup spot—but not even close to the same class.
"Seidou's strength… it's not just in individuals.
It's the whole team."
If any of Ichizen's players still had lingering doubts before—
By now, all of them were gone.
They were absolutely certain:
Intentionally walking Yuuki was the best choice.
Otherwise, they might not even get the chance to take another gamble.
"Ball!"
"Ball!!"
"Ball!!!"
"Four balls, batter walks!"
With Yuuki walked, the bases were now loaded.
One out, bases juiced.
The players and fans of Ichizen all instinctively lowered their heads.
Right at the start of this showdown, they had made the decision to walk the opponent's cleanup hitter.
No matter how you looked at it—
it felt like a concession of defeat.
If the roles were reversed, they knew they would've mocked their opponent relentlessly for that kind of decision.
But to their surprise—Seidou didn't mock them.
Not even a smirk.
Not even a whisper.
None of Seidou's players or fans seemed to take the walk seriously at all.
Because all of their attention…
Had already shifted to the next batter stepping into the box.
Bottom of the first inning. Seidou at bat.
One out. Bases loaded.
And now—a tall, powerful figure stepped into the batter's box.
"Batting fifth, number one—pitcher, Furuya-kun!!"
The moment they saw his imposing figure,
the Seidou fans exploded.
"FURUYA!!!"
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