Top of the 6th inning, Hoshiryu High School is attacking!
Although Seidou High School's Ace, Sawamura, has not been able to take the mound, this game has still evolved into a very classic pitcher's duel.
Both teams are not giving any ground.
As of now, the score is 3:2, with Seidou High School leading by one run.
"First batter, shortstop, Oda-kun!"
Before the start of the 6th inning, many people already had a vague sense of what was to come.
This inning is crucial and might directly determine the outcome of the game.
This is not an exaggeration; it's a fact.
The lineup has now reached the most dangerous part. If they can't make an impression in this inning, the rest of the game might be at risk.
On the other hand, if they can take the initiative here, the lineup will keep pushing forward.
This would be a result that either team would welcome.
The atmosphere in the stadium, without any warning, suddenly became tense.
If this were an anime, there would have been an intense, suspenseful music track playing right about now to set the mood.
Oda Honjo, the batter in the box, is not a dull person.
On the contrary, as one of the former core players of Akagi High School's baseball team, his understanding of baseball far exceeds that of an average person.
He also realizes just how important this inning is for both teams.
As the starting lead-off batter, he has the responsibility and obligation
to help the team get on base first and take control of the game.
With their current lineup, if Oda can reach base,
Hoshiryu High School's chances of scoring increased significantly.
Nanami and Hosho Okuchi, both have already fully adjusted to the terrifying pitching speed of Furuya.
So once their turn in the lineup comes, the chances of hitting a base hit are high.
Moreover, Masamoto has also dropped his previous pride.
He no longer insists on going head-to-head with the pitcher.
Freed from the burden, he is now ready to take action.
This makes him a significant threat to Seidou High School.
For Hoshiryu High School, this is also a relatively reliable point.
As long as Oda gets on base, the situation on the field will change drastically, and Hoshiryu High School's chances will increase exponentially.
Oda understands this clearly.
Not only him but in this intense confrontation, everyone knows that
getting on base as the lead-off batter has a different meaning.
He must get on base!
Oda repeatedly tells himself not to retreat but to face the challenge head-on.
He needs the resolve to put everything aside and the determination to hit the ball no matter what obstacles arise.
His determination was just about to take shape when Furuya's pitch came flying toward him.
Last inning, Furuya's pitch speed and power had already seemed somewhat diminished.
'This was only natural!'
Although Hoshiryu High School hadn't gotten many base hits, they had forced Furuya to throw many pitches.
By now, his first peak stamina of 70 pitches had long passed.
It was natural for his speed and power to drop.
Because of this, the players from Hoshiryu High School felt they saw a glimmer of hope.
They no longer saw the man on the mound as an invincible monster.
They believed they could slay him!
Not just the others, but even Oda himself had this thought.
He believed that after Furuya's pitching had weakened,
he should be able to land a base hit.
Whether it was during his time at Akagi or now at Hoshiryu,
Oda was never considered a standout player.
He was never the star of the game, but he had always been an important supporting player.
His performance was never as brilliant as the stars, but he had worked tirelessly step by step over the years.
He had a clear understanding of his own abilities,
and this self-awareness gave him great confidence.
With Furuya weakening, Oda believed he could handle him.
This wasn't a bluff; he really had confidence in his ability to overcome the current challenge.
However, after seeing one of Furuya's pitches, Oda suddenly felt his previous thoughts were laughable.
Vrooooooooo!
The pitch came like a thunderous rocket.
The moment Oda saw the ball, his whole body seemed to go numb.
An overwhelming sense of helplessness washed over him.
It felt as though an ordinary person was facing a natural disaster.
He desperately wanted to do something, but the harsh reality told him, that in the face of nature's power, his personal strength was too insignificant to do anything.
Against Furuya's pitch, which felt like a flood breaking loose,
Oda was deeply confused.
He even wondered what he was doing standing there at that moment.
Did he really think he could stand up to this terrifying pitch as if he were a tiny figure challenging a monstrous flood?
Impossible!
Kaboom!
"STRIKE!"
Despair covered Oda's body.
The remaining fragments of his rationality reminded him that he couldn't just give up so easily.
He swung his bat in vain again and again.
But in the end, he never touched the ball.
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"
The previously worried Miyuki, after seeing that pitch, felt at ease.
It seemed his previous concerns were unnecessary.
The year and a half of training with Seidou High School had already turned Furuya into an incredibly reliable pitcher.
If he were to look at Furuya through old eyes now, he would be out of touch with the present.
Furuya is truly powerful!
One Out, no one on base.
Furuya's overwhelming performance against Oda made the fans go wild.
Why did they come all the way to watch Seidou High School's game?
Wasn't it to see the amazing performances of the Seidou High School players?
Although the legendary Demon King's pitch wasn't seen today,
watching this man with the fastest pitch in the country dominate the mound, was still incredibly satisfying!
The excitement was overwhelming!
Their adrenaline surged, impacting their brains.
Even as spectators, they couldn't maintain their composure.
One by one, they raised their bottles, horns, and various small props…
Shouting at the top of their lungs, calling out Seidou High School's name and Furuya's name.
It felt as though the spectators wanted to transfer their strength to the players on the field.
Though this was impossible,
the sheer force of their collective enthusiasm made even Koshien tremble.
Though an individual's strength is limited,
the combined power of tens of thousands of people cheering was still formidable.
Especially for their opponents, the players of Hoshiryu High School, it felt like they were facing the entire world.
That kind of intense pressure made them involuntarily start to shrink back.
"Tch! What is this?"
The next batter, Tsuchihara, stepped into the box.
He clearly felt the immense pressure.
Under the pressure, he almost collapsed to the ground.
Shaking his head, he tried to discard this shameful feeling.
Tsuchihara, with a grim expression, glared at Furuya on the mound.
When they knew they were facing Seidou High School's baseball team, the players from Hoshiryu High had already realized that this game wouldn't be easy.
Though Seidou High has its flaws, it's still the team no other powerhouse wants to face.
Their performance has been incredibly stable.
No matter the situation or the opponent, they rely on their strength to grind down and crush their opponents bit by bit.
Out of all the national powerhouses, the team least afraid of a surprise attack is Seidou High School.
Their steady style makes it hard to imagine what kind of team would be capable of breaching Seidou High's defenses.
Although they had anticipated this situation, the players of Hoshiryu High never expected that, without Sawamura on the mound,
Seidou High could still push them into such a corner with just a substitute pitcher.
Throughout this process, the players of Hoshiryu High realized they hadn't found any opportunity to flip the situation to their side completely.
All of their struggle until now was to just even the odds.
This was truly unbelievable!
Could it be that the gap between Hoshiryu High and Seidou High is really this big?
Impossible!
How could that be?
Remembering their training in the team,
Tsuchihara, who is very strong, absolutely refuses to accept this fate.
He raised his bat high, and facing the incoming baseball, he swung it fiercely.
At that moment, he didn't really aim, and the reason he swung so decisively was simply because he couldn't accept it!
He didn't want to surrender his team like this.
So, he fought back; he resisted.
The only way he could fight back was to hit the incoming baseball.
This kind of aimless swing would typically have no chance of hitting Furuya's pitch.
PANG!
But by pure luck, Tsuchihara managed to hit Furuya's pitch and sent it flying.
He was always known to possess extraordinary strength.
When his bat connected solidly with the ball, everything seemed to be predestined.
The baseball flew high into the air, falling far in the outfield.
Miyuki, the catcher, stared wide-eyed, standing up in disbelief.
That pitch from Furuya was definitely not a bad one.
In terms of his overall pitching, it could even be said to be quite good.
And yet, this pitch that was executed quite well was hit all the way to the outfield!
It was hard for Miyuki to accept.
Was luck really favoring Hoshiryu High so much?
As for whether Tsuchihara hit the ball through his own power,
Miyuki had never considered that possibility.
He knew Hoshiryu High's players well.
If Tsuchihara had that kind of power,
Furuya would have been destroyed by Hoshiryu High's players long ago.
Everyone watched as the ball flew.
They had a vague sense that this hit would greatly influence the course of the game.
Hoshiryu High was unexpectedly capable.
Though their players weren't entirely satisfied with their performance, from the audience's perspective, watching them compete evenly with Seidou High School, was quite impressive.
Their opponent was no mere team.
It was the national powerhouse, Seidou High School.
To be able to compete equally with such a team,
even without Sawamura on the mound,
was a remarkable feat.
The audience's view of Hoshiryu High began to change quietly.
They had once believed that the so-called "Golden Generation of Nagano" was merely a media exaggeration.
But after today's game, they had to change their minds.
Though their style was different, the Hoshiryu High School baseball team was a top-tier team in the country.
Some even sighed, murmuring,
"As expected, they are still a Golden Generation!"
...