Chapter 478: Seiko Match – The Fatty's Shock
"Go for it, Sawamura-kun!"
"Ace, teach that arrogant kid a lesson!"
"Tsunematsu, one more! Take him down!"
"You got this, Sawamura!"
"Fight!!"
"Attack, attack, attack, Tsunematsu!"
The crowd erupted with thunderous cheers.
A showdown between two first-year left-handed pitchers—
Both dugouts roared in full support of their own.
...
"Stay sharp, Tsunematsu! This batter is on a completely different level than the others!"
Behind the plate, Masu's eyes were serious as he flashed a sign.
On the mound, Tsunematsu bared his teeth and gave a fierce nod.
...
"First pitch, spiral ball!"
Starting with his most dangerous weapon.
They had to suppress Eijun's momentum right from the start.
That was Masu's judgment.
...
High leg kick.
Arm raised in a full wind-up.
Right leg forward—left arm whipping through.
"Boom!"
A gust of wind surged across the mound.
"Whoosh!"
A sharp flash of light shot from Tsunematsu's fingertips.
Fierce.
Roaring with power.
...
As that flash of white streaked toward him—
Eijun's eyes narrowed.
He tracked the pitch instantly, twisting his body into motion with perfect timing.
Elbow tucked, legs compressed—
He focused all his strength into his arms.
"Swoosh!"
His metal bat slashed through the air, gleaming with a chilling sheen.
"PING!"
A clash at the plate.
Bat met ball.
Eijun frowned.
It didn't feel quite right.
The sound of the hit wasn't what he wanted.
But on instinct—
He powered through the swing.
"Whoosh!"
The ball was deflected, flying upward—
High. Far. Fast.
It soared over the infielders' heads—
And before Seiko's fielders could react, it was already above left field.
"BANG!"
But…
It veered heavily outside the fair territory.
The ball smashed into the fence beyond third base.
"Foul ball!!"
...
"First pitch: spiral ball. Hit off-center and driven deep into foul territory!"
"Heh heh heh!"
"Ooooooh!!"
"As expected of Seidou's No. 3 batter."
A rare hitter who combined both power and precision.
Eijun was one of the only two in Seidou's lineup who could pull off something like that.
With just one swing, he made Tsunematsu show a serious expression for the first time.
"This guy... isn't ordinary."
That was Tsunematsu's honest thought in that moment.
...
"You understand now, right, Tsunematsu? If you give him anything too sweet... it could end badly."
Masu remained solemn behind the plate.
Tsunematsu nodded hard.
...
Second pitch: spiral ball again.
By all logic, this was one of the riskiest pitches a pitcher could throw—it put enormous strain on the shoulder.
But Masu had no choice.
Eijun wasn't a normal batter.
...
"Whoosh!"
Another pitch with massive presence.
The reverse-breaking trajectory locked into Eijun's view.
His body tensed completely—
No wasted movement, all energy channeled into his swing.
"Swoosh!"
But this spiral ball— was sharper than the last one.
Just as it neared the plate—
The break was tighter, cleaner.
Eijun misread the angle.
The ball swerved under his bat—
"Thud!"
And landed cleanly in Masu's glove.
"Strike!!"
Damn it… down 0-2.
Eijun hadn't expected back-to-back spiral balls, and his brows furrowed, a flicker of unease flashing in his eyes.
"This catcher… he's bold. To call two consecutive spiral balls like that…"
He gritted his teeth.
After taking a deep breath, he slightly adjusted his stance—backing away from the plate just a little.
This distance was much better for dealing with spiral balls.
Sure, it made outside pitches harder to reach, but considering the fat guy's poor control, Eijun was confident this positioning wouldn't be a problem.
A dangerous glint flashed in his eyes as he glared fiercely at Ogawa Tsunematsu.
Their eyes locked—
And sparks flew instantly.
...
"So he's moved his stance a bit, huh? Then…"
Behind the plate, Masu Shinichirou pressed his lips together and made another hand signal.
His expression hardened into one of unwavering resolve.
There was no time to get into a drawn-out fight with Seidou.
Third pitch—straight fastball down the middle.
With Eijun's adjusted stance, it would seem more like an outside pitch.
And with Tsunematsu's condition today—this was a pitch they believed could end it.
...
"Whoosh!"
This was Seiko's dream matchup.
As Ogawa's arm rose—
His entire body radiated intensity.
A dangerous aura surged off of him.
Then—light exploded from his hand.
A razor-sharp fastball streaked toward the plate.
...
In the batter's box, Eijun's pupils reflected that burst of light.
A direct showdown?
Just what I wanted.
A ferocious smirk spread across his face.
His foot stepped forward with force— and the bat roared through the air with an imposing howl.
"Fatty… Brace yourself!! Here comes your gift package!!!"
"PING!!"
The bat connected with a perfect sound.
It rang across the stadium like music to the ears.
...
"Whoosh!"
The ball soared—arcing through the sky in a perfect trajectory.
It flashed over the infield before anyone could react.
Ogawa's expression was like stone.
Behind the plate, Masu's face changed drastically.
He shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Center field!!"
...
Ball in motion—
Player in pursuit.
Seiko's center fielder, ace Ryuuhei Kojima, reacted instantly.
As the ball cleared the infield and climbed into the outfield sky—he was already tracking its path.
The ball reached its peak and suddenly dipped—
Kojima was nearly underneath it.
...
"Whoosh!"
He leapt—reaching for the ball.
"Get through!!!"
Eijun sprinted with everything he had, shouting internally as he flew around the bases.
"THUD!!"
Call it passion. Call it luck. Or maybe—just sheer will.
The ball missed Kojima's glove by a hair.
It landed— bouncing hard and skipping deeper into the outfield.
Eijun rounded first base without slowing down.
As the left fielder picked up the ball—
He slid into second base with textbook form.
Safe.
------------
If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.
Visit my patreon; patreon.com/Leonzky