Until the end of the 8th inning, Sawamura hadn't sensed any dissatisfaction or lack of trust from his teammates.
Perhaps everyone expressed their feelings in a more reserved way, but they still trusted him greatly.
With so many people trusting him, even if there were difficulties, Sawamura could only keep pushing forward.
After all, he was the Ace.
Carefully analyzing his opponents in front of him, Sawamura's mind was constantly considering how to deal with them.
There were many methods!
Not to mention the little traps he'd set up so far, even with his raw skill, Sawamura was confident he could prevent Francis from even making contact.
Not even with a bunt.
The Demon King had the confidence that came with being the Demon King.
But this had one prerequisite: Sawamura had to be able to give his all.
With only the fastball and a few basic breaking balls at his disposal, it was unrealistic to expect this to happen.
The Straight-Fastballs he used earlier worked as a temporary measure, but continuing to rely on them now would no longer be effective.
After pausing to think carefully, Sawamura realized he had run out of ideas.
For the first time, the "Prince of Breaking Balls" found himself tasting the bitterness of having no more tricks up his sleeve.
Behind the plate, Renji's actions were very supportive. He gave Sawamura a sign, reassuring him to throw.
'I'll catch it, at least I won't let it get past me!'
Renji's actions were touching, but unless it was absolutely necessary, Sawamura actually didn't plan on doing it.
It wouldn't be wise to use a pitch knowing that his partner was very likely to miss it.
If he did that, the result could be disastrous.
It was better to test the opponent's current state first and decide on a strategy from there.
Despite how troublesome the opponent was, Sawamura, with his experience, quickly came up with a plan.
Then, he set himself up and threw a high, Moving Up pitch.
This pitch was relatively safe.
First, Renji could catch it, and even if it was hit, there was a high chance it would become a pop-up.
Most importantly, high pop-ups were difficult for the opponent to drive.
Resolute, Sawamura threw the pitch.
Originally, he had planned to test the waters, but Francis seemed to be ready for it.
Without hesitation, he swung at the ball.
PAAK!
The bat made a solid connection with the baseball, sending it flying out with great force.
As soon as the ball was hit, Francis, like a wild dog let loose, sprinted furiously toward first base.
On the mound, Sawamura's heart sank.
It wasn't much different from what he had imagined—these American players, after facing him four times, had completely figured out his pitching patterns and actions.
Trying to bluff them with feints was no longer realistic.
These guys had clearly picked their pitches and were prepared to swing.
Unless Sawamura kept throwing fresh pitches, the result was inevitable: the ball would get hit.
Faced with a pitch that wasn't easy to hit, Francis didn't hesitate at all and swung for the fences.
This was the proof!
The American players were ready to prove everything.
Francis hit a double, and the situation changed to no Outs, with a runner on second base.
Because Sawamura couldn't use his higher-level breaking balls, he was feeling extremely frustrated in this game.
So far, he had already given up several hits.
But even so, this particular hit was especially notable.
There were two main reasons for its special nature. The first reason was the timing of the hit. The Japanese team was on the verge of victory, and the ideal outcome for them would be to smoothly finish off the game, preventing any chance for the American players to make a comeback.
As long as none of the American players could get a hit, they could basically say that victory was guaranteed.
The second reason was the current timing and the particularity of the pitch.
With no outs, Francis managed to get a double. The batter who hit it, of course, was the lightning-fast Francis.
At this moment, even a fool could tell that the American players were definitely not going to give up so easily.
It was a rare opportunity for them, and if they didn't go all out to score, it would be an insult to their reputation.
Just as people had imagined, seeing this hit, the entire American team's momentum changed.
Though they had been positive and confident up until this point, now their attitude felt more like a last-ditch effort.
The American players knew very well that their chances of a comeback weren't very high.
The pressure from Sawamura on the mound was just too strong. No American player could simply ignore it.
They knew how terrifying he was, and when facing him, they couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.
Every time they faced Sawamura's pitches, the American players couldn't help but ask themselves:
"Can I really hit this ball?"
When they asked themselves this question, the answer they gave was often uncertain.
To be honest, none of the American players dared to claim they could hit the ball.
Even though they had figured out Sawamura's pitching patterns.
When it came to actually facing him, none of them dared to say they could hit the ball.
The Demon King's formidable presence had already been drilled into the minds of every American player before the game even started.
After several innings of play, this impression had only deepened.
The American players subconsciously placed Sawamura on the same level as Allen.
Although they hadn't thought so at first, after actually facing Sawamura, almost every player began to feel the same way.
They didn't think that the Demon King was any weaker than the Son of Baseball.
When it came to Sawamura alone, the American players didn't have a clear understanding of him. They knew he was strong, but how strong exactly was a mystery.
However, if they put Sawamura on the same level as Allen, they had a clearer picture in their minds.
It was just like now. Even though the American players didn't have a huge chance, it wasn't completely impossible.
As world-class players, their job was to turn the impossible into the possible, right?
But in the moments they had just played, no American player had shown that kind of spirit.
The main reason for this was that they had already been intimidated by Allen in their previous encounters.
In their minds, Allen was invincible.
Even if they managed to gain an advantage in the short term, the final outcome wouldn't change.
Now, facing Sawamura, who was on par with Allen, they thought the same way. Even though the situation was dire for Japan, it was still a good opportunity for America.
But the mere thought that they were facing Sawamura, an opponent as powerful as Allen, made the American players uncertain.
Could they really win?
This doubt lingered in the minds of all the players, and they couldn't find an answer.
At the start of the 9th inning, this was the mindset the American players had.
They longed to win and were prepared to go all out, but they still had huge doubts about whether they could actually win.
In other words, they lacked confidence.
Almost none of them were 100% sure they could win.
After all, the impression Sawamura, the Demon King, had left on them was simply too strong.
He was the kind of guy who was sweeping records and smashing prodigies for snacks.
Anyone who faced him would likely not even know how they lost.
Facing such a strong, unsettling opponent, even the American players, who were fearless and had strong mental fortitude, couldn't avoid feeling uneasy.
It wasn't until Francis got that hit that the American players finally felt a sense of relief.
It seemed like they had been worrying for nothing.
Even though Sawamura, the Demon King, had shown near-perfect skill throughout the game, including his strength, fighting spirit, and intelligence in the game, it appeared that, as the game was nearing its end, he too had run out of ideas and was losing his edge.
In this situation, it no longer seemed that difficult for the American players to score.
Even more so now, as it was a great opportunity for them.
Their Coach's voice was trembling with excitement.
"I'm not asking you to score two runs and completely reverse the situation. Given the opponent's strength, that's unrealistic. I only have one request, and it's very simple. Listen closely. That is to tie the game. It's not a big ask. Just one run. As long as you can get one run, victory will be ours today."
…