Chapter 565: Clash of the Aces
The ball's flash of light streaked forth.
At the plate, Eijun's eyes instantly sharpened. His sharp dynamic vision allowed him to immediately catch the incoming pitch—an inside fastball!!
That piercing brilliance.
That straight, uncompromising trajectory.
Eijun made his judgment in an instant.
Boom!
His foot drove forward with explosive force.
Lowering the barrel of his bat, tilting his body forward, he twisted his torso—channeling the power from his lower half perfectly into his arms.
Whoosh—!
The bat swung with all its might, whipping through the air with a fierce rush of wind.
Just then— the blazing fastball suddenly dipped.
Eijun's pupils shrank sharply.
With his weight already committed forward, he clenched his teeth, funneling every ounce of strength into a single decisive swing.
In that instant—
it was as though a thunderclap exploded in his chest.
He raised his bat speed by just a fraction—
PING!!!
At the very moment before the ball completely dropped, his bat connected cleanly.
The sharp crack echoed across the field.
Behind the plate, Chris's eyes flickered in surprise.
At the plate, Eijun winced at the jarring vibration in his palms.
"Haaah!!"
With a sharp shout, he poured everything into his arms, driving the ball forward.
Swoosh!!
The compressed ball, distorted against the bat, suddenly sprang off—
FWISH!
A white streak ripped through the air, flying hard toward third base.
Third baseman Masuko leapt desperately, but could only watch as the ball sailed just beyond his glove.
Thud!!
Fortunately, its trajectory veered slightly off.
The ball crashed down just past the foul line, bouncing deeper into foul territory.
"FOUL!!!"
"Ohhh!! The first pitch was a splitter!"
"Changing the rhythm from earlier—classic Chris!"
"But Sawamura actually adjusted at the last moment! Damn, his batting is really improving!"
"A showdown between the old ace and the new ace—now THIS is how you open a battle!!"
"Go, Sawamura!!"
"Come on, Tanba, show him what a real ace is!!"
"ACES!!!"
The crowd was on fire—every fan shouting, their faces lit with excitement. The stadium atmosphere was no longer just a practice game; it felt like a full-on championship clash.
"Not bad… that swing had excellent control of power, and you even added some fine adjustments. Both in strength and technique, Sawamura—you've really grown this past year."
Behind the plate, Chris's sidelong glance at Eijun carried a glint of deep pride.
After all, this was the junior he had once nurtured, the one he had always believed in.
To see him standing strong like this—it filled Chris with joy.
"But… this alone won't be enough to beat Tanba right now, Sawamura!"
Chris's eyes narrowed with a faint smile as his fingers flashed another signal.
On the mound, Tanba solemnly nodded.
His body tensed, then straightened in one explosive motion.
A heavy step forward.
His arm whipped with brutal force.
FWISH!!!
The ball flashed once more with dazzling speed.
At the plate, Eijun's expression remained firm.
He widened his stance, sank his weight, tightened his arms, and swung his metal bat with full force.
PING!!!
The sharp clash echoed.
A well-placed inside fastball— Eijun's brows furrowed tightly.
Tanba-senpai's pitches… they're even heavier than before.
Even as the thought flickered through his mind, Eijun didn't hold back.
He drove forward with explosive footwork, pouring all his strength into the swing.
FWISH—BANG!!
The ball struck the ground hard.
Eijun dropped his bat at once and sprinted toward first.
But just as he bolted from the box— at second base, Ryousuke had already anticipated the bounce.
With sharp judgment and lightning reflexes, the senior was on it in an instant.
Compared to his older brother, Haruichi's defense was still far from that level.
"Smack!"
With textbook precision, Ryousuke scooped up the ball cleanly, then whipped it across the infield.
"Thud!"
Before Eijun could even reach a third of the way to the bag, the ball landed firmly in Captain Yuuki's mitt at first.
"OUT!!!"
"Three up, three down—side retired!!!"
A flawless showing from Tanba.
He gave the current Seidou lineup no openings, completely suppressing the first three batters.
A true ace's performance.
Compared to last summer, Tanba was undeniably proving himself as the pitcher worthy of carrying the number one.
The crowd outside the field was buzzing, many fans looking at Tanba with newfound respect.
"Tsk, tsk, got tricked by Chris-senpai's calls, huh?"
Back on the bench, Miyuki wasted no time "mocking" Eijun with that trademark crooked grin.
Eijun glared back, exasperated.
This guy… the very definition of black-hearted.
"Chris-senpai's pitch calling was perfect. But more than that, Tanba-senpai's condition today is insane. Especially his fastball—it's so heavy that if you're not careful, even you'd get overpowered, Miyuki-senpai."
Eijun's voice carried unusual seriousness.
He couldn't ignore the feel in his hands from those last two swings. The weight, the bite—it was nothing like before.
"Yeah… even just watching, I can tell. Tanba-senpai's not easy to deal with tonight."
Miyuki nodded slightly, his eyes narrowing.
"Exactly. His pitches have more weight than before, and he's even gained a touch more speed."
Eijun agreed with a grave nod.
"Still…" Miyuki's gaze shifted to the third-base dugout, sharpness flashing in his eyes, "…before anything else, we've got to shut down their offense."
No matter that this was just an OB red-vs-white game.
As Seidou's captain and clean-up, Miyuki had no intention of losing.
Even if this match was prepared as a send-off for their seniors—
Since it was being played like a real, official game, then…
Wanting victory was only natural.
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