Chapter 490: Seiko Showdown – The Ace Takes the Mound
"The following is a player substitution notice for Seidou High School: replacing Sawamura on the mound is Aso, who will take over in left field. Sawamura will move from left field to pitcher. Batting seventh and playing left field is Aso. Batting third and pitching is Sawamura. Pitcher: Sawamura."
The sweet voice from the announcer's booth echoed through the stadium.
And then, onto the mound walked a solemn and composed figure.
The moment Eijun's golden-tinged figure came into view, the entire crowd erupted in thunderous applause.
"He's finally here—Seidou's ace pitcher and summer champion, Eijun Sawamura!"
"Ahhhhhh! I've been waiting for this, Sawamura-kun!"
"Two weeks since we last saw him pitch!"
"The Ace Of Diamond!"
"Let's go, Seidou High! Go, Sawamura!"
"Our ace is here—no one can challenge him now!"
"We've got this in the bag!"
"Do your best, Eijun-kun!"
"The golden battery is back—it's time to show them what real baseball looks like!"
The cheers surged like a tidal wave.
Flushed faces. Shouts of joy.
It felt like the arrival of a king—Seidou's undisputed monarch, the Jewel Ace—Eijun Sawamura.
"How are you feeling today?" Miyuki asked with a knowing smirk.
"Nothing special," Eijun replied calmly. "Just pitching like usual. Striking batters out like usual. Winning like usual."
"Haha, such dependable words, Ace. Well then, the last three innings are yours."
"Yeah!"
Their customary touch of the mitt—an unspoken ritual.
The symbol of unity between pitcher and catcher, the golden battery.
The king had arrived.
And as Eijun took the mound, the moment his sharp gaze locked onto Seiko's dugout...
Everyone on Seiko's side could feel the heavy pressure bearing down. Different from Furuya's overwhelming power—it was the quiet, suffocating presence of a true ace.
His presence alone commanded fear.
His aura, his dignity, his composure—this was the weight of a king.
The ace of the summer champions.
The pressure he brought was overwhelming and unmistakable. Seiko's players felt it in their bones.
"Whoa…"
Even Ogawa Tsunematsu, a bit of an airhead, was stunned as he looked up at Eijun, who stood tall like a monarch. His jaw dropped in awe and envy.
The rest of Seiko's team, however, had already sharpened their focus, eyes filled with burning determination.
"So that's Seidou's strongest pitcher… the Ace Of Diamond, Eijun Sawamura," Masu muttered.
"Eijun Sawamura. Seidou's ace. I'm sure you're all very familiar with his record," Coach Oga said gravely.
"Three innings. One run. That may sound like a tough goal—but it's the one we must achieve. I've always believed in our batting lineup. What about you!?"
"Yeahhhhh!!!"
"Top of the 7th! Batting sixth for Seiko High—right fielder Nishijima!"
"Let's go, Nishijima! Start us off strong!"
"Don't be afraid, Nishijima! You've got this!"
"Charge, Seiko!"
"Seiko! Seiko! Seiko!"
The stadium heated up again with fierce energy from Seiko's supporters.
To them, there was no turning back.
Only forward—toward victory, toward the summit.
That was the only thing they wanted.
The only thing they had to do.
On the mound, Eijun raised his chin slightly.
His entire being radiated an aura of brilliance. A commanding presence rippled outward.
At the plate, Nishijima's expression turned grim and focused.
"Let's start with something intimidating. Cutter—Modified."
The moment Eijun stepped onto the mound—
Miyuki had no intention of holding back. He knew very well that the key to handling Seiko's batting lineup was to suppress them with overwhelming momentum.
On the mound, Eijun gave a slight nod.
His leg rose high for the first pitch.
Boom!
The stomp of his lead foot echoed with force.
Whoosh!
Out of the corner of his eye—
As his arm whipped forward, a blazing flash tore through the air.
A brilliant, unstoppable streak of light closed in.
At the plate—
Nishijima's eyes sharpened as he took a firm step forward, locking onto the incoming pitch with intense focus.
Inside corner!
Swish!
He swung his bat with all his strength.
Whoosh!
The ball, initially aimed at the inside corner, suddenly veered even further inward with an abrupt break.
Before Nishijima could even react, the angle and speed of the pitch shifted so sharply, it felt like the ball simply vanished.
Pop!
"Strike!"
What!?
As the umpire's call rang out behind him, Nishijima stood stunned.
So this… this is his cutter!?
He turned sharply to look at the pitcher's mound, where Eijun stood tall and composed, biting his lip in frustration as the realization settled in.
But Nishijima's frustration did nothing to disrupt Eijun's rhythm.
"Second pitch—outside fastball."
After the sharp cutter inside, Miyuki called for a fastball low and away.
Whoosh!
The pitch traced the far edge of the strike zone, pushing even wider than typical inside-outside sequences.
Swish!
Pop!
The ball was well out of reach.
"Strike!"
Just like that, two quick pitches, and Nishijima was already cornered.
Damn it…! This guy's even tougher than expected…
Whoosh!
Eijun allowed no breathing room.
After the two strikes, another flash lit up the field.
Fully utilizing the strike zone, he gave Nishijima no chance to catch his breath—overwhelmed by the tempo.
Ping!
A center-cut fastball—but Nishijima completely missed the sweet spot.
He failed to connect with full power, and the ball weakly bounced off the bat.
Thud!
It hit the ground with a dull thump.
"Shortstop!"
Eijun called out to Kuramochi on the right.
"Leave it to me!"
With a smooth sliding step, Kuramochi intercepted the ball effortlessly.
With a flick of his wrist, he hurled it toward first base.
Whoosh!
Pop!
Maezono caught it cleanly.
"Out!"
Nishijima hadn't even taken more than a step before he was thrown out.
He stopped in place, cast a glance at the calm figure on the mound, and after letting out a small grunt, strode off the field back to the dugout.
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