Chapter 494: The Seikou Match – Measure of Resolve
As expected, he swung at the sinker too.
That means... the next pitch will be the perfect finisher.
A two-seam fastball. Sawamura, make sure you control your strength and angle just right.
After Ryuhei Kojima fouled off the outside sinker, a faint smile flickered at the corner of Miyuki's lips behind the plate.
The very next second, his fingers subtly signaled the next pitch.
On the mound, Eijun narrowed his eyes, then quickly opened them wide.
So eager, huh, Miyuki-senpai?
Alright then—just as you wish. But you better not miss it, senpai!
The golden battery of Seidou, in complete sync.
Pitcher and catcher moving as one.
A slight smirk appeared on Eijun's face.
"Boom!"
With a powerful step forward, he twisted his fingers around the seams, gripping the ball with precision.
At the exact moment he stepped off the rubber, his left arm whipped forward—and that brilliant flash of light surged from his fingertips, roaring toward the plate with overwhelming pressure.
Here it comes!!!
In the batter's box, Kojima's eyes sharpened.
The moment he caught sight of the ball, he reacted.
He wasn't necessarily looking to get a hit—but at the very least, he had to make contact.
As long as he didn't strike out, there would still be hope.
And that mindset wasn't wrong.
However—
This pitch was one that no one on Seikou's side had anticipated.
That gleam of light from Eijun's release—
In the very next moment, it carved an arc midair, slightly rising—then sharply dove downward.
It was a trajectory Ryuhei Kojima couldn't quite time.
Couldn't quite read.
"Whoosh!"
In a forced swing, he tried to meet the ball—but it plunged just out of reach.
"Pop!"
"Strike! Batter out! Three outs! Change sides!"
"A perfect breaking pitch! Seikou's No. 3 hitter, Kojima, swings through it! Even with a runner reaching third, and Seikou pouring everything they had into the inning, the golden battery of Seidou stayed calm and composed. Using their tactical pitch selection under pressure, they completely shut down the batter! With a one-run lead, Seidou heads into the final inning!"
A perfect two-seamer, curving sharply.
Ryuhei Kojima strikes out swinging.
"What was that pitch?"
"Splitter? Didn't look like it."
"But it dropped, didn't it?"
"That was a two-seam fastball. Definitely."
"Since when did he learn that pitch?"
"Wait... something about it looked different from a normal two-seamer."
"Still, the movement was real."
"A custom pitch with his own flavor? Sawamura's amazing."
"Totally unexpected surprise."
"He's using height, depth, and width as his weapons… Seidou's ace pitcher, Sawamura Eijun, is terrifying."
"That guy has way too many options for a finishing pitch."
As soon as the two-seamer left his hand, the entire stadium was reignited.
In the stands, fans buzzed with chatter and amazement.
Elsewhere in the crowd, former coach of Seikou wore a tight expression— but he was helpless to do anything, just sitting in the stands, watching anxiously.
Meanwhile, in the Seikou dugout down the third-base line, the players were even more visibly shaken.
At third base, captain Shinichirou Masu clenched his teeth.
"A two-seamer… seriously!?"
Even more telling than the reactions in the dugout was the expression on the batter himself—Ryuhei Kojima's face was a storm of frustration and disbelief, as if he wanted to devour Eijun Sawamura whole.
Cutter, change-up, five-seamer… and now a two-seamer.
Damn it. Damn it!
How much stronger is this pitcher planning to get before he's satisfied!?
For the first time—and the most vividly so—Seikou High felt an undeniable sense of helplessness.
Their offense only had one inning left.
Just three outs between them and the end.
That's the heaviest pressure a team can face at the endgame.
...
"Haha, great pitch, Sawamura-kun!"
"That was perfect, Sawamura!"
"Our Ace!"
"Seidou! Seidou! Seidou!"
As Seidou returned to the dugout, Eijun was greeted with roaring cheers from both the bench and the stands.
But Miyuki, ever composed, offered quiet critique:
"That last pitch was a bit too high. It didn't quite hit the target zone."
Eijun nodded seriously.
"Yeah. I didn't apply full pressure through my arm at the release."
He was well aware of the flaw.
That Kojima didn't capitalize on it came down to two things: it was his first time seeing Eijun's pitch style, and the two-seamer had strong personal nuance—
something that made it difficult to read or time.
"Just three more outs. Let's finish this clean."
"Yeah."
....
In contrast to Seidou's loose but focused atmosphere, Seikou's dugout had grown tense and heavy.
Everyone had expected to at least tie the game in that last inning.
Seikou had gone all-in just to score one run.
They'd made sacrifices and pulled every strategic move they had.
But it all crumbled in front of Sawamura's new pitch.
It stung.
And it showed.
The core players—Nagata, Masu, Kojima—still clenched their jaws with resolve.
But the rest of the bench was beginning to sag emotionally.
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!
Coach Oga broke the silence, clapping his hands loudly.
"They're strong—no denying it. But didn't you all know that from the beginning? We're facing the golden battery that won nationals. This pressure, this difficulty—it's only natural. But look how far you've come! We're in the final inning against the champions, and the score difference is just one run. You've earned the right to be proud! And more importantly—we haven't lost yet! We still have one last chance at bat! Weren't you all determined to prove to Coach Kumogiri that Seikou's lineup is the best in the nation? This is it—your chance! Give everything you've got in this last battle. Fight for yourselves—win this, for you!!"
His voice boomed through the dugout, and one by one, the players' eyes began to shine again—
bright with youthful fire.
"YES!!!"
The raw energy of youth—undaunted, unbroken.
"Masu, Tsunematsu—you two are the first wall of defense! Hold the line. Victory starts with you!"
"Yes, Coach!"
"Understood!"
Masu's eyes were calm and focused.
Tsunematsu wore a sharp, serious expression.
They would bet it all—on their beliefs.
On this final inning.
No backing down. No surrender.
Because this—this is the true character, the "measure", of every ballplayer who dares to aim for the top.
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