V7_Chapter 29: Only Winning Is Important

“Third batter, pitcher, Sawamura-kun.”

At this moment, Seidou’s core lineup was up.

When Sawamura stepped into the Batter’s Box again, the crowd erupted. They seemed to anticipate another run.

The catcher Takami was anxious.

He looked at his partner with some reluctance, offering his advice.

‘With first and second bases open, it wasn’t the time for a final showdown.’

Amahisa Kousei shook his head vigorously at that.

‘Kousei! Don’t be stubborn! We are bleeding Runs here!’

Takami tried again but Amahisa was resolute.

He was determined to confront the batter head-on, regardless of who the opponent was. He intended to use his pitching to handle the situation.

‘Only this way, I can go higher!’

The catcher, powerless against his Ace’s stubbornness, could only seek assistance from the Coach in the dugout.

“Kousei, just do what you think is best.”

The Sankou High coach gave his Ace pitcher full trust and support.

If Amahisa Kousei could successfully deal with Sawamura Eijun here, it could potentially turn the game around.

Even if it didn’t work out and they lost a point, it was acceptable.

The loss would serve as a stepping stone for Kousei’s growth.

Tahara Toshihiko—Sankou's Coach—was determined to let Kousei face Sawamura directly.

In his view, no matter the outcome, it seemed there were no negative consequences.

This applied to both the team and Kousei.

The determination of Sankou was unwavering.

But Sawamura had no intention of humoring them.

‘Sorry, but I play with a team!’

Seeing Amahisa pitch the ball, he immediately opted for a bunt.

Ping!

‘And when you play with a team, only winning is important.’

The ball was perfectly bunted to the side of first base, and Sawamura dashed towards first base.

Kuramochi, seeing Sawamura’s bunt, smiled and ran home at top speed.

Just moments ago, they had received an order from his coach.

‘Get a run first.’

A two-run lead wasn’t entirely reassuring, but a three-run lead made a difference.

The pitcher is Sawamura!

Coach Kataoka didn’t believe that the Sankou players could overturn the game this easily.

In this situation, if the lead could be extended to three runs.

Coach Kataoka certainly wouldn’t mind.

He thought so and acted accordingly.

With Sawamura’s bunting skills, failure was only possible if the opponent intentionally walked him.

Even if they employed a forward defense.

“SAFE!!!”

“OUT!”

Sawamura didn’t reach base, but his task was accomplished.

Kuramochi returned to home plate, securing the third run for the team.

The total score became 3-0.

“That is dirty!”

Sankou's pitcher and catcher were about to face off against Sawamura. Was Sawamura, the so-called Demon King, actually retreating?

To some viewers, especially the supporters of Sankou, Sawamura Eijun’s actions seemed extremely cowardly.

A senior fan next to them struggled to keep from rolling his eyes and explained patiently.

“This is Seidou High School’s style!”

Relentless, uninterrupted assaults—that’s the hallmark of Yakushi High School.

Adapting offensive tactics based on the game’s needs—that’s Inajitsu’s style.

Sankou favors powerful hitting.

In contrast, Seidou High School’s approach is closest to the needs of professional baseball.

When there's an opportunity to score, they seize it without hesitation or needless greed.

Of course, if they already have a substantial lead, that’s another matter. However, in a fierce pitching duel, they aim to score as many runs as possible.

This is Seidou High School’s style.

Aggressive, but not greedy!

“I see!”

“But that approach is really devious.”

“You should say that Seidou High School knows how to secure victory.”

“Then what about their past…”

Seidou High School has its share of black history. They struggled for many years without making it to Koshien.

“There’s nothing to be done about it. Seidou High is in one of the toughest battlegrounds in the country. As long as you’re in this intense zone, you must accept that even with hard work, you might not succeed.”

This is the most intense battleground in the country—Tokyo!

“Such cowardice!”

Not only were the supporters of Sankou unhappy, but their ace pitcher was equally displeased.

Amahisa glared fiercely at Sawamura, who had just been taken Out of the game. If looks could kill, Sawamura would have been riddled with holes by now.

Seeing Amahisa’s hateful gaze, Sawamura innocently nodded back.

“You got the advantage, didn’t you?” Amahisa was so upset.

The results are already decided. What’s the point of being aggressive now?

But Sawamura didn’t care.

It is winning that matters, useless pride will only be that, useless.

After returning to the dugout, his teammates rushed over to celebrate. Even though he was out, Sawamura had driven in a run, extending Seidou High’s lead from two to three.

Now the team was almost assured of victory, and Sawamura Eijun had played a crucial role.

Sawamura greeted his teammates with a smile, completely unaffected by Amahisa’s fierce gaze.

Deep down, Sawamura was no longer a teenager. He understood that in the world of baseball, victory is everything.

Otherwise, no matter how exciting the game, it means nothing if you lose.

-The Image of Inajitsu celebrating was in his mind-

Only winners are remembered.

From this perspective, Coach Kataoka’s strategy made perfect sense. Most professional coaches follow the same approach.

The game continued.

Two Outs, no one on base.

Miyuki was up for his fourth at-bat.

Cheers erupted from the crowd as Miyuki stepped into the batter’s box.

But with no one on base and two outs, Miyuki’s chances were slim.

He was quickly dealt with by the opponent.

Ping!

Though Miyuki made contact, the ball was a pop fly. Sankou's first baseman caught it easily.

“OUT!”

Three Outs, offense and defense exchanged.

In the ongoing back-and-forth of the game, it moved to the bottom of the seventh inning.

After one Out, Sankou’s starting batter of the inning came up.

He was their team’s second batter!

Ping!

Using an oversized bat, he managed to hit one of Sawamura’s Moving balls.

The ball flew into the gap defended by Seidou High School.

“SAFE!”

The batter reached first base.

This base hit was crucial for Sankou.

It gave them hope.

It turned out that the Demon King Sawamura Eijun was not untouchable, and his pitches could be hit.

Their previous desperation was replaced by a glimmer of hope.

As long as Sawamura’s pitches could be hit, they were confident they could close the gap.

Miyuki shot a reproachful glance at Sawamura.

‘This was too careless!’

‘The opponent clearly used an oversized bat. Why couldn’t you make the pitch a bit trickier?’

Sawamura shrugged innocently.

What could he do? Moving balls are inherently unpredictable. Sometimes they break sharply, and other times they’re not much different from a straight pitch.

It’s rare for Sawamura to land his Moving exactly where he wants them.

Achieving perfect precision is impossible with something that shouldn’t be precise.

Given this, if he’s using a Moving ball, he must be prepared for it to be hit.

Fortunately, there was one Out, and the batter was only on first base.

There was still time to correct things.

As Sankou’s third batter approached the plate, Sawamura Eijun decisively signaled to Kuramochi behind him.

Kuramochi’s face was expressionless as he quietly began moving towards second base.

Then, Sawamura on the mound raised his right leg high and brought it down like a battle axe.

As his body weight shifted, Sawamura’s mitt moved out like a wall.

The baseball in his hand was like a javelin being launched.

Whoosh!

The sharp, slicing sound of the pitch was loud to the batter in the strike zone.

The ball was incredibly fast!

Although Sawamura Eijun’s pitching form is almost identical every time, it’s generally impossible to clearly predict which pitch he’ll throw.

Of course, this isn’t absolute.

Some pitches can still be distinguished, like the current one.

‘It’s a Straight-Fastball!’

Sawamura’s breaking balls can’t be thrown this fast.

Seizing such an opportunity, Sankou’s third batter, Sasaki, wasn’t about to let it slip.

He raised his bat high and swung fiercely.

Ping!

The white ball was hit and became a grounder.

The ball’s trajectory seemed predetermined, rebounding straight toward the pitcher. It landed and bounced in front of him.

Sawamura easily caught the ball in his mitt.

Snap!

Instead of immediately throwing the ball to first base, Sawamura turned and passed it to second base, where Kuramochi was waiting.

Kuramochi caught the ball cleanly, stepped on second base, and then jumped to throw the ball to first base.

Snap!

“OUT!”

“OUT!”

Three Outs, offense and defense exchanged.

…