Chapter Text
Prologue: Reincarnated as Eijun Sawamura?!
"A dramatic end to the 9th inning! 2 hours and 53 minutes of desperate struggle, and the one to put an end to it is the ace with his batting!" The loud speakers in a blazing-hot stadium packed full of fans blared across the arena. "The Seidou High players look on with disbelief. Just 1 more out separated them from their dream stage. But that one out was beyond their reach!"
The hazy image of a baseball field filled with the sweat and tears of two teams competing with everything they've got begins to blur even more, eventually fading into complete darkness.
Feeling a dull headache, I sit up on the soft bed, confused. Looking around the unfamiliar space, I find myself in a rather generic bedroom. I don't recognize where I am, yet I feel safe, it feels like home. A soft breeze comes in from the open window, where I can see the beautiful country-side, surrounded by multiple mountains.
I feel tears falling down my cheek, what was I dreaming about again? New memories begin pouring into my brain, worsening the strange migraine. I instinctively reach to the desk beside me, checking my cellphone for the time.
"Hmmm. It's only 6 in the morning." I wipe my face clean, before my eyes widen in surprise.
My jaw drops, as I realize my phone is displayed in Kanji and Japanese script. Since when could I understand Japanese?!
I jump out of bed, desperately looking for anything I can read. My already messy room is flipped upside down, searching for a book to test my theory.
Eventually finding an untouched, dusty book on the basics of baseball, I flip to a random page, where my confusion is only multiplied.
"For proper batting stance, remember to keep the elbow up and back, creating tension between the upper and lower body..." I easily read and utter out the excerpt in flawless Japanese. "What the hell?!"
My door is suddenly kicked open, revealing an old man with a white mohawk.
The new memories kick in, that's my grandfather?
"Hey Eijun! Stop making such a ruckus so early in the morning!" He spat out with annoyance itched on his face, before he wound up his right arm up high in the blink of an eye.
"Huh?-"
My mind goes blank for a second, when my grandfather slaps the shit out of me, sending me back on to the bed face first.
"Stop messing around!" My tough yet loving grandfather ordered, a noticeable vein ready to burst on his smooth head. "Now wash up and come downstairs!"
He then slammed the door shut, leaving me sprawled out on the bed with an even bigger headache.
What the fuck is going on?!
Wait a second... He called me Eijun?
I rush to the mirror in my room, studying the reflection looking back.
Eijun Sawamura stares back at me, intense brown eyes shining golden from the rising sun.
Actually, a shower seems like a great idea right now.
- Later -
After a refreshing shower, my headache is nearly gone. My new memories are finally intact, answering many of my questions.
First of all, I really am Eijun, 14 years old, only child of the Sawamura family. My family and I are in Nagano, a mountainous region north-west of Tokyo. I'm currently enrolled in Akagi Junior High, where I am the ace and team captain of the small baseball team.
Well... If you can even call it a proper team, we barely have enough members to field a whole team.
A fire in my heart is suddenly lit, as if the only way I can feel fulfilled is if I'm on the mound, playing baseball with the country's elite players. This raw desire to compete with the very best Japan has to offer is something I cannot ignore.
Are these feelings from my old life? Or is it because I suddenly find myself in a baseball freak's body?
As hard as I try, I can't remember even a single detail from my past life, besides any knowledge of Sawamura's story.
Honestly... I'm pretty excited, actually. For whatever reason, I'm in the body of the main character of one of my favorite manga's, that's all that matters. I'm not going to complain!
Smelling delicious food from downstairs, my empty stomach rumbles in response. I follow the trail where my family is seated, having already begun eating breakfast.
"Are you ready for your first day, Eijun?" My mother asks me with a gentle smile. "I can't believe it's already your last year in junior high..."
"First day?" I ask her, more focused on the food on the table in front of me.
Another slap rattles my brain, as my grandfather looks at me with fury.
"Don't tell me my idiot grandson didn't get any sleep before the first day of school!" He said with raised eyebrows, looking at me almost dangerously. "You better not fail anymore classes this year!"
Rubbing my cheek as I start feasting on the plate in front of me, I remember Eijun is a bit of an idiot.
Rather than fruitlessly try to explain to my new family I'm literally a changed man, I decide to stay quiet, and instead show them with my actions the new and improved Eijun. If I take my studies seriously, it'll be easier for them to support my baseball goals, where I'll be training non-stop, starting today.
So that means no more sleeping in class, and acting out against the teachers. Plus, if I get decent grades, I'll have more leeway when it comes to my baseball training. Just how hard can Japanese junior high be?
"Sorry Ojiisan, I couldn't sleep well... I'm just nervous for the new school year." I come up with an easy excuse, I can at least take advantage of their low expectations of me. "I'm excited to play baseball with the rest of the team again!"
Despite this quirky family, I can't help but smile, I really love my new family already.
- After Breakfast -
Instinctively knowing the long bike ride I have to Akagi Junior High, I spend the ride thinking of my plan for the next school year.
One thing I know for sure, I want to play for Seidou, and I absolutely want to win Summer Koshien with Yuuki and the rest of the third-years.
If things go as planned, Seidou's scout will be in attendance for my final game, where I can show her my potential as an ace.
The original Eijun Sawamura had a lot of untapped potential, so I need get started right away. He's definitely no Shohei Ohtani, but with hard work I should be able to become one of the most promising young talents in the country. I have a year to prepare, focusing mostly on my body and stamina to deal with the intensity of high school baseball. Strength and conditioning will be my top priority.
It definitely won't hurt to learn how to be a threat in the batter's box either, at the very least I don't want to be an automatic out when I'm up at the plate. Since only one player can pitch at a given time, I should learn how to play the outfield, since lefties can't play the infield, besides first base.
It's not just working hard, but working smart, as well. If I also focus a lot on my pitching base, it'll be tough for many junior high hitters to beat me. Baseball is a hard sport, so if I can learn to throw some filthy stuff, I'll be recruited easily.
I have decent genes for a pitcher: Long fingers with supple joints and a flexible body. I have pretty good balance too, that should help a lot with my pitching form.
Speaking of pitching...
Since Eijun originally specialized in throwing idiosyncratic pitches, or basically just fastballs with movement, I need to experiment with as many different grips as possible. I already have a good idea of what to start with.
The 4-seam and 2-seam fastballs will be the core of my pitching, and once I have decent command with those I can start to mix in cutters, and eventually, a changeup. Maybe I'll even try to learn a breaking ball before I meet the scout, just how many junior high pitchers can confidently throw a curveball or a slider?
I shouldn't get ahead of myself, I just need to worry about properly appealing to Seidou. Once I prove myself a worthy prospect, then I can start going all-in on training. There is more than enough resources and support at a baseball school like Seidou.
This will be a lot of hard work, but it'll be worth it.
Chapter 1: Destiny's Fateful Pitch
- Many Months Later -
- Rei Takashima -
The assistant coach, scout, and recruiter for Seidou High hastily took a seat on the bleachers, her notebook open and ready. She arrived in Nagano just in time to watch the defense warming up just before the start of the match.
It was a first round match-up between Akagi Junior High and the powerhouse school with Koshien aspirations, Narushima Junior High. The team was known for its strong lineup, so she expected to see a strong showing from the hitters. There were more than a few potential recruits at Narushima. She felt bad for the local school, there wasn't even an official baseball program at Akagi Junior.
But as her eyes drifted over to the mound, she watched as the loud pitcher from Akagi laughed as he stretched his arm. She pulled out the booklet, detailing both teams. It was mostly focused on Narushima, but there was an excerpt on Akagi's so-called heart and soul of the team.
"Hmmm." She studied the brief description on Sawamura Eijun, Akagi's ace and team captain. "A lefty is always useful..."
Rei looked around the modest stadium, where she was surprised to see many locals ready to cheer on Akagi.
As she observed the defense warming up, she could tell with a brief glance just how unimpressive Akagi's fielders were. There was even a girl playing left field?
She could see their nervous faces, as they watched the imposing lineup swing their bats with force. This was looking like the beginning of a quick mercy game.
It doesn't matter how strong a pitcher is, if the defense or the offense cannot support him, there is no chance they can win the game. Especially not against a team that made quarterfinals in the Summer Koshien last year.
The game was about to begin, the first batter of the game was preparing to enter the batter's box.
Rei studied the captain, Sawamura, as he let out a couple deep breaths on the mound, eyes closed. He suddenly turned to his team behind him, pointing his left hand up to the sky, appearing to give a speech to his fielders.
"Ah! Eijun is doing it again!" A spectator next to her said out loud, some of the locals buzzing expectantly.
He's doing what again?
"This is the first game of many if we want to make it to Koshien!" Sawamura yelled out, loud enough for the whole stadium to hear. "We spent this last year diligently working on baseball day in and day out. We practiced for this very day, so let's not make those countless hours we put in to waste..."
What in the world? In all of her years being obsessed with baseball, Rei has never seen a pitcher giving out a speech to the rest of the team on the mound before the game started.
A hint of a smile appeared on her face as she and the rest of the spectators couldn't help but get absorbed into Sawamura's speech.
"Whether this is the last game we play as a team, or the first in a miracle run to Koshien, it doesn't matter. All there is to do for us now is to simply bring out what we've been practicing all this time." Sawamura amped up the intensity in his speech, as the fielders behind him began to noticeably relax with his words. "The batters will go down and out, so fielders, I'll be counting on all of you to have my back!"
The rest of his team and many of the Akagi fans in the stands loudly cheered back to him, as if Sawamura did this every pre game as a ritual. The 1 on his back didn't feel out of place, as he certainly had the presence of an ace pitcher, capable of leading his team into victory.
Rei turned to the opposing team's dugout, where she could hear the fired up jeers of the favorites to win the match.
"What's this guy saying? Is he serious?!"
"Who's going to Nationals with a little hick school?! Ahahaha!"
"Akagi Junior is the school being absorbed into Akagi West next year, right? I really thought these guys were just in it for the memories!"
"We'd never lose to such a girly team!"
Rei rolled her eyes as she felt slightly annoyed with the Narushima Junior High players. It isn't a good look for a powerhouse team to trash talk a much smaller school that didn't have a real baseball program.
As the first batter of the game stepped into the box, she carefully watched the pitcher who had captured her attention.
Sawamura was average height for his age, but she could tell underneath his uniform he had a fair amount of muscle. It definitely didn't look as baggy on him as it did Sawamura's other teammates. She also immediately noticed his demeanor, he had a confident smile on his face.
He raised his leg up high, surprising her, as Sawamura created a wall with his right hand, closing his body and concealing the ball's trajectory until the very last second.
The batter didn't have much time as the ball flew by him at his knees.
"Strike!" The home plate umpire called out.
Rei checked the speed on the clean fastball, clocking in at 131km/h.
"Strike!"
Another fastball, high and in, not giving the batter enough time to make contact.
She didn't blink, wanting to see if Sawamura had a good strike-out pitch.
The loud-mouthed pitcher raised his knee up high, just as he did the previous times, showing a well-balanced form. The ball quickly flew out of his hand, aimed at the same location as last pitch before it broke sharply at the plate, leaving the batter looking foolish for strike three.
Akagi's supporters in the stands erupted in cheers, it felt like they had full confidence in Sawamura.
She could feel the energy in the stadium shift, as his fast pace kept the defense and the crowd engaged.
The second batter lasted a single pitch, swinging at Sawamura's almost vanishing cutter, easily grounding out to first base.
"Two outs!" Akagi's ace yelled out to his teammates, who all had huge smiles on their faces.
"Two outs!!" His fielders shouted in response, mirroring Sawamura's hand signals, index finger and pinky fingers sticking out.
Rei watched as Sawamura cornered the third batter into an 0-2 count, where she studied his form obsessively. He had a consistent windup and release, his lead foot always pointed towards home plate after each pitch. His tricky windup obviously caused problems for the Narushima lineup, who couldn't get their timing right.
Sawamura pitched a ball, grinning as he released it, the batter way in front of the pitch when he threw a circle change, causing the batter to drop down to a knee, completely missing the target.
"Strike three! Change sides!" The ump shouted, as the crowd cheered on Sawamura jogging to the dugout.
"How interesting." A man behind her mumbled to himself, he was furiously writing down notes in his book. "I did hear mumblings of a talented pitcher way out here in the mountains..."
She quickly recognized the balding man as Hayashida Masayoshi, Inashiro Industrial's baseball club president and head scout.
Rei felt a chill go down her spine, not wanting to lose Sawamura to one of Seidou's main rivals in the West Tokyo Prefecture.
Checking the lineup card, she felt excited when she saw Sawamura Eijun batting second in the lineup. His catcher was batting leadoff.
After such a strong showing at the top of the first inning, she wanted to see how good he was with the bat.
Feeling the excitement from the Akagi fans, she scrutinized Sawamura as he took practice swings.
He had a relaxed stance, with the barrel pointed up. It reminded her of the new captain Yuuki's batting stance, it was fundamentally sound.
Akagi's leadoff hitter was walked to first base, was the team feeling the early pressure Sawamura generated?
It certainly felt that way, as Sawamura strode to the left batter's box, staring at the pitcher intently.
As the pitcher began his windup, the runner on first base began to move, Akagi Junior launching a hit and run right off the bat.
A satisfying clang rang out, Sawamura targeting a first pitch strike after the leadoff walk. He swung the metal bat with perfect timing, sitting on the first pitch heater. The ball was hit all the way to the wall, The aggressive tactic paid off immediately, as the lead runner sprinted past second and third, easily reaching home, stunning the powerhouse team who didn't expect to give up any runs.
The surprising Sawamura had speed, standing on third with an infectious smile on his face, as he looked to his cheering dugout with a prideful expression, as if they really could pull off the upset victory.
- Later -
The rest of the game was fairly quiet after that exciting first inning. Sawamura was stranded on base. It was a pitcher's duel, Narushima's ace calmed down after that rocky start, shutting the rest of the Akagi Junior lineup down. They pitched around Sawamura, walking him during his next two at-bats.
Sawamura continued to impress on the mound, leaving the slugging junior high team hitless until their third time around the lineup, where the disciplined lineup managed to wrestle away a run from Sawamura, tying it up at 1 run apiece. Honestly, it wasn't really his fault, a better defense behind him could have saved the run from scoring.
Rei quickly noticed no pitcher was warming up late into the game for Akagi, as if Sawamura will be pitching the entire game, no matter how long it goes.
The tension in the stadium grew steadily, when the game reached extra innings. Fatigue on Sawamura's face was clear, the brutal sun not showing him any mercy, as he sweat buckets on the mound, the imposing lineup pressuring him as the game went on.
She noticed every now and then, Sawamura's eyes glowed golden, like he was locked in on an entirely different level. They were glowing now, he accessed an even higher gear, not letting any runners on base in the ninth, tenth or eleventh innings.
Eventually the defense cracked, a fielding error allowed a runner on, where the relentless Narushima lineup finally broke the stalemate, scoring in the twelfth.
Sawamura didn't get a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the inning, as Akagi's catcher ground into a double play, right before Sawamura's at-bat, ending the brutally long game, 2-1.
"Game set!" The lead umpire called both sides to the middle of the infield, where both teams looked at each other in exhaustion. "Teams, bow!"
Many of the Narushima players approached Sawamura, shaking his hand before they walked back to their dugout.
The crowd gathered cheered wildly for Sawamura and the Akagi team, as they bowed to their supporters in thanks.
"That was an amazing game!"
"Nice showing Ei-kun!"
"Don't feel embarrassed, Akagi Junior! You all played well against one of the national favorites!"
Rei closely watched as many of his teammates broke down in frustrated tears around him. They must know more than anyone how much he carried them this far, wanting to support him just a little bit. Sawamura stood there strong, the smile never left his face, as he comforted and reassured his disappointed teammates.
"He's got the personality and the leadership of an ace." She uttered to herself, her glasses shining brightly, getting ready to recruit him at all costs.
- A Few Days Later -
- Eijun Sawamura -
- Kokubunji, Tokyo (Seidou High School) -
After a hectic few days filled with rest and a couple of meetings with some scouts, including one Rei Takashima, I find myself on the train to Tokyo, where Rei offered me a spot in Seidou's program. Of course, I didn't accept right away, instead asking if it was possible to visit the campus and fields first.
Arriving onto the grounds, I'm not disappointed when the grounds are filled with dozens of athletes chanting or calling out in focused practice. The goal of each of these players is securing a roster number and spot on the main team or a place on the starting lineup. The sound of dozens of bats being swung, balls being pelted and pitches being thrown all around me resonate like music in my ears. The smell of sweat and dirt is strangely comforting, as I do appreciate a group so hell-bent on playing baseball.
"So, what do you think? These grounds and facilities are our school's pride." Rei asked me with smug look on her face. "There are grounds for practicing on rainy days over there too... Half of our team members live in the dorms!"
"I'll admit, it's pretty impressive." I return a smirk to her, seeing no reason to lie as she continues giving me a tour of the place. "I guess only other baseball freaks would come here to Tokyo to study baseball abroad."
"Local players don't just get on the field. We only care about a player's abilities." Rei turned to me with serious eyes. "They say Japan's high school baseball is the best in the world... This is an era where the pros challenge the major leaguers one by one. There are only a few 15 year old boys who leave their families to pursue baseball with that kind of singlemindedness... They push themselves and train in a harsh environment to raise their abilities. I can feel it within you, you have the exact same drive and ambition."
Before I could respond to her impassioned speech, a noisy commotion nearby interrupts us.
"HEY, PITCHER!! WHAT'S WITH THAT COWARDLY BALL?! ARE YOU MOCKING ME OR SOMETHING?" A nasty voice rung out loudly from one of the fields. "IF YOU THROW LIKE THIS, I CAN'T PRACTICE! THROW A MORE LIVELY BALL!!"
I see the arrogant third year slugger with a belly, bullying a trembling first year pitcher.
A small crowd forms, looking at the first year pitcher on the mound soaked in sweat, who is on the verge of tears.
"Worn out by this much..." The gap toothed senpai spat out from the batter's box, pointing his bat at Nori. "You're not even going to make it on the BENCH like that!"
"I'm sorry..." Nori was barely able to utter out, wiping the sweat from his face.
"Azuma-senpai is at it again." One of the Seidou players said to the guy next to him.
"He shows no mercy once he gets his eyes on someone."
"If you're not to it, just go back to your hick town, idiot!!" The third year cleanup hitter continued to taunt him. "We've got plenty of pitchers to replace you!"
"You should watch his batting..." Rei whispered in my ear, as Nori prepared to pitch to him. "He's a monster who's proud of his 42 home runs in his high school career, Azuma Kiyokuni. For now, he's favored in this year's draft!"
Azuma effortlessly balanced on one leg, placing every ounce of power he could in his monstrous swing, squaring up with Nori's hesitant fastball.
The distinct clang of the ball being smashed let everybody watching know it was a complete no doubter, while I watched the crushed ball soar over the high fence.
"HA!! It's like I'm swinging through air!" Azuma stood back with a cruel smile while he admired his home run. "Kawakami! You're done! Get off the mound! Someone carry him out in a cardboard box and send him home to his mommy! HAHA!!"
As Azuma laughed like a complete goon, I made my way over to him, ready to make a name for myself. This is a good opportunity to introduce myself to a lot of my future teammates, and what better way than to directly challenge one of the best sluggers to ever come out of Seidou's infamous baseball program?
"Let me pitch to you. There's no way you're going to make it in pro ball with a body like that!" I announce more to the gathered players than to Azuma himself. "Look at that belly! Don't tell me you were held back a couple years, Azuma-senpai, there's no way you're in high school!"
"Sawamura-kun, stop!" Rei tried getting me to shut up, as I started to laugh at him.
I can't help but laugh as I hear the panicked or confused grumblings of the players gathered, wondering who the hell I am or why some random kid is openly disrespecting a huge senpai in front of the whole team.
If I make fun of him in front of everybody, there's no way he'll decline my challenge.
"Who in the world..." Azuma growled while he squeezed the bat as hard as he could, giving me a murderous gaze. "Is making fun of my cute belly?!"
"Who is this kid?! Does he have a death wish?" The shocked bystanders talked with one another.
"Azuma-san has been trying to lose that weight for a while, too..."
As I approach the mound, I could literally feel the bloodlust he was generating, like a menacing red aura began to surround him.
"Sawamura Eijun, Akagi Junior High's proud team captain and ace pitcher." I properly introduce myself to Azuma and the rest of the team gathered on the field. "It's nice to meet you, Metabolic-senpai~"
"BRAT! What did you call me?!" Azuma roared out in anger, starting to stomp toward me, as the catcher and multiple players fruitlessly tried to hold him back. "Get out of my way!!"
"S-Stop, Azuma-kun!" Rei grabbed me by the shoulder, as she tried to defuse the situation. "Sawamura-kun, you apologize right now!"
"Maybe everyone here has determination and aspiration, but just being better doesn't give you the right to talk trash about your teammates." I calmly talk to Rei and the crowd, who are carefully listening to this confrontation. "He made fun of his pitches, and then told him to go back to the countryside to his mommy? Even if everyone else is fine with it, I'm not going to let that slide."
"HUH?!" Azuma broke through the wall of players, shoving his belly into me, forcing me to take a step back.
"Did this prestigious school not teach you that this is a team sport?" I smirk at Azuma, before turning to Rei. "I've got offers from other teams, Rei-chan. Inashiro Industrial's Club President offered me a spot in their program as well."
The players around me physically reacted or cringed to me mentioning their archenemies so casually, knowing Azuma and the team are still plenty sore after losing to Inashiro in the summer.
"Maybe I'll join the winners, instead?" I look into Rei's eyes, where she does feel a bit nervous on what to do in this volatile situation. "I bet Narumiya Mei and I could make quite the lethal combo..."
"Inashiro..?" Rei said, looking like a lightbulb went off in her head. She hurried over next to Azuma, where she whispered loud enough for me to hear. "I'm sorry Azuma-kun, he just came out of the countryside, so he's completely clueless about the real world. And he's a pitcher, you know how peculiar they can be. Do you mind showing him what batting is all about?"
I feel her verbal blow, knowing I pushed some of her buttons.
"Sure... I don't mind at all. However..." Azuma steps up to me once again, towering over me. "I won't let him get off the mound until he begs for mercy."
"I'm game. We're already on a field. Let's talk through baseball." I accept the challenge Rei offered.
"Good. Now go get changed." Rei nodded her head, somehow handing me a uniform she wasn't holding a minute ago.
"Hehe. This sounds like a lot of fun." A snarky voice interrupted the three of us. "Rei-chan, can I catch his pitch?"
Rei, Azuma and I turn to a player seated against a fence, he had a tilted hat on and sports goggles on.
Seidou High's infamous genius catcher... His knowledge, batting talent and devilish game calling allowed him to be promoted into the first string as soon as he joined the team just a few months ago. It also helps Chris wasn't available to suit up for them.
Wait, how long was he sitting there for?
"Sawamura-kun, this is Miyuki Kazuya, a catcher." Rei said to me with a hint of pride.
"Ugh, Miyuki!" Azuma growled out, his mood somehow getting worse that it already was. "You're still a first year, don't get cocky!"
"Aha, well excuse me." Miyuki smirked, not worrying about talking back to his seniors, either. "But you've been on a high horse lately, so I think it'll do you some good if you play with us kids to go back to basics."
I guess I can't blame him, he's set to be a pro pick in the NPB very soon as a high school prospect.
The whispers and groans from the players grow louder, not appreciating Miyuki who is always blunt with Azuma and the other seniors.
"Who's on a high horse?!" Azuma clicked his tongue at the cocky catcher.
"Kazuya, be careful what you say!" A couple of first years tried to get him to shut his big mouth, genuinely concerned the seniors are going to punish the rest of the first years again thanks to Miyuki's many antics.
"He's gonna jump you!"
Miyuki is ballsy that's for sure. But it takes balls of steel to get noticed in your first year, hopefully I'm able to properly appeal to Rei, Miyuki and many of the players watching this situation play out.
No doubt this event will spread like wildfire throughout the rest of team and coaching staff later.
- Rei Takashima -
Rei carefully watched as Sawamura excused himself to get changed. She turned her attention to Miyuki, approaching one of her favorite recruits who was already starting to put on his catcher's gear.
He was definitely a cocky brat, much like Sawamura, but his skills as a catcher proved invaluable to the team, ever since Takigawa had to step down as the first string's main catcher due to injury.
"Miyuki-kun, I'm glad you volunteered." She began to inform him of Sawamura. "I want you to see what it's like to catch his pitches."
- Kazuya Miyuki -
"Oh?" Kazuya raised his eyebrow at her.
She talked about Sawamura the way she did other players with high potential.
He can't lie, Rei definitely has a good eye for talent, having personally scouted himself and Kuramochi Yoichi this past year, the only first years who made the first string.
"He's all the way from the Nagano Prefecture, so Tokyo schools will have no data on him." Rei suddenly spoke, her glasses shining dangerously. "Inashiro made him an offer as well. Think you can draw out his potential?"
Kazuya was speechless for a moment. Of course, Rei is always thinking way ahead, allowing the coach to focus on building up as strong as a roster he could for each Summer Koshien run.
"Wow, big praise~" He returned her scheming smile, glancing at the now changed, and presently stretching loud mouth junior high kid. "You must have high hopes for this kid."
He then turned his attention to the huffing and puffing Azuma, being calmed down by some of the second years.
Kazuya had no idea what was about to happen, but he definitely knew no matter what, this amusing situation will end in someone's humiliation.
"Hey, let's warm up your arm before the big duel with Azuma~" He snickered, tossing a baseball to Sawamura.
He watched as Sawamura caught the ball, staring at it for a moment, where the brat's eyes began to shine gold. The way Sawamura held the ball, as if he was carrying the whole world in his fingers.
"Oi, kid..." Azuma stomped over to the two, posing with his bat like a street thug. "If you're gonna apologize, you better do it now. Once you get up to the mound, there will be no place for you to run..."
"Pfft. And who do you think you are anyway?" Sawamura didn't back down, staring at the brute of a senpai in the eye. "I'll let you bask in the glory for a little while longer. Congrats on being a pro pick. But for the next three years or so all you'll be hearing about is Seidou High's newest Ace leading the team to deep Koshien runs every summer. I'll be counting on your future support, Metabolic-senpai~"
"Oh, man! This guy's hilarious!" Kazuya clutched his sides, he couldn't help but burst out in laughter, breaking the tense silence the defiant junior high kid caused.
"MIYUKI!" Azuma grunted at him, raising his fist at him. "Nothing's funny here! You wanna get hurt?!"
"Ah, I'm sorry." He stopped his long laugh, not wanting to be killed by the barbarian wielding a metal club.
"Let's go right away, then. I don't need a warmup for this." Sawamura bluntly taunted the already enraged third year.
The three ball players got in position, Azuma snarled out from the right batter's box, staring Sawamura down as he walked up to the mound. The rest of the first string stopped their practice, watching the heated battle with the rest of the team.
Kazuya settled behind the plate, carefully observing the focused pitcher, taking note of the batter's location. He knew Azuma's batting tendencies very well, having batted behind him and catching pitches thrown to him in simulated practice.
Seidou's former cleanup hitter forcefully dug his cleat into the dirt, a vicious smile on his face. There's no doubt Azuma will be swinging for the fences.
Just what can Sawamura even throw, they weren't able to set any signs, so he'll be catching blind. But above all he was confident in his catching ability, slapping his mitt, ready to catch any pitch Sawamura could offer him.
The pitcher quickly familiarized himself with Seidou's practice mound, looking ready to start.
"I bet you're all just talk." Azuma spat out before getting into his batting stance. "I'll send it flying out of the park!"
"Are you going to go easy on a junior high kid?" He asked his previous team captain.
"In your dreams! I always swing with everything I have! Doesn't matter if he's in junior high or whatever." Azuma huffed out proudly.
"Heh, I really like that about you, Azuma-senpai~" Kazuya winked at the heated senpai.
"Shut it!"
Kazuya kept the glove as low as a strike could be reasonably called, at Azuma's knees. If Rei vouched for this kid then he has to have decent control, if he wants a chance at taking the monster Azuma down. Kazuya wanted to test out how good Sawamura was, since Rei was so eager to recruit him. He must have enough potential to be scouted by both Seidou and Inashiro.
Sawamura started his windup, pleasantly surprising Kazuya as he closed his body, not giving the batter any time to react to the pitch until its already left his hand.
He could tell Azuma was fairly wary of the tricky timing, hesitating slightly, causing the slugger not to swing.
"That's a strike, right?" He said with content smile, the clean fastball landed perfectly in his mitt.
"You stupid?! I was just making sure the brat could even throw a strike." Azuma dismissed Sawamura's pitch, scoffing at him like it was a fluke.
He threw the ball back to Sawamura, pleased with a good first pitch.
Kazuya crouched back down, setting up high and in this time, wanting to check if Sawamura had the guts to throw here right after that.
Golden eyes pierced through him, as if Sawamura expected that call.
Sawamura started his windup once again, a mirror image of his first pitch. The high leg kick coupled with the wall he formed with his right arm proved to be a unique style.
He pitched like a tyrant, he was almost like Mei on the mound.
The ball flew out of Sawamura's hand, towards his mitt, where he could immediately tell Azuma was about to swing.
His eyes widened when the ball violently broke as it approached the plate, vanishing for a moment. The pitch surprised both catcher and batter, the ball was thankfully blocked by his chest protector. Azuma's famous bat speed was almost too fast, he didn't expect such a break.
- Eijun Sawamura -
I don't hide my smirk, as Miyuki tosses the ball back to me.
He looks displeased with himself, annoyed he didn't catch the ball. I'll give him some credit, he was able to react quickly, blocking the pitch that would go by any unsuspecting catcher. If it's hard to catch, then it's certainly hard to hit.
If I can end this decisively in three pitches, then no other Seidou players will be able to ignore my presence once I join the team.
Miyuki is an elite catcher, I feel like I can throw any pitch to him and he'll do his best to not let it go by him if this was a real game. In that case, there's only one pitch I should throw here to impress everyone.
"I'll hit it outta the park, you stupid kid!" Azuma roared out, his eyes hunting my fastball, ready to crush the ball.
I lift my leg up high, replicating the motion of throwing my fastball. Hidden in my glove my index finger and thumb make a circle on the side of the ball while I throw the pitch using my arm like a whip.
Azuma is way out in front of it, whiffing badly, as he was swinging with dangerous intent. He was expecting a fastball, not even imagining I could throw a circle change. His helmet fell off as I pulled the strings on him, the whole team witnessed me brutally strike him out in three pitches.
Miyuki might have been shocked more than Azuma, as the genius catcher failed to stop it, as the ball slowly rolled past him.
All of the players around me are stunned, staring at me with mixed emotions. But Rei is giving me a satisfied smile.
"Strike three." I beam widely at him, looking down at both Azuma and Miyuki. "I win."