Chapter 535 - 535: Striking Out Todoroki Raichi!

"Wah-kaka! Kaka-kaka—!"

Inside Yakushi High School's dugout, every player's eyes were filled with anticipation.

Given the current situation, they understood better than anyone how difficult it was to get a hit.

Two batters had already stepped up one after another.

Both were first-year monsters who had pushed Yakushi's second- and third-year players down the batting order.

Yet even those exceptional talents had been shut down by Sawamura Eijun.

Getting a hit off Sawamura was already difficult.

Scoring a run was even harder.

That was precisely why Yakushi's players placed all their hopes on one person.

In their hearts, perhaps only Todoroki Raichi could turn the tide.

Even one run would be enough.

Under everyone's expectant gaze, Todoroki Raichi stepped into the batter's box.

The quiet boy underwent a complete transformation the moment he gripped the bat.

His eyes were as sharp and fierce as a wolf's.

A wild smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

"An invisible release point..."

"And irregular movement..."

Before stepping into the batter's box, Raichi had already watched Sawamura retire both Akiha and Mishima.

He understood one thing clearly.

The pitcher standing before him was no ordinary opponent.

If he wanted to hit this pitch...

He would have to give it everything he had.

"Kahahaha! Hahahaha—!"

Giving everything he had...

That was what Todoroki Raichi loved most.

Whoosh!

On the mound, Sawamura remained completely unaffected by Raichi's overwhelming presence.

Without hesitation, he fired the baseball toward home plate.

From Raichi's perspective, the white ball seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Because the release point was hidden, even someone with Raichi's exceptional eyesight felt that the pitch was much faster than its actual speed.

But that didn't stop his swing.

If he couldn't see the release point...

And couldn't judge the timing precisely...

Then he would simply wait until the ball came closer before committing.

Behind the plate, Miyuki Kazuya had been observing Raichi the entire time.

The baseball had already traveled halfway to the plate.

And Raichi still hadn't moved.

Seeing the pitch about to reach his mitt, Miyuki finally relaxed slightly.

Then—

Raichi moved.

Boom!

The bat tore through the air like thunder.

Miyuki's heart sank.

"Swinging now?"

The timing of that swing had completely exceeded his expectations.

He could roughly understand what Raichi was trying to do.

But he found it difficult to believe.

Waiting until the ball was almost at the plate before swinging—

Within Seido, only one person could do that.

Yuki Tetsuya.

No matter how strong the other batters were, none of them could replicate it.

Not even Zhou Hao, the nation's No. 1 player.

And yet...

This first-year monster had done exactly that.

Ping!

The bat connected.

Inside Seido's dugout, the players unconsciously clenched their fists.

They had been thrilled by Sawamura's performance.

They had even begun imagining the perfect outcome.

But reality was always unpredictable.

From Raichi's aura alone...

Especially from the terrifying force behind his swing...

Everyone understood just how dangerous he was.

No matter how reliable Sawamura had been...

He wasn't Zhou Hao.

That meant anything could happen.

Was the result they feared most about to unfold?

Just as everyone was thinking that—

The baseball sliced sharply to the side and landed outside the foul line.

"Foul!"

The commentator's voice rose noticeably.

Clearly, he understood the significance of this duel.

At this stage of the game, the score stood at:

10–2.

If nothing unexpected happened, the outcome of the game was already decided.

Yakushi likely wouldn't even survive until the eighth inning before the mercy rule came into effect.

Could Yakushi accept such a result?

The answer was obvious.

Of course not.

Their only hope of a comeback rested on this at-bat.

Ideally, Raichi would blast a home run.

Even an extra-base hit would be enough.

Akiha and Mishima had already been retired.

Now, all of Yakushi's hopes rested on Todoroki Raichi alone.

From this perspective, Seido held the advantage.

If they could retire Raichi...

The game would effectively be over.

But Raichi was different.

He was the kind of batter who could change a game with a single swing.

A hit.

An extra-base hit.

Or even a home run.

Anything was possible.

That uncertainty made the game even more exciting.

"No one expected this."

"Despite the huge score difference..."

"And despite the result seemingly being decided..."

"How can there still be so much suspense?"

"The players on both teams are truly remarkable."

"Todoroki Raichi!"

"It's all up to you!"

Inside Yakushi's dugout—

Even Todoroki Raizo, who normally looked calm and unconcerned, felt his palms growing damp.

He was nervous.

Unbelievably nervous.

Even during his days as a professional player...

He had never felt this tense.

"It's all up to you, Raichi."

Before the game, Todoroki Raizo had imagined countless scenarios.

But there was one thing he had never anticipated.

That Yakushi would be stopped by Seido's first-year pitchers.

Taking two runs off Furuya Satoru was already an incredible achievement.

Against most first-year pitchers, that would have been enough to completely break their spirit.

But Furuya had recovered immediately.

He had calmly retired six consecutive batters, erasing all the momentum Yakushi had fought so hard to build.

And now...

Sawamura Eijun was proving to be an even greater problem.

Even Yakushi's carefully cultivated first-year stars had stumbled one after another against his moving fastball and invisible release point.

Raichi's first swing had made contact.

But the result...

Was far from ideal.

The ball had drifted foul.

This proved that even with Raichi's terrifying swing, he still couldn't cleanly drive Sawamura Eijun's moving fastball.

It wasn't just impressive.

It was downright terrifying.

If even Raichi couldn't get a hit...

Then what would Yakushi's fate be?

Todoroki Raizo didn't dare think any further.

"Kahahaha! Hahahaha—!"

After sending the previous pitch foul, Todoroki Raichi burst into his signature laughter.

Anyone could tell he was overflowing with excitement.

"It suddenly dropped... whoosh!"

He muttered to himself, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.

Miyuki Kazuya narrowed his eyes.

He couldn't tell whether the boy was doing it intentionally—saying those words loud enough for him to hear just to make him second-guess himself.

To plant doubt in his mind.

"Is this guy really that troublesome?"

Miyuki couldn't help but wonder.

Everything that had happened so far suggested he was.

Yet judging from Raichi's usual behavior, he didn't seem like someone capable of deliberately laying psychological traps.

"Same pitch, but change the location."

Miyuki set his glove on the inside corner.

As long as nothing unexpected happened, Sawamura should be able to hit that spot.

Combined with the natural movement on the pitch...

There was a good chance it would miss the strike zone.

But their opponent was Todoroki Raichi.

Against a batter like him, they had to take risks.

Without taking risks...

They had no chance of winning this duel.

"Come on!"

The moment Sawamura saw Miyuki's target, he could feel the immense pressure radiating from the batter.

Even so...

He didn't hesitate.

He lifted his leg, gathered his strength, and fired.

Whoosh!

The white baseball shot toward home plate.

Even the home plate umpire couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes.

Although he wasn't particularly eager to praise Sawamura...

He had to admit that Seido's first-year pitcher was extraordinary.

Because of his hidden release point, a 135 km/h fastball looked far faster than it actually was.

To the batter, it felt more like a 145 km/h or even 150 km/h pitch.

And that wasn't even the most troublesome part.

The real problem...

Was the unpredictable movement of the ball.

Even Sawamura himself probably couldn't predict exactly how much it would break.

Against a pitch like that...

How was a batter supposed to make solid contact?

No wonder Yakushi's first two first-year monsters had both been shut down.

But this batter...

Was different.

The instant the baseball entered his vision, every cell in Todoroki Raichi's body seemed to come alive.

Without the slightest hesitation...

He swung.

Boom!!

The bat tore through the air with an explosive roar.

Every spectator was captivated by that terrifying swing.

Ping!

With a thunderous crack, the bat met the baseball squarely.

The white ball soared high into the sky.

Tens of thousands of spectators instinctively lifted their heads, tracking its flight without blinking.

For a brief moment...

Everyone wondered the same thing.

Where would it land?

The baseball continued to climb before disappearing into the outfield stands.

Crack!

Yakushi's dugout and supporters instantly erupted.

"It's gone!"

But before their cheers could fully ring out—

"Foul!"

The home plate umpire's voice cut through the stadium.

Although the ball had reached the stands...

It had landed outside the foul pole.

It was a foul ball.

Two consecutive foul balls.

Raichi had been pushed into an 0-and-2 count.

Yakushi's players and fans were frozen.

Their excitement had barely peaked before reality came crashing down.

"Damn it..."

"How is that foul?"

They couldn't understand it.

But whether they accepted it or not...

The result wouldn't change.

It was still a foul ball.

Fortunately, Raichi's performance had only boosted Yakushi's confidence.

"Keep it up!"

"You've already figured out that moving fastball!"

"Finish it with the next swing!"

"Blast one into the stands and shake the national champions!"

The Yakushi supporters eagerly anticipated that moment.

Standing in the batter's box, Raichi stared fixedly at Sawamura.

"So amazing..."

"I really want to hit it."

Fouling off two consecutive pitches was an incredibly rare experience for him.

Every cell in his body trembled with excitement.

The next pitch...

I won't let it get away.

As long as it entered his hitting zone...

He would crush it without hesitation.

He had absolute confidence.

Just then, Miyuki decisively flashed the next sign.

The moment Sawamura saw it, his eyes sharpened.

Inside corner again.

The previous pitch had nearly become a home run.

And yet Miyuki wanted him to throw there once more.

An ordinary pitcher would have hesitated.

But Sawamura Eijun...

Had never learned the meaning of retreat.

He raised his glove straight ahead.

Like a samurai thrusting forward his shield.

At the same time, his pitching arm whipped forward like a cracking lash.

Whoosh!

The baseball screamed toward the plate.

Raichi's eyes lit up.

Now!

Gripping the bat tightly with both hands, he locked onto the incoming pitch.

Then—

He unleashed everything.

Boom!!

The bat roared through the strike zone.

Even Miyuki, crouched behind the plate, could feel the overwhelming force behind that swing.

His body instinctively tensed.

"This guy..."

Before the thought could finish—

Bat...

And baseball...

Passed each other.

Like a streak of white lightning, the baseball shot cleanly into Miyuki's mitt.

Raichi's swing cut through nothing but air.

Pop!

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!!"

The entire Seido bench erupted.

No one had expected this outcome.

Moments earlier, they had already prepared themselves for the worst.

So what if Raichi hit a home run?

They still held a massive lead.

They could simply score more runs and end the game early.

But now...

The terrifying monster named Todoroki Raichi...

Had failed to make contact.

He had been struck out swinging.

The same batter who had just launched two towering foul balls into the stands...

Had completely missed the deciding pitch.

How?

Behind the plate, Miyuki stared at Sawamura in disbelief.

His admiration for the first-year pitcher reached an entirely new level.

To be honest...

Even he hadn't expected Sawamura's pitching to be this effective.

"You really are full of surprises, Sawamura."