Chapter 738 - 738: The Ace Vs Azuma

"Zhang Han!"

After Azuma Kiyokuni spoke, everyone on the field turned their gaze to Zhang Han.

"Azuma, it's not easy for him to return to school. He hasn't tried our cafeteria's new dishes, has he? How about we have a meal and rest first, and then I'll…"

Manager Ota emerged from the crowd and said.

At this moment, his words naturally represented more than just his personal opinion.

The Seido High School Baseball Team, including Coach Kataoka, and all the coaches on the coaching staff, disagreed with this showdown.

Originally, they didn't care.

But after seeing Azuma Kiyokuni's hitting, they had to admit that in the past few months, Azuma Kiyokuni had become somewhat unrecognizable.

In this situation, this showdown seemed meaningless.

At the very least, for the Seido High School Baseball Team, there was no benefit.

Azuma Kiyokuni widened his eyes, wanting to say something in dissatisfaction.

If it were a year ago, he would have said it without hesitation.

But now, having been in a professional team for half a year, having experienced Koshien and the draft...

He was no longer that reckless third-year high school student.

He quickly understood Manager Ota's intention and realized that this must be the collective will of the Coach and all the coaches.

"Alright…"

Though somewhat unwilling, Azuma Kiyokuni had no intention of causing trouble for his alma mater.

Just as it seemed this matter was about to be suppressed.

Zhang Han, who had been pushed to the forefront, suddenly spoke.

"It won't take much time. Let senpai hit my pitch."

"Zhang Han!"

Manager Ota immediately became nervous after hearing Zhang Han's words.

With Azuma Kiyokuni already having given up, Zhang Han saying something like this at this moment was tantamount to a provocation.

Azuma Kiyokuni might have let this matter slide out of respect for Coach Kataoka and the others.

But that would only be once.

If Zhang Han took the initiative to speak, Azuma Kiyokuni would not back down.

As Manager Ota expected, after hearing Zhang Han's words, Azuma Kiyokuni completely lost it.

"You want to hit once?"

"If senpai doesn't mind, I'm happy to oblige."

Zhang Han did not avoid it, staring into Azuma Kiyokuni's eyes as he spoke.

"You two first-year brats are as annoying as ever. Then let's go!"

Zhang Han was now a second-year student.

However, in Azuma Kiyokuni's mind, they were still first-year players. Who made Zhang Han and his peers first-year players when Azuma Kiyokuni and his peers were still there?

Once such a fixed impression is formed, it is difficult to change.

Azuma Kiyokuni instinctively blurted out 'first-year'.

This also meant that Zhang Han now represented not only himself but also the other second-year players of his age.

After the match was confirmed, Ota pulled Zhang Han aside in dissatisfaction.

"What are you doing?"

Zhang Han rarely saw such an angry expression on Manager Ota's face, and it felt quite new.

"Nothing, just accepting the challenge."

"Don't forget you are the Ace Pitcher of the team now. You represent not only yourself but also the team's morale. If you lose here, then…"

Manager Ota had specifically asked Coach Kataoka about this matter before. He might not understand much himself, but Coach Kataoka's opinion would never be wrong.

Letting Zhang Han face Azuma Kiyokuni at this time was definitely a very risky thing.

Zhang Han did not change his mind because of Manager Ota's words.

Instead, he patted Manager Ota's arm, pointed his finger in Coach Kataoka's direction.

Manager Ota followed Zhang Han's gesture and saw Coach Kataoka shaking his head at him.

Don't stop him.

Manager Ota was full of questions. Hadn't Coach Kataoka and the coaches on the coaching staff all agreed that Zhang Han shouldn't play against Azuma Kiyokuni?

"The situation has changed, Manager."

Zhang Han nodded, gesturing to the surrounding players.

At this moment, everyone's eyes were on him.

"From the moment Azuma-senpai said those words, we had no retreat. If we don't play a match against him here, everyone present will know that I backed out because I was afraid of losing."

That kind of outcome was something the Seido High School Baseball Team could never accept.

In contrast, Zhang Han bravely facing Azuma Kiyokuni, even if he gave up a Homerun, would not completely crush everyone's morale.

After all, the opponent standing before them was no longer a high school student.

He was a strong hitter who had already entered the professional league and secured a place there.

Facing such an opponent, losing was nothing to be ashamed of…

Moreover, Zhang Han might not even lose.

"Alright!"

Manager Ota nodded.

However, speaking of it, these players from the Seido High School Baseball Team were all quite impressive.

Not only were their individual skills excellent, but their ability to read the situation was also top-notch.

Miyuki, Chris, plus Zhang Han.

Except for Coach Kataoka and Coach Ochiai, even the coaches on the coaching staff might not be able to compare to them in this regard.

Manager Ota was even less capable.

Even though these things were now his job, his research in this area was far less profound than that of players who were genuinely interested in it.

"Which partner do you choose, Chris or Miyuki?"

Manager Ota asked.

Chris-senpai and Miyuki Kazuya both looked eagerly at Zhang Han.

Azuma Kiyokuni's growth had successfully piqued their interest. They eagerly hoped to have a good match against this senpai who had evolved into a monster on the field.

"Miyuki, then!"

Zhang Han didn't hesitate and directly chose Miyuki.

It wasn't that Chris-senpai wasn't good, but in this situation, Zhang Han needed Miyuki's strength more.

"Does anyone have a speed gun?"

Someone in the crowd asked.

Whenever Zhang Han pitched, the people of Seido would habitually go for the speed-measuring equipment.

They were even more eager than Zhang Han himself to see his pitching performance on the field.

"Someone already went to get it."

Once it was confirmed that Zhang Han would have a showdown with Azuma Kiyokuni, someone couldn't help but go get the equipment.

They wondered what speed they would see this time.

When Zhang Han pitched against the Yakushi High School Baseball Team in the practice match, his pitch was quite baffling.

It looked incredibly fast.

But when measured with speed-testing equipment, it didn't seem that fast.

Privately, the Seido High School Baseball Team's teammates discussed it for a long time but couldn't figure out what was going on.

They only vaguely heard Coach Kataoka and others discussing something about a 'pitch with life'.

How could a pitch have life?

They didn't know if their ears were playing tricks on them or if Coach Kataoka and the others were being deliberately profound.

Regarding Zhang Han's pitch speed, it became a mystery within the Seido High School Baseball Team.

"I wonder which type will be displayed today?"

Some teammates discussed privately.

"No matter which one, I'm really looking forward to it."

"Azuma-senpai's swing is really scary. I wonder which of these two monsters will come out on top?"

The teammates chattered, just like discussing a fight between immortals, full of interest.

On the other side.

Miyuki came to Zhang Han's side.

He was still wearing his catcher's gear and seriously asked Zhang Han,

"Do you have any pitching plans?"

Zhang Han specifically chose him as his partner, and Miyuki believed he must have thought out a strategy in advance.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Han shook his head a few times.

"What strategy? It's just a head-on confrontation. All my pitches will aim for the center of the strike zone."

Are you crazy?

Miyuki's eyes widened in surprise.

But soon, he thought of something and calmed down again.

"You mean?"

A slight smile appeared on Zhang Han's face.

Clearly, Miyuki's guess was correct.

"Isn't that too risky? If it were a year ago, the probability of success would be very high. But now, Azuma-senpai's strength is also very frightening. He should be able to keep up with your pitch speed."

"Precisely because he can keep up, I can't let him just stand there and observe."

When Zhang Han watched Azuma Kiyokuni's showdown with Sawamura, he clearly already had this intention and idea.

"Then let's try it."

Miyuki felt his heart leap.

When he partnered with Zhang Han before, no matter the final outcome, he always felt very at ease.

Zhang Han had a way of giving people that inexplicable feeling.

But now, he wasn't at ease at all.

The usually steady Zhang Han was choosing such a risky way to face off. He wondered what the final outcome would be.

"Have you finished discussing? I'm getting impatient."

Azuma Kiyokuni looked at the two people huddled together, smirking, and felt an inexplicable unease.

These two little rascals must be up to something!

"Almost ready."

Zhang Han and Miyuki exchanged glances, and the two went to their respective positions.

"Do you need warm-up pitches?"

Azuma Kiyokuni seemed very generous.

Letting Zhang Han throw warm-up pitches would allow him to warm up his arm earlier.

Of course, Azuma Kiyokuni could also take the opportunity to observe Zhang Han's pitching and see what kind of style it was.

Although these wouldn't be full-power pitches.

But by observing the small details, he should still be able to discern some of Zhang Han's pitching ability and style.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Han showed no appreciation for Azuma Kiyokuni's kindness.

"No need, I've already warmed up."

Azuma Kiyokuni suddenly felt like he had swallowed a bitter pill.

He had a very bad premonition: in his showdown with Zhang Han, the opponent had always firmly held the initiative.

In this situation, he was very likely to suffer a loss.

But as a former senpai, Azuma Kiyokuni couldn't act too excessively. He couldn't bring himself to make any demands.

"Let's officially begin, one inning to decide the winner."

With the temporary umpire Isashiki Jun's command.

Zhang Han threw his first pitch.

The white ball, like a dazzling white light, instantly traversed over a dozen meters and arrived in front of the batter.

Originally, Azuma Kiyokuni wanted to observe one pitch first.

Last year, Zhang Han had already displayed unparalleled pitching talent. At that time, Azuma Kiyokuni was still staying on the team and practicing alone.

He was very familiar with Zhang Han's pitching, so he wanted to observe a pitch first to get a feel for it.

However, the baseball flying towards him was aimed at the center of the strike zone.

And the pitch was a Fastball.

If he chose to let such a pitch go by, he would never be able to forgive himself for the rest of his life.

"You brat, you asked for this!"

Azuma Kiyokuni raised his bat high, aimed at the incoming white baseball, and swung hard.

The baseball was fast, and Azuma Kiyokuni's swing was not slow either.

Although it wasn't perfectly timed, as long as the bat made contact with the baseball, there was still a high probability of hitting it into the field.

Now, there was no one responsible for defense.

This meant that once the baseball was hit into the field, no matter how ridiculous it was, Azuma Kiyokuni would win the showdown.

Got it.

Although it was a bit rushed, and the baseball's speed was terrifyingly fast.

But Azuma Kiyokuni still felt he had a sure hit.

Just as the bat was about to connect with the baseball, Azuma Kiyokuni swung through the air.

The bat passed directly through the white baseball without any obstruction, as if it had only hit air.

Where's the ball?

Azuma Kiyokuni looked bewildered.

Then he heard the sound of the baseball entering the glove.

"Thwack!"

"Strike!"

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