Akikawa Academy Dugout
The moment they heard that Seidou High School had requested a pitching change, the Akikawa players burst into excitement.
"Nice! We finally forced that power pitcher off the mound!"
"So who's next?"
"Is it the side-arm pitcher, or their ace?"
You Shunshin silently watched the field.
No… their ace hasn't even started warming up in the bullpen, he thought.
Seidou Dugout
Sawamura Eijun stared at the mound where Furuya stood, hesitating for a moment.
"Hurry up, Eijun. It's your turn," Kominato Haruichi said with a gentle smile.
"…Right."
Snapping back to his senses, Sawamura jogged toward the field and waited near the foul line.
"Sawamura, don't forget—we're all behind you," Kawakami Norifumi called from behind. "Go out there and give it your best."
"Do your best, Eijun!" Haruichi added.
Sawamura turned back and flashed them a quick grin.
"Announcement from the officials: Seidou High School will make a pitching substitution," the announcer declared.
The spectators began whispering among themselves.
"Shouldn't Kawakami be the one coming in?"
"If they switch pitchers this early, it'll turn into a long relay game."
"For the sake of the match, I guess they don't have a choice."
"Ninth batter, Furuya-kun will leave the game to rest.
Pitcher substitution: Sawamura-kun."
Sawamura jogged toward the mound.
"A freshman pitcher at a moment like this? Even the Seidou crowd must be stunned!" Owada Akiko said in surprise.
"That pitcher with the unusual form again," Mine Fujio muttered thoughtfully. "Even though they're trailing, they're making such a bold move. Either the coach has enormous confidence in this pitcher… or their pitching staff is stretched thin."
On the Mound
"Furuya… give me the ball," Sawamura said.
But Furuya Satoru only lowered his head, breathing heavily. He didn't respond to the hand Sawamura had extended.
"Hey! Don't ignore me at a time like this!" Sawamura shouted.
Furuya still didn't move.
"This is the coach's decision. Step down, Furuya," Yuki Tetsuya said calmly.
Furuya tightened his grip on the ball but remained silent.
The umpire grew impatient.
"Seidou, please complete the substitution."
The crowd murmured as they watched the tense moment unfold.
"Didn't I say he'd refuse to come down?"
"He's being stubborn."
"Just step down already!"
Even his teammates began urging him.
Miyuki's voice finally cut through the tension.
"Furuya."
"Your fast forkball still has too much force behind it, and your fastballs are consistently high. If you keep pitching like that, you'll only cause trouble for the team."
"Step down."
His tone was stern.
For the first time, Furuya's expression changed slightly.
Sawamura looked at the stubborn pitcher in front of him.
He can't accept leaving the game like this…
But this isn't a game for just one person.
Taking a step forward, Sawamura spoke firmly.
"Furuya."
"Leave the rest to me."
Slowly, Furuya raised his hand.
He placed the baseball into Sawamura's glove.
Then he walked down the mound, muttering quietly,
"…I'm frustrated."
"Huh? What did you say?" Sawamura asked.
"I said I'm frustrated!" Furuya snapped.
"Stop repeating yourself like that!" Sawamura shot back.
"…I'm exhausted," Furuya muttered again as he walked toward the dugout.
Miyuki watched his back.
Even after being substituted, you didn't let everyone down.
You pushed yourself to the limit because you wanted to carry the team.
Everyone saw that fighting spirit.
Around the field, Seidou's players silently watched Furuya return to the dugout.
Their determination burned even stronger.
We have to win this game.
For Furuya.
But first, they had to finish this inning.
In the Stands
The spectators continued discussing what had just happened.
"What was that about?"
"Is something wrong with Seidou?"
"Did the coach and pitcher argue?"
Akikawa On-Deck Circle
Ninomiya and Hashimoto studied the new pitcher.
"A left-handed pitcher."
"And he's a first-year too."
"Seriously… how many pitchers does Seidou even have?"
"Do they think they can beat us without using their ace?"
You Shunshin shook his head.
"No."
"After this substitution, I'm even more certain."
"Their ace definitely isn't pitching today."
Yakushi High School Section
Kitamura Kou watched Sawamura step onto the mound.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…It's that kid from before."
"Kou, you know him?" Nakanishi Daiki asked.
"Not really. I only saw him once when I went to watch the Kanto Tournament with Wakaba and Aoba," Kou replied.
Akaishi Osamu then asked,
"What do you think about Furuya? If things go as expected, we'll probably face Seidou later."
Kou thought for a moment.
"His velocity is impressive. But his control is average."
"If it weren't for the catcher guiding him, he probably would've been replaced much earlier."
"Right now he only relies on his fastball and quick forkball and he hasn't completely mastered the forkball yet."
"Today's game also showed his stamina isn't very strong."
"At the moment, he's just a talented but inexperienced first-year pitcher."
He shrugged slightly.
"With proper training, he could become a terrifying opponent in the future."
"But right now, he's manageable."
"Akikawa has already shown us how to deal with him."
Nakanishi then asked,
"What about the new pitcher—Sawamura Eijun?"
Kou kept watching the mound.
"I'm not sure yet."
"I haven't seen him pitch."
"But…"
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"My instincts tell me that guy is something special."
Akaishi smiled.
"Then let's just watch what happens next."