Chapter 345: Changing Players Before the Battle

In the Seido dugout, Manager Kataoka was laying out tactics, but Huangqian Yangyi wasn't really listening; his gaze remained fixed on Furuya Satoru.

He had felt something was off during training yesterday; the kid was walking a bit strangely.

However, seeing that Furuya's expression hadn't changed and his training wasn't affected, Huangqian Yangyi hadn't taken it to heart. As it turned out, when he saw him during warm-ups today, it was the same old story—no, it should be said it was even more obvious; even when standing still, one could feel the kid putting more of his body weight onto his other leg.

He must be injured!

"Manager!" Huangqian Yangyi suddenly spoke up.

Manager Kataoka, who was in the middle of speaking, looked at Huangqian Yangyi with suspicion; according to his experience, whenever Huangqian Yangyi interrupted him, something big was bound to happen!

Everyone else also turned their gaze toward Huangqian Yangyi.

"Manager, the starting Pitcher, Furuya cannot go."

The crowd was startled, looking at him with great surprise; questioning the manager's lineup before the game?

Those who understood Huangqian Yangyi, such as his second-year teammates, or Takashima Rei, Department Head Ota, and Manager Kataoka, all turned solemn after their initial surprise, waiting for what he would say next.

Meanwhile, the First Years were trembling with fear, terrified that the manager would get angry.

"Furuya is injured!"

"What?!"

As soon as these words came out, everyone felt a jolt in their hearts. Furuya was supposed to be the starter today; was he actually injured?

Furuya himself was equally shocked; he hadn't expected his injury to be discovered.

As soon as Manager Kataoka saw Furuya's self-incriminating expression, he knew Huangqian Yangyi was right, and he flew into a rage.

"Baka!!"

"Are you an idiot?!"

"Why didn't you say anything when you were injured?!"

"Do you think our team can't function without you?!"

The commotion erupting from the Seido dugout before the game had even started immediately attracted the attention of many.

"I, I'm fine." Just as Furuya finished speaking, Kominato Haruichi behind him gave his back a light push. Furuya subconsciously stepped forward, and caught off guard, he immediately winced in pain.

Sure enough, he was injured, and it was his pivot foot, damn it!

Realizing he was completely exposed, cold sweat instantly covered Furuya's entire body; it was over, he was going to be scolded to death.

Deep breath~ Manager Kataoka kept trying to calm his anger. Ever since the lesson learned from Chris, he had been very concerned about the physical condition of his players, and he felt very guilty for not discovering Furuya's injury sooner.

"Take off your glove! Go to the hospital right now!"

"I..."

"Furuya, you are only a First Year. Although you have some talent, we are not dependent on you." Huangqian Yangyi's voice grew cold.

"What are you worried about? Do you think we'll lose without you?"

"Or do you just not want to give up the Pitcher's Mound? What, are you planning to retire after this game? Not play baseball anymore?"

"You are already injured; if you continue to push yourself, you might end your baseball career right here. Do you even understand that?"

Huangqian Yangyi already held great prestige in the team as both the ace and the Captain; no one else could interject as he lectured Furuya, who kept his head down, looking unwilling.

"You have a lot of talent, and your future is more than just these three years of high school. Sawamura is the same. Are you going to bet your entire future on this game that we can't possibly lose? Just for the Pitcher's Mound right in front of you?!"

Boom!

Furuya and Sawamura were both mentally shaken. They were the same; they both possessed an intense possessiveness toward the Pitcher's Mound in front of them, but they had never considered the future.

The two naturally dense, hot-blooded idiots clearly couldn't think that far ahead.

After stripping Furuya of his start today and having Department Head Ota drive him to the hospital, Manager Kataoka announced that Kawakami would start today and immediately submitted the list to the umpire to explain the reason.

"Good luck, Kawakami. You must play this game well and let those two idiot First Years see that we aren't dependent on them," Huangqian Yangyi said, patting Kawakami on the back.

Soon, the starting lineups for both sides appeared on the big screen.

"It's starting!"

"Yoshi, Seido!!!"

"Ohhhhhhh~!"

"Huangqian~!"

"Miyuki~!"

"King Seido!!"

Just as Akiko and Mine Fujio were talking, the game began.

"Please take care of us!!"

"Please take care of us!!"

Tokyo, Autumn Tournament, third round of the main tournament.

Seido High School vs. Ugumori High School at Fuchu Municipal Stadium.

First Base side, Seido High School, batting second.

Third Base side, Ugumori High School, batting first.

Standing in Left Fielder, Huangqian Yangyi looked at the Ugumori dugout.

In the original story he remembered, Ugumori had defeated Inashiro Industrial to become the dark horse that advanced, but things had changed now; Seido and Inashiro were in completely different brackets, and they wouldn't meet until the finals.

Top of the first inning, Ugumori High School batting first. After the first Batter stepped into the Batter's Box, facing the stoic Kawakami, the pressure he felt was no less than that of the ace of Nio Gakusha.

Such a formidable Pitcher had actually been a substitute at Seido all this time!

Kawakami's appearance on the mound attracted the attention of many scouts in the stands. Compared to Tanba at the same age, Kawakami was clearly more excellent. If such a Pitcher could be well-trained, it wasn't impossible for him to enter professional baseball; at the very least, he should be able to become the team's ace after entering university.

On the Pitcher's Mound, thinking of what Huangqian Yangyi had said to him before taking the field, a surge of hot blood rose in Kawakami's heart. Furuya and Sawamura were excellent, but he was definitely not bad either!

First pitch, a 143 km/h High-speed Slider!

That's right, Kawakami had a new pitch.

The first pitch was a Breaking Ball, which the leadoff Batter for Ugumori did not expect; he did not swing, 1 Strike!

The second pitch, an Inside Fastball with a very low trajectory, swing and a miss, 2 Strikes.

The third pitch, Kawakami's specialty, a Sinker!

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!"

Following the umpire's call, Kawakami successfully struck out the leadoff Batter for Ugumori.

Next, the second Batter.

Whoosh~

Swish~

Swish~

Swing and a miss, Jianjie, swing and a miss.

"Strikeout!"

By striking out two consecutive Ugumori Batters, Kawakami's performance won cheers from all the Seido fans in the stadium.

Standing on the Pitcher's Mound, Kawakami felt as if he were the protagonist; his heart was surging with excitement!

"This guy, his ball control has really improved a lot."

"Kawakami! Well done!"

"Keep it up, let's have them go three up, three down!"

"Ohhh!!!"

As the cheers rang out, Kawakami watched the third Batter for Ugumori walk into the Batter's Box.

The first pitch, a low outside Slider, the Batter swung and missed, Strike.

The second pitch, a low inside Sinker, the Batter swung, made contact, and was put out!

Three up, three down; in less than five minutes, Kawakami had retired three Ugumori Batters, and the sides were switched!