Chapter 366: Unexpected Title

The first match of the Tokyo Spring Tournament ended, and that evening, Coach Kataoka and Coach Ochiai gathered in the office.

Ochiai Hiromitsu placed a thin document on Coach Kataoka's desk.

This document recorded the names and detailed information of nearly ten First Year newcomers, including Seto Takuma, Okumura Koshu, Yuki Masashi, Kagami Gonta, Yui Kaoru...

Coach Kataoka flipped through the details of these newcomers, and after a while, he looked up. "Coach Ochiai, what do you think?"

Ochiai Hiromitsu stroked his beard and said with a smile, "In this Spring Tournament, the First String only has 18 players, leaving two spots open; presumably, these are reserved for the First Years."

Coach Kataoka smiled without speaking; everyone in the Baseball Club could see this, but the question was who to choose for the First String.

"Although the newcomers have only been here for a week, these few short days are enough to see the gap. Now that the team has entered the Round of 16 and secured a seeded spot for the Summer Tournament, we can focus on training in the upcoming rounds. We can select two suitable newcomers for the First String and let them play as much as possible to gain experience," said Ochiai Hiromitsu.

"Hmm, I was thinking the same thing. The timing is just right now," Coach Kataoka nodded.

With Seido's current strength, putting one or two newcomers on the field wouldn't affect anything at all; at most, it would just mean the game wouldn't be won as quickly. This wasn't arrogance, but the confidence that comes with having an absolute ace.

On the other side, in the Seishin Dormitory, inside Huangqian Yangyi's room, Furuya Satoru, Sawamura, and Arima sat cross-legged in the front row.

Behind them, Yui Kaoru, Seto Takuma, and Okumura Koshu sat side by side.

"Well, let's leave it at that. If you have any questions later, come and ask," Miyuki said, tapping the small blackboard.

"Right, especially you First Years. You need to keep a level head, learn more, and observe more. Don't pretend to understand when you don't."

Huangqian Yangyi sat to the side, tapping the tabletop as he spoke.

"Yes, Senior Huangqian, Senior Miyuki."

The small lesson ended. Furuya, sitting in the middle of the front row, quickly raised his right hand.

"Senior Miyuki, I want to pitch."

"Me too!" Sawamura raised both hands.

Miyuki pulled at the corner of his mouth with a wry smile: "Hey, hey, I've already taken a shower."

"I want to pitch, we agreed," Furuya urged, expressionless.

"Who agreed with you... eh? I guess I did say that, huh." Miyuki scratched his head awkwardly; he had promised it offhandedly on the bus after the game ended today.

"Damn Miyuki, you were trying to welch on it just now!!" Sawamura didn't have any concept of seniors and juniors; he went up, grabbed Miyuki's collar, and shook him wildly.

Just then, Yui Kaoru raised his hand high.

"Yui, speak," Huangqian Yangyi called on him.

"The seniors are going to practice pitching, can we stand in the Batter's Box and watch?" Yui Kaoru asked expectantly.

"Sure," said Miyuki, whose feet were off the ground as he was held in the air by Sawamura, his glasses having been shaken onto the floor.

"How about this: bring your bats. When Furuya and Sawamura pitch later, it'll be a good chance to see your batting level," said Huangqian Yangyi.

Hearing this, a strong light erupted in the eyes of the First Years present.

"What about you, Captain? Are you pitching?" Seto Takuma asked.

Huangqian Yangyi shook his head. "I've already finished my self-training for today. Work and rest must be balanced; when it's time to rest, you must rest. A pitcher's shoulder is a consumable item and needs to be well protected."

Although a bit disappointed, the kids were still very excited. They hadn't expected that after only one week on the team, they would have the chance to face pitches from Furuya Satoru and Sawamura Eijun—the current strength of these two would be enough to make them aces at any other school.

Arriving at the Indoor Training Ground, there were still quite a few people doing self-training at this hour.

Seeing Huangqian Yangyi and the others enter, they all nodded in greeting.

After a simple warm-up, Furuya and Sawamura began to play rock-paper-scissors.

"I won," Furuya looked at Sawamura triumphantly.

"Damn it!"

Sawamura retreated to the side, unwilling, while Furuya took a baseball and walked to the Pitcher's Mound.

As for the three First Years, Seto Takuma also won his rock-paper-scissors match and was the first to stand in the Batter's Box with a bat.

"Don't get too excited; Furuya's pitches are quite ferocious," Miyuki said, looking up at Seto Takuma.

"Hehe, I'll give it my best shot," Seto Takuma said.

"Good attitude. Then let's begin."

After Miyuki finished speaking, he gave the sign to Furuya, who had already been impatient.

Start with a Fastball to check his state.

Furuya nodded slightly. He felt great right now, and the feel of the ball on his fingertips was much better than it had been during the day. As expected, the evening temperature suited him best.

Whoosh!

In Seto Takuma's expectant gaze, the little white ball smashed toward him fiercely like a meteorite.

Bang!!

The sound of the baseball slamming into the mitt echoed through the Indoor Training Ground.

Seto Takuma's pupils lost their luster in that instant, and he looked as if he had lost his soul.

"So scary!"

After a while, Seto Takuma came back to his senses and swallowed hard. This baseball, carrying terrifying power, had actually seemed to float upward in the latter half of its trajectory, giving him the illusion that it would hit his face.

"This... it accelerates."

"A Rising Fastball!"

Yui Kaoru, standing to the side, said in surprise.

"What? Scared?"

Huangqian Yangyi smiled from the side. Furuya's pitch was 152 km/h, and because the intense spin resulted in less speed loss and a later drop in the ball's path, it created the illusion of acceleration and rising to the batter.

"I had looked into Senior Furuya's pitch types before, but seeing it up close really feels different," said Yui Kaoru.

"I can catch it!" Okumura Koshu suddenly said.

Hearing this, Huangqian Yangyi looked at the little wolf cub. "Don't brag. With how you are now, it won't be that easy to catch this pitch."

Okumura Koshu's face flushed red instantly; his attempt to act tough had been exposed by the Captain in a single sentence.

"However, you have a lot of talent, and so does Yui." Huangqian Yangyi did not know if he was denying his juniors, and continued: "At the very least, in your obsession with the Catcher position, you do not lose to Kazuya."

"Hey, hey, what are you saying?" Upon hearing this, Miyuki grumbled while standing up to return the ball to Furuya.

"Are you ready? The next pitch is coming," Miyuki laughed.

Seto Takuma nodded and shouted: "Ready!"

Whoosh!!

Watching the incoming baseball, Seto Takuma swung his bat without hesitation.

Thwack!

"Strike!"

The swing was too slow!

Compared to Furuya's pitch, Seto Takuma's swing was like slow motion; the baseball had already entered the glove, while the bat had barely swung halfway.

After three pitches, it was no surprise that Seto Takuma had not hit a single ball.