LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 201: <201> The Wave That Scared Teammates
Chapter 201: The Wave That Scared Teammates
"Tachi! This is the standard of the Nationals!"
"There are countless amazing players in this world."
"How about it? Isn't this expedition worth it?"
As expected, just as Sendo had predicted, Coach Matsumoto called out Tachi's name with emphasis before delivering a speech that would fire up any player's spirit.
"That's right! Tachi! Isn't this exactly the kind of game we were hoping for?" Encouragement came from his classmates on the bench as well.
"Just enjoy the game like you always do!"
"Have fun out there, Tachi! Let's teach them a lesson together!"
And then, that terrifying smile appeared again!
"Tachi-senpai! That smile is the best!"
Sendo, watching his opponent's smile, couldn't help but feel a little addicted to it.
"Nice! A home run! Tetsu-san!"
"Ah! The opponent's not in great shape! But…" Even without Yuuki saying it, Sendo understood his meaning.
"Tetsu-san!"
"The seniors faced a pitcher out of form, but now I have to endure his revenge!"
"What bad luck!" Sendo shrugged.
"Are you scared?"
"No!"
"That's the spirit! You're not the type of player to be intimidated by something like this."
"Besides, fighting against players of this caliber… isn't it exhilarating?" Yuuki said, watching Tachi in full form, as if a little envious of how Sendo could draw out Tachi's energy.
"As Tetsu-san said! Though, hmm… no, it's nothing."
What Sendo didn't say aloud was that Yuuki might be talking a little too much to him. But he quickly understood—this was proof of Yuuki's expectations for him.
"Just enjoy it! Don't feel any pressure. Play your way!" Yuuki patted Sendo's shoulder and headed back to the bench to join the waiting seniors.
"Enjoy, huh? Then I suppose a little mischief is fair game!" Sendo glanced at Yuuki's back and smirked.
Sendo thoroughly enjoyed the educational atmosphere in Japan, which granted these kids a great deal of patience, tolerance, and even space for their quirks.
Fostering individuality and allowing them to develop their passion—this was the foundation of Japanese education.
Whether it was Narumiya Mei, Miyuki, or even the young cubs who came later, first-year players in prestigious schools were treated with incredible leniency.
For example, when Narumiya Mei, as a first-year, single-handedly ended his seniors' summer, the third-years still comforted him, saying, "You're just a first-year."
Even Sawamura, when facing Seihou's ace in his second year during a practice match, had people making excuses for him, recalling how much leniency first-years and second-years were given.
And let's not forget how the young wolf directly confronted Coach Kataoka yet still received understanding—showing just how supportive the overall environment was.
As a first-year, Sendo truly enjoyed the favor of everyone. But his performance also made him worthy of such treatment.
Across the numerous games so far this high school season, he had maintained a jaw-dropping batting average of .860 and an even more terrifying slugging percentage.
"As expected of Osaka's representative coach. Just one sentence, and he managed to inspire his players!" Miyuki, standing in the bullpen, spoke to Sawamura with admiration.
Sawamura, equally stunned, watched the scene unfold, realizing the sheer influence of a coach from a powerhouse school.
"Don't be so tense, Sawamura!"
"I'm not tense!" Sawamura snapped, both embarrassed and angry.
"No need for formal language!"
...
"Tachi-senpai's smile… it's so addictive!"
"I feel like I can't get enough of it!" Sendo casually remarked as he stepped into the batter's box.
"Seriously? Your taste is really something else!" Kiryuu's catcher couldn't help but retort.
"Maybe," Sendo replied nonchalantly, not denying it.
"Last time, even though we managed to retire him, he still hit a few terrifying long balls. But now, with Tachi in this condition, it should be fine. His pitches have become much heavier, and his breaking balls are incredibly precise. Just make sure not to let him figure out your timing..."
Seeing the signal from his team's catcher, Tachi gave a bright smile and nodded.
"How did Eijun do it again? Something like that should work, right? Maybe…" Sendo muttered, lost in thought.
From the pitcher's mound, Tachi had already begun his windup!
As soon as the ball was released:
"Bunt!"
Immediately, the third baseman, second baseman, and shortstop all charged forward, demonstrating the disciplined training of a powerhouse team.
"Ah!" The Seidou bench erupted in surprise.
Clink!
"Damn it, not a clean hit! Guess I'll just have to force it!" Sendo instantly realized the ball placement wasn't ideal the moment it made contact with his bat.
Sure enough, the ball rolled straight toward the shortstop, even less favorable than Kuramochi's earlier bunt in the first inning.
Due to the combination of a bunt and an unexpected play, the infielders' reaction time was slightly delayed. However, the shortstop still had a shorter throw to first than the third baseman.
Generally, infielders instinctively charge forward when they see a bunt. This makes their reaction faster, but when caught off guard, they need extra time to adjust. Considering Sendo's reputation for hitting powerful long balls, no one expected a bunt.
"Wow! That's terrible!" Sawamura let out a high-pitched exclamation upon seeing the ball's trajectory.
"Ku! Ku! Ku!" Sendo's response came in the form of relentless strides.
"Wait, what? Seriously?" The shortstop, upon fielding the ball, realized that Sendo was already almost at first base. Without hesitation, he threw the ball.
"Can they make it?" Everyone watched in suspense as the throw headed toward first base.
Pop!
"Safe!"
"Naniya?! (Kansai dialect) This guy's faster than the shortstop! Even with that, he still made it!" The Kiryuu bench collectively gasped at the sheer number of surprises this game had brought.
As their coach had mentioned, this was the level of national competition.
The heated battlefields were full of powerhouse teams, many of which didn't even make it to the Nationals stage.
Even a Koshien regular like them was encountering players they had never heard of before, each with unique and remarkable skills.
"Ah… that was way too close!" Manager Ota nearly had a heart attack.
"Seriously! Only that guy would pull off such a reckless and audacious move," Rei muttered, pressing her hand against her forehead.
She had just been frustrated by Miyuki's earlier at-bat, and now Sendo had delivered yet another shocking play.
"Well, he does have the ability to back it up," Chris commented calmly.
"That was way too risky! He's terrible at bunting!" Rei countered.
"It was close, but that play was crucial! With the pitcher in such great form, it's hard to attack him head-on. Taking advantage of their lack of preparation with a bunt to get on base gives us a chance to shake him up—or even break him down completely."
"That said, that bunt was terrible! Only you could pull off something so reckless, Sendo!" Miyuki ranted from the sidelines, though a hint of grudging admiration slipped into his tone.
The seniors, including Kuramochi, Ono, Jun-san, and Masuko, even Coach Kataoka, all broke into a cold sweat.
From a professional baseball perspective, that play was sheer reckless abandon!
...
The moment Sendo suddenly adopted a bunting stance, everyone's hearts seemed to leap into their throats. It wasn't until he safely reached first base that they could finally exhale.
From a strategic perspective, the play was brilliant. The problem? Sendo had no skill whatsoever in bunting.
And yet, the most infuriating part was that he used his sheer talent to turn the impossible into possible.
"It looks like we need to start training his bunting skills!" Kuramochi said from the sidelines.
The surrounding seniors all nodded subtly, though whether they'd actually follow through was anyone's guess. One thing was clear—if Sendo kept playing this recklessly, it was only a matter of time before he gave them all heart attacks.
Even though it was just a practice match, Seidou's two "wave makers," Miyuki and Sendo, were enough to give everyone a headache.
If Seidou was left in awe after Miyuki's daring breaking ball during practice, this time Sendo's antics left their hearts pounding.
On Kiryuu's side, however, the reaction was pure shock.
Even Coach Matsumoto had his jaw dropped.
Sendo's speed was absurd, far beyond even national-level sprinters. His explosive start was nothing short of monstrous—raw talent that crushed any sense of reason. There was simply no way to stop him.
"Kimmochi! (That felt great!)" Sendo said gleefully as he reached first base, a rare verbal display of his joy.
Anyone could see how delighted he was. Even Sendo, with his uncanny ability to predict time gaps, had doubted if he could beat the shortstop's throw this time.
"Nice base running!" Third base coach Kusunoki, with a complicated expression, still offered encouragement—it was deserved, after all.
"Thanks!" Sendo, carefree as ever, accepted the praise and casually removed his protective gear.
Tachi's imposing momentum was momentarily disrupted by Sendo's sudden dash, but after a brief pause, he regained his composure and smiled again.
Clearly, Coach Matsumoto's motivational words were still resonating with him.
"Haha! Well, since it worked, the pressure's all on them now! Once that guy's on base, it's like having a nuclear warhead!" Miyuki said with a carefree laugh.
He wasn't wrong. Witnessing that absurd base running, even though Tachi wasn't fazed, his catcher was visibly flustered, unsure of how to handle Sendo.
No one would believe that someone with Sendo's speed wouldn't attempt a steal. Even a catcher with a strong arm had their limits, and that speed left no room for confidence.
With a runner on base, the pitcher would have to use a set position, effectively gifting the runner an advantage.
And with only one out, Seidou could easily use Sendo's speed to force a run when he reached third base.
The next batter, Masuko, wasn't particularly skilled at hitting breaking balls but excelled at smashing fastballs. Combine that with Sendo's speed, and the prospect was terrifying.
It wasn't just the potential run that was concerning—if Seidou's batting lineup gained momentum, it would be disastrous.
The Kiryuu players, having already experienced Seidou's fearsome batting order, knew all too well how devastating it could be if they collectively found their rhythm.
This inning was crucial.
Kiryuu needed to give their all, but no matter how determined they were, they couldn't change the fact that Sendo was already on first base.
From the moment he got there, Sendo exaggeratedly extended his lead.
"What a massive lead! It's easily over five meters! Is this really okay? Could it be that he's not even planning to steal but just trying to pressure Tachi?"
Even Coach Matsumoto was caught off guard. A lead of over five meters was absurd, especially considering that the distance between bases was only 28 meters.
With only about 20 meters left to second base, a top sprinter could cover that distance in just two seconds. Some elite athletes, like world-class soccer players, have been clocked at 1.6 seconds for the first 20 meters.
Even the fastest baseball catchers, including Miyuki in his third year, needed at least three seconds to throw to second base. With Sawamura's pitching time of 1.29 seconds added, it totaled 3.2 seconds.
"It's useless! If that guy decides to run, there's no stopping him from first to second unless he makes a mistake himself."
"This lead? It's just him toying with you!" Miyuki, who knew Sendo better than anyone, smirked as he explained.
...
Even Sendo himself didn't know exactly how fast his stealing speed was. What he could do, however, was calculate whether the opponent's throw could stop him based on the time gap.
By the fifth inning, he had already seen everything he needed to see.
Miyuki, though he hadn't measured it, was certain of one thing:
"Three seconds? That cocky bastard Sendo may be reckless, but there's no way his time from first to second over 28 meters exceeds three seconds. And with his massive five-meter lead, it's practically designed to drive the pitcher insane."
No matter what anyone said, with such a big lead, it was impossible to ignore. Even players as inattentive as Furuya or Sawamura couldn't turn a blind eye to it.
Tachi, seeing Sendo's lead, could no longer smile. He was forced to keep a close eye on Sendo.
For a right-handed pitcher, dealing with a runner on first base is the most challenging.
While they have some advantage against a third base runner stealing home, their back-facing position puts them at a significant disadvantage when dealing with a first base runner.
Additionally, the distance between the catcher and second base is the farthest compared to any other base paths.
As for stealing home? That's a rarity and not much of a concern. But for base runners, a right-handed pitcher is the least effective at holding them in check.
With Sendo taking such a massive lead, it was impossible for Tachi not to pay attention. Yet focusing too much on him could compromise his pitching.
Pop!
"Safe!"
In the end, Tachi instinctively threw a pickoff attempt to first base, hoping to intimidate Sendo into retreating.
Of course, Tachi wasn't naïve enough to think Sendo would stray so far from the bag that he couldn't make it back in time.
Seidou was a powerhouse, not an amateur team, and Tachi, being a meticulous and reserved person, understood that all too well.
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