I Thought I Was Dead After Getting Stabbed While Protecting a Girl From a Random Attacker, but a Goddess Gave Me a Special Reward and Brought Me Back to Life in My Original Body—Now, All These Girls Are Coming on to Me!?

Chapter 49: Feeling the Pressure of a Strong Opponent

Ryu Minase stood on the mound for his first start in high school.

He never imagined he would step onto a pristine mound in such a crucial moment.

But his task remained the same as always.

He aimed to do his best and simply keep the opposing batters at bay, which was very straightforward.

—

“Now, in the bottom of the first inning, trailing by one run, we introduce the members of Oomagari High School,” the announcer said.

“The leadoff batter is the skilled hitter Kuriyama. He bats left-handed,” the announcer continued.

“His lightning-fast speed stands out. He turns ordinary grounders into hits with his remarkable running ability,” the commentator added.

“The second batter is also a left-hander, Kaname-kun,” the announcer stated.

“Among the powerful hitters of Oomagari High School, he is small but excels at making consistent contact with the bat,” the commentator noted.

“Now for the cleanup hitters. The third batter is Tadano-kun, who bats right-handed. He leads the tournament with five home runs,” the announcer declared.

“His long-ball power is impressive, but his bat control, with only three strikeouts so far, is truly threatening,” the commentator emphasized.

“The fourth batter is Nagashino-kun, a left-hander,” the announcer said.

“He boasts an astonishing on-base percentage of sixty percent. After Tadano-kun drives in runs, he plays a key role in creating another scoring chance,” the commentator explained.

“The fifth batter is an international student from Cuba, Edgar-kun,” the announcer introduced.

“He hasn’t stood out much at the plate, but his incredible athleticism produces remarkable defensive plays,” the commentator remarked.

“The sixth batter is a right-hander, Kudou-kun,” the announcer continued.

“He is a fast and skilled hitter. He consistently posts high batting averages, making him a tough batter for pitchers,” the commentator said.

“The seventh batter is the ace, Shiki-kun, a left-hander,” the announcer stated.

“He is quite good at batting too. He hits to all fields without fighting the pitch, making him a solid batter,” the commentator added.

“The eighth batter is Sendou-kun, a right-hander,” the announcer said.

“He serves as the team’s captain and anchor. Despite batting lower in the order, he has already hit two home runs, showing undeniable power,” the commentator noted.

“The final batter is Shouhei-kun, a left-hander,” the announcer concluded.

“His standout quality is his defense. His fielding is already on par with professionals,” the commentator praised.

“That concludes the introduction of Oomagari High School’s players. The bottom of the first inning begins now,” the announcer finished.

—

Ryu prepared to face the leadoff batter.

He thought that, despite Oomagari being a seasoned team, they likely felt some tension in this final. To shake off that tension, they would probably swing aggressively.

So, for the first pitch, Ryu chose a changeup. The ball sank low and outside, aiming to catch the batter off guard. The batter let it pass for a strike.

Getting a strike on the first pitch was big. It allowed Ryu to use off-speed pitches effectively.

For the second pitch, he threw a slider that cut in from the outside.

The pitch missed slightly outside.

The batter took it for a ball.

As expected, Oomagari’s leadoff batter showed good plate discipline.

After two outside pitches, Ryu targeted the inside.

He threw a fastball after consecutive off-speed pitches, hoping to disrupt the batter’s timing.

Crack!

“The sharp hit goes down the first-base line! But First Baseman Kurita secures it—a fantastic play!” the announcer shouted.

“Even though it was right at him, catching that sharp hit shows the results of daily practice,” the commentator added.

Ryu felt a cold sweat run down his back, not from the heat. This elite team adjusted to his fastball on the first look.

He sensed a pressure unlike anything he felt in the semifinals.

This was the power of a national-level lineup. It was getting exciting!

Ryu switched focus to the second batter.

For the first pitch, he aimed to even the count.

“!” Ryu reacted.

The batter assumed a safety bunt stance right away.

They were coming at him aggressively!

Ryu pitched and charged forward, but the batter pulled the bat back without bunting.

Ryu realized they aimed to wear him down.

As if to confirm, the batter swung fully on the second pitch. It went foul, resulting in two strikes.

Ryu considered his final pitch choice.

Makabe-senpai’s sign came through.

Ryu adjusted his grip in the glove and wound up.

He threw a high-speed slider that cut in low and inside, making a clean swing impossible. Even if hit, it would likely be a grounder or foul.

But—

Crack!

The batter tucked his left hand and smashed the ball. The sharp hit went between first and second base.

“Hngh!” Ryu grunted.

Second Baseman Tanaka-senpai dove and caught it, reminiscent of his semifinal play. He threw to first for the second out.

Ryu faced the third batter, who led the tournament with five home runs.

He needed to pitch carefully, as any mistake could lead to a home run.

For the first pitch, Ryu threw a slider that missed outside.

The batter showed no reaction.

So, for the second pitch, Ryu went inside with a fastball, throwing aggressively, not minding if it missed.

The pitch hit perfectly near the knees.

For the third pitch, he threw a changeup sinking outside, hoping the batter would swing.

The batter easily took it for two balls.

Getting such pitches ignored made using off-speed pitches harder, which Ryu disliked.

He felt the pressure mounting bit by bit.

But he knew that giving in to it would lead to a collapse.

To assert his resolve, he threw a fastball inside.

The ball went high, and the batter swung.

Crack!

The sharp hit soared to right field!

Ryu’s heart sank momentarily, but the ball curved and went into the stands. It was a foul.

The batter’s ability to hit his fastball on first look likely came from facing Shiki’s fastballs regularly.

That annoyed Ryu a bit.

But getting reckless wouldn’t help.

He decided to mix speeds effectively.

For the final pitch, he chose his winning shot, aligning with Makabe-senpai’s sign. He nodded and wound up.

He threw his winning shot, a sweeper that broke sharply outside.

The pitch was perfect in course and movement.

Ryu felt confident. But a chilling sensation hit him.

The batter’s eyes seemed to track the ball perfectly.

In the next moment—

Crack!

Despite the outside pitch, the batter extended his long arms.

He hit it to the opposite field without fighting the pitch.

Right Fielder Yanagi-senpai chased it.

He backpedaled to the fence and—

Catch!

He caught it at the last second.

It was a right-field fly for the third out.

Ryu thought that was close. The batter not only reached for the pitch but hit it nearly to the fence. His power and bat control were extraordinary.

Horizontal breaking pitches might not work against him. Ryu needed to adjust his approach.

Makabe-senpai seemed to agree.

“We should use the changeup more effectively,” Makabe-senpai suggested.

“Yeah… if he can hit that outside slider, getting swings and misses will be tough,” Ryu replied.

“Well, I doubt he can keep batting like that, but better safe than sorry,” Makabe-senpai said.

“Right. But before that, we still have tough batters from the fourth spot on,” Ryu noted.

Back at the bench, Ryu noticed he was drenched in sweat.

He realized the opponent’s pressure had affected him more than he thought.

He decided to change his underwear.

He brought several spares for moments like this.

—

In the second inning, Phoenix High School’s offense started with the fifth batter, but Shiki’s commanding pitching shut them down.

Fifth batter Sasaoka-senpai, the tournament’s top hitter, faced Shiki’s blazing fastball. Shiki struck him out easily with a sinking pitch at the knees.

Ryu thought that was unhittable.

Sixth batter Hazama showed discipline, battling tough pitches, but he eventually swung at a high pitch for an infield fly.

Seventh batter Tanaka-senpai, who saved Ryu with a great play earlier, came up.

Ryu thought players often hit well after good defensive plays, but Shiki was too much.

Shiki’s sharp breaking balls came when batters were behind, and while swinging early was tempting, hitting his fastball was another challenge.

Clink.

The weak hit rolled to third.

The third baseman handled it easily for the out, making three outs.

Ryu thought Makabe-senpai’s home run was huge.

Scoring more against this pitcher seemed unlikely.

His responsibility felt heavier.

Ryu exhaled deeply to steady his breathing.