The Old Baseball Player System

Without having the slightest idea of who was in the stands or what they were doing, Shun climbed the dugout steps and walked toward the batter's box. Since the pitcher from Matsubara Junior High was still warming up with a few practice throws, Shun had to wait halfway there.

As he stopped and looked around, he was a bit surprised. Despite it being a Friday morning, the stands were packed. Such was the reputation of the Kanto Tournament. Shun simply smiled at the sight of the crowded stands. After the game against Kasuga in the final round of the Tokyo Tournament, it was hard for any audience to impress him.

Shun then shifted his focus to the Matsubara pitcher on the mound. It was the tall boy who had gone to flip the coin with Kenta to decide who would bat first. This meant that, besides being the ace, he was also Matsubara's captain. Shun was impressed by this but couldn't help but grin. An ace already meant a lot to a team, but considering that the boy on the mound was not only the ace but also the captain, if Shun could break this guy down... this game could be much easier than he initially thought.

The Matsubara pitcher signaled to the umpire that he was ready to start the game. Shun quickly stepped into the batter's box, locking eyes with Matsubara's ace. Since he had no information about what kind of pitcher this boy was, Shun could only rely on his skills and try to make the pitcher throw a lot, allowing him and the rest of his team to analyze the pitches.

However, before Matsubara's ace could make his first move, Shun noticed something strange in the outfield. Both the left and right fielders had shifted closer to the foul lines and were positioned slightly further in than usual. Shun found this odd, and the thought crossed his mind that Matsubara might have information about him and Shoto.

After all, just because Shun hadn't been able to gather any information about Matsubara didn't mean Matsubara hadn't scouted Shoto. In fact, it seemed quite plausible, considering that Shun was just a teenager while Matsubara was a well-established middle school.

Shun decided to observe carefully to confirm his suspicion. He kept his focus on the Matsubara pitcher, and soon the first pitch of the duel came.

PAH

"Strike!" - The umpire announced as the fastball from Matsubara's ace landed squarely in the strike zone, and Shun merely observed.

Shun showed no reaction after seeing Matsubara's fastball. Although it wasn't a bad pitch, when compared to the fastball of Imai, the ace of Kasuga Junior High, it didn't seem particularly special. What really caught Shun's attention was that the right and left fielders stayed in their positions near the foul lines, confirming that Matsubara believed they knew what kind of batter he was, or at least, thought they knew.

Shun gave a small smile as he looked at Matsubara's ace. Perhaps it was time to show Matsubara and the entire Kanto Tournament what he was capable of. Shun watched as Matsubara's pitcher began his windup, and he easily identified another fastball heading his way, this time high and outside in the zone.

At that moment, Shun's mind went blank as all his focus zeroed in on the ball approaching him. Although Shun understood the importance of making the opposing pitcher throw more and reveal more of his arsenal, none of that mattered to him in that instant. All he could think about was swinging his bat with everything he had.

WOOSH

DOONG

Shun felt the ball make perfect contact with the sweet spot of his bat. Without hesitation, he activated his Perfect Shot ability to drive the ball deep into the outfield, precisely between right-center and center field. As soon as the ball rocketed off his bat, Shun sprinted toward first base with everything he had.

POFT

The ball landed deep in right field, bouncing toward the fence. Since the right fielder had positioned himself close to the foul line, it took him a long time to reach the ball. By the time the ball bounced for a second time, Shun had already touched first base, and as the right fielder finally got to the ball, Shun had passed second base and was heading for third.

At that moment, the right fielder made a critical mistake. Seeing Shun closing in on third base, he threw the ball hard toward the third baseman to try to tag Shun out. However, in his haste, the throw went offline, forcing Matsubara's third baseman to step off the base to retrieve the ball.

Shun was sprinting at full speed when he saw the third baseman move off the bag. At that moment, Shun made up his mind. Despite knowing it was risky, he didn't slow down. As he approached third base, he touched it with his foot and, without missing a beat, charged toward home plate.

PAH

Shun heard the sound of the ball landing in the third baseman's glove just as he was halfway to home plate. He realized the throw hadn't been as offline as he'd thought, and a flicker of panic flashed in his eyes as he saw the catcher waiting in front of him. Nevertheless, Shun didn't hesitate and kept running at full speed toward home.

Shun saw the catcher moving toward him, positioning himself between Shun and home plate, ready to make the tag as soon as the ball reached his glove. Shun noticed the catcher's positioning and thought it might qualify as interference, but he didn't have time to dwell on that.

As Shun closed in on Matsubara's catcher, who was crouched in his path, his instincts took over. He continued running directly at the catcher, and just before they collided, Shun leaped over the catcher, diving toward home plate.

POFT

PAH

While Shun was airborne, he heard the ball hit the ground and then land in Matsubara's catcher's glove. He felt his body descending as he extended his arm toward home plate.