The sweltering weather, the equally sweltering atmosphere—Kawakami felt a bead of sweat crawl from his temple down his cheek. He had not thrown a single pitch yet; he had only just stepped onto the Pitcher's Mound. But after being looked over by that aggressively offensive team, he felt as though a pack of beasts had singled him out, sending a chill down his back. His mind was filled with the urge to run away.
Fortunately, this was the relief role Kawakami knew best. Kōshū would take the mound after him, and that kind of relay made him feel very comfortable—like a slice of meat snugly sandwiched between two pieces of bread.
Relax. Make good use of your Sidearm Pitch. Jam the ball into all the corners that make them uncomfortable. Miyuki always used a different style with different pitchers. With Kawakami, his classmate, he always focused on reassurance and encouragement.
"His opposing manager really has some nerve. He has a pitcher in left field, and now he's pulling another pitcher out of the Dugout?" Coach Todoroki was nowhere near as calm as he looked. During preparation, he had already anticipated that they would use Relay Pitching. But Raichi had already completely figured out their ace's pitching. They were just one step away from blasting that pitcher apart, yet Seido had directly abandoned their ace and started using players from the Dugout.
It felt like he had finally finished buying vegetables, washing them, chopping them, and cooking them, only to drop the entire meal on the floor while carrying it to the table.
"Sanada, how are you feeling?" Yakushi was not as extravagant as Seido. Their ace was the only one who could stand up to Seido's batting lineup.
"Haha, this heat is just right. This is only warm-up intensity, Coach.