Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 563 - 130: On the Brink (Part 2)

Originally, Shetsu Shou had prepared himself for being abandoned by the manager, given his poor performance in the climax game; but who would have thought, right after yesterday's match ended, Manager Akiyama sought him out and indicated that he would take the mound as the starting pitcher in tonight's crucial battle.

Almost as soon as he got back home from the stadium, Shetsu Shou lay down on his bed to rest and recharge, but it took him a long time tossing and turning before he could barely fall asleep—he felt like he had returned to that night on April 5, 2009, when Manager Akiyama put him on in the top of the eighth inning, and every cell in his body seemed to tremble.

"Good afternoon, senior!" A voice suddenly pulled Shetsu Shou out of his thoughts, "Is anyone sitting here?"

Shetsu Shou turned back to see a familiar young face; he smiled and replied, "It's Guanglai—no one is here, feel free to sit down."

Regarding the "culprit" who had effectively chased him off the ace position, Shetsu Shou harbored no negative feelings: after all, Lin Guanglai earned his place entirely through his own talent and performance; losing to such an emerging talent, Shetsu Shou felt wholeheartedly convinced.

Yet sometimes, Shetsu Shou still felt a bit envious, envious of his talent, envious of his youth... He sometimes wondered if he had talent similar to Lin Guanglai, could he have gone further?

As Shetsu Shou pondered this, Lin Guanglai, already seated opposite him, spoke first.

"Senior, you can pitch boldly tonight!" Lin Guanglai's gaze alternated between Shetsu Shou's face and the phone in front of him as he slowly spoke, "Tonight's game, the win will definitely be ours, SoftBank—As part of the lineup, we'll all have your back!"

Feeling the sincerity in his words, Shetsu Shou smiled, "So, Guanglai, are you tacitly admitting that I'll be blown away by Hanshin's batters?"

Being questioned like this by the senior he respected, Lin Guanglai broke into a cold sweat, quickly explaining, "No, no, Senior Shetsu, I didn't mean it like that..."

Seeing his anxious reaction, Shetsu Shou felt a small sense of mischief satisfied, "Alright, alright, don't take it seriously, I'm not teasing you anymore. Tonight's game will of course rely on you batters, otherwise even if I pitch a 9-inning shutout, it would be useless."

"Nevertheless..." Shetsu Shou paused his speech briefly, then his gaze sharpened and the bewilderment in his tone vanished, "Despite my performance dropping significantly this season, I am still a pitcher of the Eiji Sawamura Award caliber—no matter what, tonight I will give everything for the team!"

"Guanglai, take your time eating, I'm going to prepare for tonight's match." After quickly finishing the last bit of food on his tray, Shetsu Shou stood up like a shot, exchanged simple greetings with Lin Guanglai, then turned and left, leaving him with a long silhouette.

After some banter with Lin Guanglai, Shetsu Shou also came to realize—

"Maybe I really am getting old, maybe it really is time to pass the torch to the younger generation... But no matter what, even if my career needs to end, I will stand firm in this final post."

"For no other reason, just because I am Shetsu Shou, because I once came!"

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Three hours remain before the game starts, but for Hanshin Tigers' manager Wada Toyohiko, the match itself is no longer the most crucial issue.

In the visitors' locker room at the Yahoo Dome, the air was so heavy it could almost wring water. If someone walked in right now, they might think they had entered a cemetery.

The Hanshin players sat there dazedly, silently tending to their gear, with no one speaking. Some chose to cover their heads with a towel, half-reclining against the locker; others repeatedly tied and untied their shoelaces, eyes vacant; even veterans who had served the team for decades furrowed their brows deeply, occasionally letting out heavy sighs.

The three consecutive losses felt like three heavy blows that dazed the Hanshin Tigers players and brought them tremendous pressure and endless frustration: SoftBank's Dual Swordsmanship monster destroyed the game and drained Hanshin Tigers' backbone; it was like a heavy haze hanging over the locker room.

Watching these lifeless players, Wada Toyohiko sighed imperceptibly—though theoretically, there is still hope, facing a substantial 0:3 deficit, even the most loyal Hanshin Tigers fan might declare their team doomed.

While these thoughts hold true, as the manager of this team and a former key player of the Hanshin Tigers that once won Japan's Number One, Wada Toyohiko felt some dissatisfaction in his heart, still wanting to make another attempt for that championship, which seemed increasingly out of reach.

"Raise your heads!"

Walking to the center of the locker room, Wada Toyohiko clapped his hands, gathering everyone's attention toward him.

His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried an undeniable authority, causing Hanshin Tigers players to instinctively straighten and look at him.

"I know what you're thinking right now, it's nothing more than that we're finished, tonight's game is just going through the motions... That's somewhat accurate."

The anticipated morale-boosting rally wasn't forthcoming; even Wazumi Toyohiko admitted as much. Given the circumstances, this wouldn't normally arise from this steel-hardy Showa-era man's posture.

"If you want to leave the stage of the Japan tournament with the mark of a loser, I have no objection—I've already submitted my resignation to the team ahead of this match; meaning this will be my last game as Hanshin's manager."

"Are you prepared to leave here in such a reviled state, witnessing an opponent's victory on their home court; or stand tall, fight once more for yourselves, even if it means dying standing?"

"If you ask me, I can only tell you one thing—"

Wada Toyohiko suddenly raised his voice, boosting the spirits of everyone around.

"We have nowhere left to retreat; we have nothing left to lose, so why not create a little more trouble for the opponent? SoftBank may think victory is theirs, but in this situation, every little resistance will make them begin to doubt themselves—"

"Since others have proven they can achieve three straight wins after three losses, why can't we accomplish it again? A 0-to-3 score looks daunting, but as long as we win one game, the opponent's pressure increases by more than a little!"

"And if we can bring the game back to Koshien Stadium, their morale will completely collapse!!!"

Having said so much in one breath, Wada Toyohiko's face visibly turned red with emotion; after taking a few breaths, he left his final words and turned away without looking back.

"It's up to you whether to fight for yourselves one last time or just become a stepping stone for others—whatever choice you make, I'll support you."

Watching their manager's somewhat bleak silhouette, something began to ignite in the Hanshin Tigers' locker room.