The Old Baseball Player System

Shun returned to the mound for the bottom of the sixth inning, and unlike the previous inning where he dispatched the three batters with few pitches, Kasuga's lower batting order was determined to wear out Shun's arm, even if they couldn't get a hit.

Shun needed eight pitches to retire Kasuga's seventh batter with a fly ball to center field. After that, it took him six more pitches to strike out the eighth batter. Finally, with two outs, Shun faced another left-handed batter.

Kasuga's ninth batter found himself cornered in the count after only two pitches, forcing him to try and hit Shun's third pitch in the duel, a horizontal slider that crossed through the strike zone.

WOOSH

DING

PAH

"Out! 3 outs, changeover!" - The umpire announced as Kasuga's ninth batter's fly ball landed in Kenta's glove.

Shun began his walk back to the dugout calmly as he usually did, but this time, before he reached the dugout, a round of applause could be heard from the spectators in the stands.

The boy paused for a moment, confused. He didn't know why he was being applauded, but when he looked up and saw several unfamiliar people standing and clapping, his confusion only grew.

---

Meanwhile, in the stands above Shoto Junior High's dugout...

"Six perfect innings, that was impressive!" - Satoru, Hana's father, said as he also clapped for the blue-eyed boy making his way back to the dugout.

"Hahahaha, not bad, Kenshin Jr.!" - Masahiro laughed cheerfully as he, too, applauded Shun's performance.

Kenshin, for his part, was also standing and clapping with a silly smile on his face. The man was clearly proud of his son at that moment, and seeing that not just him, but the majority of the spectators in the stadium were also recognizing Shun's performance, he couldn't help but feel a bit emotional.

Surprisingly, however, one of the only people not clapping for Shun was his number one fan.

"Sweetheart, why are you upset?" - Aiko asked, puzzled as she looked at little Yumi sitting with her arms crossed and pouting.

"Hmph! Why are you all talking like Bro is going to stop playing? Bro is going to pitch until the end!" - Little Yumi said angrily. The last time she came to watch her brother, Shun pitched all nine innings, so she didn't understand why he wouldn't do the same this game.

"Yumi, your brother has already done his part. He's clearly tired now, but being subbed out won't take away from what he's done in this match." - Kenshin looked at his daughter and explained gently. Even though he, too, wanted to see his son pitch the whole game, Shun was clearly tired, and staying in the game to face Kasuga's lineup for the third time was clearly a bad idea.

Kenshin then looked at the stadium's speed radar, which still displayed Shun's last pitch speed, and sighed. Unlike the impressive 135 km/h in the earlier innings, the speed radar now showed 128 km/h, a significant difference that was clearly affecting Shun's effectiveness.

"Hmph!" - Little Yumi huffed while rolling her eyes. The little girl couldn't help but think these adults were a bit foolish for doubting her brother, but since she was very well-mannered, she decided to stay quiet and just wait to see their faces when they realized they were wrong.

---

"Good job, Shun. I think it's time—" - Coach Yamada began as soon as Shun arrived at the dugout, but before he could finish, Shun interrupted him.

"Please, let me pitch the seventh inning, Coach!" - Shun said with determination, looking into his coach's eyes.

"Huh?" - Coach Yamada was shocked by the boy's statement. Seeing how Shun's pitches were losing speed, he intended to switch pitchers for the next inning and thought Shun would be the first to agree with him.

"Not only are your pitches losing velocity, but Kasuga's batters are starting to get used to the trajectory of your sliders. Do you understand the risk of what you're asking me?" - Normally, Coach Yamada would just deny such a reckless request, but after watching Shun's growth and dedication over the past year, something inside him told him the boy wouldn't make this request just out of pride.

"One base! If I give up a single base, I'll take myself off the mound, Coach!" - Shun said with determination. He understood all the points his coach made, but there was something only he knew. Starting from the seventh inning, his secret weapon would finally be available, and with it, Shun was confident he could retire Kasuga's batters.

Coach Yamada looked at the boy's determined face in surprise. He didn't understand where this confidence came from, but he couldn't deny that it moved him a bit. However, before he could give his answer, two voices interrupted him.

"Please, Coach, let Shun pitch!" - Kenta and Ren said simultaneously, bowing toward Coach Yamada.

"You guys..." - Shun looked at his two friends speechless. Thanks to the system, Shun still had a way to face Kasuga's batters in the next inning, but these guys... Shun had no idea why his friends were putting so much trust in him.

"One base. If you give up a base, I'm pulling you off the mound, understood?" - Coach Yamada looked at Shun and spoke with a serious tone. At that moment, Yamada decided not to follow logic or the best possible plan. Instead, he decided to trust his heart. He decided to place the team's fate in the hands of the boy who transformed Shoto Junior High School's baseball team. At that moment, he decided to trust Shun.

"Thank you, Coach!" - Shun, Kenta, and Ren bowed, thanking him in unison.

Shun then calmly walked further into the dugout, sat on the bench, and closed his eyes. The boy clenched his fists tightly, trying to calm his emotions. Although Shun was grateful for the trust his friends and coach had in him, he knew that all of it would be pointless if he didn't do his part.

When Shun opened his eyes, an unyielding determination shone in his gaze as he looked at the field calmly. He could feel his hand trembling with anticipation, he could hardly wait to return to the mound and repay the trust placed in him with his pitches.

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