Two outs, no one on base.
Miyuki's perfect throw nailed Seihou High School's first batter. The speed gun flashed past 140 km/h, and the Seidou fans erupted as if they'd been injected with adrenaline.
"Did you see that?! Our catcher's got a laser arm too!"
"Hey—!"
Kanzaki Ryou gave Miyuki a thumbs-up, only to see the catcher grinning like a fool.
Soon, Seihou's second batter stepped into the box.
Completely unexpectedly, Miyuki called for a Changeup on the very first pitch. Still wary of Kanzaki Ryou's fastball, the batter swung early—
Whoosh!
A clean miss.
"A Changeup on the first pitch?!"
The batter glanced back at Miyuki. That smug smile on the catcher's face felt downright mocking.
Damn it… the pitcher's crazy, and the catcher's just as bad!
Why did monsters like these have to go to Seidou? If they'd joined Seihou instead, things would've been so much better.
Grinding his teeth, the batter forced himself to calm down.
Whoosh!
The second pitch came in. The bat met the ball—
Bang!
A slight graze. Foul.
"Hoo…" Miyuki exhaled quietly.
Kanzaki Ryou had nailed the location perfectly. The velocity was intentionally reduced, but the pitch itself was nasty. The fact that it was even touched showed just how dangerous Seihou's batting lineup really was.
"145."
Kanzaki Ryou glanced at the speed gun, then toward Coach Kataoka.
Coach was right.
After showing the Changeup, even a slower straight becomes hard to square up.
Unless absolutely necessary, he had no intention of throwing near 150 km/h again. That kind of output drained stamina far too quickly.
On the third pitch, Kanzaki Ryou fired a Slider toward the outside corner. The sharp break completely threw off the batter's timing.
Swing—miss!
Strike three.
The game moved into the bottom of the sixth inning, and Seihou made a change.
Pitcher Nakae Yuta shifted to left field, while their second-year pitcher, Kotaro Kuzuyama, took the mound.
He wasn't overpowering—his top speed barely touched 140 km/h—but he possessed a wide pitch repertoire. Watching his old game footage, Kanzaki Ryou had always felt that Kuzuyama's style oddly resembled a certain loudmouth ace from Seidou.
Of course, his pitching wasn't nearly as distinctive as Sawamura Eijun's.
Number 9, Miyuki Kazuya, stepped into the batter's box.
Three pitches. Three completely different looks.
Strikeout.
"You really can't get it going when there's no one on base, huh?" Kanzaki Ryou teased from the dugout.
Miyuki shrugged with a grin. "What can I say? Too many pitches. It's a nightmare trying to guess."
"Heh. No need to guess," Kanzaki Ryou said casually. "Just aim and swing when it comes."
Miyuki could only smile helplessly.
As if everyone had your monster-level dynamic vision…
Back at school, they'd once tested visual acuity by drawing tiny colored circles on baseballs and having Nanjo Taishi pitch. Batters had to identify the color mid-flight.
Kanzaki Ryou hadn't missed a single one.
A true freak.
On the field, Shida Shota came up next. After fouling off two pitches, he caught a Curveball and slapped it cleanly into the outfield.
Safe!
"The chance is here!"
Seidou's players leaned over the railing, shouting encouragement as Kominato Ryosuke stepped into the box.
Kominato took a deep breath.
A pitcher who relied on variety rather than velocity—this was exactly his type.
If anything, Kanzaki Ryou was the pitcher he hated facing the most. Heavy ball, insane spin, overwhelming speed… for someone with his build, it was pure suffering.
Kotaro Kuzuyama rolled the ball in his hand. The batter didn't look intimidating at first glance, but Kuzuyama knew better. Kominato Ryosuke was the kind of hitter who could never be dealt with carelessly.
The duel began.
The first pitch—a Slider. No swing.
Second pitch—a Two-seam fastball. Still no swing.
Kominato's eyes sharpened.
On the third pitch, Kuzuyama threw a Cutter that rode in toward the chest.
Bang!
The bat snapped through the zone, sending the ball slicing past third base and into left field.
Kominato dropped the bat and sprinted to first as Shida advanced to second.
One out. Runners on first and second.
Seidou was knocking on the door again.
Number 3, Yuki Tetsuya, stepped into the batter's box.
He rested the bat on his shoulder, calm and unmoving—yet the pressure he gave off was suffocating.
Though he'd only hit one home run since Koshien began, his deep outfield hits were unmatched. No pitcher dared underestimate him.
The catcher set his glove and flashed the sign.
Low and outside cutter. Tight location.
Kuzuyama nodded, steadying his breathing. It was a demanding pitch—even for him.
Whoosh!
Yuki twitched… then stopped.
Slap!
"Ball!"
Just outside.
Kuzuyama clicked his tongue but didn't panic. Against Seidou's core lineup, perfection was impossible. Only by challenging them head-on could he survive.
The catcher immediately called for the same course again—this time, a high-speed slider.
If this lands… the inside low sinker next will finish him.
The pitch flew.
The catcher's eyes lit up. Got it—
Bang!
The bat flashed.
The thickest part connected cleanly, blasting the ball into right field. It screamed past the infield and bounced hard toward the corner.
The right fielder rushed over, cutting it off before it could roll any farther.
By the time the ball was returned—
Shida reached third.
Kominato slid into second.
Yuki stood firmly on first.
Bases loaded. One out.
"Yuki!!"
Seidou's cheers shook the stadium.
Next up—Azuma Kiyokuni, the clean-up hitter.
And even if Azuma failed,Kanzaki Ryou was waiting behind him.
No one believed that this Seihou pitcher could escape without surrendering at least one run.
Not with this lineup staring him down.
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A/N: I'm sorry late update, I'm not feeling well.