The little monkey, Todoroki Raichi, stepped into the batter's box looking cheerful, as if he had already forgotten about being struck out earlier.
"Yahahaha! I'm not afraid of you!"
Raichi shouted loudly, trying to pump himself up.
A pitch exceeding 160 kilometers per hour was simply too terrifying.
"Todoroki Raichi! Gambatte!"
"Don't be scared! Just swing like you always do!"
"Hit it out!"
"Please, Todoroki Raichi!"
The cheers of his teammates helped calm him down.
After settling into his stance, Raichi lifted his head and looked straight at Kanzaki Ryou, who was staring right back at him.
Come on… throw it!
I'm definitely going to hit it.
Raichi kept encouraging himself in his heart.
On the pitcher's mound, Kanzaki frowned slightly as he observed him.
The young man seemed to be muttering something under his breath, yet no sound came out.
Is he hypnotizing himself?
Like Kawakami…
Kanzaki shook his head slightly.
Whatever.
Even though this little monkey had already been struck out once, he might actually have even more fighting spirit now.
This time, it wouldn't be as easy to deal with him as before.
Behind the plate, Chris had clearly thought of the same thing.
He quietly set his glove and signaled for the first pitch.
An outside fastball.
But not just any fastball.
Kanzaki saw the sign and nodded slightly.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Little monkey…
Try swinging at this one.
Whoosh!
With a powerful flick of his arm, the white ball shot toward home plate.
Raichi's focus had reached its peak.
His bat swung almost at the same time.
His bat speed was among the fastest in the country.
But just as Raichi thought he had perfectly timed the pitch—
Something strange happened.
In his eyes, the baseball suddenly accelerated halfway through its flight.
The bat and ball crossed paths.
Thud!
The ball landed cleanly in Chris's glove.
Feeling the weight of the ball in his hand, Chris's lips curved slightly.
What a pitch.
The trajectory looked completely ordinary.
Yet it had the ability to make the batter misjudge the timing of the swing.
Combined with its overwhelming speed, this fastball alone was enough to overwhelm most hitters.
Even Todoroki Raichi, that monster from Yakushi, had been stunned.
Raichi rubbed his eyes vigorously.
For a moment, he thought he had seen an illusion.
After confirming his eyesight was fine, he looked at Kanzaki with an expression that resembled a pervert seeing a beautiful woman or a starving man spotting a roasted chicken leg.
His eyes sparkled.
Saliva even dripped from the corner of his mouth.
"Sugoi!!"
"What an amazing fastball!"
"It's my first time seeing a pitch that accelerates!"
Raichi muttered excitedly to himself.
"…Eh"
Chris couldn't help frowning.
Raichi's saliva was practically streaming down continuously.
"Ahem."
Chris coughed lightly as a reminder.
"Huh?"
Raichi lowered his head and froze.
"Student, wipe your saliva."
Even the umpire behind him couldn't stand it anymore and spoke with a dark expression.
Raichi hurriedly wiped his mouth.
When he realized he had actually been drooling, his face instantly turned red with embarrassment.
He was simple-minded, but not completely stupid.
This was a live game, possibly even broadcast on TV.
And he had just drooled in front of everyone.
It's over…
My social life is over…
At that moment, Raichi wished he could dig a hole and bury himself.
"Todoroki Raichi! What are you embarrassed about?!"
A loud voice suddenly roared from the stands.
"Doesn't everyone already know you're an idiot?!"
Everyone turned to look.
It was none other than Todoroki Raizo.
Raichi's face instantly twisted in anger.
"Damn old man! Are you really my biological father?!"
The shame disappeared immediately, replaced by pure rage toward his scoundrel of a father.
He knew that once the game ended, the two of them would surely have another "harmonious" father-and-son exchange.
"Hoo… hoo…"
Taking a deep breath, Raichi adjusted himself and looked back at Kanzaki.
He still wanted to hit that last pitch.
But the opponent probably wouldn't throw the same pitch again.
Seeing Raichi ready, Chris quickly gave the next sign.
A high inside slider.
Whoosh!
Kanzaki worked quickly.
The moment he saw the signal, he delivered the pitch.
A high fastball.
Raichi instantly read the pitch and swung fiercely.
But just before reaching the plate—
The ball suddenly shifted and dropped inward, diving toward his chest.
"Strike!"
Raichi had been fooled again.
Yet his excitement didn't fade at all.
Only the beads of sweat on his forehead grew larger.
Since entering high school baseball, he had never felt this powerless before.
"Again!"
Raichi's usual cheerful demeanor disappeared.
Even Todoroki Raizo in the stands felt slightly surprised seeing this side of his son.
Had the previous swings shaken him that much?
Seeing this moment, Kanzaki immediately threw the third pitch.
A circle changeup.
Raichi had already started swinging.
But the moment he realized the pitch was slower—
It was already too late.
The previous pitch had been a fastball that seemed to accelerate.
Now it suddenly became a changeup.
How was he supposed to hit something like that?
It was simply unfair!
Thwack!
"Strike!"
"Struck out!"
Struck out again with just three pitches, Raichi stood there blankly.
Just as Kanzaki wondered whether he should say something to motivate him—
Raichi suddenly slapped his own face.
"Next time!"
"Next time I'll definitely hit your pitch!"
After saying that, he turned and ran back toward the dugout.
"Heh… it seems Kanzaki Ryou really values Todoroki Raichi."
Sanada Shunpei spoke calmly as Raichi entered the dugout.
"Besides using different pitch speeds, he even used an accelerating fastball and a circle changeup against him."
Everyone immediately looked toward Raichi.
Indeed—
So far, no other batter had made Kanzaki pitch so seriously.
Raichi, who had been doubting himself moments ago, instantly regained confidence after hearing that.
Todoroki Raizo looked at Sanada Shunpei with appreciation.
What a reliable guy.
Just one sentence had restored Raichi's nearly shattered confidence.
How should I thank him?
Treat him to a meal?
…Ah, right. I don't have money.
Meanwhile, in Seido's dugout—
"Hey, hey… you used that fastball pretty early."
Kuramochi Yoichi looked at Kanzaki.
"Yeah, isn't it a bit early?" someone else added.
Seeing everyone staring at him, Kanzaki smiled calmly.
"It's fine."
"Just knowing about it doesn't mean you can hit it."
"Don't worry."
Hearing that, Yuki Tetsuya nodded.
"As long as you're confident, that's enough. We all believe in you."
Kominato Ryosuke suddenly spoke.
"Doesn't Kanzaki still have a weapon he hasn't used?"
"How about trying it?"
"You mean the palmball?"
Kanzaki glanced toward Coach Kataoka, then toward the Yakushi bench.
After a moment, he shook his head.
"No need."
"Let's save that for the finals."
A slight smile appeared on his face.
"I'll give Narumiya Mei a surprise then."
Miyuki laughed.
"I doubt he'd want that kind of surprise."