"Seido High School, requesting a pitcher change!"
Coach Kataoka had appeared at some point, and beside him stood a slender young man.
Not only were the Inashiro players caught off guard. Even Seido's own teammates clearly hadn't expected their coach to make the change so quickly.
Tanba, who had returned to the dugout, felt as if his entire world had turned gray.
"If you don't want to experience this again, open your eyes wide and see clearly. Whether it's unwillingness or anger, remember this feeling. There won't be a next time."
Tanba's performance had pushed Kataoka's patience to its limit.
In Inashiro's dugout, a coach scratched his head and asked Kunitomo beside him, "He's pulling their No. 1 Ace so quickly? Is Seido planning to give up the rest of the game?"
Coach Kunitomo shook his head.
"Taking him off this decisively means Coach Kataoka doesn't trust their No. 1 pitcher. Or it means there is a pitcher on Seido that he trusts more than Tanba."
A truly trusted Ace would never be pulled so easily. Even for a condition adjustment, a player would be moved to the outfield, not sent back to the dugout. Once a player returns to the dugout mid-game, he loses the opportunity to re-enter.
Two weeks ago, no one would have believed that Kawakami, with no prior major competition experience, would be placed with such high hopes by Seido. But now he was being brought onto the field with a runner on base and a strong batter waiting.
This meant that not only had Kawakami pitched well in the last game, but his work during the past week had also earned the recognition of Coach Kataoka and the Seido coaching staff.
That was certainly not good news for Inashiro.
One out, runner on First Base.
"Fourth batter, catcher, Harada Masatoshi."
Coach Kunitomo signaled Harada.
The situation was in Inashiro's favor, and the opposing pitcher had just entered the game. If they could strike hard while the opponent was still settling in, it might throw this freshman into disarray. Even if they couldn't break Kawakami completely, more runs would be welcome.
Harada, stepping into the batter's box, was this year's Inashiro captain. He was also one of the new generation representatives of West Tokyo's Three Great Powerhouses, alongside Yuuki Tetsuya of Seido and Omae of Ichidai Third High School.
His strength could be felt from those titles alone. Earlier, when he faced Tanba, he had forcefully swept the ball out even without hitting the sweet spot, and gotten a hit.
Kawakami had just been brought in and immediately had to face someone like this.
Seido's teammates couldn't help but feel uneasy. They all worried for Kawakami. Could he really hold his ground?
As for Kawakami himself, to say he wasn't nervous would be a lie. He was practically dying of it. His blood ran fast, his heart thumped as if it was about to jump out of his chest.
He was very nervous. He was also very excited.
No one knew the despair he usually carried.
Although Tanba had never been highly regarded, his high breaking ball was his most potent weapon. Originally, Kawakami could have waited for Tanba to retire before contending for the Ace position. But then Zhang Han appeared. Compared to Tanba, Zhang Han posed a far greater threat to Kawakami's place on the roster.
That terrifying pitching speed talent had once made Kawakami want to give up pitching entirely.
But at the most desperate moment of his life, an angel appeared, one Kawakami had never seen in person. That angel had kept writing words of care and encouragement in his notebook.
Someone could still see his efforts.
Recalling those words, Kawakami felt boundless fighting spirit rise within him.
This was an opportunity he had fought hard for, earned through countless days and nights of practice. He would never give it up, no matter what.
Kawakami stood full of fighting spirit and did not flinch because his opponent was Inashiro.
This made Miyuki, his partner, very happy.
Good. As long as Kawakami could hold this state, they might just be able to go toe to toe with Inashiro after all.
First, deal with this monster who stood alongside Yuuki in reputation. The fourth batter of Inashiro. That was the immediate target.
This feeling was quite something.
Miyuki gave the signal.
Kawakami took a deep breath and pitched with all his might.
"Whoosh!"
The small white ball shot straight to the inside corner.
On First Base, Yoshizawa wasn't going to stay put. He stepped well off the bag, putting constant pressure on Kawakami. But he didn't move when Kawakami pitched. He hadn't come here to steal a base. Inashiro wanted their fourth batter, Harada, to hit the ball.
Harada did not swing.
He watched the baseball pass right in front of him and go straight into Miyuki's glove.
"Thwack!"
"Strike!"
Behind Harada, Narumiya Mei, waiting to bat, complained loudly.
"Harada is too conservative. He should have swung at a ball like that."
Harada pretended not to hear.
Their gathered information on Kawakami's pitching was very limited. This was Harada's first time seeing it in person.
As the team's fourth batter, he had to be cautious. If he went down, the psychological pressure on the batters behind him would be immense. And everyone would naturally assume that this young man, rated so highly by Coach Kataoka, must have extraordinary ability.
That was not something Harada could accept.
In the catcher's position, Miyuki watched the cautious Harada with a cunning look in his eyes.
There's a weakness.
He could read Harada's thinking well enough. Harada had concerns and wanted to observe more. But with the count where it was, he wouldn't get many more opportunities to do that.
Miyuki, who had planned to test with a ball, changed his mind and signaled for a breaking ball instead.
Kawakami was far more obedient than Tanba. He wasn't the Ace, and he knew it, so he had no grounds to challenge Miyuki's calls. After stepping onto the mound, his role was clear: support Miyuki completely and help the team win. He pitched with single-minded focus, and the release was clean.
Harada, having already seen one pitch, had formed a rough read of Kawakami's ability. Average speed, but excellent control. That last pitch had gone right to the corner of the strike zone.
Inside corner, then outside corner. He had a reasonable grasp of the plan. No need to wait any longer.
Harada gripped his bat and swung with confidence. But the moment the bat made contact, the composure on his face vanished.
"Ping!"
As the ball reached him, it slid unexpectedly outward. That caught Harada, already committed to a pull hit, completely off guard.
The ball bounced and landed directly in front of the pitcher.
"You have time. Throw to Second Base."
Miyuki called it out immediately.
"Thwack!"
The ball landed in Kawakami's glove. All those practice sessions paid off in that moment. Hearing Miyuki's words, Kawakami turned and threw to Second Base before his brain had fully caught up.
A figure like a leopard was already waiting there in full readiness.
"Hee-haw!"
"Thwack!"
He caught the ball, stomped hard on the Second Base bag, then immediately leaped and threw to First Base.
"Thwack!"
Both Yoshizawa, caught off the bag, and Harada were out.
One out, runner on First Base, a crisis situation with the fourth batter at the plate. Kawakami had solved it in two pitches.
A double play. The air went out of Inashiro completely.
Three outs. Change of sides.
Bottom of the third inning. Seido's offense.