"This must be God's joke," Ushijima Wakatoshi said calmly.
"He gave me a powerful shoulder, but not a wrist flexible enough for precision."
This answer, instead of disappointing Coach Kataoka, actually satisfied him.
Raw power could be trained.
But self-awareness like this was rare.
"Alright," Coach Kataoka nodded.
"Keep it around 145. Try different angles and pitches."
Hearing this, Miyuki Kazuya immediately decided to test Ushijima Wakatoshi's true control.
Outside—low.
To better understand pitch locations, imagine the strike zone divided into a nine-square grid.
Kuramochi was standing in the right batter's box, so from the Pitcher's perspective:
1 – Inside high (chest level)
4 – Inside middle (waist level)
7 – Inside low (knee level)
On the opposite side:
3 – Outside high
6 – Outside middle
9 – Outside low
Squares 2, 5, and 8 were straight down the middle.
A Pitcher with excellent control could attack all nine zones.
A Pitcher with poor control could only reliably hit four.
That difference alone separated elite Pitchers from average ones.
Now—
Miyuki wanted Number 9.
Outside low.
Ushijima Wakatoshi didn't hesitate.
He lifted his leg, twisted his body, and released the ball.
The baseball streaked toward the outside corner, sinking sharply.
Kuramochi swung instinctively—
Boom!!!
The ball slammed cleanly into the glove.
Strike.
"Ya ha—!"
Kuramochi broke out in a cold sweat.
And this was without full power.
If Ushijima Wakatoshi pitched like that first wild throw again, Kuramochi knew—
He wouldn't even see the ball.
Two strikes, one ball.
For the next pitch, Miyuki raised his glove.
Inside—high.
Once again, Ushijima Wakatoshi didn't think.
He simply threw.
Whoosh!
The ball shot toward Kuramochi's chest.
Startled, Kuramochi recoiled backward.
Thwack!!!
The baseball buried itself deep in Miyuki's mitt.
Behind the plate, Coach Kataoka's expression shifted.
Poor control?
Outside low.
Inside high.
Both pitches landed exactly where they were called.
And both were over 140 km/h.
If this is "bad control," then what's good control supposed to look like?
Kuramochi exhaled heavily and stepped out of the batter's box.
As he passed by, Kominato Ryosuke narrowed his eyes.
"How was it?"
Kuramochi scratched his head.
"When he can control it, the speed feels ridiculous."
"At first, I couldn't touch it at all."
"Only after getting used to it could I even think about hitting 145 km/h—and that's only if I can guess the pitch."
"If it's that first pitch he threw with control…"
"…I think only Captain Tetsu could even track it."
Kominato Ryosuke nodded silently.
This first-year was far more dangerous than expected.
On the mound, Ushijima Wakatoshi looked at Kominato Ryosuke stepping into the right batter's box.
Among Seido's lineup—
This was the most troublesome batter.
Kominato Ryosuke didn't rely on brute strength.
Because of his smaller build, home runs were rare—but his bat control was elite.
He could handle almost any pitch type.
As Seido's second batter, his role was clear:
Drain the Pitcher.
Break his rhythm.
Crush his confidence.
Alright then.
Ushijima Wakatoshi smiled faintly.
"Let's see."
He pitched.
Straight.
Fast.
Right down the middle.
A fastball?
Seeing the pitch, Kominato Ryosuke swung decisively—
But just before contact—
The baseball shifted sideways.
Not downward.
Not upward.
But horizontally, sliding toward the left batter's box.
The bat sliced through empty air.
Kominato Ryosuke's eyes widened.
"…Two—Two-seam?"
He had watched Ushijima Wakatoshi pitch earlier.
All Four-seams.
So naturally, he assumed—
Another Four-seam.
But what he hadn't expected was a moving fastball.
The pitching motion was identical.
The arm swing was identical.
Only the grip was different.
By the time the ball's movement revealed itself—
It was already too late.
"Hehe~"
Behind the plate, Miyuki Kazuya grinned.
Ushijima Wakatoshi's Two-seam was special.
The difference between his Four-seam and Two-seam was nearly impossible to detect at release.
Only after seeing several pitches could even elite batters tell them apart.
But this—
This was the first one.
Even Kominato Ryosuke couldn't read it.
Miyuki had deliberately called for it.
And Ushijima Wakatoshi delivered perfectly.
When he's not pitching at full power…
His control is actually excellent.
For a first-year—
This level of precision was already outstanding.