"A two-run RBI to the outfield!"
"No—wait! That's not just a double!"
"He's going for third!"
"Ushijima Wakatoshi is running for third base!"
"He's faster than Kuramochi!"
"He's there! He's already at third—and the ball just arrived!"
The stadium exploded.
Cheers thundered across the stands.
"Ten runs! Ten runs in a single game!"
"This is Seido's terrifying batting lineup!"
"Seido's ace, Ushijima Wakatoshi, has produced four RBIs in a single inning with just two at-bats!"
"In his first at-bat, he crushed a long hit to left field and used his speed to score two! In his second—another long hit, two more RBIs—and now he's standing on third!"
"Mishima has completely collapsed!"
On the field, Mishima's players looked pale.
Their fighting spirit had vanished.
In Seido's dugout, smiles were everywhere.
"Two at-bats. Two extra-base hits," Kominato Ryosuke said with a grin after returning. "Our ace is unstoppable."
On third base, Ushijima calmly watched Masuko step into the batter's box.
Masuko adjusted his short sleeves.
He didn't need a big hit.
Just a controlled one.
If Ushijima scored again, it would be eleven runs.
The game was already decided.
There were still three more matches after this—there was no need to exhaust themselves.
Masuko executed a clean sacrifice.
Ushijima dashed home.
11–0.
Chris came up next and grounded out to end the inning.
"Defense!" Chris called out.
"Their center lineup is up next. Stay sharp."
Mishima's fourth batter stepped in, encouraged loudly by his teammates.
Facing Ushijima on the mound, he showed no hesitation.
First pitch—
Sinker.
Around 135 km/h.
It dipped inward sharply.
The batter anticipated it and made contact—
But the movement jammed him.
Ground ball.
"Whoosh! Snap!"
Second baseman Kominato fielded cleanly and fired to Yuki at first.
"Out!"
Mishima's coach began flashing coded signs from the dugout.
Seido's ace only throws four-seam fastballs and sinkers.
Aim for those two.
The fastest is the four-seam.
The slowest is the sinker.
Attack accordingly.
They had no idea—
Ushijima had merely been warming up.
Suddenly, something crossed Ushijima's mind.
No matter how many sinkers he threw today, it wouldn't matter.
The real goal lay ahead.
Late July.
The Summer Preliminaries finals.
And then—
August.
Koshien.
If he couldn't upgrade further now, there was no reason to hold back.
In that case—
Why not unveil it?
Ushijima glanced toward Chris and gave a subtle sign.
Chris froze.
Then he stood up.
"Time," he requested calmly.
The umpire granted it.
Chris jogged to the mound, covering his mouth with his glove.
They spoke briefly.
No one else approached.
Moments later—
Chris's pupils trembled.
When he returned behind the plate, he crouched low.
Glove set wide on the outside corner.
The fifth batter was left-handed.
The glove target sat near the outer edge.
In the dugout, Miyuki frowned.
"Outside corner? Why call time if we're still throwing sinkers?"
Everyone was confused.
Ushijima straightened.
Ball hidden behind his back.
Right hand gripping firmly.
Both hands came together.
Left leg lifted.
Step.
Twist.
Whip.
At the moment of release—
His index and middle fingers sliced sharply across the ball.
The baseball screamed forward.
Over 140 km/h.
It traveled straight—
Then suddenly—
It darted violently to the pitcher's right.
The left-handed batter saw it moving away from him.
Fast.
Too fast.
Like a jet accelerating.
"What—?!"
He didn't even swing.
Smack!
The ball slammed into Chris's glove.
Silence.
Then—
Chris's eyes widened.
A shiver ran down his spine.
"Shootball…"
He stared at Ushijima in disbelief.
"140 km/h… and it breaks late."
"It accelerates as it moves."
"Most shootballs break horizontally…"
"But this one…"
"It has a slight rising angle as it cuts outward."
"And that speed…"
His heart pounded.
This wasn't an ordinary breaking ball.
It wasn't just movement.
It was power fused with precision.
In the dugout—
Coach Kataoka, who had been sitting with arms crossed, suddenly stood up.
Even behind his sunglasses, shock was obvious.
Miyuki Kazuya shot to his feet as well.
He stared at the mound in disbelief.
"That wasn't a sinker…"
"That was a high-velocity shootball."
And it was still accelerating.
On the mound, Ushijima calmly received the return throw.
As if nothing extraordinary had just happened.
But everyone watching—
Knew.
Something terrifying had just been revealed.