Clang!!!
"Whoa!!!"
"It's a two-run blast! Straight onto the scoreboard!"
"Amazing—a home run!"
"Ten-run lead in the fifth inning!"
"And that's a mercy-rule call!"
The thunderous cheers pulled Kitamura Kou's gaze back to the field.
Seidou High School's cleanup hitter and captain, Yuki Tetsuya, had just blasted a two-run home run that hit the scoreboard directly. The score reached ten runs, while Tokyo Metropolitan Murata Higashi High School still hadn't scored. The ten-run lead activated the five-inning mercy rule, ending the match.
"Line up! Bow!"
"Thank you for the game…"
"Ugh…"
The air-raid siren sounded, officially concluding the match.
"Even after seeing it so many times, Seidou High's batting lineup is terrifying," Nakanishi Daiki remarked.
"Kou, what about you? Confident you can suppress them? No matter who stands in our way, I'll crush them all," Akaishi Osamu said.
"Of course. We're going to Koshien together, after all," Kitamura Kou replied, laughing confidently.
"Kou, what's next? Go back or stay for the next game?" Akaishi asked.
"Since we're already here, and there's no practice today, we might as well watch the next match. Who knows? Another dark horse like us might show up," Kitamura replied, stretching.
"Eh? Isn't that the handsome guy with glasses from earlier?"
Kitamura Kou's eyes widened as he saw the man on the pitcher's mound, smoothing the dirt.
"Kou, do you know him?" Nakanishi asked, noticing his surprised expression.
"I don't know him. He was sitting near us before, and now seeing him on the field caught me off guard," Kitamura explained.
"That's not unusual. Whoever wins this game will face Seidou next, so arriving early to gather intel makes sense," Nakanishi said.
"He's an international student from Taiwan—You Shunshin. A second-year at Akikawa Academy. Originally a language student, he fell in love with Japanese baseball after getting involved. He practices more than anyone and absorbs everything he can about the sport. His ambition, unapproachable aura, and constantly improving control earned him the nickname Precision Machine," Akaishi Osamu explained.
"Oh wow! That's incredible. When did you find out all this?" Nakanishi exclaimed.
"I watched a few of his games out of curiosity, considering he's a foreign player. And honestly… his control might even be better than yours, Kou," Akaishi said, giving Kitamura a meaningful look.
"Really? Impressive," Kitamura replied coolly, still confident in his own strength.
On the mound, You Shunshin raised his right arm and threw.
The ball flew straight toward the batter's face. The batter flinched and leaned aside, breaking out in cold sweat. "That was dangerous!"
Why aim for my face? the batter wondered.
"Give me the ball," You Shunshin said coldly to his catcher, showing no hint of apology.
The batter's anger boiled. This… this guy! He doesn't even tip his cap? Unbelievable!
Whoosh! Pop!
"Strike!"
A pitch on the outer edge left the batter frozen.
Whoosh! Pop!
"Strike!"
The next pitch hit almost the same spot. Where… where will it go this time? the batter panicked, sweat pouring down his face.
Whoosh! Pop!
"Strike! You're out!"
Cornered and shaken, the batter swung haphazardly, predictable and futile.
Three consecutive pitches to the same spot! he seethed internally, helpless.
You Shunshin casually brushed mud from his cleats, thinking:
That last pitch was barely a ball's width off the previous one. No pitcher would be foolish enough to throw three in the exact same spot.
"Hey, this is insane! Three pitches in the same spot? Is that even humanly possible?" Nakanishi Daiki yelled, holding his head in disbelief.
"No, it wasn't the same spot," Kitamura said quietly, crossing his arms and resting his chin on his hand.
"Eh? I saw it clearly—it was the same spot!" Nakanishi argued.
"It only looked like the same spot. There was barely a one-ball difference between each pitch," Kitamura explained calmly. "Akaishi, you were right. This guy is terrifying. The nickname Precision Machine fits perfectly—his control is insane."
Akaishi glanced at Kitamura, eyes wide. Compared to you, who can even notice the slight differences from this far away, he's the real freak! The monster!!!
"Game set!"
Akikawa Academy won 3–0, defending their early lead.
"Three to zero, they maintained control. But notice how the fielders' composure changed the moment they took the lead," Nakanishi Daiki analyzed.
"The mix of inside and outside pitches, plus low-ball strategy, allowed You Shunshin to give up only five hits. It's clear the pitcher is highly trusted by his teammates," Akaishi Osamu added.
"Too bad. Akikawa Academy probably won't beat Seidou. I really wanted to see how my control compares to this precision machine," Kitamura Kou said, a hint of regret in his voice.
"Indeed. Besides the pitcher, the rest of Akikawa Academy are far behind Seidou. The chance of them winning is terrifyingly low," Akaishi Osamu analyzed.
"All right, let's go see if any other teams have noteworthy players," Nakanishi said, standing.
The others followed him, leaving the stands.