The next day, Tokyo, Nerima Ward, Akikawa Academy.
"Whirrrrrrr!!" The pitching machine whined as it ran.
"Don't back down now!" called the team member operating it.
"I won't! Bring it on!" shouted the batter in response, gripping the bat tightly.
"Alright, here we go." The operator loaded another baseball into the machine.
The batter swallowed hard, eyeing the machine warily.
Boom!!!
A white baseball streaked past and landed in the net behind him. The batter went pale.
"Whoa! That's terrifying! Is this really a 160 km/h ball? Someone could die if they got hit!"
"Next!" another team member stepped up.
"Stand back a little!" the first player warned kindly.
On the sidelines, Baseball Kingdom Monthly reporters Mine Fujio and Owada Akiko watched alongside Coach Ogata.
"Setting the pitching machine to maximum speed for batting practice… that must be preparation for facing Furuya, right, Coach Ogata?" Owada asked.
"I should say… it's nearly impossible to hit that kind of ball at first," Coach Ogata replied, raising a finger to his eye. "The point is to train their eyes to follow it. Furuya's fastballs make every batter swing instinctively. The key is to calmly track the ball to the end. No matter how fast the pitcher, no Japanese pitcher currently throws 160 km/h yet. I should say…"
Owada's eyes lit up. "Ah! Coach Ogata's catchphrase is 'I should say!'" She scribbled in her notebook.
"You don't need to write that down," Mine Fujio muttered, a bead of cold sweat sliding down his temple.
Elsewhere on the field, You Shunshin served as a batting practice pitcher for his teammates.
"Next ball: low outside corner," he called.
"Bring it!" the batter shouted.
Swish! Clang!
The bat barely grazed the ball, sending it weakly into the net.
"Sorry, I threw it a bit inside. Next ball: inside corner." Shunshin adjusted his cap.
Swish! Clang!
"Ah! I didn't hit that one properly!" the batter complained.
"Don't worry, I'll throw to the same spot again," Shunshin said calmly.
The reporters on the sidelines were stunned.
"Wait… is your Ace Pitcher acting as a batting practice pitcher?!" Owada exclaimed.
"I should say… Shunshin rarely uses the bullpen for pitching practice. He believes control can only be honed in real combat. He throws nearly two hundred pitches every day this way," Coach Ogata explained.
"Two hundred?!" Owada exclaimed again.
"Next ball: random mode," Shunshin said, eyes focused.
The batter tensed, guessing each pitch.
Swish! Pop!
The ball zipped right down the middle into the catcher's glove.
"Dammit! Center of the plate again!" the batter yelled.
"Don't laugh!" he shouted at his teammates, who were snickering.
Mine Fujio couldn't hide his shock. Head-to-head batting practice with the pitcher…
Owada Akiko, glasses perched, flushed slightly as she watched.
Coach Ogata addressed the reporters.
"I should say, two years ago, this team could have easily lost in the first round. With limited time, we needed efficient practice. Shunshin uses batting practice not just to refine his control but also to train batters against pitches they struggle with. A formerly weak team has transformed completely under him."
"So his style—the Precision Machine—was forged this way," Mine Fujio remarked.
Coach Ogata nodded. "Shunshin originally came to Japan just to study the language. But after seeing how much effort he put into baseball, he moved not only me but the hearts of the whole team."
"Oh! He's more than just a Precision Machine," Owada said with admiration.
"Yes. Players with this level of passion are rare these days," Coach Ogata replied.
Owada's eyes remained fixed on Shunshin, captivated. What must it feel like, to pitch with such dedication?
He pitched as if dedicating each throw:
"This pitch is for my parents, who sent me to Japan."
Swish! Pop!
"This pitch is for my Japanese father, who prepared my meals and equipment."
Swish! Clang!
"This pitch is for my teammates, who fight alongside me."
Swish! Pop!
Owada Akiko couldn't help but praise him: "Even during practice, he puts his heart into every pitch."
Mine Fujio observed silently. A team like this may look like a one-man show, but the other players enjoy the game too. If they gain momentum, even a powerhouse like Seido could be in danger.