CLANG!!!
A sharp, explosive sound rang out.
The baseball rocketed into the sky, carrying terrifying momentum as it soared toward right field—leaving the Seido players frozen in disbelief.
"Hey—wait! That's no ordinary hit!" Isashiki Jun shouted as he sprinted desperately toward the ball.
But it was hopeless.
The outfield wall stood like an unyielding barrier.
BOOM!
The ball slammed deep into the right-field stands.
The sheer force of the hit sent a ripple through the crowd—fortunately, no one was struck.
For a brief moment—
Silence.
Then—
"HOME RUN!!!"
The stadium erupted.
"What a start! Yakushi High School's freshman slugger, Todoroki Raichi, launches a massive home run in his very first at-bat against Seido's ace fireballer, Furuya Satoru! Yakushi strikes first!"
The commentator's voice rose with excitement.
"How will Seido respond to this explosive opening?!
"Unbelievable swing speed!"
"That power is insane!"
"I came just to see THIS!"
"Yakushi! Keep it going!"
"And next, Kitamura Kou! Another monster hitter! He crushed Ichidaisan almost single-handedly!"
"My heart's pounding already!"
The neutral crowd was quickly being swept up in Yakushi's momentum.
"…How is that even possible?"
Miyuki Kazuya stared out at the field, stunned.
First time seeing Furuya's fastball… and he sends it out like that?
That wasn't just contact—that was domination.
His expression hardened.
This is bad…
If Yakushi has hitters like him…
We might not survive this inning unscathed.
His original plan to suppress Raichi, even if it meant walking him—had completely collapsed.
Now—
Furuya's momentum had taken a direct hit.
"Nice one, Raichi!!!"
"Beautiful hit!"
"Keep it going!"
"Don't let up!"
"See that, Seido?! This is Yakushi baseball!"
The Yakushi dugout exploded with energy.
Raichi, after rounding the bases, was immediately swarmed—pats on the back, playful headlocks, laughter filling the air.
In stark contrast—
Seido's dugout was heavy with silence.
Coach Kataoka's already stern expression turned even colder.
On the mound—
Furuya stood still.
His face darkened, his voice low.
"…I got hit."
From the field, voices rang out—
"Forget about it!"
"Just get the next out!"
"Don't dwell on it!"
"That wasn't your fault!"
"Focus—we've got your back!"
"Let them hit—we'll stop it!"
The encouragement poured in from all sides.
Furuya blinked.
Then slowly—
His expression eased.
"…Got it."
Somewhere behind the plate, Miyuki's lips twitched slightly.
So now it's my fault, huh…
But seeing Furuya regain composure—
He let it slide.
"Akiba!"
Todoroki Raizo called out, signaling to the next batter.
Akiba Kazuma nodded and stepped into the box.
Miyuki crouched, eyes sharp.
Time to reset the pace.
He gave the sign.
A breaking ball.
Furuya nodded.
Set.
Step.
Release—
WHOOSH!
"Swing!"
Akiba reacted instantly—
But the ball dropped sharply at the plate.
THUMP!
"Strike!"
Akiba froze, eyes wide.
"…A forkball?!"
Miyuki smirked faintly.
Good.
They had used this strategy before—breaking balls to loosen Furuya's shoulders and reset his rhythm.
And it worked.
"That acting from Akiba wasn't bad, huh?" Todoroki Raizo muttered with a grin.
"…Coach, you're saying that a bit too loudly," Kitamura Kou replied dryly.
Raizo chuckled, eyes gleaming.
Forget the breaking balls.
What matters… is targeting what the pitcher trusts most.
Against you, Kitamura—those half-baked fastballs won't mean anything.
Even if not everyone can crush them… scoring runs won't be a problem.
"Coach… that smile makes you look like a villain," Kitamura said flatly.
"Quit yapping and get ready!" Raizo snapped. "You're up after Mishima—you're batting cleanup! Start acting like it!"
The dugout burst into laughter.
Back on the field—
Furuya fired again.
BOOM!!!
A rising fastball.
Akiba's eyes locked on it.
There—!
He swung downward with precision.
CLANG!
The ball shot off the bat—
Landing just inside the line.
It bounced sharply—
Barely clearing past Yuuki Tetsuya's reach—
And raced into the outfield.