Carlos had guessed the pitch correctly.
Unfortunately, even with the right read and an early swing, he still missed—by a razor-thin margin.
The baseball brushed past the bat by less than a fraction of a second before slamming into Akaishi Osamu's glove.
Thump!!!
"Strike three! Batter out!"
Even if Carlos had managed to make contact, the result likely wouldn't have changed. His swing angle was slightly off—at best, he would have only nicked the underside of the ball.
Not enough to save him.
The three pitches Kitamura Kou threw mirrored the exact sequence Narumiya Mei had used against Fukuda Daiki—
But faster.
Much faster.
"Nice pitch, Kitamura Kou!"
"After Furuya Satoru, another monster has appeared in West Tokyo!"
"Not even close—Furuya's control can't compare! Kitamura's pitches are both fast and precise!"
"And don't forget his breaking balls. His overall ability might rival Narumiya Mei!"
"Still… he's just a first-year. That's hard to believe."
Although most of the crowd had come to support Inashiro Industrial High School, nearly half of them were now on their feet, cheering for Kitamura Kou.
Carlos clicked his tongue in frustration.
He had guessed right—and still struck out.
Without another word, he left the batter's box, silently waiting for his next chance.
As he passed by Shirakawa Katsuyuki, the latter asked quietly:
"Fast?"
Carlos didn't sugarcoat it.
"You'll understand once you face him. It's not just speed—the ball's movement is sharp."
"Is it really that impressive?"
"I'd advise you not to swing at the first pitch. You'll probably pop it up."
"…Now I'm even more interested."
"Second batter, shortstop—Shirakawa!"
"This guy has excellent contact ability," Akaishi Osamu said calmly. "Balanced across the board—similar to Kominato Ryosuke. But his power is lacking. No need for tricks—we'll beat him head-on."
Standing in the batter's box, Shirakawa Katsuyuki narrowed his single visible eye.
He looked like a snake poised to strike.
This time, he intended to prove something—
That he could hit more than just controlled contact.
That he had power.
"What a dangerous look," Kitamura Kou remarked lightly.
But there was no fear in his expression.
After confirming the sign, he lifted his leg and delivered the pitch.
BOOM!!!
The ball tore through the air.
Shirakawa swung with everything he had—
Too late.
Thump!!!
"Strike!"
Shock flashed across Shirakawa's face.
Watching from the sidelines and standing in the batter's box were completely different experiences.
The ball didn't feel like an object—
It felt alive.
Like it was roaring straight at him.
Kitamura didn't give him time to recover.
Second pitch.
Third pitch.
All fastballs.
All perfectly placed—
High inside. Low outside. High outside.
Three swings.
Three complete misses.
"Strike three! Batter out!"
Even someone like Shirakawa, known for his exceptional contact ability, couldn't even graze the ball.
Not once.
Seido High had specifically trained to handle high-velocity fastballs exceeding 150 km/h, especially for dealing with Furuya Satoru.
They weren't perfect at hitting them—
But they could at least react.
And yet—
Against Kitamura Kou, that preparation meant nothing.
They could barely follow the ball with their eyes.
"Third batter, third baseman—Yoshizawa!"
"Bring it on, you first-year brat!" Yoshizawa Hideaki shouted as he stepped into the box, his presence imposing.
But Kitamura Kou didn't respond.
He simply threw.
BOOM!!!
Low outside corner.
Thump!
"Strike!"
Unlike Shirakawa, Yoshizawa didn't swing.
He was testing.
Testing whether that 150 km/h fastball could really be controlled.
Second pitch.
Same spot.
Almost identical—off by only a centimeter or two.
Thump!!!
Still no swing.
"That confirms it…" Yoshizawa thought grimly. "His control… might be even better than Narumiya Mei's."
He adjusted his grip.
Shortened his swing.
Abandoned power.
Now, his goal was simple—
Make contact.
Drag the at-bat longer.
Wear the pitcher down.
Akaishi noticed immediately.
"As expected of a cleanup hitter… quick to adapt."
He gave the next signal.
"If you want to stall… let's see if you can handle this."
Kitamura Kou didn't hesitate.
He delivered the third pitch.
BOOM!!!