Narumiya Mei stood in the batter's box, staring straight at Kitamura Kou on the mound, irritation clear in his eyes.
A mere first-year dares to challenge me?
"Let me use my bat to shatter your ridiculous delusions!"
Kou didn't react.
Instead, a quiet resolve formed in his mind.
The Prince of Tokyo?
That's not my goal.
A prince will always remain a prince…
I will be the king of the baseball field.
To avoid overexerting himself too early, Kou decided to build up gradually.
His gaze locked onto Narumiya Mei—sharp, unwavering.
He raised both arms high, stepped forward, and unleashed the pitch with full force.
Boom!!!
The baseball shot forward like a beam of light, cutting through the air with a piercing whistle.
Narumiya's eyes narrowed. All he saw was a white streak flying toward his chest.
Without hesitation, he swung with all his strength—
Thump!!!
"Strike!"
A murmur spread through the stands.
"…Was that pitch faster?"
"Didn't it feel quicker than before?"
"Probably just your imagination…"
Narumiya Mei stopped talking.
His expression grew serious.
He could feel it.
That pitch… was faster.
As the ace of Inashiro Industrial, he couldn't allow himself to be humiliated—not after his team had already suffered four straight strikeouts.
Even if I can't hit it… I absolutely can't strike out.
On the mound, Kou's presence intensified.
Without pause, he delivered the second pitch.
Boom!!!
The ball screamed toward the plate—faster than before.
Still high and inside.
This time, it entered the strike zone cleanly.
But Narumiya couldn't even tell.
It was too fast.
Still, he refused to back down and swung with everything he had—
Thump!!!
"Strike two!"
A beat later, the stadium display flashed:
152 km/h
The crowd exploded.
"152?!"
"I told you it was faster!"
"That's just one kilometer below **Furuya Satoru's 153 km/h!"
"That can't be his limit—he's definitely holding back for control!"
The entire stadium buzzed with excitement.
Across Japan, a 150 km/h fastball was already rare for a high school pitcher.
Now there were two monsters in West Tokyo.
Scouts had once flocked to watch Furuya.
Now… another phenomenon had appeared.
In the stands, players from rival schools wore grim expressions.
Are we even supposed to compete with this?
Meanwhile, Furuya Satoru let out a small breath of relief.
152… so I'm still faster.
Beside him, Miyuki Kazuya glanced over—but said nothing.
Let him enjoy that illusion a little longer…
On the mound, Kou had already shut out the noise.
The world faded.
Only the glove at home plate remained.
He listened to his heartbeat.
Felt the blood rushing through his veins.
This state…
He knew it well.
It was the same state he had reached once before—in the final game of his previous life, his last duel on the road to Koshien.
Now—
He stepped forward.
Raised both hands.
Lifted his left leg high.
Then drove forward, twisting his body, channeling every ounce of power into his right arm—
And released.
BOOM!!!
The pitch roared toward the plate like a beast unleashed.
Narumiya Mei's pupils shrank violently.
His swing—so smooth just moments ago—froze mid-motion.
For a split second…
His body refused to move.
Thump!!!
The ball slammed into the catcher's mitt with explosive force.
"Strike three!!!"
Silence.
Then—eruption.
Narumiya Mei stood there, frozen.
Frustration welled up inside him.
It wasn't the first time he had struck out.
But this time… was different.
Before, he always believed he could surpass his opponent.
Even if he lost, it was only temporary.
But now—
Facing that figure on the mound, radiating overwhelming dominance—
That confidence… began to crumble.
Like ice melting under the spring sun.
Narumiya turned, gripping his bat tightly, ready to head back to the dugout.
Then—
"Hey! Run! Go to first base!"
Narumiya froze for a split second.
He didn't understand what had happened—
But instinct took over.
Dropping the bat, he exploded forward, sprinting toward first base with everything he had.