"Hahaha!"
A powerful and heroic laugh suddenly echoed across the field, almost as if it could pierce through the clouds.
The laughter came from Sato Toshiya.
The overwhelming battle intent radiating from Kitamura Kou had stirred something deep within him. Excitement surged through his body, and he could no longer suppress the thrill of facing such an opponent.
A faint smile appeared on Sato's face.
It was a smile filled with anticipation and a hint of challenge.
"Since you've gone this far just to have a fair battle with me..."
He raised his voice.
"If I still choose to avoid fighting now, wouldn't that mean I was disrespecting everything you've done?"
As soon as his words fell, Sato straightened his body.
Boom!
An intense aura suddenly erupted from him.
Like a raging wave crashing against the shore, his battle intent swept across the entire field.
At the same time, that overwhelming fighting spirit shot upward into the sky, transforming into a blue pillar of pressure that surged toward Kitamura Kou.
The two powerful auras collided.
One red.
One blue.
In the air above the field, they clashed like two enormous dragons battling for dominance.
The collision created invisible waves of pressure, causing the atmosphere itself to tremble.
Yakushi High School Dugout
Todoroki Raizo stared at the two figures confronting each other on the field.
His brows furrowed deeply.
He rubbed his temples helplessly.
"That idiot..."
"He obviously has easier options available, yet he insists on making things harder for himself."
"It's really giving me a headache."
Although his words were filled with annoyance, there was also concern hidden beneath them.
Todoroki Raizo understood the situation clearly.
Facing a Kaidou High School lineup that was even stronger than Hakuryu High School's, replacing Kitamura Kou with Sanada Shunpei on the mound would only create a worse situation.
The decision had already been made.
Now, all he could do was believe in Kitamura.
He silently prayed that the young pitcher could display extraordinary strength and unbelievable endurance, carrying Yakushi through Kaidou's terrifying batting lineup until the final out.
Two strikes.
No balls.
Two outs.
Bases empty.
Under the countless focused gazes of the spectators, Kitamura Kou stood firmly on the mound.
He took a deep breath.
His breathing, posture, and rhythm all became perfectly synchronized.
Then—
His arm exploded forward.
The baseball shot out of his hand.
Boom!!!
The sound of the pitch breaking through the air echoed throughout the stadium.
The baseball transformed into a streak of white light, tearing through the air at terrifying speed.
It carried an overwhelming force as it rushed toward home plate.
156 km/h.
The fastest pitch Kitamura Kou had thrown in this game.
"Is this just an ordinary Four-Seam Fastball?"
"Or is it that strange fastball with Gyroball characteristics?"
That question had remained in Sato Toshiya's mind for a long time.
However...
There was no longer any time to analyze.
With two strikes already against him, hesitation would only lead to failure.
The pitch came closer.
Faster.
He felt as though the baseball carried the weight of a thousand tons, intending to crush him completely.
At that critical moment—
A sharp light flashed through Sato Toshiya's eyes.
He stopped thinking.
He stopped analyzing.
He simply swung.
The bat moved like lightning.
Clang!!!
A thunderous sound exploded.
The baseball instantly flew away.
Like a wild horse breaking free from its reins, it transformed into a white streak and shot toward First Base with terrifying speed.
Whoosh!
In an instant, it disappeared from everyone's sight.
Sato remained frozen in his follow-through position.
His sharp eyes locked onto Kitamura Kou on the mound.
There was no fear.
No hesitation.
Only determination.
His lips moved slightly.
"Overthinking will only make my swing slower..."
"It will make me hesitate and fall into the opponent's trap like someone wandering blindly."
"Right now, I'm not the catcher who needs to read the entire field."
"I'm just a Batter."
"No matter how strange or difficult the pitch is..."
"As long as the ball comes toward me..."
"I only need to swing with everything I have."
"That's enough."
The entire stadium fell silent.
Everyone stared at the speed display on the scoreboard.
Their faces were filled with shock.
"A 156 km/h fastball..."
"He actually hit it so cleanly?"
One spectator couldn't help but exclaim.
"Yeah! That's the fastest pitch Kitamura Kou has thrown today!"
"I've never seen anyone hit that pitch away so easily!"
"As expected of Kaidou High School..."
"Their batting lineup is on another level!"
"But wait..."
"Where did that ball land? Was it fair or foul?"
"I... I couldn't tell."
"The ball was simply too fast."
"And the umpire hasn't made a decision yet."
Everyone's eyes immediately turned toward the umpire.
The entire stadium held its breath.
The atmosphere became incredibly tense.
After carefully checking the First Base foul line, the umpire finally raised his hand.
"Foul ball!"
Kitamura Kou released a long breath of relief.
That hit had been too dangerous.
He had put everything into that pitch.
There had been no time to think about where the ball would fly after contact.
Even he couldn't deny that his heart had been under pressure.
Looking at Sato Toshiya standing in the batter's box, Kitamura's expression became serious.
That swing had proven one thing.
Sato Toshiya was not an ordinary Batter.
Perhaps he had underestimated him before.
But now...
Kitamura Kou was certain.
Sato Toshiya possessed the ability to stand on the Major League stage.
Not only that—
The strength and potential he had displayed were enough to make him one of the most terrifying hitters in the world.
Thinking about this, Kitamura felt his blood begin to boil.
A powerful fighting spirit burned inside him.
This was exactly the kind of opponent he wanted.
A true battle.
A battle where both sides gave everything they had.