"Kanzaki!!"
"Home run!!"
As Kanzaki Ryou stepped into the batter's box, bat resting lightly on his shoulder, the stadium atmosphere instantly surged to its peak.
The cheers crashed down like waves.
Two outs. Runner on second.
Kanzaki glanced at Yuki standing on second base.
A single brings him to third… a long hit brings him home.
Simple.
He settled into his stance—calm, composed, nothing flashy.
But in Maki Yosuke's eyes, that calmness was suffocating.
Seido's fourth and fifth batters…
Their presence alone felt impenetrable.
No matter what pitch he threw, it felt like they could handle it.
Maki clenched his jaw.
…I've already lost half the battle thinking like this.
Even as he tried to suppress the thought, it lingered.
After exchanging signs with the catcher, Maki moved.
A small step forward—
His long arm whipped through the air.
Whoosh!
Thwack!
"Strike!"
Kanzaki didn't move.
From the batter's box, he could clearly feel it—
That terrifying downward angle.
It's like the ball is dropping from the sky…
Powerful. Fast. Unusual.
For most batters, this alone would be overwhelming.
Kanzaki glanced back at the catcher's mitt.
Not bad.
Then his lips curved faintly.
…But not enough.
Second pitch.
The moment the ball left Maki's hand—
Kanzaki moved.
Crack!!
The bat met the ball cleanly, sending it screaming into left field.
A base hit.
"Tch… didn't quite catch it clean."
Kanzaki muttered as he ran to first.
Even for him, adjusting to a 195 cm pitcher's release point in the first inning wasn't easy.
Still—
Yuki advanced to third.
Two outs.
Runners on first and third.
Next up: Miyuki Kazuya.
"Miyuki!! It's up to you!"
"Bring him home!"
Amid cheers—and a fair bit of teasing—Miyuki stepped into the box with a grin.
He gave the bat a light swing, then glanced toward the catcher.
What's your call going to be?
Two outs, runners on the corners.
The logical approach:
Keep it low. Avoid power swings. Mix in breaking balls.
First pitch… probably outside low.
Whoosh!
Miyuki didn't swing.
The ball snapped into the mitt.
"…Yeah, that's nasty."
Even without elite speed, the pitch looked heavy—intimidating.
But Miyuki's eyes sharpened.
Got a read on you now.
From the earlier at-bats, he had already pieced together the catcher's tendencies.
Next pitch… either inside high fastball… or outside breaking ball.
Maki delivered.
Miyuki moved instantly—
Bat slicing toward the outside corner.
CRACK!!!
Got it!
The ball exploded off the bat, soaring high and deep.
Yuki sprinted home—
Safe!
Kanzaki rounded second.
But neither slowed down—
The ball kept going.
Over the wall.
Into the stands.
Home run!!
"Miyuki!!!"
"So cool!!"
"As expected!!"
The stadium erupted.
Kanzaki slowed to a jog, glancing back at Miyuki—who was already waving smugly to the crowd.
"…Not bad," Kanzaki said when they met at home plate. "Didn't expect you to be the first one to go yard today."
"Heh, lucky guess," Miyuki replied, though his grin said otherwise.
"Praise you once and you start showing off."
Kanzaki shoved him lightly as they returned to the dugout.
Next batter, Arima Kazusa, put up a solid fight—fouling off two pitches—but ultimately sent a weak ball straight to second base.
Out.
End of the top of the first.
Score: 4–0.
Bottom of the 1st — Sensen Offense
Seido's starting pitcher, Sawamura Eijun, jogged out of the dugout with a bright, almost blinding smile.
Miyuki patted his shoulder.
"Don't get carried away. Pitch properly today, alright?"
Sawamura nodded obediently.
But the moment he stepped onto the mound—
He took a deep breath and shouted:
"Everyone behind me! I'll make them hit it—so I'm counting on you for defense!!"
The fielders chuckled.
Typical Sawamura.
Unpredictable… loud… but strangely reliable.
His pitching style invited contact—
Which meant the defense stayed active.
Unlike—
Kanzaki.
Out in left field, Kanzaki stretched his neck lazily.
Fielding behind him is basically just standing around…
There were even games where not a single ball came his way.
Boring.
Then—
Something caught his eye.
Behind the Seido dugout, a group of kids leaned excitedly against the fence.
Among them—
A girl with short brown hair, wearing a green T-shirt.
Hands clasped behind her back.
Eyes fixed gently on the mound.
Kanzaki narrowed his eyes.
…Isn't that…
He remembered a photo he once saw on Sawamura's phone.
A group picture.
Right.
Wakaba.
Kanzaki smirked.
That idiot is lucky.
Dense. Oblivious. Completely clueless—
And yet, he had a childhood friend quietly supporting him like that.
On the mound—
Unaware of the eyes watching him—
Sawamura set his stance.
Adjusted his breathing.
And fired the first pitch.
Whoosh!