"Strike!"
The low outside fastball painted the corner cleanly. Miyuki rose smoothly and tossed the ball back.
Noticing Carlos's expression, Miyuki couldn't help but smirk.
He definitely didn't expect that pitch.
Under normal sequencing, a high inside fastball would've followed—especially after that first strike. Carlos should've already realized they were targeting the outside, particularly with how obvious a certain Ace was being on the mound.
But since that Ace had his own plan…
Miyuki would play along.
Alright then—second pitch: high outside fastball.
On the mound, Kanzaki Ryou caught the return throw and stared at Carlos.
Those eyes… had changed.
There was fire in them now—provocation.
Good.
That's the kind of opponent worth crushing.
Kanzaki glanced briefly at the blazing sun overhead.
It's getting hotter.
Then—
Whoosh!
The ball tore through the air, leaving a white streak behind it.
In the batter's box, Carlos didn't hesitate. The moment the ball left the hand, he committed—
Swing!
But—
He missed.
The ball zipped just over his bat and slammed into Miyuki's mitt.
Carlos clenched his teeth.
Too far off.
He knew immediately—his timing wasn't the issue. He simply couldn't catch up to that pitch.
Still…
He reset his stance.
If they throw outside again… I won't miss this time.
Kanzaki delivered again.
Low outside.
Fastball.
Over 150 km/h—like a beast charging straight ahead.
Carlos roared and swung with everything he had—
But—
The ball accelerated.
It vanished past his bat.
Pop!
"Strike!"
"Strikeout!"
Stadium Reaction
The Seido side exploded.
"Ace!!"
"Kanzaki is unstoppable!"
"Strike him out!!"
The roar of the crowd shook the field.
Three straight outside fastballs—
And a clean strikeout against Inashiro's leadoff hitter.
Back in the dugout, the energy surged.
Sawamura leaned over the railing, yelling at the top of his lungs.
On the field, Kanzaki's dominance gave his teammates complete confidence.
Meanwhile—
Narumiya Mei clenched his teeth.
"That bastard… he did it on purpose. A show of force… it has to be!"
Carlos passed by the next batter, Shirakawa Katsuyuki, and muttered:
"Watch out for his fastball… it accelerates."
Shirakawa raised an eyebrow.
Accelerating fastball…?
No wonder Carlos couldn't touch it.
"Second batter, shortstop, Shirakawa."
Shirakawa stepped into the box, his usual calm, unreadable expression unchanged.
Kanzaki looked at him and thought:
This guy… you could hand him money and he wouldn't react.
At catcher, Miyuki studied him carefully.
A skilled hitter. Bold. Dangerous.
And—
Standing close to the plate again.
So that's your plan… pressure the pitcher into throwing outside.
Miyuki's eyes sharpened.
Too bad.
You're dealing with him.
First Pitch — Inside
Signal given.
High inside fastball.
Kanzaki nodded.
In the next instant—
Boom!
The ball exploded toward Shirakawa's chest.
Pop!
Shirakawa didn't swing.
But he felt it.
That pitch… was dangerous.
For a split second, he even had the urge to step back.
A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.
If that hits me… I'm done.
He swallowed.
Then steadied himself.
If it creates a scoring chance… even getting hit is worth it.
His presence sharpened instantly.
Second Pitch
Kanzaki fired again.
Another inside pitch.
This time, Shirakawa swung—
Bang!
Foul.
His stance had broken slightly, his swing incomplete.
Two strikes.
The pressure was mounting.
The crowd buzzed again.
Miyuki set his target.
Low outside—
Cutter slider.
Kanzaki nodded.
After two inside pitches, Shirakawa's mind would be locked there.
And just as expected—
Shirakawa prepared for inside again.
They'll finish me inside.
Whoosh!
The pitch came—
But it wasn't inside.
It broke away.
Outside.
Shirakawa's swing came too early, too inward—
Pop!
"Strike!"
"Strikeout!"
"OOOOHHHH!!"
"Nice one, Ace!"
"Two outs!"
"One more!!"
The Seido fans roared, releasing all the tension from earlier.
In the stands, Mishima Yuta spoke with admiration:
"That catcher… he's devious."
"Against Carlos, three straight outside pitches."
"Against Shirakawa, he used two inside pitches to mess with his head—then finished him outside."
He shook his head.
"Miyuki Kazuya… he really knows how to toy with batters."
Beside him, Sanada Shunpei quietly watched the field, eyes sharp.
Seido's battery…
Was in complete control.