At the plate, Masuko Toru, who had just swung and missed, quickly reset his stance.
Narumiya Mei's lips curled slightly as he lifted his leg and delivered the pitch with fluid, seamless motion.
Whoosh!
Thwack!
"Strike!"
Swoosh!
Thwack!
"Strike!"
Narumiya's rhythm was relentless. A forkball, a cutter, then a circle changeup—he struck Masuko out cleanly.
The top of the second inning ended.
Seido still hadn't scored—and hadn't even managed to advance a runner to second base.
It had been a long time since Seido found themselves in such a situation.
Coach Kataoka gathered the players into a circle. Casting a cold glance toward Inashiro, he spoke calmly:
"Don't rush. The game has only just begun. Today's match will come down to patience."
"It won't be easy to score off Narumiya Mei in the early innings. Wait quietly for your chance—and when you get a good pitch, swing decisively."
"Yes!!"
Then Ochiai Hiromitsu stepped forward, his usual lazy demeanor gone.
"I'll add something."
Everyone turned toward him.
"From what we've seen, Narumiya Mei has already used his changeup. That suggests Inashiro intends to seize control early and dictate the pace."
"We don't need to focus too much on that pitch. Just like before—target fastballs you can handle."
"Even if they control the early game, it doesn't matter. Our real strength lies in the later innings."
Coach Kataoka nodded.
"That's right. Don't let them disrupt our rhythm. As long as our defense holds, and we stick to our offensive approach, we can break through Inashiro's defense."
"Yes, Coach!"
Seido's nine players took the field.
"Bottom of the second inning! Inashiro's offense—cleanup batter, catcher, Masatoshi Harada!"
As the announcement echoed, Harada stepped into the batter's box.
Facing Kanzaki Ryou on the mound, Harada rapidly reviewed everything he knew.
Even though he had memorized all the data—down to being able to recite it backwards—it felt meaningless.
As long as they were facing this pitcher…
They kept losing.
So what now?
Pick a specific pitch to target?
Or aim for the fastball?
Neither option seemed easy.
Especially when such a dominant pitcher was paired with a cunning catcher—their combined strength was far beyond simple addition.
If he were in their position, facing a cleanup batter, he would definitely make things as difficult as possible—using pitch locations and variations to disrupt timing and limit power.
Based on his own tendencies, the first pitch might be an inside forkball.
But considering their personalities…
It could just as easily be a high inside pitch aimed at his chest.
As Harada analyzed, Miyuki quietly gave a signal.
First pitch—outside high. Throw it slightly wide.
A mischievous smile tugged at his lips.
On the mound, Kanzaki Ryou immediately understood.
He's playing with the batter's mind again.
The moment their eyes met—
A chill ran down Harada's spine.
"Playball!"
Kanzaki raised his leg high, locked onto the target, and unleashed the pitch.
Whoosh!
The ball blurred toward the plate, rushing straight toward Harada's eyes.
Outside high!
Thwack!
"Ball!"
Harada, who hadn't swung, raised an eyebrow.
This pitch…
completely contradicted their usual style.
Such a cautious opening made all his earlier predictions useless.
So they've changed too…
Taking a slow breath, Harada rested the bat on his shoulder.
It was only his first at-bat.
No need to overthink.
He would simply hit what came.
Miyuki returned the ball and signaled again.
Another outside pitch—this time, a low slider.
Whoosh!
The ball shot forward, slicing through the air like a streak of light.
Harada swung.
Bang!
The ball rocketed down the first-base line, screaming past Yuki—
"Foul!"
Hiss—
Miyuki glanced up.
Even though that pitch hadn't been thrown at full power—and was under 150 km/h—the sharp break should have made it hard to track.
And yet—
Harada still caught up to it, nearly turning it into a clean hit.
Inashiro's cleanup… their captain…
He's a monster too.
One ball, one strike.
Third pitch—inside high, accelerating fastball.
Kanzaki nodded.
He took the return throw and immediately delivered the pitch, giving Harada no time to think.
Whoosh!
The ball came in fast.
Harada swung—
But mid-swing, the ball seemed to accelerate again.
His pupils shrank.
At the last instant, he adjusted—pushing the bat forward just slightly with precise wrist control.
Crack!
"Foul!"
The contact angle was off. The ball flew high and drifted into the stands.
On the mound, Kanzaki rubbed his nose and gave Harada a thumbs-up.
Harada lowered his bat and nodded back.
That pitch…
was fascinating.
He had never seen a fastball like that before.
And the more he understood it, the more terrifying it became.
His raw speed was already overwhelming—
And now, instead of relying solely on velocity, he was evolving it further.
Just how strong is this guy trying to become?
Behind the plate, Miyuki considered the next pitch.
The accelerating fastball couldn't be used again immediately.
Otherwise, the batter would adapt.
In that case—
Circle changeup.
Kanzaki glanced at the sign and smiled faintly.
Already using this in the second inning?
Without hesitation, he adjusted his grip, locked onto the target, and threw.
Whoosh!
The ball flew out.
Harada swung instantly.
Inside pitch—
Two-seam fastball?
But mid-swing—
Something felt off.
The timing…
was wrong.
It's a changeup!
Thwack!
The bat cut through empty air.
"Strike!"
"Batter out!"