"Wow… he swung at the first ball—and even connected."
Even Miyuki Kazuya, observing carefully, was stunned. Ushijima Wakatoshi's batting against Furuya's fastball was nothing short of monstrous.
With a 150 km/h fastball, most batters wouldn't even be able to swing in time. Yet Ushijima not only swung but made solid contact.
Call out!
Bang!
The second pitch came flying. Ushijima swung again. The ball went foul, just out of bounds, but he had read it perfectly.
On the third pitch, he connected again, another infield hit.
"Oda!" Ushijima muttered internally. The speed was punishing, making timing extremely difficult. Yet, even so, Furuya's lack of strategic pitching worked in Ushijima's favor.
"Furuya's a natural airhead," Ushijima thought. "He doesn't think about pitching with strategy—he only tries to throw fast. That makes him predictable."
A fastball at 150 km/h is terrifying. Add a slightly slower pitch, and you can trick most batters. But Furuya didn't vary his speed effectively. When he tried to push the ball faster, his control faltered.
Bang! "ball!"
Bang! "ball!"
The fourth and fifth pitches went astray. Ushijima could read both his accurate and misthrown balls with ease.
Five balls down: 1 out of bounds, 2 infield hits, 2 balls.
On the sixth, Furuya slowed the pitch, following Miyuki's advice to maintain control.
Bang!
Ushijima swung, and the ball soared past Furuya, heading straight for center field.
"Wow… center field!" Isashiki exclaimed, feeling sorry for Furuya.
Ushijima's high-speed fastballs were deadly, but even slightly slower ones still demanded precise timing. Fastballs under 150 km/h had batting averages around 30%, while those above 150 km/h were below 20%.
Kominato Ryosuke watched with a small smile. Yuki Tetsuya stayed silent, engrossed in the duel. Coach Kataoka observed quietly, letting the duel play out.
According to their bet, Furuya had already lost: Ushijima had hit a long fly ball to center. Yet Furuya pressed on, determined to throw the remaining five pitches.
Call out!
Another fastball shot out—the fastest Furuya could manage—but Ushijima's swing went wide. Even he couldn't guarantee a 100% hit rate against a 150 km/h fastball.
The rest: 1 strike, 2 balls, 2 infield hits, 1 outfield hit, 4 fouls.
In other words, out of ten pitches, Ushijima only missed once.
"See this, Sawamura?" Ushijima said, addressing his junior. "This is what happens when a pitcher isn't prepared. You'll be crushed on the mound without proper skill and strength."
He continued, explaining the mental and strategic demands of pitching.
"First, don't rush onto the mound before you're ready—you'll just be a burden. Second, if you do step on it, be mentally prepared to get crushed. The pressure and responsibility are enormous."
"Alright, Furuya, Ushijima, continue training. The duel's over," Coach Kataoka announced, turning to leave with a satisfied smile. Over the next three years, Seido would dominate.
But Furuya wasn't finished. He approached Ushijima.
"It's your turn now." Furuya handed him a baseball.
"My turn?" Ushijima blinked.
"Yes. Before, I pitched and you batted. Now it's reversed. Only then is this a fair duel."
Ushijima glanced at Miyuki, who nodded with a smile. "Ten more pitches."
Stepping onto the mound, Ushijima faced Furuya in the left batter's box.
Here, the left batter's strike zone differs from the right batter's. From the pitcher's perspective, the left and right sides are determined relative to the catcher. Furuya, a right-handed batter, was now in the left-handed strike zone.
Ushijima threw the first fastball—145 km/h—slightly slower than Furuya's earlier max, but low and precise, landing in Furuya's corner.
Furuya swung… and missed.
Bang!
"Strike!" Miyuki called out, smiling.
"Why…?" Furuya muttered, confused. The pitch was slower than his own fastball, why was it harder to hit?
Furuya swung again on the second pitch… and missed once more.
The duel was heating up, and it was clear: strategy and control, not just raw speed, decided this battle.