Chapter 96: Seidou vs Ugumori (3)
"Batting sixth, first baseman, Maezono."
Just the opening alone… with a mere three-pitch strikeout, the atmosphere had shifted completely, momentum tipping entirely to our side. To be able to do that—only Rinichi could.
Maezono adjusted his helmet and walked up to the batter's box.
That guy Rinichi… he doesn't talk much, but he shows it through his actions.
When he's on the mound, it makes you feel at ease, makes you trust him.
Our ace… really is something else.
Just like Jun-senpai said—if defense can't help much, then at least at the plate we can. The earlier we rack up runs, the more fearlessly our ace can pitch.
He swung.
The crack of the bat echoed, stretched out in slow motion as though the world had gone silent.
When the ball hit the ground, time resumed.
The crowd erupted.
A long hit to left field!
Rinichi, who had just removed his helmet, turned with surprise as he watched Miyuki cross home plate to score a run.
"So aggressive already in the first inning…" Akiko Owada sighed.
Fujio Mine replied: "Of course…"
"They've got an absolute ace who's also their clean-up hitter."
"This makes Rinichi the true center of this team."
"His pitching in the top half set the tone… and now his batting in the bottom half heats up the offense…"
He exhaled.
"The more energy Seidou gains, the more pressure Ugumori has to bear."
Under the brim of his cap, Seiichi's eyes were hidden in shadow.
What replayed in his mind were Rinichi's arrogant words before the game:
"No point in talking with a future loser."
"Oh, you guys look relaxed… is it because you beat Narumiya that you think you're invincible?"
"Sure… I guess that's something to be proud of."
"I wanted to crush Narumiya today… but whoever it is, it's the same to me."
"If you're not convinced, then try it. See if you can even score a run off me."
Those words echoed louder and louder in his ears.
Umemiya clenched his fist.
Even if Rinichi hadn't said it outright, the meaning was clear: "You're not on my level. I'm stronger."
Damn it!
"Strike! Batter out!"
The inning finally ended.
"Maezono." Miyuki raised his right hand, palm open, signaling for a high-five.
Maezono hesitated before clapping his hand.
"Thanks to you hitting his vertical slider, I could lock in on his fastball better."
Different values aside, we all play baseball the same.
Besides, we can't let our ace carry all the pressure by himself.
....
In the stands.
Kento Fukui said: "As expected of Rinichi… whether it's the team's spirit or the offense's momentum, he's practically carrying it all by himself."
"He's nothing like a first-year."
Itsuki Tadano fell silent for a moment. "I'd heard about Kamishiro back in junior high…"
Fukui tilted his head. "What kind of player was he?"
No answer came—only more silence.
He had seen Rinichi's games back then. Rinichi dominated everything, while the catcher kept letting balls slip by.
"Arrogant, self-centered, didn't even treat his catcher as a partner… at least, that's what I heard from guys on his youth team."
Though, admittedly, the ones who said it weren't starters themselves.
"Eh?" Fukui blinked, surprised, his eyes drifting to the mound where Rinichi stood. "You'd never guess that, looking at him now. He seems so trusted by his teammates… almost obedient."
Obedient?
Miyuki had no words for that.
At first, he'd thought Rinichi seemed obedient too.
But that was all just surface-level.
As time went on, Rinichi's true nature revealed itself more and more.
Even Miyuki found him difficult to rein in.
Luckily, Rinichi still put the team first—otherwise, he would've torn them apart by now.
Rinichi gripped the ball in his left hand, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. He raised his eyes, looking down at Seiichi with lofty arrogance.
As if to say: Come on, let's see the gap between your pitching and mine.
Umemiya swallowed his irritation, tightening his grip on the bat.
The pitch came. His breath caught; he locked onto Rinichi's delivery.
That far outside… must be a ball.
But wait—this outside fastball spun twice as fast as a normal heater, with a faint rising action.
"Strike!"
A strike?!
That far off?!
The second pitch came. Miyuki set his mitt inside. Rinichi's grin widened, his mocking eyes sending a chill down Mamiya's spine.
This one: an inside low fastball.
Umemiya's face lit up, but when he made contact, the joy froze.
So heavy.
Impossible to drive.
"Foul ball!"
Still, he had touched Rinichi's pitch.
But when he glanced up, Rinichi's mocking smile had deepened.
Then, in an instant, it vanished—replaced with displeasure. He shook his head.
Miyuki: "…"
Didn't you say you wanted every batter to see that pitch once?
Kento Fukui, from the stands, blinked in shock. "That's rare… Rinichi never shakes off Miyuki's calls, right?"
Even Seidou's own players were stunned.
Miyuki gave another signal—Rinichi shook his head again.
Miyuki: "…"
He tried a different sign. Another shake.
The crowd began to buzz with confusion.
Miyuki: "…"
Apparently, nothing on the "menu" was to his liking.
Just as Miyuki was about to stand and call for a timeout, Rinichi turned sideways impatiently, getting into his pitching motion, as if to say: Don't nag me.
Then Rinichi blatantly flashed a slider gesture.
Miyuki: "…"
Seriously? You're just going to let the batter know?
At that moment, Miyuki was thrown into confusion again.
What exactly did the team mean to Rinichi?
To say he cared about the team—yes and no. To say he didn't care—also yes and no.
It was complicated.
But one thing was certain: such arrogance was bound to rub others the wrong way.
Tadano wiped his sweat.
This is even more arrogant than Narumiya-senpai.
He glanced at Fukui: "Fukui-senpai, didn't you say he seemed obedient?"
Fukui: "…"
"I only said he looked obedient… right?"
Tadano could only think: Rinichi Kamishiro might be even more of a headache than Narumiya Mei.
Seidou's catcher really had it rough… In a way, that thought was oddly comforting.
On the mound, Seiichi's face twisted with annoyance at Rinichi's display.
Fine… I'll definitely hit it out!
Fueled by that conviction, he swung.
And missed.
"Strike! Batter out!"
The umpire's voice ripped through the air, declaring his strikeout.
Miyuki nearly failed to catch the ball: "…"
This is insane…
Sure, it was a slider… a high-speed slider…
Well, that much was expected—he knew Rinichi hated throwing slow pitches.
But this high-speed slider broke far too late.
Not only was it impossible for the batter to touch—it was difficult even for the catcher to handle.
Wait… hadn't he called for a high-speed slider just now?
Miyuki: "…"
Yes. He definitely had.
So was Rinichi just showing off…?
But then he caught Rinichi's grin.
And realized—probably not.
Rinichi only shook his head earlier to show it wasn't the same high-speed slider as before.
As for why he'd flashed the slider sign so openly?
Because Rinichi figured it didn't matter—Miyuki would know exactly what he meant anyway.
----------------
If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.
Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21