Top of the fourth inning.
Two outs. Runner on first.
Kanzaki Ryō stepped into the batter's box.
After a brief, casual exchange with Harada Masatoshi, his expression settled, eyes locking onto the mound.
Although he had been walked in his previous at-bat, he had carefully observed Narumiya Mei from the dugout—
The faster four-seam.
The sharper forkball.
And that troublesome changeup.
…And that's not all.
Kanzaki narrowed his eyes slightly.
He's hiding something.
He couldn't yet pinpoint what it was—but he was certain it existed.
On the mound, Narumiya Mei focused just as intensely.
The man in front of him… was someone who had beaten him time and time again.
Even though Inashiro's past losses weren't solely his fault, Narumiya had always taken the responsibility upon himself.
Over the past year, he had pushed himself relentlessly—not just refining his pitching, but even improving his batting.
And yet…
He still couldn't score against Kanzaki Ryō.
Worse—
Kanzaki had repeatedly scored off him.
Even hitting a home run.
Narumiya exhaled slowly, steadying himself. He rotated the ball in his palm, nodded after confirming Harada's sign, then lifted his leg into a smooth, controlled motion—
Whoosh!
The pitch tore toward Kanzaki's chest.
Fast. Tight. Dangerous.
A high inside pitch, right on the edge.
Kanzaki reacted instantly—his bat cutting forward—
Smack!
"Strike!"
The ball slipped under his swing.
Kanzaki's brows knit slightly.
Two-seamer…
The pitch had broken inward at the last moment, just enough to disrupt his timing. Even if it finished outside the strike zone, his early swing had already sealed the call.
His gaze shifted briefly toward Harada's glove.
Then—
A faint smile.
Aggressive.
He had clearly read it as a high inside four-seam fastball.
Instead—
It had tailed in like a trap.
"That one… was meant to be a ball," Arima Kazusa murmured from the sidelines.
"Yeah… but I didn't expect Kanzaki-senpai to get caught by it," Kominato Haruichi added.
"Huh? He got fooled?" Sawamura blinked in confusion.
"…Idiot," Furuya muttered.
Kominato Ryōsuke walked over, calm as ever.
"It's normal not to hit it. You've just gotten used to Kanzaki always making contact."
"But Nii-san… it's not about missing. It's rare for him to misread a pitch. His dynamic vision—"
"It just means Narumiya's control has reached another level," Kuramochi cut in. "That pitch was nasty. Honestly… it's not far off from You Shunshin's precision."
On the mound, Narumiya felt a flicker of satisfaction—
Which vanished the moment he saw Kanzaki smiling.
…It's just one strike.
He steadied himself.
The duel wasn't over.
Whoosh!
The second pitch came immediately.
Kanzaki didn't hesitate.
Bang!
"Foul!"
"Strike!"
An outside cutter.
Another pitch that likely would've missed the zone.
Kanzaki clicked his tongue softly.
Again?
Two consecutive borderline pitches, both designed to tempt a swing.
That kind of strategy only worked with absolute control.
Looks like Little Blondie has really leveled up…
He glanced at the mound.
Narumiya remained expressionless.
No smug grin. No provocation.
Just focus.
Kanzaki's lips curled.
Heh… if this were before, he'd already be bragging.
Behind the plate, Harada gave the sign for the third pitch.
Narumiya froze for a split second—
Then nodded.
Let's go.
Chestnut-haired monster… this is for you.
Excitement flickered in his chest as he adjusted his grip.
Same form.
Same arm swing—
Whoosh!!
The ball flew out.
Kanzaki's eyes sharpened instantly.
Changeup—!
He forced himself to adjust mid-swing, shifting his weight forward.
I can still make contact!
His bat cut through—
Swish—
The ball dropped sharply—diagonally, slipping past the bat's path.
Smack!
"Strike!!"
"Strikeout!"
"…What?"
Kanzaki turned his head, eyes narrowing.
That wasn't just a normal changeup.
From the sidelines—
Seido's bench reacted immediately.
"Reverse changeup," Chris said calmly.
"…A changeup that drops toward the batter's hands—almost like a screwball," Ochiai Hiromitsu added, stroking his mustache.
"Two types of changeups… that's bad news," Isashiki muttered, frowning.
In the batter's box, Kanzaki didn't look frustrated.
Instead—
He smiled.
So that's it.
The hidden weapon.
Reverse changeup.
I thought you'd save it for the late game… didn't expect you to reveal it now.
He rested the bat on his shoulder.
"…A bit early, don't you think?"
"Perfect timing," Harada replied as he stood.
Kanzaki chuckled.
"…So it was prepared for me. Interesting."
With that, he turned and walked back to the dugout.
End of the fourth inning.
Score: 0–0.
Kanzaki's strikeout sent a ripple through the crowd—but Seido's bench wasn't shaken.
"Hey, Kanzaki—what was that pitch?" Kuramochi asked immediately. "Could you have hit it?"
Kanzaki shrugged.
"Hard to deal with. Even if you recognize it as a changeup, distinguishing between a circle changeup and a reverse changeup takes time."
He tapped his bat lightly against his shoulder.
"And by the time you figure it out… your swing's already late."
A heavy silence fell.
Then—
"Don't overthink it," Coach Kataoka said calmly.
Everyone turned toward him.
"Didn't I say this before? Ignore the changeup."
His gaze was firm.
"No matter how good Narumiya's changeup is, if you commit to the pitch you're targeting, it won't beat you."
The team nodded.
Their goal had never been to chase every pitch.
Kanzaki grinned.
"Besides… Narumiya probably won't throw that reverse changeup often."
He pointed at himself.
"I'd bet that one was meant just for me."
Kuramochi's eyes narrowed instantly.
"…You saying he doesn't need it against the rest of us?"
Kominato Ryōsuke's smile turned dangerous.
"Oh? Is that what you mean, Kanzaki?"
Even Yūki spoke up calmly—
"…I'd like to try hitting it too."