"OOOOOOHHHHH!!"
"That last pitch was a forkball right down the middle! The batter swung and missed all three pitches for a strikeout!"
"SEIDOOOO!"
"Kanzaki-kun! Nice pitch!"
"Captain!!"
The crowd erupted instantly.
It was only the first batter of the game, yet the overwhelming pressure and dominance Kanzaki displayed made everyone feel the terrifying aura radiating from Seido's Ace.
"Damn it… those pitches are impossible to hit!"
Teito's leadoff batter gritted his teeth unwillingly as he returned to the dugout.
Soon, Teito High School's second batter stepped into the box.
The moment Kanzaki took the mound, he had already delivered a brutal warning to Teito's lineup.
"Play ball!"
"First pitch!"
WHOOSH!
SWISH!
THWACK!!
A sharply spinning white ball tore through the strike zone before suddenly breaking outward right in front of the batter's swing.
Cutter slider.
"Kanzaki! Kanzaki! Kanzaki!"
"Haha! That's Seido's Ace!"
"What disgusting movement!"
The crowd roared again.
Second pitch.
Miyuki quickly gave the sign.
Under countless gazes, Kanzaki lifted his arm high before driving forward with explosive momentum.
WHOOSH!
The baseball exploded from his fingertips and screamed toward home plate.
BANG!!
"Damn it!"
Even with a full-force swing, the batter barely managed to nick the edge of the ball.
The baseball spun violently into foul territory down the first-base line.
"Foul!"
As the umpire's call rang out, the announcer immediately shouted excitedly:
"A sharp outside high fastball!"
"Teito's second batter barely managed to make contact!"
"But the pitch's terrifying power completely broke his swing mechanics!"
"First-base foul!"
"And now the batter is cornered with two strikes!"
Third pitch.
No hesitation.
No pause.
The instant Miyuki returned the ball, Kanzaki immediately began his next motion.
Pitter-patter…
Rainwater dripped steadily from the brim of his cap onto the mound.
But it didn't affect his concentration in the slightest.
The moment the ball left his fingertips—
His heavy step thundered against the ground.
WHOOSH!!
The pitch flew straight toward the center of the plate—
Then suddenly darted sharply inside.
The batter instinctively swung downward.
THWACK!!
The bat cut through nothing but air.
The baseball tore past his legs and slammed into Miyuki's mitt.
"STRIKE!"
"BATTER OUT!"
"Beautiful inside low fastball!"
"Another strikeout!!"
"Two outs!!"
The terrifying momentum displayed by Seido's King Battery left Teito's players visibly shaken.
Everyone had known Seido was strong.
Everyone knew Kanzaki Ryou was strong.
But knowing something and personally experiencing it were two completely different things.
Only after stepping onto the field against him did they truly understand the suffocating pressure Seido brought.
Teito's third batter slowly entered the box.
At this moment, he finally realized—
The monster standing on the mound across from him was on an entirely different level.
"…Phew."
He exhaled deeply before tightening his grip on the bat.
"No matter how strong you are…"
"We'll still fight with everything we have."
"The humiliation of Summer Koshien…"
"We'll wash it away ourselves!"
During the first round of Summer Koshien, Teito had suffered a crushing defeat against Komadai Fujimaki and suffered their first opening-round elimination in more than twenty years.
For the Teito players who experienced that loss—
It had become an unforgettable disgrace.
They had sworn to personally defeat Komadai Fujimaki at next spring's Koshien.
And because of that—
They would never back down now.
Even if Seido stood before them.
Even if Kanzaki Ryou blocked their path.
They would still fight with everything they had.
At home plate, Miyuki noticed the batter's determination and smiled faintly.
A good expression.
Unfortunately—
Willpower alone could never close the gap in strength.
WHOOSH!
Here it comes!
The batter's pupils contracted sharply as he swung instinctively.
BANG!!
"Damn it!"
Solid contact.
But the weight behind the pitch was terrifying.
The baseball bounced hard toward the gap between second and third base.
"I got it!"
Like a hunting cheetah exploding forward—
Kuramochi Yoichi moved instantly.
His reaction speed was so fast that even the audience struggled to follow it.
Sliding across the wet dirt, Kuramochi cleanly intercepted the ball.
Without even fully standing up, he immediately fired the ball toward second base.
At second, Kominato Haruichi had already moved into position before the runner even started sprinting.
Catch.
Pivot.
Throw.
THWACK!!
"OUT!"
"BATTER OUT!"
The entire defensive sequence flowed as smoothly as water.
"THREE OUTS!"
"CHANGE SIDES!"
"YOSSHAAA!"
"Well done!"
"They completely shut them down!"
"Kanzaki-kun! Nice pitching!"
"SEIDO! SEIDO! SEIDO!"
Three up.
Three down.
Teito High School failed to generate any offense in the top of the first inning.
Facing Seido's airtight defense, they had no immediate answer.
Kanzaki Ryou's dominant performance instantly reassured Seido's supporters.
Even though this was a newly rebuilt team—
As long as Kanzaki stood on the mound—
Seido would remain the absolute King.
Inside Teito's third-base dugout, Coach Okamoto frowned deeply.
As a veteran coach with years of experience, he could tell immediately—
Kanzaki's pitching today wasn't at the same explosive level he displayed during Summer Koshien.
Was it because of his condition?
Situations like that weren't uncommon.
Many pitchers burned out after Koshien.
But Coach Okamoto refused to believe Kanzaki Ryou would become one of them.
This was the King who won three consecutive Koshien championships.
Which meant—
There was only one possibility left.
Kanzaki was intentionally holding back.
And yet—
Even without pitching at full power, he still effortlessly shut down Teito's lineup.
Although it was only the first inning, the pace of the game already felt terrifyingly oppressive.
Behind Coach Okamoto, Mukai Taiyo narrowed his eyes as he watched Kanzaki walk calmly off the mound.
"So this…"
"…is the pitching of the best pitcher in Japan?"
It was his first time witnessing it from this close.
In the stands, Okumura Koushuu stared silently at Kanzaki's retreating figure.
His pupils trembled slightly.
Then suddenly—
"I want to go to Seido."
"…Huh?"
Seto Takuma turned sharply toward him.
"What did you just say?!"
"I said…"
Okumura's eyes remained fixed on the field.
"I want to go to Seido."
Seto rolled his eyes hard.
This idiot.
Didn't he just say he'd join whichever team won?
It was only the top of the first inning!
"You serious?"
Hearing the question, Okumura finally regained his composure.
"…Whichever team wins."
"Heh."
Meanwhile, on the third-base side, Inui Kengo and Mukai Taiyo stepped out of the dugout together.
"Taiyo."
Inui looked toward the mound seriously.
"Show them your best baseball today."
Mukai adjusted the brim of his cap lightly and clenched his fist.
"I know, Inui-senpai."
A fierce grin slowly spread across his face.
"My condition today…"
"…is blazing hot."
He looked directly toward Seido's dugout.
"Let's go."
"Show those Seido guys the pitching of this Ace!"