"Taiyo!!"
"Go, Taiyo!"
"Ace! Don't lose!"
"We're counting on you, Taiyo!"
Cheers thundered through the stadium as Mukai Taiyo stepped onto the pitcher's mound.
Today was the perfect chance to prove himself.
As long as he could shut down Seido here!
"Against a pitcher like Mukai Taiyo, don't expect easy pitches. His precise control will force every ball into uncomfortable locations. So the moment a pitch enters the strike zone, swing decisively!"
As Kuramochi Yoichi stepped into the batter's box, he recalled the coach's pregame instructions while quickly reviewing everything he knew about the opposing pitcher.
First-year. Left-handed. Sidearm pitcher.
Even among powerhouse schools, pitchers like Mukai Taiyo were rare. Back in middle school, he had already been famous for both his talent and popularity. Since entering Teito High, he had completely lived up to the reputation of a genius.
Hmm… and apparently, this guy is ridiculously narcissistic.
"Bottom of the first inning! Seido High School at bat! Lead-off hitter, shortstop, Kuramochi!"
Behind home plate, Inui Kengo glanced at Kuramochi before immediately flashing the sign.
First pitch. Keep it low, Taiyo.
Got it.
Mukai Taiyo nodded slightly, fixed his target, then lifted his leg and fired.
Whoosh!
A white streak tore through the air from an awkward side angle.
Kuramochi locked onto the ball with sharp focus.
Thwack!
The baseball clipped the outer edge of the plate at knee level.
Kuramochi didn't swing.
"Such a low pitch!"
His eyes narrowed as he stared toward the mound.
My instincts told me that was a ball…
Yet it barely grazed the strike zone.
Not only was he using the width and height of the zone perfectly, he was manipulating its depth as well.
This guy's pitching is completely different from everyone else's.
After falling behind by one strike, the fighting spirit in Kuramochi's eyes only intensified.
A pitcher this unique was rare.
Whoosh!
Mukai Taiyo worked at a blistering pace. The second pitch came even sharper than the first.
Clang!
"Foul!"
Damn it… these pitches are so hard to track!
Third pitch.
When Mukai gets two strikes, he loves going to a breaking ball.
Whoosh!
Just as expected!
Kuramochi barely managed to get the top half of the bat on the ball.
Thunk!
The baseball bounced weakly toward shortstop.
Snap!
"Out!"
Teito High's defense moved flawlessly, their coordination smooth and precise. Kuramochi was thrown out at first with ease.
"Tch…"
Clicking his tongue, Kuramochi returned to the dugout.
"Precise control. Perfect use of the strike zone's width, height, and depth. A truly three-dimensional style of pitching."
Leaning against the railing with one hand under his chin, Kanzaki Ryou calmly analyzed the situation.
"He definitely has talent," Miyuki Kazuya replied.
"It's just that his expression is unbelievably annoying. I'm telling you, Kazuya, that brat was challenging me with his eyes before the game even started," Kanzaki Ryou complained.
Miyuki chuckled softly.
"Then let's teach him how to respect his seniors."
"Oh? Kazuya, are you angry for my sake?" Kanzaki Ryou teased with a grin.
"Get lost."
Rolling his eyes, Miyuki grabbed his bat and headed toward the on-deck circle.
On the field, second batter Kominato Haruichi picked up his wooden bat and calmly walked to the plate.
"Ignore the low pitches. The moment you see one up high, swing without hesitation," Kuramochi advised as he passed by.
"Understood. Thank you, Senior."
Haruichi nodded quietly.
Mukai Taiyo specialized in using low pitches to blur the line between strikes and balls, dragging hitters into his rhythm. Rather than getting baited, it was better to completely abandon low pitches altogether.
Standing in the batter's box, Haruichi lowered his head slightly, a sharp glint hidden beneath his bangs.
On the mound, Mukai noticed the wooden bat in Haruichi's hands and raised an eyebrow.
Wooden bats were already rare in high school baseball. For someone with Haruichi's smaller frame, using one effectively was even harder.
"Play ball!"
The instant the umpire called it, Inui Kengo gave the sign.
With the intention of showing this wooden-bat user the harsh reality of baseball, Mukai Taiyo delivered the pitch.
Whoosh!!
The baseball skimmed toward the plate at an extremely low trajectory.
Haruichi's eyes widened slightly.
That pitch was almost impossible to distinguish between a strike and a ball.
So he simply didn't swing.
After stealing the strike, Mukai lifted his chin arrogantly, staring down at Haruichi.
Whoosh!
The second pitch came immediately.
High and outside.
Haruichi swung decisively—
—but missed by nearly two ball widths.
"So far!"
"Strike!"
It was a pitch outside the strike zone.
Haruichi quietly glanced toward Inui Kengo.
So that was the catcher's idea.
Knowing he'd target high pitches, they intentionally threw a high outside ball to bait him.
Just like Senior Kanzaki said…
Catchers really do have dirty hearts.
"Can Kominato handle this?"
Inside the dugout, Arima Kazusa watched nervously.
"Haha, don't worry. Kominato can do it," Kanzaki Ryou replied confidently.
"Yeah. Haruichi will definitely hit it," Kuramochi added.
Clang!
A crisp sound echoed across the field.
Mukai's third pitch—a low strike—was finally met by Haruichi's bat.
So heavy!
Haruichi clenched his teeth.
The pitch itself wasn't overwhelmingly fast, but the spin was terrifying. The instant the bat made contact, it felt as though the baseball refused to stay on the barrel.
Whoosh!
The ball arced high into the air behind the infield.
Teito's second baseman settled underneath it with ease.
"Caught!"
"Batter out!"
"…Sigh."
Haruichi let out a quiet breath before returning to home plate to retrieve his bat.
As he walked back toward the dugout, Miyuki passed by him.
"Leave the rest to me."
"Good luck, Senior."
At that moment, Miyuki's personalized cheer song erupted from the stands.
Wearing a faint smile, Miyuki slowly stepped into the batter's box.
"Well now… striking out our cheetah and our junior back-to-back. Isn't that a little too arrogant?"
Inui Kengo ignored the provocation completely and calmly gave the sign.
Soon enough—
Swish!
Swish!
Miyuki missed twice in a row, quickly falling behind with two strikes.
On the mound, Mukai Taiyo lifted his chin proudly once more.
Third batter? Miyuki?
So what?
One more pitch and he's done.
Come on, Taiyo. Finish him with that pitch.
Inui set his glove.
Mukai nodded sharply and fired the ball.