Facing Akikawa's fifth batter, Ushijima Wakatoshi finished the inning with another strikeout.
"Strike three!"
"Strikeout!"
With that, the teams switched offense and defense.
At the end of the top of the second inning, Ushijima Wakatoshi's pitching performance could only be described as perfect.
"Amazing! Seido's ace pitcher!"
"With his powerful pitches, Ushijima Wakatoshi has struck out six Akikawa batters in a row!"
"This is a rare sight in high school baseball—a duel between two international students!"
"The game has only just begun, and the audience is already completely fired up!"
The commentator's excited voice echoed through the stadium.
"As things stand, in the first clash between Ushijima Wakatoshi and You Shunshin… Seido clearly has the advantage!"
The crowd quickly realized the same thing.
This wasn't just a normal high school game.
It was a showdown between two ace pitchers from overseas.
Students from many other schools had come to watch.
Among them were players from Ichidai Third High School, Yakushi High School, Inashiro Industrial, and Seikou High School.
Almost all of the strong contenders for the West Tokyo top eight were present.
And by coincidence, they had arrived just in time to witness this incredible duel.
"Stable control… bold pitch selection… powerful fastballs… and sharp ball movement."
"Is this really Seido's pitcher–catcher duo?"
"They're completely different from last year."
Standing with his arms crossed, Masatoshi Harada, the catcher of Inashiro Industrial, watched the field carefully.
Everyone at Inashiro knew something very clearly.
Their opponent in the West Tokyo final would most likely be Seido.
Since they had no game today, they had come specifically to observe Ushijima Wakatoshi.
But the moment they arrived—
They saw Ushijima dominating the game.
"Even when facing You Shunshin, he didn't rely on the catcher's strategy."
"It was purely his own ability, courage, and judgment that suppressed Akikawa's lineup."
Carlos stared coldly at Ushijima on the mound.
"Tch."
Shirakawa clicked his tongue in irritation.
While frustrated, he also felt excited.
He couldn't wait to face Seido.
More specifically—
He couldn't wait to defeat this first-year pitcher.
On the other side of the stands, the players of Ichidai Third High were watching as well.
Seido was their biggest rival.
"That kid's pitching is becoming more and more stable."
Manaka Kaname stared at Ushijima thoughtfully.
"To be honest… I feel a little sorry for Amahisa."
"He's in the same region as Ushijima."
"If he doesn't improve significantly over the next two years…"
"He might be completely overshadowed by him."
"In West Tokyo… the ticket to Koshien could easily belong to Seido."
His teammates silently nodded.
This year alone, they had already faced Seido twice.
The first time was during the Spring Tournament, where Ushijima's pitching completely shut down Ichidai Third in the semifinals.
Of course, their players had already been exhausted from previous matches.
The second time was during the Kanto Tournament, where Manaka Kaname and the first-year Amahisa fought hard against Seido.
But even then—
Ushijima Wakatoshi still suppressed their offense.
Ichidai Third had lost both encounters this year.
And in the upcoming Summer West Tokyo Qualifiers, they would likely meet again.
Back on the field.
After leaving the mound, Ushijima returned to the dugout.
Coach Kataoka nodded slightly.
"That was excellent pitching."
But Ushijima completely ignored the praise.
To him—
That had only been the first round of the duel.
He calmly removed his pitching cap and glove.
Then he switched to his batting helmet.
A batter's helmet was completely different from a pitcher's cap.
It was essentially like a construction safety helmet, designed to protect the player's head.
Even the batting gloves were different.
After putting on all his equipment, Ushijima quietly walked toward the field.
Akikawa's players were already preparing for defense.
You Shunshin slowly stepped onto the pitcher's mound.
Watching him, Ushijima's eyes sharpened.
Two years later—
He was finally about to face You Shunshin again as a batter.
You Shunshin's pitching ability was considered top-class in the country.
Meanwhile, Ushijima's batting power—both short and long hits—was also national level.
No one could predict what would happen next.
"Hey…"
Kuramochi saw Ushijima picking up a bat and wanted to say something.
But the words stopped in his throat.
Miyuki laughed slightly.
"No need to say anything."
"This duel belongs to them."
"Even if the coach gives tactical signals…"
"Ushijima probably won't follow them."
"At least not for this round."
Coach Kataoka stood with his arms crossed.
"No instructions are necessary."
"He understands."
This was his trust in Ushijima Wakatoshi.
Yes, Ushijima would feel excited after meeting his old rival again.
But the coach also knew something important.
No matter how excited Ushijima became—
He would never lose his composure.
A player who understood that this summer tournament was the third-years' final chance would never act recklessly.
If it were pitchers like Furuya, Sawamura, or Tanba, the coach might worry.
But Ushijima?
No.
Ushijima stepped into the left-handed batter's box.
Standing tall, he held the bat loosely in his right hand.
The bat pointed downward naturally.
His eyes locked onto You Shunshin on the mound.
You Shunshin stared back just as fiercely.
Their roles had now reversed.
Moments ago—
Ushijima had been the pitcher.
And You Shunshin had been the batter.
Now it was the opposite.
You Shunshin stood on the mound.
Ushijima stood at the plate.
Everyone in the stadium held their breath.
How would this reversal affect their duel?
Even the two players themselves were eager to find out.
The intense aura around Ushijima seemed to surge like blue flames.
Seeing this, You Shunshin responded with an equally powerful presence.
The atmosphere became so tense that many people in the stadium stared in disbelief.
Finally, Kominato Ryosuke muttered quietly:
"Yuki… is this kind of aura a family tradition or something?"
"…."
Tetsuya stood with his arms crossed.
The powerful presence around him silently answered the question.
On the mound, You Shunshin gave a signal to his catcher.
The catcher nodded.
Target set.
You Shunshin prepared to pitch.
He had no intention of underestimating Ushijima Wakatoshi.
This time—
He would respond with his full strength.
You Shunshin threw the first pitch.
"WHOOSH!"
The baseball rushed toward the plate at just over 140 km/h.
A high inside fastball.
Standing in the left-handed batter's box, Ushijima didn't dodge.
He didn't even move.
He simply maintained his batting stance, watching the ball fly toward him.
"SMACK!"
The baseball slammed directly into the catcher's glove.