"Clang!"
"Clang!!"
"Clang!!!"
"Foul!"
The umpire's voice rang out again and again.
On the field, Yuki Tetsuya and You Shunshin were locked in a fierce duel.
Pitch after pitch—
Neither side gave in.
Despite facing Seido's captain, You Shunshin showed no signs of pressure.
He had already given up a run earlier.
And strangely—
That loss freed him.
At the start of the game, he had been cautious, afraid of conceding.
But now?
There was nothing left to protect.
When pressure disappears—
A pitcher can go beyond his limits.
Not just 100%.
But 120% performance.
"Out!"
The umpire's call cut through the tension.
Yuki's infield grounder had been cleanly fielded by You Shunshin himself.
A quick throw to first—
And the third out was secured.
The inning ended.
Even with Isashiki Jun standing on second base—
It meant nothing now.
"…Seriously? It didn't break through?"
Isashiki clicked his tongue in frustration as he jogged back.
Back in Seido's dugout—
A certain someone was already waiting.
Smiling.
Ushijima Wakatoshi.
"Oh? The third batter got stranded on base?" he said casually, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Damn it! I got a hit to second!"
Isashiki snapped back.
"Is it my fault I couldn't score? It's because Tetsu got shut down!"
That only made things worse.
"Ahh, that's exactly what I wanted to hear."
Ushijima waved his hand lightly.
"After all, he's my senior. I can't say that directly."
"You can, though."
"Right… fourth batter?"
Yuki Tetsuya silently clenched his fists.
"…Hahaha!"
The rest of the team burst into laughter.
But Ushijima wasn't done.
Not even close.
"By the way… what's wrong with the first and second batters?"
"Can't even get on base?"
"All those pitches I throw to you in practice every day, what happened?"
Silence.
"Our third batter is still the most reliable."
"At least he reached base both times."
Even more silence.
"Also…"
"All the players who reached base today are from our dorm."
"Every single hit this game, our dorm."
Now it was brutal.
"Aren't you guys embarrassed?"
The entire group—
Kuramochi, Kominato, Yuki, Masuko, Miyuki, and Furuya—
stood there, completely speechless.
Not even a chance to fight back.
"…Wow."
Shirasu muttered quietly.
"It actually feels pretty good… not being the one getting roasted."
"Hahaha! Right?!"
Isashiki laughed loudly.
"This feels amazing!"
Shirasu smiled faintly.
But said nothing more.
Meanwhile—
The others lowered their heads in defeat.
Then Ushijima delivered the final blow.
"Onii-san, if you really can't get on base…"
"Why not let your little brother take your spot?"
"I think Little Bean can do better."
Kominato Ryosuke's smile froze instantly.
Beside him—
Kominato Haruichi turned red from embarrassment.
The dugout erupted into chaos.
Soon after, Seido returned to the field on defense.
The scoreboard showed:
Seido: 1
Akikawa: 0
Three innings had passed.
Now—
The fourth inning began.
Akikawa's lineup entered its second round.
On the mound—
Ushijima Wakatoshi stood ready.
First batter: Ninomiya.
Previously—
Struck out.
Just like everyone else.
Miyuki gave the signal.
Ushijima nodded.
"Let's try this."
He threw the first pitch.
"WHOOSH!"
A fastball exceeding 140 km/h.
Ninomiya reacted instantly—
Swinging with full force.
But—
Right before contact—
The ball shifted.
"Clang!"
The bat barely connected.
The ball dropped weakly near home plate.
"…Cutter?!"
Ninomiya's eyes widened.
But it was too late.
Ushijima moved quickly—
Picked up the ball—
Fired to first base.
"Out!"
"Incredible…"
From the stands, Masatoshi Harada narrowed his eyes.
"Using a cutter on the very first pitch…"
"Yeah," someone replied.
"Over 140 km/h… and that sharp inward break."
"It looks just like his fastball until the last moment."
"That kind of movement is extremely hard to deal with."
Even Shirakawa frowned.
"…That pitch is trouble."
"If it were me… could I even hit it?"
Carlos muttered under his breath.
Yoshizawa added:
"He's a right-handed pitcher, and most of us are right-handed batters."
"He probably won't rely on the cutter too much only in key moments."
But someone immediately countered:
"And what about his two-seam, sinker, and shootball?"
"Especially the shootball that's rare even in pro leagues."
"If he's mastered it, he'll definitely use it often."
On the mound—
Ushijima remained calm.
He knew everyone was watching him.
Studying him.
Analyzing him.
But he didn't care.
Right now—
There was only one thing that mattered.
Eliminate the batter.
Second batter stepped up.
Again—
A cutter.
"Smack!"
Miyuki caught it cleanly—
But his eyes widened slightly.
"…Wait."
"Was that a cutter… or a slider?"
Others had the same thought.
The pitch looked like a slider—
But moved like a cutter.
Only Ushijima knew the truth.
There were two different cutter grips he had been experimenting with:
Across the seams
Along the seams
Each grip created a slightly different break.
By combining both—
He had created something new.
A pitch that blurred the line between cutter and slider.
A weapon—
Only he could control.