Masuko stepped into the batter's box, eyes fixed on Maki on the mound.
Behind the plate, Sensen's catcher suddenly stood up.
"First baseman—move up!"
"Watch out for the bunt!"
The defense shifted forward immediately.
They were ready.
Masuko glanced back at third.
Ushijima met his eyes.
A silent exchange.
Then—
A sign.
Masuko's expression flickered in surprise… but he nodded.
"…No way," someone muttered in Seido's dugout.
"He's not actually planning that, right?"
Kuramochi narrowed his eyes.
"…Yeah. He is."
"With Masuko? That's risky…"
On the field—
Masuko squared to bunt.
A clear sacrifice.
Sensen reacted instantly.
"Maki, don't let your guard down," the catcher called.
"He may be the sixth batter now, but he used to bat cleanup. If you give him something easy, he can still drive it."
He set the target.
Outside.
Maki delivered without hesitation.
A curveball.
It rose slightly—
Then dropped sharply.
A clean 12-to-6 break.
Masuko adjusted.
"Tap!"
The ball died off the bat, rolling slowly toward the mound.
A perfect bunt.
It forced the pitcher to field it—keeping the corner infielders out of the play.
The moment the ball touched the bat—
Ushijima broke for home.
Maki charged forward, scooping the ball near the third-base line.
But the moment he picked it up—
Something felt off.
"…Why is he still here?"
Ushijima—who should've been charging home—
Was turning back.
Running toward third.
"…?!"
Sensen froze.
"Maki! First base!" the catcher shouted instantly.
Maki's instincts screamed at him.
If he threw to third now—
Ushijima would get back safely.
And Masuko would still reach first.
They'd gain everything.
"Damn it!"
Maki pivoted—
And fired to first.
At that exact moment—
Ushijima stopped.
He turned.
And sprinted back toward home.
"…What?!"
"He's going again?!" the third baseman shouted.
Masuko dove into first—
"Safe!"
"Home! Throw home!" the catcher yelled.
The first baseman barely had time to react.
He turned and fired the ball toward the plate—
Ushijima was already halfway there.
The catcher stretched his glove forward—
Eyes locked on the incoming throw.
Ushijima didn't slow down.
Not even for a second.
Two long strides—
Then he launched himself forward.
At the same time—
The ball hit the catcher's glove.
Smack!
The catcher spun—
Reaching to tag—
Thud!
Ushijima's hand slammed onto home plate.
A split second later—
The glove came down on him.
Silence.
All eyes turned to the umpire.
"Safe!!!"
The stadium exploded.
"What a play!!!"
"That was insane!"
"Double pressure—on both the runner and the batter!"
"Seido scores first!!!"
In the dugout, Seido players jumped to their feet, roaring in excitement.
At home plate, Ushijima pushed himself up—
A rare smile crossing his face.
From first base, Masuko stared in disbelief—
Then grinned and raised his fist.
Ushijima returned it with a distant fist bump.
"That was brilliant," a reporter muttered from the stands.
"A perfectly executed home-steal combination."
"…Do they actually practice that?"
The answer—
Yes.
This was a coordinated tactic Ushijima had refined in training with Kuramochi and Miyuki.
A layered play built on pressure and misdirection.
First—
Masuko bunts to the pitcher.
Forcing a quick decision.
At the same time—
Ushijima breaks for home.
Drawing the pitcher's full attention.
Then—
At the critical moment—
He slows.
Turns back.
Forcing the pitcher to hesitate.
If the ball goes to third—
Ushijima returns safely.
Masuko reaches first.
If the ball goes to first—
Ushijima reverses again—
And steals home.
A perfect trap.
A decision game.
And no matter what the defense chose—
They were already too late.
Masuko let out a breath, still stunned.
"I… actually made it…"
Originally, he was just supposed to be the decoy.
The bait.
But instead—
They both succeeded.
And once again—
Seido proved it.
This wasn't just power.
It was control.