"Really? Since you're that strong, let me test you myself."
Azuma Kiyokuni sneered as he snatched the bat from Ushijima Wakatoshi's hands.
Then he pointed toward the mound.
"You take the mound. Let's have a duel."
Hearing this, Ushijima crossed his arms and glanced at Azuma's physique.
"It's not that I'm looking down on you, but with your body—"
"Stop nagging!" Azuma interrupted loudly. "I'm in perfect condition! You don't need to worry about me!"
"In short, I want to see whether a first-year like you is really qualified to be Seido's ace."
Azuma truly wanted to experience Ushijima Wakatoshi's pitching firsthand.
After all, he already knew Tanba and Kawakami's level.
But for a freshman to surpass both of them and become Seido's ace?
That was unbelievable.
"If we're going to duel," Ushijima said calmly, "then let's make a bet."
"A bet?" Azuma asked curiously. "What kind?"
"I'll bet on tomorrow's game."
"Tomorrow?" Azuma looked confused.
"Tomorrow is Seido versus Inashiro in the finals."
Ushijima looked directly at him.
"Didn't Azuma-senpai leave behind regrets last year?"
"If I strike you out, then you have to come watch our final tomorrow."
"How about it?"
The Seido players nearby immediately smiled.
Azuma noticed it too—
the overwhelming confidence radiating from Ushijima Wakatoshi.
More importantly—
there was an indescribable sense of reliability around him.
Just standing there, Ushijima gave everyone around him a feeling of security.
That alone already spoke volumes about his ability.
"Alright! Deal!"
Azuma accepted immediately.
"If you strike me out, I'll definitely come watch your game tomorrow."
"And not only me."
"As long as you strike me out…"
"I'll call every third-year from last year that I can contact and bring them all to cheer for you."
The current Seido players instantly became excited.
"Really, Azuma-senpai?!" Isashiki shouted excitedly.
"Of course."
Azuma grinned.
"I want to see you guys erase the regrets we left behind last year."
"I want to personally watch Seido return to that stage."
"But kid…"
Azuma pointed his bat toward Ushijima.
"What if you can't strike me out?"
"What if I smash your pitch into the stands?"
"There are no 'ifs,'" Ushijima replied calmly.
"There's only one result."
"And that's me striking you out."
"Hahaha!"
Azuma laughed even harder.
"You arrogant brat."
"Do you even know who you're talking to?"
But Ushijima ignored him completely.
He simply reached over and borrowed Kawakami's glove.
After putting it on, Ushijima said flatly:
"Have you ever seen a four-seam fastball at 158 km/h?"
"…What?!"
Azuma was shocked by the number alone.
"Azuma-senpai," Yuki explained calmly, "my cousin's fastball can reach 158 km/h."
"Wait—cousin?"
"Yeah," Yuki nodded. "He's my cousin from China."
"Heh…"
Azuma became even more interested.
After adjusting his glove, Ushijima spoke again.
"Don't say I'm bullying you."
"Against you, I'll only use four pitches."
"Four-seam."
"Two-seam."
"Shootball."
"Sinker."
Azuma stared at him blankly.
"W-Wait… four different pitch types?"
"Theoretically, he mainly uses five," Miyuki added casually.
"The fifth is the cutter."
"Five?!"
Azuma nearly shouted.
"No," Isashiki corrected proudly from the side.
"Theoretically, he knows eight."
"Slider, curveball, and forkball too."
"You're kidding me!!!"
Azuma roared in disbelief.
"Azuma."
At that moment, Coach Kataoka, wearing his sunglasses, finally spoke.
"They're not lying."
Azuma froze.
"So this kid really knows…"
"Four-seam."
"Two-seam."
"Sinker."
"Shootball."
"Cutter."
"Curveball."
"Slider."
"And forkball?"
"That's right," Miyuki nodded.
"And all of them are powerful."
"It's just that Ushijima personally dislikes slow breaking balls."
"So in official games, he prefers using hard fastball variants."
"Since enrolling," Miyuki continued, "Ushijima has played in over thirty official and practice games."
"And he hasn't allowed a single run."
Azuma's eyes widened even further.
More than thirty games.
Zero runs allowed.
"If that's true…"
Azuma clenched his fist unwillingly.
"Then I really wish I hadn't graduated yet."
The third-years nearby completely understood how he felt.
"You brat!"
Azuma stepped into the batter's box seriously and pointed his bat at Ushijima.
"Show me your full strength!"
"Don't hold back!"
Meanwhile, Ushijima stood calmly on the mound.
"If you want to see all eight pitches…"
"Then show me you're worthy of forcing them out."
"Don't think I need more than four pitches to strike you out."
"Heh… what an arrogant brat."
Azuma grinned excitedly and tightened his grip on the bat.
Miyuki crouched behind home plate and glanced at his former senior.
At the same time—
Azuma Kiyokuni completely released his aura.
Standing in the batter's box, he radiated intense pressure.
On the mound, Ushijima Wakatoshi's presence exploded outward just as fiercely.
Azuma's aura burned red.
Ushijima's overwhelming pressure spread like blue flames engulfing the entire field.
The moment Azuma felt the terrifying pressure coming from the mound—
goosebumps instantly covered his body.
That suffocating feeling…
At that moment, he finally understood.
He finally understood why this first-year had earned the trust of the entire Seido team.
"You felt it too, didn't you, Azuma-senpai?"
Watching from the side, Isashiki looked excited.
"This guy's oppressive aura…"
Meanwhile, Ushijima's sharp eyes locked onto Azuma's large stomach.
Having partnered with him for so long, Miyuki immediately understood what Ushijima wanted.
Miyuki set his glove low and inside—
directly aimed at Azuma's body.
Ushijima expressionlessly raised both hands and lifted his left leg.
The instant he entered his pitching motion—
every hair on Azuma's body stood on end.
Ushijima twisted his body violently, his arm whipping forward with explosive force.
Whoosh—!
The baseball tore through the air with a roaring sonic blast as it charged straight toward Azuma Kiyokuni.