In Seidou's dugout, Coach Kataoka stood with his arms crossed.
His gaze was fixed on the field.
"Take a good look."
"All three of your first-year teammates have reached base."
His voice was calm, but every word hit like a hammer.
"And when exactly did the upperclassmen become so dependent on the freshmen?"
"Aren't you supposed to be the ones leading them?"
"How did things end up the other way around?"
The second- and third-years immediately felt uncomfortable.
"Apart from Isashiki-senpai, who got a hit, and Yuki, who at least brought in a run..."
"I can overlook that once."
"But what about the rest of you?"
"If you can't score, then at least get on base."
The criticism cut deep.
"Think carefully."
"Don't make it to Koshien without accomplishing anything."
"If the only reason you reach Koshien is because the first-years carried you there..."
"Then perhaps you don't deserve to go."
"How shameful."
BOOM!
Yuki Tetsuya's competitive spirit instantly ignited.
"Damn it!"
"How can we let the first-years steal all the spotlight?!"
Even Isashiki couldn't stay calm anymore.
Meanwhile, Ushijima Wakatoshi stepped into the batter's box.
The left-handed batter's box.
The sight immediately surprised everyone.
"A left-handed stance?"
Harada, Narumiya, and the rest of Inashiro stared in shock.
Ushijima was a switch hitter.
When he first entered high school, he had primarily batted left-handed.
However, after developing his power, he had almost exclusively batted right-handed.
Harada narrowed his eyes.
Left-handed...
Is he planning to prioritize contact?
A left-handed batter reaches first base slightly faster.
And it also makes Mei's changeup much less effective.
Is he trying to secure a run rather than swing for power?
Harada immediately looked toward the mound.
Narumiya had clearly reached the same conclusion.
After all, Ushijima had already reached base twice against him.
Neither of them dared underestimate him.
Ushijima calmly settled into his stance.
Come on.
Show me everything you've got.
Across from him, Narumiya's competitive fire blazed.
"I won't let you reach base again."
His eyes were filled with determination.
Ushijima met his gaze without backing down.
"If you're capable of stopping me."
The atmosphere instantly grew tense.
Behind the plate, Harada set his target.
Narumiya wound up.
Whoosh!
The baseball exploded out of his hand.
Ushijima reacted instantly.
Whoosh!
CRACK!!
The bat met the ball perfectly.
The baseball screamed down the first-base line.
Foul.
But nobody cared that it was foul.
The entire stadium was stunned.
The ball had rocketed past the foul pole with enough power to clear the fence.
Had it stayed fair—
It would have been a home run.
Inashiro's players felt chills run down their spines.
Wait a second...
He can hit for power from the left side too?
Ushijima lightly tapped home plate with his bat.
Then he looked toward Harada.
"You're a catcher I respect."
Harada was caught off guard.
Ushijima continued calmly.
"Which is why I'd like to give you a friendly reminder."
"Don't lose this game because you underestimated me."
The surrounding players froze.
Harada stared at him.
Ushijima's voice remained calm.
"Narumiya is an incredible pitcher."
"Everyone knows that."
"But he's also arrogant."
"And stubborn."
"And honestly..."
"A bit childish."
Harada's eyebrows twitched.
Ushijima wasn't finished.
"You're the only one capable of keeping him under control."
"Without you, nobody on Inashiro can truly manage him."
Harada couldn't deny it.
As the team's catcher, he understood Narumiya better than anyone.
The younger catchers lacked the authority and experience necessary to guide him.
If Narumiya's ego ran unchecked, conflicts would inevitably follow.
Ushijima's eyes narrowed.
"This year's Inashiro is the strongest version of Inashiro."
"I don't want to see you lose because of something so trivial."
Harada silently tightened his grip.
The worst part was that Ushijima wasn't wrong.
The fact that he knew this much about Inashiro also revealed something else.
He had thoroughly studied them.
Everything.
Every weakness.
Every strength.
Everything.
Harada slowly exhaled.
Then he returned the ball to the mound.
"Focus, Mei."
Narumiya nodded.
The duel continued.
This time he poured even more power into his pitch.
Whoosh!
The ball tore toward the plate.
A vicious breaking pitch.
Ushijima swung immediately.
CRACK!
The ball rocketed away again.
"Foul!"
The umpire spread his arms.
The entire field remained silent.
Two consecutive foul balls.
Both missiles.
Both dangerously close to fair territory.
Harada could feel the pressure building.
Narumiya was already pitching at nearly full capacity.
Yet Ushijima was still making solid contact.
On the other side, Ushijima wasn't relaxed either.
Narumiya's pitches were unlike anything most high school batters faced.
Against ordinary pitchers, Ushijima could analyze the ball's speed, spin, and trajectory almost instantly.
Against Narumiya?
That advantage shrank dramatically.
His pitches were simply too good.
Too sharp.
Too unpredictable.
At this level, there was no room for elegant calculations.
No room for perfect reading.
The only thing Ushijima could do was trust his instincts and swing with everything he had.
CRACK!
Another foul ball screamed into the stands.
Narumiya immediately stepped off the mound and took a deep breath.
Sweat dripped down his face.
The pressure was suffocating.
Across from him, Ushijima slowly reset his stance.
Neither side was willing to yield.
The entire stadium held its breath.
Because everyone understood one thing.
Whoever lost focus first...
Would lose this battle.