As the ace pitcher of Ichidaisan High School, Kaname Manaka had always carried himself with arrogance. Yet now, he had been thoroughly suppressed by a group of first-year players right from the start. Even though his teammates had managed to hold the line and ease the pressure, he couldn't swallow the blow to his pride.
On the other side, Todoroki Raichi's excitement only grew as he watched Manaka burn with fury on the mound.
"Manaka-senpai, don't let anger cloud your judgment," Akira Takami called out calmly. "You know how dangerous this batter is. Don't give him anything easy. From what we've seen, he'll swing even at balls. Use breaking pitches to get ahead—make them nasty. Don't worry about balls."
"The first pitch—high-speed slider, low and inside!"
Manaka drove his left foot forward and snapped his right arm like a whip.
Call!
The ball shot from his fingertips, screaming toward home plate.
Whoosh!
Raichi didn't hesitate. He swung hard, aiming exactly where he anticipated the pitch would be—
—but the ball darted sharply, diving toward his ankle.
Snap!
"Nice pitch!"
Raichi missed completely, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Good, Manaka! That's your weapon!" Coach Tahara exclaimed, relief finally creeping back onto his face. "Keep throwing that, and no one will touch you. Trust yourself—pitch boldly!"
Not giving Raichi even a moment to reset, Manaka fired the second pitch.
Again, Raichi's powerful swing cut through empty air. This time, the pitch broke even more violently, dropping straight into the dirt. Even Takami couldn't secure it cleanly.
Fortunately, the ball had already lost most of its momentum on impact, allowing him to recover it quickly.
"Two strikes!" the umpire announced.
"Ha… haha… impressive," Raichi muttered, his laughter coming out uneven after two straight misses.
"Manaka won't give him anything easy," Yuuki Tetsuya said, arms crossed as he observed.
"This pitcher's no joke," Jun Isashiki added in a low voice.
"Can Ichidaisan shut down both home run hitters from the first inning and turn things around in one go?" Miyuki Kazuya wondered, a spark of anticipation in his eyes. Compared to the unknowns of Yakushi, he preferred facing a team he understood.
"Hahaha! This is awesome!" Raichi shouted, his excitement surging again as Manaka prepared for the next pitch.
Come on… Akira thought, clenching his fists. You've got him cornered—finish him!
With two strikes, Manaka's momentum surged. He swung his arm and delivered the third pitch with even greater force.
"Beautiful…" Miyuki murmured.
"Lure him in with breaking balls, then finish with a fastball. That timing difference will throw him off," Chris added, clearly impressed by Ichidaisan's strategy.
But reality didn't follow their expectations.
Raichi waited.
He held back until the ball came close, close enough that it could no longer break away.
Then—
Clang!
Though the hit wasn't perfectly centered, the ball rocketed off the bat, screaming past the mound toward Manaka's right side.
"We… are the representatives of the tournament… Ichidaisan High School!"
As the ball flew beyond his reach, something ignited deep within Manaka—a burning obsession, the duty of an ace.
In that instant, he twisted his body with sheer force, stretching his glove hand back toward the ball already behind him.
How could I fall here…? Not here… not like this!
His glove met the ball—
Smack!
The impact drove it down into the dirt, where it spun and rolled away.
"That stage… is waiting for us!"
Gritting his teeth, Manaka staggered after it, scooped it up, and hurled it toward first base with everything he had left.
The throw reached Hoshida.
Out!
And the next moment—
Manaka collapsed.
The entire stadium fell silent.
Even Raichi stopped running, staring blankly at the fallen pitcher.
"Manaka-senpai!"
The Ichidaisan players rushed forward in panic.
"Did it hit his glove… or his arm?"
"Is he okay?!"
Voices erupted across the stands.
"This is bad—really bad for Ichidaisan!" Akiko Owada exclaimed.
"They had just regained their momentum with their ace back on the mound," Mine Fujio added gravely. "Even if they shut down Todoroki Raichi, the next batter won't be easy. They've already used three pitchers, and there are still three innings left. If Manaka is forced out now… their chances drop dramatically. Especially since Yakushi's ace hasn't even appeared yet."
"What a play…!"
"Did you see that?!"
"Where did it hit him?!"
"His wrist? His arm?"
Ichidaisan's players crowded around Manaka as he lay on the ground.
"Ishikawa! Start warming up—now!" Coach Tahara shouted, his voice tight with urgency.
"Yes, Coach!"
"Hurry!" Tahara barked again, his fists clenched. This is bad… I've already burned through two pitchers while Manaka was in the outfield. If he's out now…
Even the umpire hurried over.
"Hey, kid—do you need to go to the infirmary?"
All eyes were fixed on Manaka.