"Come to think of it, do you think Yakushi High School will walk their opponent's cleanup hitter like Seido did?"
"No way—that would be boring!"
"Hard to say. Seido has done it many times before. If Yakushi wants to secure victory, walking him wouldn't be unreasonable."
"Idiot! Yakushi would never do something that underhanded. If they would, Sanada Shunpei would've done it already!"
"Yeah, that makes sense… Then we're in for another intense pitching duel! Oh man—I've got goosebumps!"
"Captain, please!"
"Yuki! Show them why you're the cleanup!"
"We can't let that brat get any more arrogant—crush him!"
"Yuki, trust in your efforts. Your three years of hard work won't betray you. Stay calm and swing like you always do. As long as you're at the plate, we won't lose," Coach Kataoka said.
He still carried his usual imposing presence, but the slight whitening of his clenched hands betrayed the tension in his heart.
"Aoba, who do you think will win this duel?" Tsukishima Momiji asked.
"That batter is extremely strong. There are very few pitchers in the entire country who can truly challenge him," Tsukishima Aoba replied, unusually serious. "The safest approach would be to aim for low pitches on the outside corner—right on the edge between a strike and a ball. And if you fall behind in the count, just walk him. That's what a smart pitcher would do."
Even Tsukishima Wakaba, who believed in Kitamura Kou, couldn't help but feel nervous. This was the strongest batter Kou had faced in an official game.
"Let's go steady!"
"Two outs! Two outs!"
"Bring it on!"
Kou, you know better than anyone how dangerous this batter is… Akaishi Osamu thought. But we're ahead by two runs. Go at him boldly. If we take him down, Seido won't be able to fight back. It's fine to show a bit of your true strength… If Coach scolds us, I'll take it with you.
"I was thinking the same thing, Akaishi… here I come!"
Kitamura Kou locked his gaze onto Tetsuya Yuuki.
That same calm, expressionless face…
Just like Asuma Yuhei.
The memory of their previous duel surfaced in his mind. Though it hadn't ended well, it was unforgettable.
This time—
He wouldn't hold back.
He raised both hands high, stepped forward, and whipped his arm forward.
"SWOOSH!!!"
The baseball shot forward like a piercing arrow, appearing in front of Yuuki in the blink of an eye.
Dead center.
Its speed—faster than any pitch so far.
At least 145 km/h.
"Boom!!!"
With absolute focus, Tetsuya Yuuki locked onto the ball. His grip tightened as he unleashed a thunderous swing.
"Clang!!!"
The ball rocketed off the bat, streaking past first base before Mishima Yuta could even react.
It hit the ground beyond him—
"Foul!"
A shame—it would've been a beautiful extra-base hit to right field.
The aura around Yuuki intensified, pressing forward like a tidal wave toward the mound.
But Kitamura Kou stood unfazed.
On the mound, he was a completely different person.
A terrifying presence radiated from him—one that matched Yuuki's own. The invisible pressure between pitcher and batter clashed violently in the space between them.
To the audience, it was as if two ancient beasts—one red, one blue—were battling fiercely on the field.
Neither yielding.
Neither retreating.
This isn't someone I can handle with ordinary pitches… Kitamura Kou thought. We'll need something more, Akaishi.
Akaishi Osamu understood immediately.
Stay calm. Keep pressing him. Save that pitch for the decisive moment.
For the next pitch, Akaishi called for a high inside ball—tight to the chest.
Kitamura Kou didn't hesitate.
He delivered.
"SWOOSH!!!"
A four-seam fastball again down the red center but even faster than before.
Tetsuya Yuuki's eyes sharpened.
He waited.
Then swung with full force.
"Boom!!!"
"Clang!!!"
The ball exploded off the bat once more—but again, it veered foul, unable to overcome the sheer power behind the pitch.
"The center again? Does that pitcher even understand strategy?!"
"What are you talking about? This kind of head-on clash—that's the romance of baseball!"
"Romance? It's reckless!"
"Say that again and let's settle it after the game!"
"Fine! Don't run when the game's over!"
"Who's running? Anyone who backs out is a coward!"
After their heated exchange, the two spectators fell silent, eyes glued back to the field.
"It seems Kou isn't very smart," Tsukishima Wakaba teased with a smile. "Or… maybe he's one of the few pitchers who can actually face that batter head-on?"
Tsukishima Aoba said nothing, watching the duel unfold in silence.
Both benches erupted in cheers, voices rising as the tension reached its peak.
Kitamura Kou caught the return throw and walked back onto the mound.
"It's time to end this duel," he muttered.
Then—
He threw with everything he had.
"SWOOSH!!!"
Once again—
Dead center.