Rinichi felt miserable.
Even though it was still morning, the heat was stifling.
He wasn't sure how long he could last in this weather.
At least Kanagawa was a little cooler.
"We'll stick to the strategy we discussed in the meeting. Make sure you all confirm the signals carefully," said Coach Kataoka, hands clasped behind his back.
"Keep yourselves hydrated at all times. Bench players, be sure to support your teammates."
"For this match, the entire team needs to come together to win."
"Kawakami, be ready and warmed up to pitch anytime."
Kawakami lit up with a smile. "Yes, sir!"
Though he was told to warm up, there was no guarantee he'd take the mound.
If the game ended by the fifth inning or if Rinichi's pitch count stayed low, no one else would get the chance to step in.
Furuya looked a bit down, his name unmentioned.
Hats pulled low, the team headed onto the field.
"Seidou has entered!"
The cheering around them erupted, overwhelming.
Rinichi glanced at the Akikawa cheering section. Only a handful of people were there.
Compared to Seidou's side, their energy and presence were noticeably lacking.
One pitch thundered into the catcher's mitt.
"Strike!" Miyuki called as he stood up and tossed the ball back to Rinichi.
He had never seen Rinichi in bad form.
Once the warm-up was done, it was time to take the field.
Top of the first — Seidou on defense, Akikawa at bat.
Everyone lined up, half-squatting with hands on knees.
Miyuki's eyes shifted toward Rinichi standing next to him.
Right now, Rinichi's pitching could set the tone and boost the team's momentum.
Both teams charged forward.
"Please take care of us!"
They returned to their positions.
Standing on the mound, Rinichi scuffed the dirt with his cleat and dusted his left hand with rosin.
"Leading off for Akikawa, center fielder Ninomiya!"
The batter stepped in.
Miyuki raised his gaze slightly to observe him.
Their strategy would probably be aggressive swings… But even if Rinichi threw all strikes, it didn't mean they'd be able to make contact.
With command in the 149 km/h range — that wasn't something to take lightly.
Even Osaka Kiryu couldn't score a run off Rinichi.
Let's start with a high-spin fastball and see how the batter reacts.
Rinichi set his stance, lifted his right leg, and delivered the pitch.
The batter gritted his teeth and swung.
His expression shifted.
What the hell was that pitch?!
It wasn't anything like a pitching machine, nor like what he saw on video.
That sense of pressure — you only feel it when you're actually in the batter's box.
That pitch came straight, and he thought he could connect with a blind swing, but just as it approached the bat, it suddenly rose — even faster!
How could anyone hit a ball like that?!
Maybe he'd have to wait for one dead in the middle or a low-spin fastball with slight drop.
But this pitcher didn't seem to throw anything down the middle.
Low-spin, high-spin, forkballs — every pitch came with the same motion as a fastball, making it impossible to predict the pitch type from his delivery.
Incredible… This is what it means to become the team's ace after only two months in high school!
Even so, I won't just go down quietly!
Ninomiya's eyes narrowed.
"Strike three! Batter out!"
Three pitches, three missed swings.
"Second batter, third baseman, Hashimoto!"
Hashimoto stared at Rinichi's pitching form on the mound.
It was smooth — almost elegant.
It felt like the ball suddenly appeared right in front of him. He couldn't track its trajectory, and before he realized it, it was already in the catcher's glove.
With that kind of speed and control, how could anyone hit that?
Second pitch — swung and missed.
Third pitch — another miss.
"Strike three! Batter out!"
Rinichi adjusted the brim of his cap.
The air was so hot it felt like it had weight — almost like there was no air at all. Heavy and suffocating.
Just three more pitches and Rinichi could return to the dugout.
"Batting third, shortstop, Onishi!"
The atmosphere in Akikawa's dugout was tense.
One player clenched his fist and slammed it against the railing. "We can't even touch the ball!"
The others remained silent, but their expressions were full of frustration.
If this kept up, they'd be eliminated — no question.
A sharp, diving forkball.
Onishi's heart skipped a beat.
He didn't even think for the second pitch — he just swung.
The third was a vicious inside pitch. With its speed and angle, Onishi thought it was going to hit him. He flinched and dodged, not even swinging.
"Strike three! Batter out!"
Top of the first inning ended.
"Nice pitch, Kamishiro!"
His upperclassmen, the fielders, gathered around and praised him.
They hadn't moved at all on defense — Rinichi's pitching made their job that easy.
It was probably only when Rinichi was pitching that the fielders had it this easy.
Even the crowd was fired up.
"Thanks!" Rinichi replied with a smile.
But in his heart, he was just relieved to finally get back to the bench.
Just as he reached the dugout, Tanba handed him a cup of water. "Great pitching."
Everyone nearby went quiet, watching the two of them.
Rinichi was a bit surprised as he took the cup. "Thank you, Tanba-senpai."
Change of offense and defense.
"Kamishiro's working so hard out there — us upperclassmen better score some runs!" Jun Isashiki shouted.
Ryousuke Kominato smiled.
The more runs they scored, the less pressure Rinichi would have to carry.
At least that's how the upperclassmen saw it.
"Leading off, shortstop, Kuramochi!"
Kuramochi loosened up a little and stepped into the batter's box.
He grinned, eyes sharp with focus.
He knew better than anyone — to unleash his base-stealing speed, he had to get on base first.
"Third base, watch the bunt!" someone shouted from Akikawa's dugout.
Kuramochi's smile froze.
Fine. I'll just hit it that way!
He bunted toward first base.
Tossing the bat, he immediately sprinted.
But You Shunshin, the pitcher, pounced off the mound, fielded the ball cleanly, and threw it to first.
He failed to reach base.
Even with a towel over his head, Rinichi could see it from the dugout.
That pitcher had good fielding skills. The moment the ball hit the ground, he was already in motion.
Probably studied this situation well — that outcome was likely expected.
Maybe it would've been better to let the first pitch go.
"Second batter, second baseman, Kominato!"
Ryousuke Kominato stepped into the batter's box, ready to swing.
He hit seven straight foul balls.
You Shunshin gave a sign.
This team is really something… both their pitchers and their batters—
Three balls now. One more and it'd be a walk.
Close… but not in the strike zone.
As the ball landed in the mitt, just as he was about to toss his bat and head to first—
"Strike! Batter out!" the umpire called.
If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.