Amid the roaring cheers from Seido High School's band and the passionate shouts of teammates and supporters—
Tetsuya Yuki calmly stepped into the batter's box.
He glanced once at Shunpei Sanada on the mound, then settled into his stance, composed and unwavering.
Behind the plate, Watanabe Tatsuya studied him carefully.
Why does this guy feel a bit like Kitamura…?
He shook his head slightly.
No… they're different. Kitamura's presence is restrained, subtle. But this one… this one is overwhelming—like Raichi.
On the mound, Sanada naturally felt it too.
That suffocating pressure bearing down on him… even stronger than what he once felt facing Ōmae.
A bead of sweat slid down his temple as his heartbeat quickened.
What a monster… In terms of pure power, only Raichi and Kitamura can compare.
But Sanada didn't back down.
He had faced both Raichi and Kitamura countless times in practice. This kind of pressure—he could handle it.
We're still ahead… so let's go all out!
He gave the signal.
Watanabe immediately set the target—right on Yuki's chest.
No hesitation.
Sanada drove forward and unleashed the pitch with everything he had.
"Strike!"
A blazing four-seam fastball tore toward the inside corner—faster and heavier than any he had thrown before.
Yuki didn't flinch.
As the ball closed in, he swung decisively—
Clang!
A clean hit.
The ball rocketed high and far—
—but just barely drifted foul along the right-field line.
Sanada exhaled, sweat dripping.
That was close… If that stayed fair, it was at least a double.
Yet he didn't retreat.
Instead, he doubled down.
Another inside fastball.
"Strike!"
Clang!
Yuki crushed it again this time screaming toward third base like a laser.
Todoroki Raichi froze for a split second as the ball flew past him and slammed into the left-field wall—
"Foul!"
Gasps echoed across the field.
"So close again!"
"Keep going, Yuuki!"
"Crush him!"
Both dugouts erupted—one in encouragement, the other in tension.
Sanada wiped his brow, eyes sharp.
This guy… terrifying.
Still, he stood firm.
"Two strikes! Finish him, Sanada-senpai!"
Behind the plate, Watanabe signaled.
A cutter?
Sanada gave a small nod.
Of course.
He wound up and fired.
The third pitch—his weapon.
Yuki's eyes narrowed the moment the ball left Sanada's hand.
There it is.
From the very beginning, this was the pitch he had been waiting for.
The cutter—Sanada's signature.
Yakushi had targeted Furuya's best pitch earlier. As Seido's captain and cleanup, how could he do any less?
I'll return the favor.
Clang!!!
Perfect contact.
The bat met the ball squarely, sending it screaming forward with explosive force.
Sanada's eyes widened.
He hit it clean… on the first look?
The ball shot forward—
straight toward third base.
And then—
Thud!
It slammed directly into Todoroki Raichi's glove.
For a moment, even Raichi himself looked stunned as the impact forced his arm backward—
—but the ball stayed in his glove.
"Out!"
Silence.
Then—
"What the hell?! Raichi actually caught that?!"
"Did you step in dog poop today or something?!"
"Give us back the real Raichi!"
Even the Yakushi dugout burst into laughter.
Todoroki Raizo crossed his arms, grinning wickedly.
"Yeah, that's not my Raichi. Who replaced him?"
"Sanada-senpai, how come even you…?!" Raichi protested, flustered.
Sanada couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Hahaha! Even if it was luck, you saved me there!"
The entire stadium erupted into laughter, the tension finally breaking after the explosive exchange.
But beneath the humor—
Everyone knew.
That clash between Shunpei Sanada and Tetsuya Yuki…
had been anything but ordinary.