"Damn it… I didn't expect them to get that lucky," Jun Isashiki grumbled, clearly dissatisfied.
"Don't worry about it. I'll hit it next time," Tetsuya Yuki replied calmly as he returned to the dugout.
"Tetsuya… your luck is really something…" Isashiki muttered, unsure whether to praise or complain.
"Why don't you learn from those monster freshmen and go step on some dog poop for luck?" Ryosuke Kominato suggested with a sly grin.
"Hey! Kominato-senpai, that idea is a bit—" Kuramochi Yoichi started to protest—
—but immediately shut up when Kominato turned and smiled at him.
"…"
Kuramochi swallowed his words on the spot.
"Fifth batter, third baseman—Masuko Toru!"
On the mound, Sanada narrowed his eyes.
Masuko… struggles against pitchers who mix their pitches well, right?
This information came from Kitamura Kou. Having studied several Seido games beforehand, Kitamura had provided detailed insights on each batter. Of course, whether to use that information—and how—was entirely up to Sanada.
He made his decision.
A 145 km/h fastball drove straight into the inside corner.
Masuko had already anticipated it.
Inside fastball.
He waited… then swung decisively as the ball approached the plate—
—but just before contact, the pitch sharply broke inward.
"Ping!"
The bat only clipped the bottom of the ball.
Despite Masuko's raw power, his large frame made mid-swing adjustments difficult. The ball soared high into the air—
…and dropped harmlessly into the waiting glove of shortstop Keisuke Kobayashi.
"Out!"
Masuko clicked his tongue slightly.
What a sharp cutter…
Then, inwardly:
Yuki hit that pitch cleanly… the gap between us is still there.
"Two outs! Two outs!"
"One more, Sanada-senpai!"
"Finish it!"
Cheers erupted from Yakushi's dugout.
"So far, no one's gotten on base!"
"This pitcher is amazing—so aggressive, so cool!"
Sanada's performance had completely seized control of the game.
Todoroki Raizo's strategy was paying off perfectly.
"Sixth batter, catcher—Kazuya Miyuki!"
With the band playing loudly, Miyuki stepped into the batter's box, bat resting casually on his shoulder.
He looked at Sanada and smiled faintly.
That cutter nearly got hit by Yuki-senpai, yet he still used it against Masuko-senpai…
This pitcher is even bolder than the reports said.
His smile widened slightly.
Honestly… I'd love to catch for someone like you.
But sorry—today, I'm your opponent.
On the mound, Sanada studied him carefully.
This guy reads pitchers well… I can't let him figure me out.
No hesitation—
He threw the first pitch.
"Ball!"
The pitch came dangerously close to Miyuki's face.
He didn't swing.
Instead, his eyes sharpened.
Fastball—around 140 to 145… Bold. Either confident in his control, or just fearless.
The cutter… inside to right-handers, outside to left-handers…
He's probably setting up inside strikes, then finishing outside.
But that sharp cutter he showed earlier… that's still a threat.
Sanada didn't give him time to think.
Second pitch—
"Ball!"
Another miss.
Two balls, no strikes.
Yakushi's dugout stirred.
"Did Sanada-senpai lose control?!"
"Come on!"
Miyuki adjusted his stance, eyes locked in.
Two balls… he needs a strike now.
Against Yuki-senpai and Masuko-senpai, he relied heavily on inside cutters…
There's a high chance he'll try to bait me with one.
His gaze sharpened.
Next pitch—I'll target the cutter breaking inside.
Sanada released the third pitch.
"Strike!"
The ball came straight down the middle.
Miyuki's eyes widened for a split second.
…Center?!
Doubt flickered—
—but only for an instant.
He trusted his read.
The moment the pitch began to shift—
He swung.
BOOM!
The bat cut through the air with a sharp whistle.
A swing forged through relentless practice—
perfectly timed.
The duel between pitcher and catcher—
had truly begun.