"In the bottom of the eighth inning, it's Yakushi High School's turn to bat. Leading off is left fielder Akiba!"
Akiba Kazuma stepped into the batter's box, his eyes locked on Inoue Mamoru atop the mound.
His mind rapidly sorted through everything the opposing pitcher had shown so far.
So far, he's revealed a fastball, a standard curveball, a slow curveball, and a big looping curve. The curveball is probably his winning pitch. The problem is that accurately squaring up three different types of breaking balls is incredibly difficult. Even a slight mistake will turn into an easy out, especially against Hakuryu's ridiculous defensive range.
Aiming specifically for the curveball is too risky. If I want to get on base, my best chance is to target the fastball. But if I make that too obvious, they'll be ready for it. Looks like I'll have to put on a little performance.
After reaching his conclusion, Akiba settled into his stance and prepared for battle.
Naturally, Ito had no idea what Akiba was planning. But Hakuryu High School had fought its way this far by defeating one powerhouse after another. They had encountered every type of batter imaginable and developed methods to deal with them.
This batter is excellent at adjusting and making contact. The safest strategy is to keep disrupting his timing with different curveballs.
After exchanging signs with Inoue, Ito tapped his mitt and set his target.
Inoue Mamoru calmly delivered the first pitch.
Whoosh!
The baseball rose high into the air before dropping sharply toward home plate.
From its speed and towering arc, it was clearly a slow curveball.
The moment he identified the pitch, Akiba swung.
Clang!
"Foul!"
"Damn it! I'll crush that pitch next time!"
Akiba slammed his bat into the dirt in frustration and glared at Inoue Mamoru as if declaring war on his curveball.
Soon, Inoue delivered the second pitch.
Whoosh!
This one was noticeably faster. Whether it was a standard curveball or a vertical curveball, only Akiba could tell.
Without hesitation, he swung again.
Thump!
The ball plunged sharply just before reaching the plate, bouncing in the dirt and into Ito's mitt.
"Strike two!"
His swing came up empty.
That curveball might be even nastier than Tanba Koichiro's from Seido. More importantly, this guy's mentality is rock-solid, and his control is exceptional. I'm not getting any easy pitches.
Despite falling behind with two strikes, Akiba remained calm.
Both pitches so far have been breaking balls. If I keep extending the at-bat, eventually I'll get the fastball I'm looking for.
His strategy remained unchanged.
The duel continued.
Inoue alternated between his three different curveballs while Akiba stubbornly fought them off, repeatedly sending pitches foul. No matter how tricky the movement was, he managed to make contact.
Ten pitches passed in total.
Huff... Huff... What an annoying first-year.
Inoue wiped the sweat from his brow.
Is he really hunting my curveball? Or is he waiting for the fastball? Either way, one pitch will tell me.
He repeatedly shook off Ito's signs until the catcher finally called for the pitch he wanted.
Only then did he nod.
That unusual sequence did not escape Akiba's notice.
His heart immediately tightened.
Finally?
Part of him was excited.
Part of him was wary.
Maybe I'm getting the fastball I wanted. Or maybe it's a trap.
There was no point overthinking it.
All he could do was trust his instincts.
Tightening his grip on the bat, Akiba focused completely on the mound.
Whoosh!
The moment the ball left Inoue's hand, Akiba's eyes lit up.
A pitch in the 135–140 km/h range.
Low and inside.
A fastball.
The pitch he had been waiting for.
Suppressing his excitement, Akiba unleashed a full-power swing.
As the bat and ball rapidly closed the distance, a smile slowly appeared on his face.
Then—
The baseball suddenly dropped.
Sharp.
Violent.
Far more than a fastball should.
It slipped cleanly beneath his barrel.
Thump!
"Strike three!"
"Batter out!"
Akiba stood frozen for a moment before lowering his head and trudging back toward the dugout.
The next batter, Mishima Yuta, fared slightly better.
At the very least, he wasn't retired on the first pitch like in their previous matchup.
But Inoue Mamoru, pitching at the peak of his form, quickly got ahead with two excellent pitches.
Just like Akiba before him, Mishima entered a prolonged battle.
Aside from two obvious balls that he wisely let pass, he fouled off everything else.
No matter how deceptive Inoue's pitches were, he somehow managed to stay alive.
Soon, eight pitches had already been exchanged.
Damn it. These guys are all monsters.
Inoue's breathing grew noticeably heavier.
And these aren't even their strongest hitters. Not the best, not even the second-best. No wonder Coach told me not to challenge that guy, Kitamura Kou, directly.
Nearly twenty consecutive pitches had begun to take their toll.
His stamina was draining, and his breathing had become uneven.
The count stood at two balls and two strikes.
Using only curveballs won't finish him. My fastball is good, but not good enough to overpower him. They've already adjusted to the forkball as well and will definitely be prepared for it.
Ito narrowed his eyes.
But that also creates an opportunity.
Even though Hakuryu still held a one-run lead, the situation felt like walking a tightrope over a cliff. One mistake could completely change the game.
After finally steadying his breathing, Inoue delivered the next pitch.
Whoosh!
The instant the ball left his fingertips, Mishima knew it wasn't one of the three curveballs.
That left only two possibilities:
A fastball.
Or a forkball.
There couldn't be anything else.
Otherwise, the pitcher would have already surpassed the limits of a typical high school player.
Mishima took a large stride forward and unleashed a violent swing, determined to blast the ball away before it could move.
Clang!