"Hey."
Narumiya smirked.
"I'm looking forward to crushing you Seido guys."
"I really want to see you kneeling and crying in front of me again."
It wasn't just confidence.
It was pure provocation.
Ushijima stood with both hands in his pockets.
Smiling.
Relaxed.
Like none of it mattered.
"When I was younger," he said lazily,
"I used to keep my hands in my pockets too."
"I didn't even know who my opponent was."
"…Huh?"
"Because they were never worth remembering."
"DAMN IT— STOP ACTING COOL!!" Narumiya exploded.
Ushijima simply turned around and waved casually.
"What I'm carrying isn't as light as you think."
"Last year's debt…"
"I'll return it to Inashiro tenfold."
His voice wasn't loud.
But it was cold.
Sharp.
Heavy.
"You—!"
Narumiya tried to snap back.
But Ushijima continued walking.
"You'd better train hard this month."
"Because when we meet Seido…"
"You're going to suffer."
"Don't think I'm exaggerating."
He glanced back.
"You've been playing baseball for years."
"I've only been at Seido for three months."
"Three months."
"148 km/h."
"Four pitch types."
"So tell me…"
"Why wouldn't I be confident I can beat you?"
Narumiya and Harada both froze.
A chill ran down their backs.
Yeah.
That was the scary part.
This monster…
…was still only a first-year.
Only three months.
And already this strong.
"And one more thing," Ushijima added casually.
"What I told you yesterday?"
"That's just my current level."
"Not my limit."
Silence.
Miyuki and Kuramochi exchanged grins.
They knew.
Nobody improved faster than Ushijima.
By the time the Summer Finals came…
Who knew how terrifying he'd become?
Harada muttered,
"Seido's scary this year…"
Narumiya scoffed.
"You were strong last year too."
"I still crushed you."
But even he didn't sound as confident anymore.
The next day.
Practice match.
Inashiro vs Shohoku.
All of Seido's starters came to scout.
And the moment Narumiya stepped on the mound—
Pressure.
Instant pressure.
His slider cut viciously sideways.
His forkball dropped like it fell off a cliff.
And then—
Fastball.
148 km/h.
Explosive.
Every breaking ball became deadlier because of that speed.
"He's basically a textbook ace…" Yuki muttered.
Everyone silently agreed.
Then—
Narumiya threw one more pitch.
A slow arm swing.
Same form.
Same trajectory.
The batter swung early.
Air.
"Changeup!!"
Seido's lineup stiffened.
Damn.
So it's real.
Narumiya didn't even look at the batter.
Instead—
He stared straight at Ushijima on the sidelines.
Smug.
Provocative.
Like he was saying:
See that? Can you handle this?
"Tch…"
Ushijima clicked his tongue.
Then turned to Miyuki.
"We've got a game later, right?"
"…Yeah? Why?"
"I'll pitch one inning."
"Huh?"
"They're being too noisy."
His eyes sharpened.
"I'll shut them up."
"But Tanba's scheduled for the full game—"
"I said one inning."
Tanba suddenly spoke up.
"I agree."
Everyone looked at him.
"Inashiro's too arrogant."
"I can't answer Narumiya."
"But Ushijima can."
Silence.
Then—
Smiles spread across the team.
Yeah.
Narumiya was strong.
But their ace?
Their ace was a monster.
If Inashiro wanted to provoke them…
Then fine.
They'd answer.
On the mound.