"You've all worked hard."
Chris stood at the entrance of the dugout, smiling as he watched the team return.
"I've got some good news. Want to hear it?"
"What kind of good news?" Miyuki asked, removing his catcher's gear.
Chris looked at everyone—and then at Ushijima.
"Our first-year pitcher… has just set a record never seen before in high school baseball."
"Even Narumiya from Inashiro hasn't done this."
"What?!"
The entire team froze.
"This is the first time… a Perfect Game has ever been recorded at this level."
Silence.
Then—
All eyes turned toward Ushijima Wakatoshi.
Even Coach Kataoka looked surprised.
Ushijima himself blinked, momentarily stunned.
A… Perfect Game?
What is a Perfect Game?
In baseball, pitchers can achieve several major milestones:
Complete Game – The pitcher throws the entire game without being replaced.
Shutout – The pitcher allows zero runs.
No-Hitter – No hits are allowed (but runners may still reach base via walks or errors).
But a Perfect Game—
Is something else entirely.
A Perfect Game means:
No batter reaches base.
No hits.
No walks.
No hit-by-pitches.
No errors.
Twenty-seven batters up—
Twenty-seven batters out.
Absolute perfection.
Even in professional baseball, this is extraordinarily rare.
Across more than a century of top-level play—
Only a handful of pitchers have ever achieved it.
And now—
A first-year high school player had done it.
"…Whoa…!"
The stadium erupted.
Cheers thundered from every direction.
But in the stands—
Players from powerhouses like Inashiro and Ichidai Third High fell silent.
"…Haaaaah—"
Narumiya Mei let out a long breath, visibly irritated.
"That brat… threw a Perfect Game?"
For someone who called himself the king—
This was unacceptable.
He hadn't done it.
Yet this first-year had.
The cheers only grew louder.
Every voice in the stadium now carried the same message—
Recognition.
Respect.
A new star had appeared.
Meanwhile—
Ushijima stood quietly, holding a baseball in his hand.
But inside—
He wasn't calm at all.
[Reward: Perfect Game achieved — Diamond Treasure Chest]
His eyes lit up.
There it is…!
He had guessed it.
Special pitching achievements would grant rewards.
And this time—
A Diamond Chest.
Without hesitation—
He opened it.
[Ding! Treasure Chest Opened]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: Diamond Forkball]
"…."
Ushijima froze.
Then sighed.
"…Still not control, huh?"
No matter how much he hoped—
Ball control just wouldn't upgrade.
Are you doing this on purpose…?
Status
Name: Ushijima Wakatoshi
Height: 188 cm
Dominant Hand: Right
Attributes:
Physical Strength: Diamond
Speed: Gold
Control: Silver
Batting:
Infield Hits: Gold
Extra-Base Hits: Gold
Home Runs: Silver
Pitch Arsenal:
Four-Seam Fastball (Diamond)
Forkball (Diamond)
Cutter (Gold)
Two-Seam (Gold)
High-Speed Fastball (Gold)
Curveball (Silver)
Screwball (Silver)
Sinker (Silver)
Eight pitch types.
An overwhelming arsenal.
Even if his control wasn't perfect—
This was already enough to dominate.
Koshien… is within reach.
As long as—
He stayed healthy.
Ushijima stared at the ball in his hand.
"…Control…"
Without the system—
He couldn't improve it on his own.
That was the price.
Power—
In exchange for limitation.
"Congratulations."
A voice pulled him back.
You Shunshin stood in front of him, extending his hand during the post-game lineup.
Ushijima smiled and shook it.
"I was just lucky."
"I have teammates who can defend behind me."
"If you had the same support…"
"…you'd definitely reach the finals."
He spoke in Mandarin quietly, so only You Shunshin could understand.
You Shunshin shook his head.
"No."
"This was my choice."
"I can't blame my teammates."
Ushijima paused—
Then nodded.
"…You're right."
Silence lingered between them.
Then—
You Shunshin spoke again.
"Are you going to take down Inashiro next?"
Ushijima's gaze shifted forward.
"Inashiro… is just one of the strong teams."
"They're not my final goal."
His tone was calm.
Certain.
"The real challenge is Koshien."
"The only real variable…"
"…is injury."
His grip on the ball tightened slightly.
"For athletes…"
"Injuries are the true enemy."
You Shunshin gave a faint, understanding smile.
"…Yeah."
"So many careers end that way."
The two pitchers stood there—
Not as opponents anymore—
But as players who understood the same burden.
The same path.
And the same dream.