After finishing their match against Akikawa, Seidou didn't leave right away.
The next game—
Ichidai Third High vs. Yakushi High School—
would decide their next opponent.
After changing, Ushijima Wakatoshi and the rest of the team returned to the stands to watch.
The winner—
Would face Seidou in the quarterfinals.
But the moment the game began—
Yakushi's offense exploded.
"…That lineup…"
Even Seidou's players were visibly shaken.
Yakushi didn't hold back.
Every swing was aggressive.
Every hit carried power.
They weren't just attacking—
They were overwhelming.
Ushijima narrowed his eyes as he watched.
Good thing I got the forkball…
Without that… dealing with this lineup would be troublesome.
Yakushi's style was similar to Seidou's—
High damage. Relentless pressure.
But there was a key difference.
Their ace—
Sanada Shunpei—
Was stronger than Seidou's current main pitchers.
Stronger than Tanba.
Stronger than Furuya.
Stronger than Sawamura.
The only issues—
Were his stamina…
And his current injury.
Otherwise—
His pitch variety and control were already top-tier.
Still—
Seidou had something Yakushi didn't.
Depth.
A pitching staff filled with different styles.
And now—
Ushijima Wakatoshi.
"Oooh!!"
Suddenly—
A commotion broke out on the field.
Raichi Todoroki swung—
And the ball rocketed straight back.
It struck—
Manaka Kaname.
His hand.
Injury.
The stadium fell silent.
Although Ichidai quickly brought in a reliever—
The momentum was gone.
Worse—
Their future ace,
Amahisa Kousei—
Wasn't even present.
With no strong pitcher to stabilize the game—
Ichidai collapsed.
A seeded powerhouse—
Defeated.
"…Why isn't Amahisa even on the roster?" Ushijima frowned.
"It seems like he suddenly left the team," Miyuki Kazuya replied.
"…No wonder."
Ushijima nodded.
"If he were here… Yakushi might not have won."
"But this works for us."
He stood, stretching slightly.
"This is our first time facing Yakushi."
"They don't know us and we don't fully know them."
"In that case…"
His gaze sharpened.
"It comes down to pitching."
The team fell silent.
They all understood.
Yakushi's batting—
Was terrifying.
Especially—
Raichi Todoroki.
His power rivaled even Yuki's.
Maybe more.
Yuki stepped forward.
"…Can you handle a batter like that?"
Ushijima smirked faintly.
"There's pressure, sure."
"But Seidou has a 99% chance of winning."
"The remaining 1%…"
"…is injury or accidents."
Even Coach Kataoka was surprised by that confidence.
"Your confidence is that high?"
"It comes from our lineup."
Ushijima spoke calmly.
"Even if I can't suppress them the entire game…"
"I can shut them down for at least two rounds."
"That's enough."
He raised his fingers.
"After that—"
"Tanba Koichiro."
"Kawakami Norifumi."
"Furuya Satoru."
"Sawamura Eijun."
"Four pitchers."
"One inning each."
"How do they score?"
Silence.
Then—
Nods.
Seidou's pitching depth—
Was unmatched.
Ushijima continued:
"Furuya hasn't even shown his full ability yet."
"Even with unstable control, his 150 km/h fastball alone is enough to overwhelm hitters."
"It would take Yakushi at least two rounds to adjust."
"And Sawamura's breaking ball…"
"They won't read it immediately either."
"Those two alone can hold four innings."
"I'll take care of the rest."
His tone remained calm.
Almost casual.
"We don't even need Tanba or Kawakami."
"The three of us first-years…"
"…are enough."
The team stared at him.
This wasn't arrogance.
This was calculation.
Cold.
Precise.
Dominant.
Ushijima stood up.
"Let's go."
But just as he turned—
His eyes met someone on the field.
Raichi Todoroki.
Raichi grinned wildly.
As if saying—
We'll meet soon.
One stood on the field.
The other in the stands.
One—
A savage batter.
The other—
A commanding pitcher.
Both first-years.
The air between them—
Crackled with anticipation.
Yakushi's players also looked up toward Ushijima.
They had watched his previous game.
They knew.
This wasn't an ordinary opponent.
"That guy…"
Sanada Shunpei muttered, eyes burning with excitement.
"He threw a Perfect Game."
One teammate scoffed.
"That's just because Akikawa's lineup was weak."
Sanada shook his head.
"Even so…"
"Facing those pitches wouldn't be easy."
"Four-seam. Two-seam. Cutter. Sinker…"
His smile widened.
"And… Shootball."
That was his specialty too.
His weapon.
"I wonder…"
"Whose is sharper?"
His gaze locked onto Ushijima.
"We'll find out."
"Next game."
But Ushijima—
Wasn't looking at him.
His eyes remained fixed on Raichi.
Because deep down—
He knew.
That monster at the plate—
Was the real threat.