"Ushijima, this is only the second powerhouse batting lineup we've faced so far."
Miyuki Kazuya crouched behind home plate, calmly speaking to the pitcher on the mound.
"The first was Kiryu… and they weren't even going all out back then."
"But Inashiro is different."
"Their lineup is on a completely different level from every opponent we've faced before."
"You could even say they're basically another version of Seido."
"So don't underestimate them."
Ushijima Wakatoshi naturally had no intention of underestimating Inashiro.
Carlos stepped into the batter's box while casually loosening his shoulders and swinging the bat.
Meanwhile, inside Inashiro's dugout, everyone continued discussing Ushijima's pitching arsenal.
"His strikeout rate is absurd, and hardly anyone even reaches base against him."
Yoshizawa looked toward the field as he spoke.
Harada calmly continued the analysis.
"His four-seam fastball has explosive velocity and overwhelming force."
"His cutter and sinker both have sharp late movement."
"And then there's the pitch that feels like it's floating away from you the moment you think you've caught it…"
"The two-seam."
"These five pitch types are the foundation of Ushijima Wakatoshi's pitching."
"And every single one of them is dangerous."
"He's also an extremely aggressive pitcher who loves attacking the inside corner."
Harada narrowed his eyes.
He genuinely wanted to see just how terrifying Ushijima really was.
On the mound, Ushijima stared calmly at Carlos in the batter's box.
Behind the plate, Miyuki paused briefly before flashing the sign.
Two-seam.
Today, the four-seam stays sealed for now.
Let them see the real weapon first.
Ushijima adjusted his grip.
His index and middle fingers rested along the seams while his thumb supported the bottom of the baseball.
He raised both hands smoothly.
Then lifted his left leg high.
His body twisted—
His arm whipped forward—
And the baseball exploded from his fingertips.
WHOOSH!!!
The pitch rocketed toward home plate at terrifying speed.
The instant Miyuki saw the velocity, his eyes widened.
Idiot… didn't I call for a two-seam?
Why does this look like a full-power four-seam—
But before he could finish the thought, an astonishing scene unfolded.
The blazing fastball suddenly shifted sharply to the right just before reaching the plate.
Carlos immediately recognized it as a fastball the moment it left Ushijima's hand.
At this speed… it's definitely over 150 km/h!
If it enters the zone, I have to swing!
Carlos reacted instantly.
His bat whipped through the strike zone at explosive speed.
But the moment he committed—
His expression changed dramatically.
The baseball, which had looked perfectly straight moments ago, suddenly tailed inward with violent movement.
"!!!"
Even Miyuki's eyes widened in shock.
The pitch looked exactly like a four-seam fastball at first—
But right before the plate, it transformed into a two-seam.
Carlos's bat sliced through empty air beneath the ball.
SMACK!
Miyuki caught the pitch cleanly.
"Strike!"
The umpire's voice echoed across the stadium.
Carlos froze in place after his swing.
His eyes remained locked on Ushijima in disbelief.
That wasn't a four-seam…
That was a two-seam?!
"A-A two-seam?!"
Carlos stared at Ushijima as if he had seen a monster.
Meanwhile, Ushijima simply smiled faintly from the mound.
"OOOOHHHHHHH!!!"
The entire stadium exploded.
"What insane velocity!"
"That had to be over 150!"
"Wait—that wasn't a four-seam?!"
"That was a two-seam?!"
The crowd erupted into chaos.
Even Seido's own players were stunned.
Because even they hadn't known Ushijima's two-seam could exceed 150 km/h.
Previously, his two-seam usually stayed around the mid-140s.
But today—
He had unleashed one approaching 150.
Inside Inashiro's dugout, everyone instinctively stood up in shock.
None of them were amateurs.
They all understood exactly what this meant.
A 150 km/h two-seam fastball…
That meant Ushijima had evolved again.
No—
He had become even more terrifying.
Harada's eyes narrowed sharply.
"The velocity on his two-seam increased that much…?"
Even Narumiya Mei immediately realized something.
Ushijima was completely different from him.
From the very first pitch, Ushijima was already going all out.
No arrogance.
No playing around.
No instability.
Only overwhelming domination.
In the stands, Azuma Kiyokuni looked proudly at the shocked former Seido players around him.
"See?" he grinned.
"I told you I wasn't exaggerating."
"A two-seam above 150 km/h? Even pro players rarely throw something like that!"
"I thought only his four-seam could hit 150!"
Beside him, Nitta turned toward Uesugi.
"You throw a two-seam too, right? What do you think?"
Uesugi slowly ran a hand through his hair while staring at the mound in disbelief.
"…Ridiculous."
"The pitch had incredible power and nasty movement."
"He completely tricked the batter into swinging."
"What a terrifying first-year…"
Behind the plate, Miyuki was also getting excited.
So his two-seam evolved too?
If that's true…
Then this pitch just became an even deadlier weapon.
Meanwhile, Ushijima stood calmly on the mound, watching Carlos's stunned expression.
Honestly, this was normal.
A true elite-level two-seam naturally had the potential to exceed 150 km/h.
The fastest professional two-seamers in the world could even approach 165.
Before now, he had avoided throwing it above 145 because his control became unstable at higher speeds.
But just because he hadn't used it before—
Didn't mean he couldn't.
Using it suddenly today as a surprise weapon against Inashiro…
Was perfect.
"Seriously? Both his four-seam and two-seam can break 150 now?"
"How are we supposed to deal with that?!"
Cold sweat slowly slid down Carlos's forehead.
For the first time, genuine pressure hit him.
At that moment, Ushijima had already begun preparing the next pitch.
What's coming next?
A 150 km/h four-seam?
Or another 150 km/h two-seam?
Carlos's focus was now completely locked onto Ushijima's overpowering fastballs.
WHOOSH!
The second pitch left Ushijima's hand.
This time, the velocity was noticeably slower.
Not the two-seam.
Carlos's mind instantly raced.
Sinker?
Shootball?
Even while analyzing, he still swung aggressively at the incoming pitch.