"Fifth batter, right fielder, Kitamura-san!"
"Huh? That guy's batting fifth? Was Yakushi's coach drunk last night?" Tsukishima Aoba muttered out of habit as she watched the boy step up to the batter's box.
"Go, Kou! Smash one! You're the home run king at our batting center!" Tsukishima Momiji cheered loudly.
Tsukishima Wakaba said nothing. She simply smiled as she watched Kitamura Kou glance back at them.
"A home run, huh…" Kou murmured under his breath.
Standing in the batter's box, he loosened his grip slightly. His stance was relaxed nothing flashy, nothing intimidating.
"Ordinary stance. Ordinary grip. No presence at all… just like a typical first-year," Akira Takami observed calmly. "Is he really that ordinary… or is there something more?"
He narrowed his eyes.
"Manaka. No runners on base. Let's finish him carefully. Even though you just gave up a home run… throw your best pitch again. Your winning ball."
Manaka Kaname gave a firm nod.
Then—
He unleashed it.
A full-power high-speed slider.
"Strike!"
Kou didn't move.
His eyes locked onto the ball the moment it left Manaka's fingertips, silently gathering information.
140 km/h. A high-speed slider… the same pitch Raichi just crushed.
Even with the correct read, Kou knew better than to swing blindly. Every pitcher's slider was different—timing, break, sharpness.
Swinging without understanding it was the fastest way to get out.
So he watched.
Snap!
"Nice pitch!"
"Just as I thought… there's no way to practice hitting breaking balls at our batting center," Aoba said, frowning when Kou didn't swing.
"Then Kou's in trouble…" Ichiyo added anxiously.
"We can only hope the pitcher throws a fastball. They don't know Kou struggles with breaking balls," Aoba continued.
"Don't worry," Wakaba said with a gentle smile. "Kou's been working incredibly hard these past six months. He'll be fine."
Kou exhaled softly and reset his stance.
Unchanged. Steady.
Takami's eyes sharpened as he noticed.
The count is in our favor.
"To be safe… another slider. Even if it misses, if he swings, we win."
He set the target low and outside.
Manaka didn't hesitate.
Whoosh!
140 km/h. High-speed slider. Low and outside—just off the plate.
Kou stepped forward diagonally.
And swung.
"It worked—he chased it!" Takami's eyes lit up.
The bat moved silently—no overwhelming pressure like Raichi's, no explosive presence.
Just… a blur.
Clang!!!
The sweet spot connected perfectly.
BOOM!!!
Only after Kou finished his swing did the sound of the bat tearing through the air catch up.
The ball rocketed forward—
Faster than it came—
Until—
CRASH!!!
It slammed into the scoreboard.
"…It's gone!!!"
"The third home run of the game! Yakushi High School hits back-to-back home runs! And the batter—freshman Kitamura Kou!!!"
The commentator's voice rang across the stadium, cracking with excitement.
For the first time—
The calm, composed expression on Ace Manaka Kaname's face shattered.
A flicker of panic surfaced.
"That's amazing! Kou hit a massive one!" Momiji and Wakaba jumped up and down in celebration.
"This can't be real… right?" Aoba muttered, stunned. "A guy who's never played an official game… hits a home run in his first at-bat—against Manaka Kaname? From Ichidaisan? A Koshien top-eight team? And on a breaking ball—his weakest pitch?"
She grabbed her head.
"Am I dreaming? Ow—ow—ow!"
"This isn't a dream," Wakaba laughed, pinching her arm. "Didn't I tell you? Kou's amazing."
"Seriously…?" Jun Isashiki muttered. "Two monsters like that… on the same team?"
"…His winning pitch. That high-speed slider… hit twice in a row…" Miyuki Kazuya said numbly.
"This is incredible! I never imagined Yakushi's lineup could rival Ichidaisan's!" Akiko Owada gasped.
"…I misjudged them too," Mine Fujio admitted, pulling down his cap. "I should've covered them beforehand. West Tokyo is going to be chaotic this year."
"As expected of Kitamura! A monster just like Raichi!" Shinji Maruyama called out as Kou returned.
"Nice job!" Akaishi Osamu tossed him a towel.
On the bench, Todoroki Raizo grinned widely.
"Look at that—the Ichidai ace is panicking. Keep the pressure on! Score as much as you can and crush him!"
"YES!!!"
Yakushi's momentum surged to its peak.
"Time!"
In Ichidaisan's dugout, Coach Tahara stepped forward and called for a timeout.
"We need a change."
"Already?"
"Isn't this too early?"
The crowd buzzed with surprise.
"Tch… decisive," Raizo muttered, annoyed. "They didn't give us an opening."
"Broadcast announcement: Ichidaisan High School is making a substitution. Pitcher Manaka moves to right field. Pitcher Hanamiya takes the mound."