Inside the Nihon Shono dugout, Coach Chiba Junichi looked as though he was on the verge of tears.
"No… how did this happen?" he muttered. "Four runs allowed without recording a single out. Is there anyone more miserable than us?"
Facing a powerhouse like Seido, Coach Chiba had known from the beginning that if they couldn't seize the initiative and score early, the game would already be half lost. Now that they were down by four runs right from the start, how could they possibly fight back?
"There's no chance anymore…"
Strangely, the realization brought him a sense of relief. They had come here aiming for victory. Even against Seido, they never thought of surrendering before the game began. But after facing them head-on, Coach Chiba had to admit the cruel truth—the gap between the two teams was simply too large.
Even if Seido only sent out a first-year pitcher, their batting lineup alone was enough to crush Nihon Shono completely.
On the mound, Nanpei Mamoru stared at the monster standing in the batter's box.
Kanzaki Ryou—35 home runs in just over a year since his high school debut.
To say he wasn't nervous would be a lie.
But once he stepped onto the mound, no matter how intimidated he felt, he still had to throw the ball.
Just then, the catcher flashed a sign.
A ball?
Nanpei froze for a moment.
Wait—
That's right. He could walk him.
Nanpei Mamoru's lips curled into a faint smile. There was no one on base. Even if he issued a walk, the damage would be minimal. After that, he could focus on the batters behind him.
The pressure on his shoulders instantly eased.
The runs already given up couldn't be taken back. What mattered now was getting outs.
Whoosh!
The ball flew toward the outside corner.
Thwack!
"Ball!"
Kanzaki Ryou raised an eyebrow.
…So you're trying to walk me?
He immediately saw through the pitcher's intentions. A walk would let him reach first base safely, but that wasn't what the coach had sent him up to do.
No. Even if it's a ball—I'll hit it.
Kanzaki tightened his grip on the bat. The first pitch was too far outside to swing at. Fine. He'd wait.
Thwack!
"Ball!"
Thwack!
"Ball!"
One more pitch, and it would be a walk.
In the Seido dugout, the players began booing loudly, clearly dissatisfied with Nanpei's approach. They were all waiting to see Kanzaki break the home run record.
Kanzaki exhaled slowly.
Three straight outside balls—far from his body. Even forcing a swing would likely result in weak contact and an easy out. Rationally, taking the walk was the better option.
Just as he was about to give up—
Nanpei made a mistake.
The pitch that was supposed to be well outside drifted inward, brushing the edge of the strike zone.
Still a ball.
But hittable.
Kanzaki's eyes locked onto the ball's trajectory.
He swung.
Thud!
The white ball screamed off the bat, flying straight down the first-base line.
"Go out!" Seido's fans roared.
"Foul!" Nihon Shono's side shouted desperately.
The ball finally landed in the outfield—less than a meter outside the line.
"Tsk."
Kanzaki clicked his tongue. He hadn't caught it cleanly.
The Nihon Shono players all exhaled at once.
Too close. Way too close.
Nanpei Mamoru stood frozen on the mound, his heart pounding violently in his chest.
That was terrifying…
He looked back at Kanzaki, shocked. Even with the walk so obvious, the guy still swung. He really wouldn't give the pitcher even the slightest mercy.
Forcing himself to calm down, Nanpei threw the fifth pitch.
This one was completely wild.
The catcher had to stand up and stretch just to stop it.
"Ball four!"
"The pitcher's about to collapse!" Coach Kataoka said coldly. "Seize the chance. Show no mercy. Blast him."
Kanzaki Ryou walked to first base.
The next batter, Miyuki Kazuya, glanced toward the dugout. Coach Kataoka immediately made an aggressive attacking gesture.
Miyuki grinned and nodded.
"Heh… runner on base, pitcher losing control. Perfect."
He watched the first pitch carefully, deliberately not swinging. That alone restricted the pitcher's options and made the catcher's calls easier to predict.
After two strikes, the third pitch came in.
Thud!
Miyuki met the fastball cleanly—slightly high compared to earlier pitches—and sent it soaring into the stands.
"Hahaha! Another home run!"
"Miyuki!!"
"Two runs!"
"That pitcher's losing his mind!"
"Seido's not holding back at all!"
On the field, Kanzaki and Miyuki crossed home plate one after the other, exchanging a high-five.
"Not bad," Kanzaki said. "You actually sent it out."
"Impressed?"
"Very impressed. One of your rare home runs, too," Kanzaki teased.
After Miyuki, the seventh batter Masuko Toru took advantage of the pitcher's shaky state and smashed a deep drive toward first base. The eighth batter, Shirasu, followed with an infield hit, advancing the runners but getting thrown out himself.
Then, the ninth batter stepped up.
First-year pitcher Furuya Satoru—his first official at-bat.
Facing Nanpei Mamoru's erratic pitching, Furuya struggled to find his rhythm. Like Shirasu, he was eventually forced out.
With two strikes recorded, Nanpei Mamoru's eyes slowly regained a hint of focus.
The impact of those two home runs was overwhelming.
Just one more…
Just one more out…
He whispered to himself. It was only the top of the first inning, yet it felt unbearably long.
Kuramochi Yoichi stepped up to the plate once again.
Nanpei tempted him with a pitch close to the strike zone. Kuramochi swung, sending a ground ball into the infield. The second baseman handled it cleanly.
Out.
The top of the first inning finally ended.
Score: 6–0. Seido in the lead.
"Tch, throwing a ball on the first pitch—what was he thinking?" Kuramochi complained as he returned to the dugout.
"It wasn't intentional," Ochiai Hiromitsu said, stroking his small mustache. "That pitcher's lost control."
Coach Kataoka nodded. "They may change pitchers soon. No matter what—keep attacking aggressively."
"Yes!!"
In the bottom of the first inning, Furuya Satoru stood on the mound, making his first official appearance.
His expression was calm, but his heart was pounding with excitement.
"Hey," Miyuki called from behind the plate, squatting into position. "Don't get carried away. Pitch steadily. Pitch firmly."
The pitcher-catcher battery was set.
And the game continued.