"What a crazy fan girls…"
Kanzaki Ryou was momentarily stunned, then quickly quickened his pace and entered the stadium.
Outside, hundreds of fans were packed behind security lines, their cheers echoing endlessly.
"Seido! Go for it!"
"Kanzaki!!"
"Yuuki!"
"Miyuki!"
"Chris!"
…
The noise didn't fade even after Seido disappeared inside.
Not long after, another bus pulled up.
The Sensen High School team looked out at the overwhelming crowd and fell silent.
"…We don't even have a single fan at the entrance."
"Seido's popularity is unreal."
"They're the favorites to win it all this summer. This is normal."
"I'm jealous… did you hear those girls screaming Kanzaki's name?"
"He's good. What's the point of being jealous?"
The players chatted, but their Ace, Maki Yosuke, remained quiet—his expression calm, almost cold.
Only after Seido's figures vanished did he slowly withdraw his gaze and stand.
His emotions were complicated.
Back then, he had been furious that Seido never invited him.
But after watching Kanzaki Ryou dominate on the mound… he had no choice but to admit it.
That guy is strong.
Maybe that was why Seido didn't choose him.
What he didn't know… was that even without Kanzaki, Seido still wouldn't have recruited him.
No one would ever tell him that.
Over time, his jealousy had faded.
But this year after carefully observing Seido's new first-year pitchers something reignited inside him.
They're not better than I was.
So why them… and not me?
That long-buried resentment flared up again—
Stronger than ever.
They're looking down on me.
Inside the locker room, Seido's players began preparing.
Kanzaki sat casually, finishing his song before finally starting to change.
"You're way too relaxed," Miyuki said.
Kanzaki glanced at him. "Problem?"
Miyuki laughed. "None. You're just a supporting character today anyway."
"A supporting character?" Kanzaki smiled faintly.
Soon, it was time.
"Everyone! Let's go!" Coach Kataoka called out.
"OH!!!"
The stadium erupted the moment Seido stepped onto the field.
Cheers thundered from the stands as both teams finished their warm-ups.
The game began.
Top of the 1st — Seido Offense
Leadoff batter Kuramochi Yoichi stepped in, staring up at the towering figure on the mound.
The height difference alone was suffocating.
Feels like I'm staring up at a giant…
Remembering the Coach's instructions, he steadied himself.
Maki Yosuke delivered.
Whoosh!!
Kuramochi held back his swing.
A straight fastball right down the middle.
Damn… should've swung.
Was that a challenge? Looking down on him?
On the second pitch—
"RAAAH!!"
Kuramochi suddenly shouted and squared to bunt.
Tap!
Run!
While everyone was momentarily thrown off by his shout, Kuramochi had already exploded toward first.
Safe!
A perfect start.
"Damn it!!"
Maki's expression darkened.
A bunt?
Against him?
Against Seido the team he once dreamed of joining?
It felt like mockery.
His anger surged.
Next batter: Kominato Ryosuke.
Facing Maki's extreme release height, even he struggled.
The ball seemed to drop straight down from the sky.
Two swings, two misses.
This wasn't about skill.
It was pure physical advantage.
"Senior! You've got this!" Kanzaki called from the dugout.
Kominato smiled faintly.
Even with a 33-centimeter height gap—
He wouldn't back down.
Third pitch.
He raised his bat high—like Isashiki Jun—and brought it down hard.
Crack!
A sharp grounder!
At the same moment—
Kuramochi took off.
Like a gust of wind, he reached second base safely.
Kominato was thrown out at first.
But he smiled.
Worth it.
Next up: Isashiki Jun.
His eyes were wild, like a beast ready to devour its prey.
"COME ON!!"
Crack!
"Foul!"
Crack!
"Foul!"
Pop!
"Out!"
Three pitches. Out.
In an instant, the ferocious batter turned into a dejected mess.
"Hahaha, Senior looks like a kicked puppy!"
"Sawamura!! You're dead!!"
Two outs.
Yuki Tetsuya stepped in.
Calm. Silent. Focused.
Like a monk in meditation.
First pitch—
He didn't move.
Higher… about ten centimeters.
He compared it instantly to their training against Kanzaki's simulated high release point.
Maki's angle is even steeper.
Outside fastball—ball.
Now he had it.
Adjust the hitting zone upward by one ball.
Second pitch—
His eyes sharpened.
He twisted his body—
SWING!!
BOOM!!
The crack echoed across the field.
The ball screamed into right field and dropped cleanly.
Kuramochi dashed home—
Safe!
Yuki slid into second.
RBI double!
Seido strikes first.
Score: 1–0.