Back in the dugout, Kanzaki Ryou immediately put on his pitcher's glove.
In the top of the second inning, Kanzaki Ryou and his teammates walked onto the field. The first batter now was Ichidai Third High's clean-up hitter.
This batter was tall and powerfully built, similar to Azuma Kiyokuni, possessing tremendous raw strength—but his batting technique was far inferior to Azuma's.
Kanzaki wasted no time.
His first pitch—a straight ball—jammed directly into the batter's chest.
"Strike!"
Tanaka Wataru followed with an outside straight ball. This time, the batter swung forcefully—
But the bat cut only air. His swing was too slow.
After two Strikes, Tanaka still didn't relax. This was Ichidai Third's clean-up hitter; they couldn't be careless.
For the third pitch, Tanaka called for a slider.
Kanzaki didn't hesitate. He wound up and fired—
The batter swung—
And missed again.
Three pitches. Three strikes.
Ichidai Third High's clean-up hitter was struck out effortlessly.
Their fans fell silent. That clean, simple, absolute domination left them shaken—and worried.
But the clean-up hitter himself remained calm. Before stepping into the batter's box, he already knew it would be nearly impossible to get on base against Kanzaki Ryou in the early innings.
Seidou would never allow Kanzaki to pitch a complete game. Even if Coach Kataoka pushed him, he would last at most five innings before being replaced.
That would be their real chance to score.
Even if Kanzaki pitched all nine innings, they would aim for the latter half—when his stamina declined. Ichidai Third's strategy today was crystal clear:
Survive Kanzaki Ryou's dominance. Fight in the late game.
Before that, their priority was to exhaust him while defensively suppressing Seidou's batting lineup.
Next, the 5th batter stepped in.
Pop!
"Strike!"
Pop!
"Strike!"
Pop!
"Strikeout!"
Three consecutive clean pitches. Another strikeout.
Kanzaki even unleashed a 155 km/h fastball, making the batter's eyes widen in shock.
Tanaka Wataru threw the ball back, his expression stiffening. He gave a subtle signal:
Don't overdo it.
That pitch was fast—blindingly fast—but its trajectory was slightly too high.
Kanzaki smiled and nodded. He knew he was letting adrenaline take over. With both his younger sister and older sister watching in the stands, he unconsciously wanted to perform at his absolute best.
In Seidou's dugout, when that 155 km/h pitch appeared on the radar gun, everyone froze—then burst into excitement.
"Chris, that last pitch wasn't high," Coach Kataoka said quietly, standing beside him.
Chris nodded. "Compared to the previous speed test, Kanzaki can now keep the ball lower at that speed."
Coach Kataoka crossed his arms, eyes full of anticipation.
A 155 km/h fastball—with control.
This would be Kanzaki Ryou's greatest weapon.
He had only been in high school for a few months… yet he was already this strong.
How much stronger would he become next year?
Takashima Rei listened to their discussion and smiled. Having seen Kanzaki's maximum speed in testing, she knew exactly how terrifying his potential was.
With a pitcher like Kanzaki Ryou leading Seidou…
Recruiting this year would be easier than ever. After Koshien, she would begin traveling across prefectures again.
While they spoke, Kanzaki finished off Ichidai Third's 6th batter with another three consecutive missed swings.
The top of the second inning ended. Both teams switched offense and defense.
"Boys, that's it!" Director Tahara shouted. "Hit the ball when it comes! Show them your determination! Even if you can't do it right away, you can still apply pressure!"
Ichidai Third's players nodded deeply, then the nine defenders took the field.
Bottom of the second—Seidou was up to bat.
First in the box was the 7th batter, Isashiki Jun.
"HAH!!"
As always, Isashiki roared like a beast.
Manaka Kaname on the mound remained calm. This batter was explosive—full power, full confidence—but unlike Yuki, Isashiki lacked refined technique and pitch discipline.
A brute with strength. As long as Manaka controlled the pitch trajectory, he could deal with him.
The first pitch—a high-speed curveball.
It jammed Isashiki thoroughly.
He swung, but the ball popped straight up.
"Second!!"
Ichidai Third's shortstop caught it effortlessly.
"OUT!"
Next was the 8th batter, Araki Keita. After being pushed to a full count, he chased a sharply dropping high-speed curveball and grounded out.
Two outs.
"Manaka-senpai's high-speed curveball is really good," Kanzaki commented.
"Don't jinx it, brat," Azuma Kiyokuni grumbled. "It's hard enough as it is. If he had more breaking balls, scoring runs would be even harder."
"Huh? But Azuma-Senpai, I thought you could just casually hit a home run off him?" Kanzaki teased.
Azuma snorted.
He was confident—but not reckless.
Manaka's pitch variety was limited, but his mastery over the high-speed curveball was elite, strong enough to deal with batters nationwide.
Even Azuma would need luck to hit a home run off him.
Bang!
A sharp sound rang across the field.
The 9th batter, Yoshikawa Junpei, connected cleanly with a straight ball, sending it rolling past the infield.
"YOSHIKAWA!!!"
The stands erupted. Just like last inning, with two outs, Seidou placed another runner on base.
The fans held their breath.
Could they score again?
"Shida! Hit it!"
The leadoff batter, Shida Shota, entered the batter's box. With intense determination in his eyes, he swung the moment Manaka released the pitch—
Whoosh!
The ball missed his bat by a hair.
Shida stepped back, exhaling, but didn't look discouraged. He glanced at Yoshikawa—already two steps off the base.
Manaka pitched again.
This time—
Shida Shota readied his bat for a bunt!