Maybe… I can drag this out.
Wear him down.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Kanzaki Ryou's lips—so subtle that no one noticed it.
On the mound, Matsugi Musashi exhaled sharply and once again chose the Straight ball.
Kanzaki's eyes locked onto the ball's trajectory.
He swung.
"Foul ball!"
Another pitch—still over 150 km/h.
"Foul ball!"
Again.
"Foul ball!"
Three consecutive high-speed fastballs.
Kanzaki managed to touch all of them, yet none were struck cleanly. Every ball screamed foul into the stands.
To the audience, this exchange was pure spectacle.
Straight balls versus raw reaction speed.
Power versus precision.
Ace versus Ace.
The crowd didn't question why this was happening.
They only wanted to know—
Who would break first?
Kanzaki slowly raised his head and looked straight at Matsugi.
That gaze was blatant provocation.
Come on.
If you've got the guts, keep throwing.
Drop even a little in speed—and I'll crush it.
On the mound, Matsugi Musashi felt heat rush to his head.
He was proud—too proud.
Being challenged by a first-year?
Unacceptable.
He shook off the catcher's sign without hesitation.
Straight ball again.
But cracks were already forming.
"Ball!"
"Ball!"
Two consecutive high-speed pitches flew outside the strike zone.
When Matsugi saw Kanzaki smile again—
He suddenly felt ridiculous.
Like he was being played.
Meanwhile, Kanzaki was in an excellent mood.
Just as expected.
Forcing pitches beyond one's normal limit inevitably disrupted control. Everyone knew that—including Osaka Kiryu's catcher, and even their Coach.
In the dugout, The Coach rubbed his temple.
"…He's acting up again."
His Ace was flawless in ability—but his personality was his greatest flaw.
Arrogant.
Stubborn.
Easily provoked.
He had hoped maturity as a third-year would temper this—but here they were.
And it was only the first inning.
Full count. Two strikes. Two balls.
Even Matsugi knew he couldn't recklessly keep throwing fastballs.
Suppressing his irritation, he finally chose a breaking ball.
A high-speed slider.
But—
The consequences of forcing excessive velocity appeared instantly.
The slider was—
Slow.
Matsugi himself didn't realize it yet.
But Kanzaki did.
The moment the ball left his hand, Kanzaki sensed the difference.
There it is.
CRACK!
The metal bat collided violently with the ball.
The white baseball shot upward like a laser, screaming toward deep center field.
"It's hit—!!"
The entire stadium rose to its feet.
The ball kept flying—
Over the wall.
Into the stands.
"HOME RUN!!!"
The commentator's voice trembled.
Even he couldn't believe it.
This was the semi-finals.
And Matsugi Musashi—
The strongest pitcher of this Koshien—
Had already given up two home runs in the opening inning.
After Yuki's solo shot, Seido's fifth batter—Ace Kanzaki Ryou—wins a fierce duel and blasts Seido's second home run of the game!"
The stadium exploded.
On the mound, Matsugi Musashi stood frozen.
His expression was terrifyingly dark.
He was the Ace of Osaka Kiryu.
Revered.
Feared.
Unshakable.
Yet now—
Reality hit him like a nightmare.
Seido's dugout erupted.
"HAHA! NICE ONE, KANZAKI!!"
"That's it!"
"I knew you'd do it!"
"LET'S GO!!"
Azuma Kiyokuni sprinted home first, slamming his foot onto the plate.
Kanzaki followed at an unhurried pace.
In just half an inning—
Seido High School: 3
Osaka Kiryu: 0
A divine start.
Azuma clapped Kanzaki hard on the shoulder.
"Thought you were done for a second there."
Kanzaki laughed.
"You've got four home runs now, right?"
Kanzaki scratched his head sheepishly.
"I can't compare to you, Senior. If you hadn't been intentionally walked so much against Sagara High, you'd have more than me."
"Tch—cowards," Azuma clicked his tongue.
"I'm still stuck at two."
Back in the dugout, Kanzaki was immediately surrounded.
"You really got him," Miyuki said with a grin.
"Pure luck," Kanzaki replied casually.
"I just didn't expect him to lose his head that fast."
Then he turned to Coach Kataoka.
"Coach… their Ace's condition isn't stable."
Coach Kataoka nodded.
"I see it."
This chance—
must not be wasted.
Sixth batter—Tanaka Wataru.
From the sidelines, Kataoka signaled clearly.
Straight ball. Left field.
Tanaka nodded.
He wasn't a weak hitter.
And against a shaken Ace—
He would strike without mercy.
On Osaka Kiryu's bench, Coach Matsumoto's expression darkened completely.
Three runs down from the start…
Should he pull Matsugi?
In the end—
He chose to wait.
Matsugi Musashi was their Ace.
Pulling him now would destroy morale and show a lack of trust.
On the mound, Matsugi took deep breaths.
Again.
And again.
Slowly—
His rhythm returned.
After Tanaka barely reached base on weak contact, Isashiki Jun grounded out, forcing a runner.
The inning finally began to settle.
But the damage—
Had already been done.