Chapter 41 — The Ace and the Reader
Mason Hayes stepped fully into the batter's box.
Not casually.
Not cocky.
Just… ready.
Zach felt it instantly.
Mason's heartbeat was calm.
His focus razor-sharp.
His confidence absolute.
Tyler swallowed behind the plate.
"Oh boy… he looks like he studies playbooks for fun."
Emma whispered through the link:
"His strengths? Everything."
Blake added:
"His weakness? …None."
Zach exhaled slowly.
PING.
"Selective Channeling Active: Emma + Blake."
"Warning: Opponent Has Analytical Trait."
Pitch 1 — Mason Reads It Instantly
Zach chose a safe opener:
Fastball, low and inside.
He wound up—
smooth, balanced—
and delivered.
Mason didn't swing.
Didn't flinch.
He simply tracked the pitch from release to catcher.
"BALL."
Zach blinked.
That pitch was close.
Mason tilted his head at Zach.
"You showed your wrist angle too early."
Zach stiffened.
HOW did he see that?
Tyler hissed,
"…Zach he saw your SOUL in that pitch."
Emma added calmly through the link:
"He's right. Your wrist dropped one inch."
Blake's voice followed:
"Focus. Reset."
Zach stepped back, heartbeat rising.
This wasn't a hitter.
This was a pitcher
in a hitter's body.
Pitch 2 — Mason Adjusts Early
Zach threw a breaking ball.
Clean.
Sharp drop.
Mason leaned back—
just an inch—
and let it pass.
"STRIKE!"
But Mason murmured,
"Too early to use the curve.
You're trying to hide your patterns."
Zach froze.
Tyler stood up behind the plate.
"STOP READING MY PITCHER."
Mason ignored him completely.
Zach tightened his grip.
Shared Focus Pushback
Emma's voice flowed in, smooth and logical.
"Don't let him dictate the rhythm."
Blake added:
"Stay unpredictable. Trust your instincts, not the pattern."
Zach inhaled deeply.
The world steadied.
Selective Channeling synced perfectly:
Emma = brain
Blake = calm
Zach refocused.
Hunter Knox was a great pitcher.
But Mason Hayes was the one who made him great.
Pitch 3 — Testing Mason's Limits
Zach decided to test Mason's reaction time.
Fastball.
High.
Borderline strike.
Zach fired—
Mason swung—
PING—FOUL.
The ball screamed into the net behind Tyler.
Tyler collapsed backward.
"HE HIT THAT?! FROM THAT ANGLE?!"
Emma murmured:
"He's adjusting to Zach's velocity."
Blake said:
"That was your fastest pitch this inning."
Zach's hand tingled.
Mason flicked his fingers and smirked.
"Good pitch.
Do you have anything better?"
It wasn't trash talk.
It was a genuine question.
A challenge.
Pitch 4 — System Alert
Zach's heart hammered.
He wound up for a slider—
But suddenly—
PINGPINGPING!
"Warning: Target Predicting Pitch Sequence."
"Opponent Insight Level: HIGH."
Zach gasped.
Emma whispered:
"He's reading your tendencies."
Blake added:
"You need to break the pattern entirely."
Zach stepped off the mound.
He had only done this pitch twice in practice.
Never in a game.
A hybrid grip.
Something new.
Unrefined.
Unpredictable.
And maybe… dangerous.
Tyler noticed Zach's grip shift.
"Uhhh Zach?
Zach??
ZACH WHAT IS THAT—"
Zach threw.
A pitch that wasn't a fastball.
Wasn't a changeup.
Wasn't a curve.
A pitch that even Zach didn't fully understand.
The ball came in—
then floated—
then cut sideways—
and dropped sharply.
The Dodgers fans gasped.
The Hawks fans stood up.
Mason's eyes widened for the first time.
He swung—
and missed.
"STRIKE TWO!"
The stadium ERUPTED.
Emma whispered,
"…What was that?"
Blake muttered,
"That wasn't supposed to move like that."
Tyler yelled,
"ZACH INVENTED A CURVY CUTTERBALL FLOATY THING!"
Zach stared at his own hand.
The system pulsed:
PING!!!
New Pitch Discovered — "Chaos Slider (Prototype)."
Accuracy: Low
Break: High
Deception: Extreme
Stamina Cost: Moderate
Control: Unstable
Zach blinked.
He…
invented a pitch?
Mason stepped out of the box.
His eyes shone with excitement.
"That…
was GOOD."
Zach exhaled sharply.
His heart was racing.
Hands shaking.
But Mason—
was smiling.
A predator's smile.
He stepped back into the box.
"Do it again."
Pitch 5 — Mason Strikes Back
Zach steadied his grip.
Tried to recreate the pitch.
He wound up—
released—
But this time the Chaos Slider floated too early.
Mason recognized it instantly.
He rolled his wrists—
CRACK!
A line drive.
Fast.
Hard.
Dead center.
Noah sprinted—
Diving—
CAUGHT!!!
The crowd ROARED.
Noah slid across the grass and popped up with the ball in hand, screaming:
"I DID A COOL THINGGGG!!!"
Tyler jumped three feet.
Emma exhaled in relief.
Blake pumped his fist.
Bryan hugged his glove like a comfort pillow.
Micah clapped once, smiling calmly.
Zach dropped to one knee, exhaling.
Mason stood on first base path, watching Noah return the ball.
"…Your center fielder is insane," Mason muttered.
Zach smirked weakly.
"Yeah.
He really is."
Mason placed his bat on his shoulder and said:
"That pitch of yours…
I'm going to hit it next time."
Zach stood.
"Then I'll make it better."
The rivalry had begun.
And both boys knew—
this wasn't the last time they'd face each other.