On Field B, the Second String was facing off against the first-years.
The result?
A complete massacre.
The freshmen were being crushed so badly that most of them didn't even dare lift their heads.
"Hey! Second String! Run up the score!"
"Don't stop until it's 100 points!"
"If you can't crush them, quit the team already! Don't embarrass Seido!"
Isashiki's booming voice echoed across the field again.
As loud and terrifying as ever.
Masuko, who had recently made a mistake in practice, had been temporarily demoted to the Second String to cool his head. He stood quietly among them, swinging with extra force like he was venting his frustration.
Ushijima and the others stood outside the fence, watching.
The first-years in the rest area all had their heads lowered.
Silent.
Defeated.
Seeing that, Ushijima suddenly called out.
"Hey, freshmen!"
They flinched.
"Why are your heads down?"
"Losing doesn't mean losing your pride."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly.
"Seido's Ace pitcher is a first-year."
"…!"
All the freshmen looked up at him at once.
"That's me," Ushijima said casually. "A freshman dominating the starting lineup."
"And you guys? Getting crushed by the Second String and already looking defeated?"
"Aren't you embarrassed?"
The words were sharp.
But not mocking.
More like… provoking.
"If Seido weren't strong, why would you even join this school?"
"You just came out of junior high and already stepped into one of the strongest teams in the country."
"Of course you're going to get crushed."
"That only proves how strong Seido is."
He crossed his arms.
"But think about it from another angle."
"If you can climb over the second- and third-years…"
"If you can steal their spots…"
"Wouldn't that feel amazing?"
He grinned.
"Look at me. I shut down the entire starting lineup. That's something I can brag about for years."
The upperclassmen twitched.
Veins popping.
"…This brat…" Isashiki muttered darkly. "I should've beaten him up earlier."
"…Same," Kominato Ryosuke said with a polite smile that absolutely didn't look polite.
Then—
Ushijima smirked.
"What? You guys want to beat me up?"
"Haha… I didn't even throw full speed earlier. You couldn't hit 145 km/h."
"I was only using 80%."
"…!"
"YOU LITTLE—!"
Kuramochi immediately lunged forward and locked Ushijima in a headlock.
The whole First String burst into laughter.
The atmosphere instantly became lively again.
But—
Ushijima's earlier words had already ignited something inside the freshmen.
"GET ON THE FIELD!" Kanemaru roared.
"OOOH!!!"
Their morale shot up.
Even their steps felt heavier and more determined.
Then Ushijima suddenly shouted toward the bench:
"Kominato!"
"If you keep hiding, you'll miss your chance to stand on the same field as your brother!"
Haruichi froze.
"…Ushijima, don't say weird stuff…" he muttered shyly.
But Ushijima didn't back down.
"Your brother's already a third-year."
"He only has a few months left."
"You still have time. He doesn't."
"If you keep playing it safe…"
"You'll regret it forever."
"…!"
Haruichi's heart thumped hard.
Two and a half years left for him.
But for his brother…
Only months.
If he didn't catch up now—
They would never play together at Koshien.
Never.
His grip tightened around the bat.
Then—
He stepped into the batter's box.
On the mound stood Kawakami.
Haruichi raised his wooden bat, eyes sharp.
When you don't know your opponent's strengths…
Attack first.
"And…"
He exhaled.
"…it's way slower than Ushijima's fastball."
Smack—!!
The crack of the bat exploded through the field.
The ball shot down the line like a laser.
"Whoa—!"
"It's fair!"
"Right field! Long hit!"
Cheers erupted outside the fence.
The ball rolled deep into the outfield.
Sawamura sprinted home easily.
"HAHAHA!" he yelled, leaping onto the plate.
From outside the fence, Ushijima crossed his arms and smiled.
On second base, Haruichi stood there quietly—
But his eyes were burning.
Kominato Ryosuke watched his little brother and sighed softly.
"…Having a talented younger brother is stressful, huh."
"Tell me about it," Yuki said.
Ushijima casually threw an arm over Yuki's shoulder.
"What, did Masashi pressure you too?"
"That guy used to swing blindly, right?"
"…You—"
Yuki glared at him.
Ushijima waved dismissively.
"Hey, I don't count. I'm built different."
Everyone stared at him.
…Annoyingly true.
Now that they thought about it—
Ushijima wasn't just the Ace pitcher.
He was also one of the team's best hitters.
A true two-way player.
Pitching and batting.
Both elite.
Before, he only specialized in contact hitting.
Short hits.
High batting average.
But limited power.
Now?
He could hit deep balls too.
Short hits. Long hits. Pitching dominance.
Complete player.
In professional baseball, only monsters like Shohei Ohtani could do that.
And now—
Seido had one too.
No wonder this guy looked so pleased with himself after opening that Diamond Chest.
He really had become something ridiculous.