For a split second, Mima Soichiro began doubting whether his judgment had been correct.
But now that his swing had already committed halfway through, forcibly changing direction again would only reduce his chances of making solid contact.
Instead of hesitating further, Mima chose to trust his instincts.
His grip tightened.
The force behind his swing increased once more.
And his decision proved correct.
Just before reaching the plate, the baseball suddenly darted sharply toward the inside corner.
"Clang!"
Even with the pitch's nasty late movement, Mima still managed to get the bat on the ball and drive it forward.
The instant contact was made, Mima exploded out of the batter's box like a cheetah.
The hit itself wasn't particularly deep, but it was fast enough that Sanada Shunpei barely failed to intercept it.
Fortunately, Fukuda Daiki reacted quickly and rushed over to stop the ball before it could escape the infield.
But the moment he looked up—
His pupils shrank violently.
Mima Soichiro had already crossed more than half the distance to first base.
That terrifying speed was practically on the same level as Kitamura Kou's.
"Safe!"
"Smack!"
Mima finally slowed down after reaching first base safely.
Although the process had been difficult, his mission was accomplished.
He calmly turned his head toward Hakuryu's dugout.
Coach Sasaki adjusted his glasses, the smile on his face growing deeper.
"Soichiro…"
"There's no need to hold back against them."
"Use your speed as much as you want."
"Show them the mobility Hakuryu High School prides itself on."
Mima nodded slightly.
Then—
He casually extended his lead nearly three meters away from first base, staring calmly at Sanada Shunpei as if provoking him openly.
The Yakushi players immediately gritted their teeth in anger.
This was blatant disrespect.
Hakuryu was completely looking down on them.
Sanada Shunpei raised an eyebrow.
"So I'm being underestimated now?"
"You think little tricks like this can shake me?"
Without another glance at Mima, he turned back toward home plate.
Suddenly—
"Throw!"
The baseball shot toward first base without warning.
The pickoff move came so abruptly that even Mishima Yuta nearly failed to react in time.
Fortunately, his fundamentals were solid enough for him to catch the throw cleanly.
"Smack!"
"Safe!"
The moment Sanada moved, Mima had already dived back to the bag.
Barely safe.
After standing up calmly and dusting off his uniform, Mima extended his lead even farther than before.
Sanada clicked his tongue internally.
Continuing to focus on pickoff attempts would only drag him deeper into Hakuryu's pace.
Right now, the priority was getting outs.
Hakuryu's second batter, Miyao, stepped into the box.
Compared to Mima Soichiro, his batting ability was noticeably weaker.
"Fine," Sanada thought coldly. "Steal bases all you want. I'll just keep taking outs."
The moment Sanada lifted his leg to begin his pitching motion—
Mima exploded toward second base at full speed.
"Steal!"
Mishima Yuta shouted immediately.
Without hesitation, Sanada completed the pitch.
"Strike!"
Miyao didn't swing.
The pitch wasn't easy to hit, and he fully trusted Mima's speed.
If he recklessly put the ball into play and caused a double play, he would only destroy Hakuryu's offensive momentum.
So he calmly let the pitch pass.
"Smack!"
The moment the ball entered Watanabe Tatsuya's glove, the catcher immediately transferred and fired toward second base in one smooth motion.
Unlike Miyuki Kazuya, Watanabe didn't possess a cannon arm.
He understood perfectly that the odds of throwing Mima out were extremely low.
But—
Whether it succeeded or failed was one thing.
Trying with everything he had was another.
That was Watanabe Tatsuya's pride as a catcher.
"Smack!"
"Safe!"
Before the ball even reached Fukuda Daiki's glove, Mima Soichiro had already slid safely into second base.
His speed was simply monstrous.
After standing up, Mima glanced sideways toward Sanada Shunpei.
His eyes were icy cold.
And within that coldness—
There seemed to be a trace of killing intent.
That successful steal instantly ignited the stadium.
"Haha! That's the speed of Hakuryu High School!"
"Mima Soichiro is the detonator of our offense!"
"Just steal your way all the way home!"
"Show those arrogant guys what true mobility looks like!"
"So fast! They stole second on the very first pitch!"
"No wonder Hakuryu is considered the fastest team in Japan!"
"This is only the beginning. Countless pitchers have broken down under Hakuryu's running game!"
"With a runner already in scoring position, Hakuryu's tactical options become terrifying!"
"Honestly, with Hakuryu's aggression, even an infield hit could turn into a run!"
But Sanada Shunpei completely ignored Mima's provocative stare.
Maintaining his own rhythm, he calmly threw the next pitch.
"Steal!"
Daiki Fukuda shouted another warning.
Mima instantly took off again, sprinting toward third base with unbelievable acceleration.
His eyes remained completely focused.
No obstacle could stop him from advancing.
"Smack!"
Once again, Miyao calmly watched the pitch enter Watanabe Tatsuya's mitt.
Compared to Yakushi's reckless swings and chaotic base running, Hakuryu displayed an entirely different level of discipline and professionalism.
"Strike two!"
Watanabe immediately fired toward third base.
"Smack!"
The ball flew cleanly into Todoroki Raichi's glove—
But it was already too late.
"Safe!"
Mima Soichiro had successfully stolen third base as well.
No outs.
Runner on third.
The supporters of Hakuryu High School erupted into deafening cheers.
"With Yakushi's defense, this run is basically guaranteed!"
"Haha! Thanks for eliminating Seihou High School for us!"
"Otherwise they would've been troublesome!"
"This year's Koshien championship belongs to Hakuryu High School!"