Just as the bat was about to make contact with the ball—
The baseball suddenly dropped.
Not gradually.
Not subtly.
It plunged downward with astonishing speed, as if it had fallen off a cliff.
"A Forkball!?"
Mishima Yuta's eyes widened.
"Damn it!"
There had been absolutely no mention of a forkball in the scouting reports.
They were already in the semifinals, yet this pitcher still had a hidden weapon?
The sudden break caught Mishima completely off guard.
By the time he realized what was happening, it was already too late.
His swing had been committed.
There was no way to adjust.
All he could do was watch helplessly as the ball slipped away from the sweet spot of his bat.
Bang!
The baseball carved a sharp downward path through the strike zone, narrowly avoiding the powerful swing before smashing into the dirt in front of home plate.
Bad news:
Mishima had swung and missed.
Good news:
The ball hadn't stopped moving.
After striking the ground, it kicked sharply to Sato Toshiya's right.
If the catcher failed to block it cleanly and the ball rolled away, Mishima would still have a chance to reach first base.
But at that critical moment—
Sato Toshiya displayed terrifying reflexes.
Like a bolt of lightning, his right hand shot out.
Smack!
With one hand, he pinned down the bouncing baseball before it could escape.
The movement was clean.
Decisive.
Beautiful.
For a brief moment, it reminded many spectators of the famous play Miyuki Kazuya had made during the West Tokyo Tournament.
"STRIKE THREE!"
The umpire's call rang out across the stadium.
"BATTER OUT!"
The crowd exploded.
The cheers that had yet to fully settle from the previous out erupted once more, sweeping through Hanshin Koshien Stadium like a tidal wave.
Moments ago, Kitamura Kou had shattered the silence with a towering home run.
Yet Kaidou High School had responded immediately.
Akiba Kazuma—retired.
Mishima Yuta—retired.
Two outs in a row.
If they could carry this momentum forward and retire the next batter as well, the psychological advantage would swing sharply back in Kaidou's favor.
"Cleanup hitter, third baseman—Todoroki Raichi!"
The announcement echoed throughout the stadium.
The crowd instantly became even louder.
"This is the matchup everyone has been waiting for!" the commentator shouted excitedly.
"Yakushi High School's second monster after Kitamura Kou—Todoroki Raichi!"
"Anyone who has seen his terrifying swing even once will never forget it!"
"What kind of performance will he deliver in his first at-bat today?"
The roar of the crowd surged to another level.
As Todoroki Raichi stepped out of the dugout and began walking toward the batter's box, the atmosphere became almost explosive.
"It's finally happening again!"
"This matchup is way too addictive!"
"Raichi! Send it out of the park!"
"I came here to watch you and Kitamura dominate!"
"Beat Kaidou!"
The noise rolled across the stadium like thunder.
Meanwhile, inside Yakushi's dugout—
Todoroki Raizo narrowed his eyes.
A sly grin slowly spread across his face.
"I thought Kitamura's home run would completely shake that southpaw."
"Instead, it helped him settle into his rhythm."
Raizo clicked his tongue.
"Hmph. If you think you've stabilized the game already, you're mistaken."
To prepare for this matchup, he had spent countless hours devising strategies.
Just thinking about it made him grin like a villain.
"Hehehe..."
"Raichi."
"Give that left-hander another unforgettable memory."
As Todoroki Raichi passed by, Mishima quickly offered his observations.
"Be careful."
"That forkball isn't some unfinished gimmick he developed at the last minute."
His expression grew serious.
"That's a real weapon."
"A pitch he can rely on to finish hitters."
"Kahaha..."
Raichi's grin only widened.
The warning had the exact opposite effect.
A fiery light flickered within his eyes.
His body trembled slightly with excitement.
"I have to crush that forkball..."
"Hehehe..."
"No."
"Kahahaha!"
"I have to blast it completely out of the stadium!"
The excitement radiating from him became almost tangible.
Rather than cautioning him, Mishima's warning had only added fuel to the fire.
A tiny spark had landed on dry grass—
And now the monster named Todoroki Raichi was burning with anticipation.
"To build a solid foundation for our offense in the bottom half of the inning, I need to shut down this troublesome opponent right here."
Facing the terrifying Todoroki Raichi, Sato Toshiya showed none of the caution or hesitation one would expect.
Instead, his expression remained calm and composed.
Almost indifferent.
As though the monster standing in the batter's box was merely another ordinary hitter he could retire at will.
Sakuraba had completely entered the zone.
The moment he saw Sato's sign, he drove forward and released the ball without the slightest hesitation.
Whoosh!
The baseball shot toward the low outside corner.
Across the plate, a crimson light seemed to flash through Todoroki Raichi's eyes.
His mouth stretched into a ferocious grin.
The four sharp canine teeth that had become his trademark gleamed coldly under the stadium lights, making his already intimidating face appear even more beast-like.
The ball raced toward home plate.
Raichi didn't hesitate.
He unleashed a full-power swing.
The movement was explosive.
Direct.
Violent.
Voom!
The bat cut through the air with a deafening hum.
Just as bat and ball were about to collide—
The baseball suddenly disappeared beneath the swing path.
It dropped sharply.
Like it had fallen off a cliff.
Bang!
The ball struck the dirt.
Thwack!
Sato smoothly secured it in his mitt.
"Strike!"
The umpire's call echoed through the stadium.
"The first pitch is a devastating Forkball!" the announcer shouted. "Todoroki Raichi swings right over it! Strike one!"
"Kahaha!"
Instead of looking frustrated, Raichi's eyes sparkled even brighter.
"That was awesome!"
"I want another swing!"
Behind the mask, Sato's eyes narrowed slightly.
Did he recognize it?
Or was that pure instinct?
The pressure from that swing had been immense.
Even now, recalling the sound of the bat slicing through the air made his heart tighten.
If Sakuraba's Forkball hadn't broken sharply enough, there was a real possibility that pitch would have been launched into the stands.
These guys are ridiculous.
Are they really be first-years?
A year ago, when he himself had been a first-year, he hadn't possessed anything close to this level of ability.
The fighting spirit burning inside him intensified.
The next pitch needs to be even trickier.
On the mound, Sakuraba nodded almost imperceptibly.
Again, he put his full strength behind the throw.
Whoosh!
This time, the baseball rocketed toward the high inside corner.
The trajectory was aggressive and threatening.
More importantly, it was clearly outside the strike zone.
Raichi attacked it anyway.
Voom!
The terrifying sound of the swing echoed once more.
The bat closed in on the ball with astonishing speed.
Ping!
The ball shot into foul territory along the first-base side.
"Foul!"
The crowd erupted.
"The Kaidou battery changes eye levels immediately!" the announcer exclaimed.
"After the low outside Forkball comes a high inside fastball!"
"Todoroki Raichi manages to make contact, but the result is only a foul ball!"
"Two strikes, no balls!"
"The Kaidou High School battery has seized control of the count and is putting tremendous pressure on Yakushi's cleanup hitter!"
Behind home plate, Sato quietly adjusted his glove.
The count was now heavily in his favor.
But the look in his eyes remained serious.
Because he knew something very well.
Getting ahead against Todoroki Raichi was one thing.
Finishing him off was something else entirely.