Chapter 102: A Crushing Blow at the Start of the Match Against Yakushi
"Manaka, I swear I will avenge you!"
With a powerful swing and the resolve of an ace, this pitch carried the will of Tanba.
Whoosh!
The ball shot out like a flash of white light, speeding towards the batter's box.
First pitch!
Here it comes!
Standing in the batter's box, Raichi's eyes widened, glowing red with intensity.
Swish!
Boom!
As the bat swung, a visible ripple seemed to flow through the air with force.
Pop!
Just as the white ball neared home plate, it expertly curved past Raichi's aggressive swing, skimming by his face before sharply dipping downward. The ball avoided Raichi's bat and fell securely into Miyuki's glove.
"Strike!"
"Unbelievable! That curve had such a sharp break, it's amazing!" Raichi's body trembled slightly, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
At that moment, Raichi's heart was overflowing with excitement, like a parched land receiving rain.
His predatory gaze, locking onto its prey, made Miyuki sigh inwardly.
"This guy... he's really something. We were trying to intimidate him, but it totally backfired."
Tanba clenched his teeth, even though his powerful pitch made Raichi miss, a feeling of frustration and unease lingered in his chest.
"He's really enjoying baseball... a guy born for this game..."
In the dugout, Eijun gripped the railing tightly, his eyes fixed on Raichi's back, a faint golden shimmer flickering in his pupils.
"I want to face this guy so badly right now!"
Second pitch.
Out of caution, Miyuki signaled for another curveball. Against a batter like Raichi, maintaining a strong defense was crucial. Every step had to be carefully calculated, leaving no room for error.
Otherwise, they might find themselves in an unrecoverable position.
Whoosh!
Crack!
Thud!
It was only the second time facing Tanba, but Raichi quickly adjusted, timing his swing perfectly. However, he slightly misjudged the angle, missing the sweet spot of the bat.
Whoosh!
The ball bounced off the ground.
Thud!
"Foul!"
He already reacted to that? What a terrifying guy, and it's only the second pitch...
Miyuki pursed his lips, deep in thought.
On the pitcher's mound, Tanba's face darkened. He knew that if his pitch had been off by even a fraction or if Raichi had adjusted his bat angle slightly, the outcome could have been disastrous.
"Hmph, this pitcher's curveball is pretty good," Coach Todoroki of Yakushi remarked lazily, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"After all, he's the ace of Seido, with three years of experience," said Sanada with a light chuckle from behind.
"It's a shame though, no matter how good his curveball is, it won't matter. Our goal is singular…"
Whoosh!
Watching the white ball fly from the mound, Coach Todoroki's lips curled into a faint smile.
Crack!
A resounding crack echoed through the stadium, followed by a flash of light that tore through the sky.
At that moment, it struck a chord in everyone's hearts.
The ball sped past the infield, cutting through the outfield.
The white light soared straight into the sky above center field.
Center fielder Isashiki Jun was retreating rapidly.
"Are you kidding me?!"
Expressions of disbelief filled the stadium as that streak of white light, under the shocked gaze of many, crashed violently into the massive electronic scoreboard in center field.
Boom!!!
The loud impact resonated throughout the field.
The ball fell, stirring a wave of commotion among the spectators.
In contrast, the dugout of Seido High was filled with stunned faces: Eijun, Coach Kataoka, and the rest of the team were all in disbelief.
On the field, Tanba's pale expression matched Raichi's figure as he laughed wildly, clenching his fist while rounding the bases.
"It's... it's outta here! A home run!!! In his first at-bat, Raichi Todoroki has hit a home run, giving Yakushi High the early lead!!!"
"Raichi!!!"
"You're amazing, kid!"
"Haha, way to go!"
"That's how you do it, Raichi!"
"I've decided, all my bananas are yours, Raichi!"
"You beast! You absolute beast!!!"
The Yakushi dugout was buzzing with excitement, as Coach Todoroki's smug expression contrasted sharply with the silence that gripped Seido's side.
"Tanba-san…"
"How could this happen…"
"I…"
The opening home run was something they simply couldn't accept.
"No way, is this game really starting off this intense?"
"A first-inning home run, and from the first batter too?"
"As expected from a team that beat Ichidaisan."
"Look, Seido's ace looks pale as a ghost."
"Ichidaisan, Seido, both aces have started the same way!"
"Now Yakushi has control of the game."
The crowd was abuzz with spectators eager for excitement, expressing their amazement at the sudden turn of events.
Back in the Yakushi dugout, Raichi returned to the cheers of his teammates, getting playfully roughed up by his seniors. This younger teammate never failed to deliver, always showing such stellar performances.
"Heh heh." Coach Todoroki nodded in satisfaction. "That's exactly what I wanted. Focus on his fastball. Curves? Forkballs? It doesn't matter. Our goal is singular: break his fastball completely. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!!!"
With just some video footage, Coach Todoroki had pinpointed Tanba's most critical weakness—his weakening fastball.
For a powerful-hitting team like Yakushi, this was a fatal flaw.
Eijun's eyes widened, and his hands trembled uncontrollably. A home run, an opening home run again? This guy really...!
"Tanba-senpai, Tanba-senpai, Tanba-senpai!!!"
Tanba, who had been dazed on the pitcher's mound, suddenly snapped out of it, looking toward home plate where Miyuki was shouting his name.
A trace of confusion flickered through his eyes.
The pitch he'd been so confident in had been completely exploited. To Tanba, the blow was massive.
Noticing his shaken state, Coach Kataoka and Chris in the dugout became grim. If the ace crumbled after just one pitch, it would spell serious trouble for Seido High.
"Time out!" Miyuki gritted his teeth and said to the umpire beside him.
Now was absolutely not the time to change pitchers. If Seido collapsed over just one home run, they'd be in big trouble! Miyuki made the decision swiftly.
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