The crowd seemed to grow restless as the designated hour approached. The jumbo screen located at the end of the stadium depicted the time, looming over everyone in the arena.
Both teams gathered on the field, lining up in front of each other for the ceremonial bow at the beginning of the game. Osaka Toin was wearing their white and black pinstripe uniforms, something they were known for.
Yokohama wore their pure white uniforms with a red cap, the letter Y a prominent feature on the jersey and hat.
Ken once again locked gazes with his brother who happened to be standing directly across from him. Despite the odd feeling of playing against him, there was a buzz of excitement from within him.
Daichi too looked at Ken with a glint in his eye. He had been looking forward to this moment ever since he'd left for Osaka. Although he would have rather played together with his brother, this was the next best thing.
"Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu!"
The two teams bowed to each other, eliciting an almighty cheer from the crowd. Despite the arena being packed each day, today felt much more lively.
Perhaps it was because the home team had made it so far, or maybe it was like this whenever the Semi-finals began. Yet the fact of the matter was, the cheers were almost deafening.
Makoto and Yatsuo approached the umpire to begin the coin toss. While one was muscular, the other had wide shoulders and a solid base. Yet despite this, it was obvious that he was strong.
"I think your lucky streak will be coming to an end today." Yatsuo said calmly.
His words were spoken with the utmost confidence, backed by his vast experience of playing under pressure situations.
"Hmm? Lucky you say?" Makoto raised his eyebrow before letting out a scoff.
"Heh. I won't let you guys get a single run today, prepare to be humbled." Yatsuo said, throwing the gauntlet.
Makoto felt his eye twitch unconsciously, feeling some anger arise within him. He clenched his fist briefly before relaxing, saying the only thing that came to his mind in that moment.
"We'll see who gets humbled."
While the Captains were having their exchange of words, Coach Hanada and Coach Narukami met with each other briefly.
The two completed a handshake and said some pleasantries, wishing each other luck.
Of course they each had their own inner thoughts which they kept hidden away.
In Coach Narukami's eyes, Seiji Hanada was just a rookie coach who had come into some luck with getting good players. Just seeing Ken on the Yokohama team instead of Osaka brought him a pang of jealousy.
Yet he kept it in his heart. After all, it was their own fault that Ken did not take up the scholarship offer to join Osaka.
Seiji on the other hand had deep respect for the coach in front of him. Having been the head coach for Osaka Toin for over 20 years, he had brought the team's prestige to great heights, building upon their success.
That being said, he would not pull any punches in this match. While Yokohama did not enjoy the same facilities, nor budget as Osaka, they had something that the other team did not.
His gaze turned to Ken's tall figure who was wearing a determined grin.
'We won't lose with Ken on the defense.' He said inwardly, believing it with every fiber of his being.
"Yokohama wins the toss. Please choose to either bat or field."
The umpire pointed to Makoto who had a challenging expression on his mug.
"We'll bat first."
"Ah…"
Seiji stared at the figure with disbelief.
'W-What the hell is he doing!? I told him to choose to field if we won the toss.'
Yet before he could intervene, the announcer was one step ahead of him.
"Yokohama has elected to bat first. Please stand by for the beginning of the game."
As Makoto made his way back to the dugout along with the other players, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. The coach was staring at his back, giving him an eerie feeling.
"Ma. Ko. To… Did you forget what I said?"
Coach Hanada was gritting his teeth, feeling his annoyance rise up from within.
"A-Ah coach I'm sorry. The other captain was saying he won't let us get a single run, I might have got caught up in the moment." Makoto said, looking a little apologetic.
He must have felt he would be backing down by choosing to field first.
Seiji Hanada let out a deep sigh. While he could remain pissed off, nothing would change the predicament. If anything, he knew about the folly's of youth quite well and couldn't exactly blame Makoto.
"Just don't let him get into your head. Stay composed, you're the Captain remember?"
Makoto nodded like a pecking chicken, "Yes Coach!"
Tatsuya was going to make a smart comment as usual, however that was before he saw the serious expression on the Captain's face. He could instantly tell that whatever he said would be ignored.
A few moment later, he made his way onto the field and could feel that something had changed. Despite this being their 4th game at Koshien this year, only now did Tatsuya feel an oppressive atmosphere.
'So this is the Semi-finals huh?' He thought, trying to calm down his beating heart.
His gaze moved to the large pitcher on the mound who was warming up his arm. The practice throws sounded sharp, making a clear pah sound when they entered the glove.
After his throws were complete, the announcer spoke.
"Batting 1st, Left outfield, Tatsuya."
"Kyaaa"
"He's so cool!"
"Look at me Tatsuya!"
Despite hearing the mostly female cheers of the crowd, he didn't lose focus. There was something about the air today that made him feel like he couldn't afford to be complacent.
While everyone was gazing at the pitcher and batter, Ken's eyes stared at one person only.
'Show me how much you've improved Daichi.'
"Play ball!"
The siren sounded just before the umpire called a start to the game, eliciting a roaring cheer from the crowd. If one wasn't hyper focused, it was possible they could get lost in the sheer noise from the onlookers.
Yatsuo sent a nod to Daichi before starting his wind up.
He brought both of his hands to the center of his chest and almost skipped forward with his left leg before planting it. Due to the minimal movements of the action, it made for a super fast release.
Before Tatsuya knew it, the ball was already on its way to him. It seemed to creep slowly towards the inside of the strike zone, almost baiting him to hit the ball.
'Don't mind if I do!'
He performed his swinging motion, keeping the barrel of the bat behind him until his hands drifted over the plate. As the pitch approached, his eyes widened in the next moment before sending the barrel accelerating towards the ball.
DONG
The sound of the ball hitting the middle of the bat resounded, filling the ears of all those present in the arena.
In the next moment, Tatsuya had already sped off towards 1st base.
The ball itself had been pulled towards 3rd base, drifting over the players head. Judging by the speed, it would perfectly land in the gap between the 3rd baseman and the outfield.
"Hup!"
The 3rd baseman leapt high into the air, using all of his strength to get as high as possible off the ground.
Tatsuya easily ran to 1st base, however he was looking around in confusion, trying to find where the ball went. He turned his attention to the outfield, only to see one of the fielders grinning at him.
"Out!"
"Huh?"
It was only when the 3rd baseman sent him a shrewd grin that he finally put the pieces together.
'That bastard caught that?' He thought inwardly as he made his way back to the dugout.
He had known that Osaka had a lot of great players, but he hadn't expected to get caught out in such a way.
Tatsuya was known for his preemptive style. His statistics for getting onto base in the first innings off the first ball were out of this world.
He would strike before anyone was ready, which was why he was dedicated as the first batter in the lineup.
Jun, his brother was a little more cautious, yet he had the same athletic ability and intuition as him. This was why they were one of the best opening batters of the tournament so far.
"Don't mind Tatsu, it was a lucky catch." Jun said meekly on his way to the batters box.
Tatsuya seemed a little different than his usual outspoken self. He merely grunted in reply, yet inwardly he was thinking that the play might not have been as lucky as they thought.
"Batting 2nd, Center outfield, Jun."
"It's the shy twin!"
"Ah he's so cute."
Jun received a similar welcome as he took strides towards the batters box. He too did his best to ignore the words of the crowd. Since his brother had failed to get on base, it was his job to do so.
Daichi looked at Jun's figure on the mound and sent his signals to Yatsuo. He knew that this twin was more cautious, so the same kind of bait ball would not work on him, at least on the first pitch.
Yatsuo nodded and performed his quick pitching action.
The ball left the fingertips of the large pitcher and was heading straight for the inside once more. Yet instead of going for it, Jun patiently watched the ball.
To his surprise, the ball drifted away from him the closer it got.
PAH
"Strike."
'Slider?'
Jun was taken aback. Usually breaking balls were used in conjunction with fastballs in order to take a batter by surprise. Yet this battery was using them from the beginning of the count.
He turned his attention to the catcher with a puzzled look, only to be ignored completely. The baby-faced assassin was silent as he threw the ball back to the pitcher, gearing up for the next pitch.
'I need to be careful' Jun thought, feeling wariness creep into his psyche.
The next ball came shortly after, another slider, yet this time it was more center over the plate.
"Strike."
Jun felt his anxiety peak. He was currently down in the count and was thrown off by the opponents strategy. Having been expecting fastballs, he had tried to wait for the perfect ball to dispatch with his bat, yet he wasn't given a chance.
'I'll just have to hit this next one.' He thought, gripping the bat tightly.
'Hehe, got him.' Daichi grinned before sending his signals.
Like a machine, Yatsuo pitched the ball, his large body moving like art in motion.
WHOOSH
PAH
"Strikeout!"
Jun felt his bat hit nothing but air as he held onto his follow through. The ball had been faster than he'd expected and did not break, which only meant one thing.
'F-Fastball!?'
He could say nothing as he made his way back to the dugout, having been completely defeated by the opposing battery.
Makoto stepped onto the field and instantly locked gazes with the large pitcher upon the mound.
Sparks seemed to fly between the two as the announcer introduced him.
"Batting 3rd, 3rd base, Makoto."
Makoto was laser focused as he approached the batters box. After positioning himself properly, he turned his attention to Yatsuo on the mound before gripping his bat tightly.
All those in the arena could see the silent challenge in the air between the two.
On one side was a cannon, capable of blowing through the tightest defenses.
On the other was a grand wall, intent on stopping even the greatest of sieges.
Daichi got into a crouched position and couldn't help but smirk.
'Looks like Yatsuo did his job of getting inside their Captain's head.' He thought inwardly, giving out the signals for the next pitch.
The first pitch came roaring towards the plate with a full head of steam. Makoto narrowed his eyes and instinctively knew where it was going to go.
It was outside the strike zone but not out of reach of his bat. While he was eager to blast it out of the park, he did his best to remain calm and refrained from swinging.
As long as he didn't swing, it should be a ball. After all, there was more benefits for him if the battery was behind in the count.
PAH
"Strike"
"Huh?' Makoto turned to look at the umpire with confusion.
He knew that he had a long reach, but there was no way that the last ball had been a strike. The umpire merely looked at him with a "I said what I said" expression plastered on his face.
The Captain resisted the urge to draw a line in the dirt, indicating where the ball had past home plate. Instead, he rolled his shoulders back and tried to relax.
Both Ken and the coach watched on with a serious expression. Ken knew how infuriating Dachi could be, at least to the opponents that they'd faced in his previous life. So to see the same thing happening to his team had him feeling a little odd.
Seiji on the other hand, had enough game sense to understand that it was the catcher giving them all of the problems.
The last pitch was most definitely a ball, yet the way the catcher framed it had deceived the umpire.
Daichi was like a maestro behind the plate, directing the game to his own tune little by little. Of course, without a juggernaut like Yatsuo on the mound his effect would be limited.
Just thinking about what kind of battery Ken and Daichi would make gave him some goosebumps.
'Maybe in the future we'll see those two on the international stage.' Coach Hanada commented inwardly, feeling his expectations soar.
He turned to Ken who still had no idea about his conversation with Coach Takashi merely a few days beforehand. No doubt that enigmatic man would be watching this game today, searching for all kinds of talent.
WHOOSH
PAH
"Strike"
Makoto felt his face heat up in irritation as the next ball sailed away from his bat. Originally he had thought they'd be trying the same trick again to get an easy strike, yet it wasn't a fastball at all.
'That damn slider…'
He grit his teeth, feeling a bout of frustration. It felt like his mind was being read all the time which was a weird sensation. He wasn't sure what was going on, but before he knew it the count was already 0-2.
He gripped the bat tightly once more and turned towards the opposing captain.
'Empty your mind. Let your muscles take over.'
Makoto took a deep breath in through his nose and out through his mouth.
His whole demeanor seemed to have changed, giving off the aura of a solid and steady mountain.
Daichi's expression flickered for a moment, yet he still got into position and called for the next pitch.
'Ahh, it's so easy to pitch when Diachi is leading.' Yatsuo thought, a sly grin creeping onto his lips.
Ever since he'd made the starting lineup, Yatsuo's job had been smooth sailing. All he needed to do was pitch as he was told, and everything would work out.
It was almost like having a cheat character in a game.
Yatsuo adjusted his grip for a two-seam fastball and quickly shot into action, throwing his whole body forward. Yet as the ball was about to leave his hand, he felt a shockwave crawl up from his wrist.
He grit his teeth and bared through the pain, still managing to send the ball to the right area.
WHOOOSH
DONG
Makoto managed to get a hold of the ball which was breaking towards him, however it was sent directly into the air and into the foul zone. He could only watch on as the ball was easily tracked down by the 3rd baseman and caught.
"3 outs! Changeover."
Yatsuo casually looked down at his wrist and began to flex his fingers a few times briefly. Not saying a word he retreated back to the dugout.
"Ah my bad, that last pitch slipped a little." He said to Daichi, a small smile on his face.
"No problem." Daichi replied, however inwardly he was a little skeptical.
Since he was the one who had been catching Yatsuo's pitches essentially all year, he could tell when something was wrong. Yet there was no point in mentioning it, especially when they'd only just started the game.
Makoto returned to his own dugout with a frown. He felt that the last ball was not going to end up where it was, yet he had already committed to hitting it.
If he was thinking straight, he probably could have dodged it or even gotten a walk from getting hit by the pitch.
"Don't mind Captain, let's focus on defense." Ken said, patting the muscular teen on the shoulder. He didn't expect to get any easy hits, particularly in the first innings when they had yet to get used to the pitcher.
It wasn't only Ken who consoled Makoto, both Yusuke and Hiroki gave him a pat on the back on their way onto the field. Now was not the time for jokes or to bring their teammates down, it would be a long game and they needed everyone to be in top shape.
Ken approached the mound and adjusted his cap. He began to roll his shoulders backwards and then forwards as he waited for Yuta to get ready.
He could feel that the atmosphere in the arena was different. It was as if an invisible pressure was descending onto him, a result of the thousands of expectant eyes watching his every action.
Yet Ken did not fold under the pressure. The constant rhythm of his heartbeat sounded within his chest, beating like a war drum on the eve of battle.
Ignoring the eyes focused on him, Ken began his warm up throws. His arm felt light yet full of power, a good sign that he was in great form.
After around 12 throws, he gave the signal to the umpire who turned to the first batter and gestured for him to get into position.
"Batting 1st, Left Outfield, Isamu"
A dark haired teen with long legs stepped up to the plate, the pinstripe uniform making them look even longer than they perhaps were.
He wore a confident smile, almost as if he could already see victory upon the horizon.
Yet to Ken, it looked like a challenge.
'I'll wipe that smirk off your face real soon buddy.'
After getting the lead from Yuta, Ken's shoulders relaxed. Yet in the next moment his body leapt into action like a well oiled machine, sending the ball whipping out from the side.
WHOOOOSH
PAH
'Strike!"
The umpire put a large emphasis on the word, stoking the crowd into a frenzy.
"There it is! The 100mph ball!"
"Ah damn I missed it."
"Man I'm so hyped."
After seeing the numbers flash up on the jumbo screen, the arena was filled with shouts of awe and appreciation. Without knowing it, Ken had gained a lot of popularity this Nationals.
Isamu in the batters box suddenly felt a cold sweat drip down his back. His earlier confident smile was nowhere to be seen as he seemed to be evaluating his life choices.
'Even when I know it's coming… Will I be able to hit that?'
Uncertainty was apparent on his face, complete opposite to how he came into the match.
Ken placed his glove out and received the ball back from Yuta and couldn't help but smirk. He wasn't sure where the guy had got his confidence from, but it sure felt great to wipe the grin off his face.
'Another.'
WHOOOSH
PAH
"Strike."
PAH
"Strike."
The next two balls were in the high 150km/h range and were missed by miles. It wasn't just the fact that they were fast, there was also movement within the pitch, making the course harder to predict every time.
"Batting 2nd, 1st Base, Takashi"
Takashi came up to the plate feeling a little anxious. He'd seen Isamu fail miserably trying to chase down the fastball, something he didn't wish to replicate.
While he could try and go for the forkballs, there was no guarantee that Ken would throw them. The numbers seemed to back it up since he only threw it around 10% of the time.
However, he could only do his best to get onto base.
Ken wound up and stepped forward, planting his foot hard before whipping the ball out once more.
Takashi grit his teeth and held out his bat for a bunt. As long as he could get onto base, then he had faith that Daichi would clean up the bases.
The ball was going so fast that it took all of his focus to position the bat properly. As for directing where it would go, he did not have that luxury.
DING
His face fell as the ball hit the top of the barrel and lofted into the air towards the mound.
Ken who had already got into position to field the bunt, stopped in his tracks and held up his glove for an easy catch.
"Out!"
The crowd cheered at the out, yet there were some who were puzzled at the situation.
"Why did that guy bunt?"
"Maybe he didn't think that he could hit those fastballs?"
"Well he didn't hit that one properly either…"
Unaware of the commentary going on within the stands, Takashi's shoulders slumped as he made his way back to his dugout.
"It was a nice try Takashi, but that fastball is too quick to bunt." Coach Narukami placed his hand upon the youth's shoulder and consoled him briefly.
While there was discussion of trying to bunt during the team meeting, only now was it clear to them that it was a bad idea. It was extremely rare to face a 100mph pitch during High School, so they couldn't necessarily practice for it.
Takashi nodded and made his way back to the bench.
"Yatsuo, I don't think he'll throw any forkballs in this innings, so try to at least make contact with the ball.
"Yes coach." Yatsuo responded affirmatively and headed out onto the field.
"Batting 3rd, Pitcher, Yatsuo"
Ken's eyes focused on the large build of the teen coming into the batters box now. Based on his body structure, Ken wasn't surprised that Yatsuo was the 3-hole.
He had a similar build to those power lifters, with a strong base and wide shoulders.
Despite this, he was not intimidated in the slightest. As long as he continued to pitch his best, Ken didn't think that he would give up a run easily.
Yuta called for a two-seam fastball on the inside, wanting to try and jam the large frame of the batter. His eyes were laser focused, showing just how confident he was in not only his leads, but also Ken's pitching.
A small grin formed on Ken's face as he adjusted his grip of the ball. Generally the two-seam fastball was a little slower than his usual four seam, but it made up for it in the movement of the ball.
Once again Ken went through his pitching motion and whipped the ball out. The pitch was so fast that it only began to move when it was already past halfway to home plate.
Yatsuo's large frame began its swinging action, his eye's focused on the ball.
WHOOOSH
DING
'Damn it!'
Yatsuo cursed inwardly as the ball flung out straight to the short top. Naoki quickly pounced upon the ball before throwing it to first, landing squarely in Hiroki's outstretched glove.
"3 outs! Changeover."
"Nice fielding Naoki~"
"Solid pitching Ken."
The team were in good spirits as they walked back to the dugout, having easily dispatched the lead off batters from Osaka.
After only 5 pitches, Ken felt like he had only just warmed up. However, he knew that the real game would be starting soon
Daichi who had been next in line to bat could only smile as he returned the bat and went to change his gear. He'd seen Ken's pitches from the stands before, but seeing them close was a whole other experience.
His hands were itching to swing at his brother's pitch, but he'd have to wait until the next innings.
Hiroki was the one starting off the 2nd innings for Yokohama. Out of all their players, he was the one who had improved the most in the past 2 months.
Ever since he'd broken through his potential, his rapid growth inside of the batters box was second to none. This was evident in how he'd already garnered the attention of Coach Takashi.
"Batting 4th, 1st base, Hiroki"
Though he looked unassuming, Hiroki was the definition of sleeper build. Underneath his uniform was the figure of a granite statue, something that Michaelangelo might choose to sculpt.
Daichi glanced at Hiroki briefly, yet he didn't look worried. Of course he held some respect for his opposing clean-up batter, yet his confidence was a result of his hard work and training.
He placed his glove into position and called for a pitch.
Yatsuo nodded, his face wearing a serious expression.
WHOOSH
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In the next moment, the ball came flying towards the open glove. Though it looked as if it would be straight down the middle, it quickly began to break away from Hiroki.
It wasn't a slider, and it had too much movement to be a regular fastball.
'I can hit this!' Hiroki called out inwardly, his bat already moving before his thoughts could catch up.
He chased the ball all the way to the outside, feeling the contact that he was looking for.
DONG
'Damn it.'
He knew as soon as the bat made contact that he'd made a mistake. Since it was so far away from him, the hit lacked his usual power, merely sending the ball into the infield between 1st and 2nd base.
Hiroki quickly dropped his bat and ran with all of his might towards 1st base.
"Yours Akihiko!"
Takuya at the short stop position yelled out before running over to 2nd base to cover for the defender.
The infield adjusted perfectly as Akihiko chased down the ball and easily sent the ball into his teammates outstretched glove before Hiroki could arrive.
"Out."
A cheer erupted from the easy play, the home crowd giving their team the props they deserved. While the average fan might not notice, everyone on the field certainly did.
The quick adjustments and movements of the infielders showed that they knew exactly what to do in a scenario. Oftentimes there could be mix ups, especially within the school baseball scene where mistakes in the infield could occur.
All it took was for one person to not know where to rotate, and their whole defense would crumble.
It was clear that the Osaka fielders, led by the vocal shortstop knew exactly what they were doing.
While the play itself might have been an easy one, Ken had no doubt that they would be a tough nut to crack with any ball that remained in the infield.
"That wasn't a slider was it?" Ken asked the Coach as he adjusted his helmet.
Seiji shook his head, "That was a cutter. It's essentially in between a slider and a fastball."
Ken nodded, although he felt at a little bit of a loss. All these high school pitchers had plenty of pitches to work with, yet even between his two lives he only had the fastball as well as the forkball he got as a reward from the silver lottery.
It was at this time that he truly knew how naive he was to expect to win with only those types of pitches.
Yet now was not the time for self reflection, it was now the time for first part of the clash he'd been waiting for all this time.
As he stepped onto the field, the roar of the crowd seemed to fade away into the background.
"Batting 5th, Pitcher, Ken"
He made his way over to the batters box and tapped the plate with his bat and the toes of his cleats before getting into position.
Despite not saying a word to his brother behind him, he conveyed his feelings through the thick aura of fighting spirit resonating from his tall figure.
Daichi too felt his determination ignite, wanting nothing more than to show his brother how much he'd improved.
What better way to do so than beating him fairly? Especially on the biggest stage available to them… Koshien.
Yatsuo nodded before dashing forward with his left leg and whipping the ball out from his arm. Ken soon found out that seeing it from afar and being in front of it were two different things.
With the quick pitching action, one had a smaller window to process the information. This was especially true when the pitches were creeping upwards of 150-155km/h.
Yet Ken was able to see the ball in front of him as it began to break away. He recognized it as the pitch which had baited Hiroki into hitting a grounder.
He stepped in, timing the swing, yet he didn't follow through, allowing the ball to go into Daichi's glove.
PAH
"Ball."
Ken nodded in satisfaction. He could understand why Hiroki had gone for the ball, since the pitch broke so late, it was tough to pick.
If he hadn't seen the same situation earlier, he would have been caught out the same way.
Daichi collected the ball and sent it back to Yatsuo on the mound before crouching down once more.
'As expected of Ken. He won't fall for a ball he's already seen.' He thought inwardly, yet he wasn't discouraged.
The Maestro still had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.
He called for the next ball, to which Yatsuo nodded.
Once more the ball came flying quickly, this time with a little more speed. Ken identified it as a fastball and his body got into position, ready to swing for the fences.
However, the ball began to break inside this time, revealing itself as a two-seam fastball. While it wasn't as exaggerated as the cutter, it still had more movement than he was expecting.
WHOOSH
PAH
"Strike"
Seeing his brother miss the swing, a small sense of satisfaction crept into Daichi's body. Though he held Ken in high regard, there was something about outsmarting an opponent that gave him a rush.
Ken let out a grin, feeling his heart beat faster.
Both brothers seemed to resonate with each other in that moment, their minds coming to the same conclusion.
'This is fun…'
The sense of unpredictability caused by a master catcher and the underlying threat of getting hit out of the park by a slugger. This was a clash of wit and skill between the two talented brothers.
Seiji's nerves were tight the entire time as he watched the deadly dance in the batters box. Ken's earlier swing threatened to send the ball over the fence, yet the precise pitching and leads from the opposing team were unpredictable, almost leaving him breathless.
Seeing such a masterful display of a high stakes cat and mouse game was just too entertaining. One wrong move and the game would be over for the defending side.
Yatsuo narrowed his eyes momentarily before picking up the rosin bag beside him and coating his hand with the powder. He wasn't particularly sold on the next call, yet he nodded anyway.
He stepped forward with the same action as before and sent the ball whipping towards home plate once again. This time, the pitch was slower than the last two.
'Chance!'
Ken felt his body contract as his eyes chased down the incoming ball. He noticed that the spin was also different, yet he instantly recognized it.
"Hup"
DOONG!
Ken got his bat under the pitch and managed to hit it in the center of the barrel. At the moment of impact he felt his muscles contract further and send the ball flying, a result of his Slugger skill.
Judging by the angle of the hit and the strength he'd put into it, he had no doubt that it would sail over for a home run. However, its trajectory was not so certain in that moment.
A cheer erupted as everyone turned their attention to the course of the ball.
It flew towards the foul zone in the left outfield, as if it was aiming for the large yellow pole in particular. If it hit the pole it would be a home run, but if it went left it would be a foul.
Everybody on the field held their breath as they watched the ball sail towards its destination.
DONG
*DING*
The sound of metal ringing broke the silence, prompting the crowd to erupt in cheers at the masterful hit.
Without looking back, Ken dropped his bat and began his jog around the bases, reveling in the feeling of hitting a huge home run.
"ORYAAAH!"
"Nice hit Ace!"
The Yokohama bench came alive as they began to hoot and holler triumphantly after drawing first blood against the super team of Osaka.
Yatsuo frowned as he watched the ball hit the foul post. He had originally not wanted to throw the curveball, but he decided to trust Daichi, especially considering he had the most experience against his own brother.
Yet this was not what he expected.
Daichi too seemed to be a little lost in that moment. He had looked at the data and seen that Ken struggled to hit big on low pitches.
What he'd failed to realize was that Ken had been researching curveballs like crazy over the past few days since he wanted to perfect his own. Of course there was no way that Daichi could know this.
Ken finished his lap of the bases and finally touched back onto home base, his gaze meeting his brothers.
"I'll pay you back for that one." Daichi said, although his face was turned up into a grin.
"You can try." Ken said with a laugh before heading back to his own dugout.
He gave Yusuke a high five on the way past, telling him to do his best.
Yusuke nodded. One thing about being in the batting lineup after Ken was that he often had to follow up a masterful home run. While it boosted morale, it also added pressure onto him to perform.
As Ken walked down the stairs into the dugout, he received the rain of slaps onto his helmet from his teammates. The mood was high as everyone celebrated his breakthrough.
Coach Hanada couldn't help but wear a brilliant smile. He had thought they would struggle to get a run on the board at least in the earlier innings, yet Ken's home run had overturned this.
While the game was still open to anyone, it showed that Osaka's battery was not infallible.
"Batting 6th, 2nd base, Yusuke."
Daichi quickly rubbed off the grin he had on earlier and focused. He mentally made a note not to throw a curveball against Ken again this match, since it seemed to be a ball he was familiar with for whatever reason.
He placed his glove out and called for a four-seam fastball on the inside.
However, Yatsuo shook his head, causing a frown to appear on Daichi's face. Yet he shook it off and called for another four-seam, this time on the outside.
Yatsuo shook his head once more before grabbing the front of his cap and wiggling it.
Daichi felt a burst of annoyance from this, yet he still made the signs for the ball that Yatsuo had requested and placed his glove out. Yet his expression was dark.
Yatsuo wound up and sent the ball towards the open glove.
DONG!
Yusuke was surprised when the ball appeared directly where he had wanted it, up high and slightly outside. Without complaining, he swung his bat and made good contact with the ball, sending it into the outfield.
"Nice hit Yusuke!"
"Run Run!"
Yusuke managed to make it to 2nd base from the hit before the ball returned to the infield.
Daichi called for a time out and headed towards the mound with his fist clenched, his expression dark.
As Yusuke surprisingly got onto 2nd base, the crowd and Yokohama dugout cheered. He hadn't been expecting to make contact so easily against the pitcher that even Hiroki struggled against.
However, he wasn't complaining. They were in a good spot with him on base and only 1 out so far in the 2nd innings. As long as Naoki could continue the attack, they might even be able to extend the lead.
Meanwhile, he saw the opposing catcher walking up to the mound in a bad mood.
'Ah… Are they gonna be okay?' Yusuke thought nervously.
"What the hell was that?"
Daichi stepped up to Yatsuo on the mound, ignoring the large frame of the teen and getting up close and personal. Despite his head only reaching just above the chin, he pressed forward, not backing down.
"I should be asking you the same question." Yatsuo replied, his face turned up in annoyance.
"What made you want to throw a slider to that guy?" Daichi said, pointing to Yusuke on 2nd base who was innocently minding his own business.
"Because it's one of my best pitches."
"And why didn't you throw it to where my glove was?"
"Why does it matter? It was just a lucky hit anyway…" Yatsuo retorted, his face showing signs of annoyance.
It was clear that he was pissed off after giving up a home run to Ken in the previous at-bat. This was especially the case after he had told Makoto he wouldn't let them get a single run.
At the end of the day, his ego was bruised.
"67%" Daichi said calmly.
Yatsuo turned his face up in confusion, not understanding what he was talking about.
"That's the percentage of base hits Yusuke over there has when pitching to the exact position you threw."
He continued, lowering his voice slightly. "The place where I originally called for only had a 12% on base percentage…"
Yatsuo was stunned. He had never pried into how Daichi chose his leads, only knowing that he would do some research before any games. Only now did he understand the depth that the guy in front of him would go to.
However, that didn't mean all was forgiven.
"So what about your brother's home run? Why would you call for a curveball?" He retorted.
Daichi shook his head, "Before that hit, Ken had less than 5% hit rate of balls below the strike zone. The fact that he picked the slower ball, and even the break was an anomaly in itself."
Just before Yatsuo was going to respond, Daichi placed a ball into Yatsuo's glove and stared into his eyes.
"Anything can happen in Baseball. But if you don't trust my leads, tell me now and I'll go and substitute myself out." Daichi gazed at Yatsuo his eyes firm as as he waited for his decision.
"W-What?"
Yatsuo stared at the freshman in shock for a moment.
'He is serious…'
"You two, please hurry up." The umpire's impatient voice came from behind Daichi, yet he didn't budge. He was still waiting for an answer.
Yatsuo felt the determination burning from his catcher and couldn't help but feel a little remorseful for his actions. Ignoring his leads was like telling the guy that he didn't trust him at all.
If he were to continue being stubborn and force Daichi off the field, they would be losing a huge asset both as a catcher and a hitter. He could already hear the tongue lashing he would receive from Coach Narukami if he didn't yield right now.
"Haaaah"
"Alright, my bad. I'll continue to follow your leads." Yatsuo said eventually, letting out a small sigh. It seemed that his head had cooled enough to make a rational decision in the end.
"Good." Daichi smiled softly before returning back to his spot behind home plate. He sent the umpire an apologetic look before getting into position.
"Batting 7th, Short stop, Naoki"
Naoki finally arrived at the batters box, his fringe covering his eyes as usual. Despite this, one could sense the determination in his visible facial features.
Daichi's mind raced as he thought about the research he'd done for this player. While he was a good fielder, he struggled to hit consistently, at least in the matches they'd played during nationals.
'Let's send a probing fastball on the inside.' Daichi thought, sending the signal to his pitcher.
Thankfully, Yatsuo seemed to have calmed down and gave him a nod.
In the next moment a powerful pitch came rushing towards his outstretched glove.
WHOOOSH
PAH
Naoki mistimed the swing, his bat sailing past after the ball was already in Daichi's possession. Out of habit, he looked up at the jumbo screen and saw the speed.
'154km/h'
A wry smile appeared on his face in the next moment and he turned to the coach for instruction. Coach Hanada merely smiled, before making a few signals to him.
Naoki's eyes widened, yet he nodded in return. He subconsciously looked at Yusuke who had a small lead from 2nd base, their gazes meeting briefly.
All of this was caught by Daichi who seemed to have a wild field of view, despite being in between the batter and umpire.
He called for the next pitch on the outside, just out of the strike zone.
Yatsuo was a little puzzled, but he now knew better than to second guess the young phenom.
The moment Yatsuo stepped forward, Yusuke dropped his head down and used his powerful legs to run towards 3rd base. Since he had fast legs even before his operation, they had only grown faster since he'd healed.
Naoki still sent a swing at the ball, only to miss tremendously.
"3rd Base!" Takuya yelled out, alerting everyone to the base being stolen.
Daichi's position after receiving the pitch gave him the perfect angle to use his right arm and send it flying towards 3rd base.
"Satoshi!"
The one named Satoshi on 3rd base was ready for the ball, holding his glove out in preparation.
The Yokohama's 3rd base coach looked panicked as he made the motion to slide towards the runner. Everything had happened too fast, even though he knew about the play beforehand.
Seeing the panicked look, Yusuke could only do as he was told, sliding towards the 3rd base plate as fast as he could.
Daichi's throw was immaculate, reaching its downward trajectory by the time it reached Satoshi's glove. All the 3rd baseman had to do was swipe at Yusuke in one fluid motion.
Tap
Satoshi showed the ball in his glove to the umpire, appealing that he had tagged the player before he got a hand to the bag.
There were a few seconds of silence as everyone looked at the umpire.
"…Out!"
A cheer erupted from the crowd and the Osaka players. Whatever momentum they had lost from the previous at-bats was instantly taken back with interest.
"Nice throw Daichi!" Satoshi called out from his base, giving a small applause in appreciation.
If the ball had been thrown even a little higher, it was possible that he wouldn't have made it in time thanks to the added movements that would have been needed to tag the runner.
Coach Hanada saw the entire play and couldn't help but smile wryly. He had backed Yusuke's legs, not expecting such a magnificent throw from the catcher.
There was no way that he could have pulled it off if the base steal was a surprise, which meant that he had to have known or at least suspected beforehand that Yokohama would try to run.
Either way, he could only accept defeat in this situation.
"Nice run Yusuke, don't mind."
The coach patted Yusuke's shoulder on his way back to the dugout. It was great base running, but even better fielding.
All of a sudden, Yokohama were now 2 outs and none on base. They were in a significantly worse position than just a single play ago.
With that last swing, Naoki was also at two strikes which meant that one more strike would end the innings.
Yatsuo wiped the sweat upon his brow before collecting the rosin bag off the ground. He had to admit that he never would have been able to make such an accurate throw from home plate to 3rd in such a situation.
His earlier tantrum seemed rather silly when seeing how talented Daichi was.
'Alright, one more out.' He thought.
Daichi returned to his position and crouched down, asking for a two-seam inside and low for the next pitch. Even if the guy didn't swing, they were still up in the count.
Yatsuo nodded and begun his wind up.
DING
Naoki managed to get his bat on ball, however it was only a grounder towards 3rd base.
Satoshi easily scooped the ball off the ground and launched it towards 1st base, beating Naoki with ease.
"3 outs! Changeover"
And just like that, the 2nd innings was over for Yokohama.
Ken put his cap on and was about to head up onto the field before he felt a tug on his arm.
He turned back to see Ai who was holding onto his uniform.
"Do your best Ken. Show your brother how hard you've been working."
Her voice was soft, yet it felt warm.
Ken couldn't help but smile at those words, she had been there for him throughout all of the tough training. She knew how hard he worked and how much this match meant to him.
Hearing those words from her only further stoked his fighting spirit.
"Yeah, it's time to go show just how much I've improved."
With that, he grabbed his glove and made his way onto the field. His heart was beating loudly in his chest, yet it wasn't out of anxiety, it was due to anticipation.
Ever since he declined the scholarship and decided on Yokohama, this match had been in his mind. Every tough training session when he felt he was about to give up, his consciousness would manifest this scenario, giving him the strength to continue.
As he approached the mound, each footstep felt lighter than the last. It was as if his shackles were being removed with every step, filling him with strength.
All those nights he spent alone in his apartment, clutching his shoulder in pain, his tears falling to the floor as he lamented his cruel fate.
Closer and closer he moved towards his destination, shedding his old wounds and displacing all of the ties he had to his previous life. All the guilt, worry, anxiety seemed to culminate, only to be discarded with each step as he approached the mound.
The moment he took his position, he felt a wave of peace overcome him.
His mind was empty, his conscience clear. He didn't care if this was all a dream, or reality in this moment. Ken closed his eyes, basking in the peaceful moment, the calm before the storm.
'This…'
'This is the real me.'
"Batting 4th, Catcher, Daichi."
A loud cheer erupted from the crowd, showing just how much of a fan favorite Daichi was to the Koshien spectators.
Like Ken, he had many home runs under his belt during this tournament, in addition to an almost immaculate catching record.
Ken took a deep breath in through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. Upon doing so his eyes snapped open, shining brightly a moment after being uncovered.
He stared down at the person who had become his brother in this lifetime, his one true friend. The baby face looked different than it was in the past, seeming more cheerful and full of life.
The two versions of Daichi overlapped, one with a sullen tone wearing a fake smile, and the other bright and innocent, radiating fighting spirit.
[Showdown activated: Target Daichi Takagi]
[Limit Break has been activated]
Mika's monotonous voice spoke up in side of Ken's mind, drawing him to the present.
The moment he heard her voice, the apathetic Daichi disappeared, revealing the bright and cheerful one who was awaiting his pitch with an excited expression.
Ken suddenly his heart soar as his body filled with strength. A wide grin subconsciously appeared on his lips as he stood in opposition to his brother.
"Let's do this."
Ken felt a tremendous strength within his body in this moment as all of his grades were increased by 2 thanks to the Limit Break ability. Although he had not willed it to activate, it couldn't have come at a better time.
His physical grades which were all S+ were now catapulted into the SS grade, increasing his body's fitness drastically.
His pitching grade which was already increased by 2 thanks to the Showdown skill, was now further elevated to the SSS grade. At this moment in time, Ken was the best version of himself both physically and mentally.
What better time was there to showcase himself than right now in front of a cheering crowd and the whole nation who were tuning in over the TV. Not to mention his father who was also in attendance that day.
A wide grin had affixed itself to his features, giving him a wild and carefree appearance as he stared down at his opponent.
Ken kicked his knee up and entered his pitching action, something he'd done tens of thousands of times in his life. However, this time everything seemed to flow naturally with minimal wasted movements.
Each move was filled to the brim with a powerful intent, showcasing the level of concentration and determination that was hidden within Ken.
Ken let out a grunt as his first ball whipped out from his fingertips, heading right for the outstretched glove of the catcher. The ball seemed to move slightly in the air before breaking inside.
WHOOOOOSH
PAH
"Strike!"
Daichi held his follow through as the familiar sensation of his bat hitting the ball failed to appear. His eyes widened in shock as he finally experienced the dreaded fastball of his fully recovered brother.
Subconsciously, his gaze moved to the jumbo screen at the back of the stadium and almost fell over from shock.
'157km/h!?'
He stared at it for a while longer before turning to Ken upon the mound who was still wearing the same grin as before. His eyes giving off a challenge, "Hit me if you can."
While most of the onlookers might not appreciate the last ball, those who had decent knowledge of baseball most definitely would. Despite being slower than Ken's fastest ball, the pitch he had thrown was a two-seam fastball.
The very idea of the two-seam fastball was to induce movement, often at the sacrifice of velocity. So the fact that Ken was almost able to reach almost 100mph with a two-seamer was remarkable.
Instead of being intimidated, Daichi felt a wave of happiness followed shortly after by a burning desire to catch his pitches.
'If we were on the same team…'
Daichi's mind raced as he thought about all the possibilities. Not long ago he thought that only having 2 pitches to work with would have restricted a lot of his tactics, yet these thoughts were burst through by Ken's earlier pitch.
Who needed variety when 1 weapon was so overwhelming.
After going through the scenario's in his mind, Daichi quickly shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking about such things, especially since it was the Semi-finals of Nationals.
'I guess I'll have to settle on just hitting it for today.' He thought, a brilliant smile appearing on his baby face.
With that, he got back into position and gripped his bat tightly. Those who were astute would notice that he shared a similar form to Ken, though slightly modified because of the height differences.
Yet paired with his overbearing Balance and Coordination, it was just as deadly.
Those in the crowd felt that something was a little off. The game was meant to be serious, as it would determine which team would advance to the finals against Koryu.
So why were the pitcher and batter grinning like this?
"Hey wait, didn't Ken say that he had a brother in that interview?" One of the crowd members asked aloud.
Since the arena had quietened down a little thanks to the tension, it wasn't just his friend that heard the remark.
"Oh yeah, they share the same last name. Does that mean Daichi is his brother?"
As the crowd speculated around him, Chris paid it no mind. His attention was solely fixed upon his two boys who were facing each other for the very first time.
He didn't want to miss a single moment in their first clash.
Already he could tell that Ken was pitching faster and cleaner than he ever had before. Since he had no knowledge of the system, he chalked it up to rivals increasing each others abilities when playing against one another.
Chris didn't care who won, he just wanted both of his boys to do their best so they would have no regrets after the match.
He leaned forward on the edge of his seat as he waited for Ken to throw his next pitch.
Unaware of the discussions within the crowd, Ken sent a nod to Yuta and went into his pitching action. His form seemed to contain even less wasted movements than before, allowing his muscles to optimally transfer his strength to his arm.
The ball tore down the distance between the mound and the plate, spinning viciously on its way toward Yuta's open glove.
Daichi tracked down the ball and planted his left foot before twisting his body, trying to squeeze every ounce of power into his swing. The sound of the bat tearing through the air pierced one's ears.
WHOOOOOSH
PAH
"Strike!"
The umpire seemed to have been affected by the atmosphere, his calls carrying a larger emphasis than they usually would.
'161km/h'
Daichi looked at the jumbo screen once more and couldn't help but chuckle out loud.
'This is it. This is what I wanted to see.'
"O-Ohhh! 161km/h!? Is that a new record?"
"Holy crap I don't believe it."
The crowd burst into exclamations, seeing the bold orange numbers upon the board. They hadn't expected an even faster ball to be thrown by the first year high school student.
Daichi focused on his brother on the mound and felt a tremendous sense of satisfaction. Having known what Ken had to overcome with his injuries and missing out on Osaka, he truly had a lot of respect for everything he'd accomplished.
However, while one could respect their opponents, they should never roll over and admit defeat, not until the final horn sounded to indicate the end of the game.
Therefore he gripped his bat tightly once more and awaited the next pitch. He emptied his mind and stared calmly, intending to hit the next one by hook or by crook.
Yuta threw the ball back to Ken upon the mound who was still wearing a grin. He was amazed just how well his partner was pitching at this moment, it was almost as if he'd turned into a different person altogether.
'Is this what it means to exceed your limits?' Yuta thought as he crouched down into position.
He made the sign for a forkball next, wanting to get Daichi out right in this moment. The last swing had come close to the ball, despite it being the fastest ball Ken had ever pitched.
'We can't be too cautious with this guy.'
Ken nodded. He almost felt as if he was having an out of body experience at the moment. His pitches felt effortless and didn't seem to fatigue him in the slightest.
In the next moment, he lifted his knee and pressed forward, planting his foot in the dirt and whipping his arm out, sending the ball flying.
Daichi's eyes lit up, his grin growing even wider.
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'Gotchya'
WHOOOOOSH
DONG!
The whole arena burst into cheers as the sound of the ball being struck true resounded throughout the stadium. They followed the ball as it sailed into the left outfield, watching on with eager eyes to see where it would land.
Daichi followed the ball with his eyes and let out a laugh, not even bothering to run. His face was still turned up in a grin as he locked gazes with Ken upon the mound.
"Nice pitching Bro." He said with a thumbs up.
Pah
"Out!"
The umpire shouted after seeing the ball sitting securely in Tatsuya's glove. He had needed to run all the way to the back fence, yet he still managed to secure the ball easily in the end.
Ken had mixed emotions as he saw his brother walk off the field and towards the dugout. His strength seemed to leave his body in the same moment, a result of the Showdown and Limit Break skills coming to an end.
Yet something seemed to be bothering him. How was Daichi able to so confidently hit his forkball when it was the first time he'd thrown it this match.
Even in other matches he rarely threw the pitch, mainly to keep his arm safe.
Back in Yokohama, there were 3 figures sitting in front of the TV at the bakery. They were Tetsu, Naomi and Yuki.
"I-Is it over yet?" Yuki asked, her face cradled in both of her hands.
Tetsu jumped up in shock as he saw Ken's pitch being smacked by Daichi into the outfield.
"N-No way!?" He watched on as the ball almost looked like it was going over the fence, only to fall into the waiting glove of the outfielder.
"Haaaah thank goodness."
Tetsu heaved a sigh of relief after seeing that Ken had not given up a home run.
Yuki felt her nerves peak as she asked the group once more if it was over.
"Tch, why are ya even here? If ya don't wanna watch then go home!" Tetsu barked.
It was clear that it wasn't Yuki's first time acting as such while they were trying to watch the game live on TV.
Tetsu suddenly felt the surroundings go cold as an oppressive atmosphere began to creep up on him. He could feel two scary eyes drilling into the back of his neck, giving him an eerie feeling.
"D-Does anyone want some snacks!?" He quickly shot up out of his chair and left the room, running upstairs before he was consumed by fear.
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Naomi couldn't help but laugh out loud, seeing how here husband had retreated so easily.
"Don't mind him Yuki, he's been watching every one of Ken's matches on TV. Even I get yelled at if I bother him during game time." She consoled Yuki whose face had returned to her pouting expression.
She had battled all morning whether or not to watch the game, yet she eventually decided to come. Yuki believed that she owed it to her sons to support them, even if it was half the country away.
"W-Who wants popcorn." Tetsu asked, slipping back into the room with 2 bowls.
"Yes please~"
In another part of the country, an old man with balding gray hair stared at the TV screen, his hand stroking his goatee in contemplation.
"He's fast… I'll give him that."
The old man was interrupted by the clinking sound of a tea set which was brought into the room.
"Grandpa, would you like some tea?" The cute youthful voice asked.
"Yes please, Grandpa loves your tea Miho-Chan~" His usually deep voice seemed to rise a few octaves as he doted on his granddaughter.
She smiled sweetly and poured his tea, before turning her attention to the TV.
"Is there anyone that you've taken a fancy to Grandpa?" She asked, her eyes focusing on one particular individual.
"The kid on 1st base and the one who just hit that ball are good candidates."
Now that they had begun to talk about baseball, the old man's voice retained its former tone and deep resonance.
"What about that tall pitcher? Wasn't he the one who pitched a perfect game and can throw 100mph?" Although she was acting a little coy, her Grandpa knew that she was far more invested in baseball than she led on.
"Oh? Do you like him?" He said, once again stroking his goatee.
"I think he's got the potential to be the number 1 pitcher in Japan." She said with confidence.