Chapter 207: First Appearance at Koshien

"Today's game is Seido vs. Seiho, right?"

On Inashiro Industrial's practice field, Narumiya Mei was unusually interested in today's matchup.

Shirakawa, Carlos, and the rest of the team felt the same.

Sano Shuzo was widely recognized as the strongest batter in Japanese high school baseball this year.

Meanwhile, Ushijima Wakatoshi had earned the title of the strongest pitcher in high school baseball.

The clash between these two monsters was enough to capture everyone's attention.

"I hope Seido loses! Damn Ushijima Wakatoshi! They'd better lose!"

Unable to hold himself back, Narumiya Mei revealed his childish side once again.

His teammates simply ignored him.

Across Japan, every school that had previously faced Seido was closely watching this game.

Akikawa's ace, You Shunshin.

Ichidai Sankou's former ace, Manaka.

Their current ace, Amahisa Kousei.

Even Yakushi's players had gathered to watch.

Everyone wanted to see just how far Seido could go.

...

Game day arrived.

Both teams had already stepped onto the sacred field of Koshien.

"USHIJIMA!!"

The moment Seido appeared, thunderous cheers erupted throughout the stadium.

This was one of the most anticipated games of the tournament.

Hundreds of thousands of fans were following it, while television stations and reporters covered every moment.

Even media outlets from Long Country had sent reporters after hearing about Ushijima Wakatoshi's incredible performances.

During Seido's journey to Koshien, Ushijima had already blasted six home runs in just two games.

No player in this year's Summer Koshien had hit more.

More impressively, among all forty-nine participating schools, he currently led the tournament in individual home runs.

The top two sluggers both belonged to Seido.

Ushijima Wakatoshi — 6 Home Runs

Yuki Tetsuya — 4 Home Runs

As for Seiho's feared cleanup hitter, Sano Shuzo, he had only managed two, placing third.

"Alright, here's today's starting lineup."

Coach Kataoka looked toward his players.

1st — Left Field — Kuramochi

2nd — Shortstop — Kominato Ryosuke

3rd — Center Field — Isashiki

4th — First Base — Yuki

5th — Pitcher — Ushijima

6th — Third Base — Masuko

7th — Catcher — Miyuki

8th — Right Field — Shirasu

9th — Second Base — Kominato Haruichi

"...Eh?"

Haruichi blinked in surprise after hearing his brother's position.

"Yahaha! The Kominato brothers forming the middle infield? Nice!"

Kuramochi had no complaints about being moved to left field.

"Coach... am I playing shortstop or second base?"

Haruichi asked shyly.

"You idiot."

Ryosuke smiled helplessly.

"You're batting ninth. I'm the one playing shortstop."

"Hehe..."

Realizing his mistake, Haruichi scratched his head awkwardly.

Ushijima understood Coach Kataoka's reasoning immediately.

With him on the mound, very few balls would actually reach the outfield.

The outfielders would have relatively little to do.

Compared to Kuramochi, Haruichi lacked both speed and range, making left field less suitable for him.

Kuramochi, however, possessed elite speed and excellent defensive instincts, allowing him to cover plenty of ground.

As for Ryosuke, although his primary position was second base, he had spent years forming a double-play combination with Kuramochi.

Playing shortstop posed no real problem.

Besides Miyuki, almost everyone in Seido's starting lineup could comfortably play multiple positions.

Haruichi's experience at shortstop was still limited, making this the safest defensive arrangement.

After all, shortstop and second base shared many responsibilities.

The shortstop guarded the area between second and third base.

The second baseman covered the space between first and second.

The coordination between those two positions formed the core of an infield's defense.

"Take the field!"

Yuki Tetsuya shouted.

"OOOH!!"

The entire Seido team answered in unison before running onto the field.

The live commentator immediately raised his voice.

"And now, taking the mound... the strongest pitcher of this Summer Koshien!"

"Ushijima Wakatoshi, an international student from Long Country, stands 188 centimeters tall and weighs 80 kilograms."

"He is an aggressive power pitcher who attacks hitters fearlessly with overpowering velocity."

"His fastball consistently exceeds 150 kilometers per hour, and he possesses an incredible arsenal of fastball-based pitches."

"Four-Seam Fastball."

"Two-Seam Fastball."

"Cutter."

"Sinker."

"High-Speed Jet Ball."

"Forkball."

"He is widely regarded as the strongest pitcher remaining in this Summer Koshien."

"Although this is his first appearance on the mound at Koshien, nobody dares underestimate him."

"And that's because his bat is every bit as terrifying as his pitching."

"So far, he has already hit six home runs in only two games—including a dramatic walk-off home run."

"He is a genuine two-way superstar."

"Professional teams throughout Japan are closely following his every move."

"Even Major League Baseball scouts have begun monitoring Ushijima Wakatoshi."

The commentator's introduction left countless spectators stunned.

Many hadn't realized just how famous Ushijima had already become.

Meanwhile, the game was about to begin.

Seiho would bat first.

Seido would take the field.

Across Japan, televisions were tuned into this matchup, and the viewership had already surpassed forty percent.

Standing atop the mound, Ushijima calmly squeezed the rosin bag.

Koshien... my first appearance as a pitcher.

Behind the plate, Miyuki adjusted his mitt.

How are you planning to open this game?

Over the previous two games, Miyuki's catching duties had been anything but relaxing.

After growing accustomed to working with Ushijima, suddenly switching between Furuya and Tanba had nearly driven him crazy.

Kawakami was at least dependable.

But Furuya and Tanba...

Every inning with them felt like riding a roller coaster.

Now, finally reunited with Ushijima, Miyuki could breathe easy again.

Alright... let's put on a show.

Across from them, Seiho's leadoff batter tightened his grip on the bat.

Every player on Seiho knew exactly how terrifying Ushijima Wakatoshi was.

After all, surviving the brutal competition of West Tokyo was proof enough of his strength.

Come on... let me see what you've got...

Before he could finish the thought—

Ushijima moved.

He brought both hands above his head.

His left leg lifted high.

Then—

He exploded forward.

His body rotated violently.

His right arm whipped through with explosive force.

The baseball shot from his fingertips.

"Oh da!"

As always, Ushijima instinctively shouted his trademark catchphrase.

WHOOSH!!

The baseball screamed toward home plate at over 155 km/h.

The instant the Seiho leadoff hitter saw it—

His entire body froze.

It felt less like a baseball...

...and more like a ferocious beast charging straight at him.

Instinctively, he swung.

THUD!!

The ball slammed into Miyuki's mitt like a cannon blast.

The batter remained frozen in his follow-through.

His eyes were wide with disbelief.

What... was that...?

For a split second...

He could have sworn he had seen a roaring beast rushing toward him.

Fear had made him swing before his mind could even react.