Chapter 187: Toying With

The baseball tore through the air like a blazing meteor, hurtling straight toward Kusano.

Faced with such a ferocious pitch, Kusano froze for only the briefest instant before regaining his composure.

After all, he wasn't an inexperienced rookie.

He had spent an entire year battling alongside Shigeno Goro, practicing, competing, and growing together.

The overwhelming fastball in front of him was every bit as powerful as the ones Goro had thrown.

For a first-year to possess this level of velocity was certainly astonishing.

But it wasn't enough to shake him.

Kusano inhaled deeply.

He tightened his grip on the bat, focused every ounce of strength into his swing, and attacked the incoming pitch without hesitation.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion echoed across the stadium as the baseball crashed into Akaishi Osamu's mitt like a bolt of thunder.

Unfortunately, that split-second of hesitation at the beginning of the pitch had been enough.

Kusano's swing lagged just behind the ball.

He cut through empty air.

"Strike!"

The umpire's voice rang out.

"Ohhh!!"

"One hundred fifty-five kilometers per hour!"

"What unbelievable velocity!"

"The moment Kitamura Kou stepped onto the mound, he showed exactly why he's Yakushi's ace!"

"A 155 km/h fastball on his very first pitch! What an incredible statement!"

The commentator's voice had nearly gone hoarse, yet he continued shouting with unrestrained excitement.

His passionate calls echoed throughout the stadium.

The spectators erupted.

Cheers and screams rolled across the stands like crashing waves, instantly turning Koshien into a sea of excitement.

Meanwhile, Kusano remained in the batter's box, his brows tightly furrowed.

That wasn't a Gyroball...

So why did it feel so similar to Goro's?

Questions filled his mind.

He stared intently at Kitamura Kou, carefully observing every movement.

Every detail.

Every habit.

Searching for the answer hidden within the young pitcher's mechanics.

Inside Kaidou High School's dugout...

Most of the players were still fired up, eager to crush Kitamura Kou at the plate.

But a few veterans had noticed something unusual.

Sengoku Masato frowned deeply.

His expression had grown unusually serious.

"You noticed it too?"

he asked quietly without taking his eyes off the mound.

Naoki Enomoto nodded.

"I did."

"I don't know exactly how he's doing it..."

"But that fastball has something in common with Goro's Gyroball."

"It's subtle..."

"But it's definitely there."

His narrowed eyes carefully followed every motion of Kitamura's pitching delivery, trying to uncover the secret behind it.

Completely unaware of the attention he was receiving, Kitamura calmly prepared for his next pitch.

He brought both hands together.

Lifted his front leg.

Stepped forward.

His right arm whipped through with explosive speed.

BOOM!!

The baseball shot from his fingertips once again, screaming toward home plate like an arrow released from a fully drawn bow.

I have to figure it out...

Kusano's concentration reached its absolute peak.

Everything around him disappeared.

The roaring crowd.

The dugouts.

Even the batter's box beneath his feet.

Only the baseball remained.

His eyes tracked every detail.

Its velocity.

Its spin.

The slightest deviation in its trajectory.

Even the subtle disturbances created as it sliced through the air.

He searched desperately for the hidden secret behind Kitamura Kou's overwhelming fastball.

Thump!!

"Strike two!"

Kusano's eyes widened.

An ordinary four-seam fastball?

"Damn it..."

"I got played by that brat!"

His body trembled with frustration as he glared at the smiling figure on the mound.

The anger in his heart surged to its limit.

He was so furious that his teeth clenched together, wishing he could wipe that smug grin off Kitamura Kou's face himself.

Meanwhile, Kitamura merely narrowed his eyes, a faint smile curling across his lips.

He thoroughly enjoyed the look on Kusano's face.

Well?

Confused?

Frustrated?

You're trying to figure out the secret behind my first pitch, aren't you?

Hehehe...

Unfortunately for you...

I'm not going to make it that easy.

Keep wondering.

Keep doubting yourself.

Sink deeper into that confusion.

Kitamura slowly exhaled.

His eyes locked onto Akaishi Osamu's mitt once more.

He raised both arms high above his head.

Stepped forward.

His right arm whipped forward with explosive force.

Every ounce of power gathered at his fingertips before being released.

BOOM!!

The baseball exploded from his hand.

Before Kusano could sort through the chaos in his mind, the ball was already racing toward the plate.

Which one is it?

Another ordinary four-seamer?

Or that mysterious fastball from the first pitch?

Damn it...

There's no time to think!

With no other choice, Kusano committed to his swing.

Voom!

The bat tore through empty air.

Thump!!

The baseball slammed cleanly into Akaishi's mitt.

"Strike three!"

"Batter out!"

The umpire's call echoed throughout the stadium.

Kusano lowered his head for a brief moment before turning back toward the dugout.

"...Damn it."

"I was completely toyed with."

He glanced back at Kitamura one last time.

"Just wait."

"I'll make you pay the next time we face each other."

Inside Kaidou High School's dugout—

Yakushiji stared silently at the young pitcher on the mound.

"When was the last time Kusano struck out?"

No one answered immediately.

After a brief silence, Mayumura Ken shrugged.

"I don't remember."

"It's been too long."

Sato Toshiya calmly fastened his helmet.

His movements were smooth and unhurried as he picked up his bat and stepped toward the on-deck circle.

Without changing his expression, he replied,

"If I remember correctly..."

"The last time was against Goro."

His voice remained as calm as still water.

There wasn't the slightest trace of surprise or panic over Kusano's strikeout.

Instead, his composure spread naturally through the dugout.

The slight uneasiness that had begun to surface among Kaidou's players quietly disappeared.

One by one, their expressions steadied.

Their cleanup hitter hadn't even stepped into the batter's box yet.

As long as Sato Toshiya remained calm...

So would Kaidou High School.

After countless battles and relentless growth, Sato was beginning to display the poise, leadership, and unwavering composure expected of Kaidou High School's future cleanup hitter.