Chapter 214: The Ace Enomoto Shows a Glimpse of His Strength

Although Naoki Enomoto still harbored a trace of resentment toward the junior who had once defeated him, Sato Toshiya’s consistently outstanding performances throughout the Summer Tournament had gradually changed his opinion. Deep down, he had begun to acknowledge Sato’s ability.

Because of that, he was willing—at least to some extent—to listen to Sato’s advice.

Still, Enomoto refused to give in verbally. Letting out a cold snort, he said irritably,

“Hmph! Maybe you have a point. But how I pitch is something I’ll decide after seeing things with my own eyes.”

Without giving Sato another chance to speak, he turned around and strode toward the field, casually motioning for Sato to follow.

Sato could only smile wryly before silently trailing behind him.

Before long, Kaidou High School’s defensive lineup had taken their positions.

Despite trailing 2–0, none of the players showed the slightest sign of discouragement. Instead, every fielder stood alert and battle-ready, waiting for Yakushi High School’s offense.

Yakushi’s eighth batter, Kobayashi Keisuke, stepped into the batter’s box with determined strides. Gripping the bat tightly with both hands, he fixed his sharp gaze on Enomoto atop the mound, prepared to fight for every pitch even if it meant grinding out the toughest at-bat possible.

Behind home plate, Sato quickly analyzed the situation.

“Based on the first four innings, Yakushi’s lower lineup isn’t particularly threatening. There’s no need to reveal Enomoto-senpai’s full arsenal this early. If he relies on his standard Gyro Ball and his pinpoint command around the edges of the strike zone, that should be more than enough to retire these hitters while keeping his true strength hidden for Kitamura Kou.”

Within moments, Sato had settled on a pitching strategy.

“Hmph… That brat sure likes to overthink everything.”

Watching Sato’s signs, Enomoto clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“With my ability, I could shut these Yakushi nobodies down without relying on any strategy.”

Still, after a brief pause, he reluctantly nodded.

“Whatever. I only warmed up in the bullpen, and that’s never the same as pitching in an actual game. Besides, I want to make sure that annoying brat gets an unforgettable lesson later. I’ll humor you this once.”

With the plan decided, Enomoto lowered his head and adjusted his grip on the baseball one final time.

“Know your place, small fry.”

His eyes narrowed with contempt as he stared at Kobayashi.

Then he suddenly straightened his body.

His arm snapped forward like a fully drawn bowstring being released.

Whoosh!

The baseball shot toward home plate.

The pitch wasn’t particularly fast—around 142 km/h. Compared to Kitamura Kou’s blazing fastballs, it seemed almost ordinary.

But while the velocity wasn’t overwhelming, the command was impeccable.

The pitch darted toward the lower inside corner, landing precisely on the razor-thin boundary between a strike and a ball. It was also the most awkward location possible for Kobayashi, forcing him into an uncomfortable swing if he chose to attack it.

Kobayashi gritted his teeth and prepared to swing despite the awkward location.

But before he could even begin…

The baseball seemed to explode with another burst of speed.

In the blink of an eye, it crossed the plate and slammed cleanly into Sato’s mitt.

Pop!

“Strike!”

The home plate umpire made the call without hesitation.

Kobayashi remained frozen in place.

A chill ran down his spine.

“So… this is the legendary Gyro Ball?”

“It looked like it accelerated right before reaching the plate. One second it was there… the next it was gone.”

“How is anyone supposed to hit a pitch like that?”

Cold sweat trickled down his temple before dripping onto the dirt below.

“Heh.”

Enomoto caught the return throw with an arrogant grin.

“You’re getting shocked way too early.”

“I haven’t even shown one percent of my real ability yet.”

Seeing Kobayashi’s stunned expression only inflated his confidence further.

Without wasting another second, Enomoto began his next delivery.

Whoosh!

The velocity remained almost identical.

This time, however, the baseball screamed toward Kobayashi’s high inside corner—so close that it looked ready to brush past his face.

Watching the ball bear down on him, Kobayashi’s heartbeat spiked.

Instinct took over.

He leaned backward to avoid the pitch, helplessly watching it zip over the plate before disappearing into Sato’s glove.

Pop!

“Strike Two!”

Kobayashi’s involuntary retreat made Enomoto grin even wider.

His lips curled into a smug smile as he lifted his chin proudly, looking down at Kobayashi with undisguised contempt.

In Enomoto’s eyes, he was an insurmountable mountain.

And Kobayashi…

…was nothing more than an ant foolish enough to challenge it.