"Out!"
The third-year senior from the Old-timers Team had once been a substitute for Seidō's First-String. His strength didn't need further explanation—anyone could tell from his swing alone what kind of power he possessed. In an ordinary high school, he would easily be a cleanup hitter.
Yet such a player had been handled cleanly, eliminated the moment he stepped into the batter's box. Both the Old-timers and the Freshmen on the field stared in disbelief.
How was this possible?
If it had been Zhang Han on the mound, or one of the other well-known new pitchers, the reaction would've been normal. But Kawakami? Aside from a decent showing at the tryouts, he rarely demonstrated any special ability.
Unexpectedly, the moment he stood on the real mound, he was performing this well.
Even the two managers watching from the dugout were stunned.
"He dealt with Kameda so easily… This Kawakami has excellent talent," Takashima Rei observed.
"You can't say that for sure," Manager Ōta replied modestly. "Miyuki's pitch-calling was sharp, and that inside low pitch is exactly the kind Kameda struggles with…"
Even so, the relief on his face was impossible to hide.
"I forgot—this player was specially scouted by Manager Ōta. As expected, you really have an eye for talent."
"Oh—no, no," Ōta said, rubbing the back of his head.
Though he was the club manager and technically above her in position, this was still the Takashima family's school. And Rei was the young lady of that household. Receiving praise from her was a fortune in itself.
Even if it didn't raise his salary or change his position, in the future, if trouble ever came, just a few words from Takashima Rei could turn a crisis into a blessing.
At the very least, she could turn a big problem into a small one—perhaps even make it disappear entirely.
Rei nodded and shifted her gaze back onto the field.
The battle continued.
After losing one out, the Old-timers were not going to back down easily.
"Ping!"
The No. 2 batter didn't bother observing Kawakami's pitching pattern. He swung at the very first ball.
"Swinging at the first pitch?"
The Freshmen couldn't understand. Kawakami's earlier performance had been so solid. Normally, the upperclassmen should take time to watch a few pitches before adjusting.
But they had no intention of studying him. They were swinging with full intention to crush the ball.
As if Kawakami's pitching didn't concern them at all.
"Ping!"
The ball shot into a defensive gap.
"Nice hit!"
"That's it! Let's tie the score in one go!"
In the Old-timers dugout, the seniors were shouting confidently. They too saw potential in Kawakami.
But only potential.
His control and ball movement were decent—but his velocity was slow.
Against such pitchers, they could simply wait longer before swinging.
One out, runner on first.
Behind the plate, Miyuki felt the pressure clearly. Even seniors who weren't First-String regulars were monsters. Among the second team alone, several players made him uneasy.
Facing a lineup of such beasts would crush most people mentally.
But not Miyuki.
Far from being shaken, his eyes were glowing with excitement. It was only when facing opponents like this that the game became interesting.
"Whoosh!"
Kawakami pitched again. The senior on first base exploded into motion—stealing second without hesitation.
Against freshmen, the seniors had zero fear.
They acted without hesitation, without caution, almost instinctively. Even if the Freshmen prepared, the odds of stopping such a runner were low.
The Freshmen's faces stiffened with worry. They believed the situation was hopeless.
Except Miyuki.
"Thwack!"
The moment he caught the pitch, Miyuki was already rising to his feet, launching the ball toward second in a single fluid motion.
"So fast!"
The ball turned into a streak of white, cutting across the field.
Kuramochi, perfectly prepared, received it right above the base.
The baserunner slid in. Kuramochi dropped his glove cleanly in front of the foot.
"Thwack!"
"Out!!"
Two outs. Bases empty.
Another brilliant play—this time by Miyuki and Kuramochi.
The incoming rookies were shining. Zhang Han had blasted a home run. Miyuki had shut down the upperclassmen's running game.
And the Old-timers still had not scored.
"Out!"
Three outs. Changeover.
After two innings, the score remained 2–0.
Although the Old-timers managed three hits, Miyuki's superb handling prevented even a single run from crossing home.
Two full innings. The Freshmen led by two.
The New School Teammates' momentum was real.
************************************
Remember 1 Chapter For Every 50 Power Stones. Do Support.