Inside the dugout of Seido High School Baseball Team.
Coach Kataoka stood with his arms crossed, sunglasses still on, his expression unreadable. He gathered the batters who were about to step onto the field, his presence alone enough to quiet everyone instantly.
"Kameshima hasn't used his gyroball since the first inning," Kataoka said bluntly.
"That means one of two things. Either he doesn't plan to use it, or he can't use it."
His voice remained calm, but the meaning behind the words carried weight.
"So aim for everything except the gyroball. Don't chase it. Our lineup is starting from the middle now. Let's get another run."
"Yes!" the players responded in unison.
Coach Kataoka's instructions were always like this. Clear. Sharp. Final.
He never left room for debate.
As a person, this kind of personality wasn't particularly likable. No one enjoyed being ordered around, even by a superior. Being told what to do, especially without explanation, naturally made people uncomfortable.
But on the baseball field, it was different.
Here, decisiveness mattered more than comfort.
Every player had his own thoughts, instincts, and understanding of the game. The same situation could look completely different depending on who was observing it. If everyone followed their own judgment at the same time, the result wouldn't be creativity. It would be chaos.
That was why leadership mattered.
There was an old saying passed down through generations.
"A household with a thousand mouths needs only one master."
In team sports, this principle was even more important.
The team needed a single voice to unify everyone's thinking. Whether that unified command was right or wrong depended entirely on the person giving it. But overall, it was far more reliable than letting everyone act independently.
Kataoka had transitioned from player to director not too long ago. He still had room to grow before being called a top-tier high school director.
But when it came to insight, he was far from lacking.
He saw the core of the problem almost instantly.
On the field, Azuma Kiyokuni stepped into the batter's box.
This time, he deliberately shortened his grip on the bat.
Facing Seido's fourth batter, Kameshima and his catcher immediately became serious. They believed the psychological pressure of the gyroball still lingered in Azuma's mind. Their plan was simple.
Throw a few corner pitches.
If Azuma swung, he would likely mishit. If he didn't, they could still get ahead in the count.
Either way, they held the advantage.
It was a solid plan.
But Azuma didn't follow their script.
The very first pitch was an inside ball that barely missed the strike zone.
Azuma swung.
"Ping!"
The baseball shot forward, fast in and even faster out.
Ichidai San's shortstop didn't even have time to react before the ball zipped past him and into the outfield.
"Haha! Haha!!!"
Azuma laughed loudly as he sprinted toward first base, his confidence fully unleashed.
No outs.
Runner on first.
Had he been seen through?
Kameshima stood on the mound, a strange, uncomfortable feeling rising in his chest.
In the stands, Seido's supporters exploded with excitement. Cheers roared like waves crashing against the field.
"Fifth batter, first baseman, Yuuki Tetsuya!"
Yuuki stepped up next.
Inside Ichidai San's dugout, Director Tahara frowned.
Something wasn't right.
Azuma Kiyokuni's approach had changed completely. He had abandoned his usual long-hitting swing and adopted a conservative, hit-first mindset.
The change was too obvious to ignore.
Tahara couldn't help but wonder.
Was this Azuma's own realization? Or was this Kataoka's instruction?
The difference between the two possibilities was enormous.
If it was the player's personal adjustment, Ichidai San might give up a run, but the overall situation would remain manageable.
But if this was Kataoka's strategy…
Then Seido High School Baseball Team had fundamentally changed their offensive approach.
"Ping!"
Another solid sound echoed.
Yuuki swung carefully, cleanly, and the ball slipped through the infield.
Another hit.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Seido suddenly abandoned its previous aggressive strategy. Instead, they switched to a steady, positional battle.
Azuma Kiyokuni.
Yuuki Tetsuya.
Back-to-back hits.
No outs.
Runners on first and second.
The pressure on Ichidai Third High School skyrocketed.
Then, Zhang Han stepped into the batter's box.
This was a critical moment. Ichidai San faced a massive crisis.
Fortunately, they weren't fools. They quickly realized something was wrong. The gyroball bluff no longer worked.
Seido's batters weren't biting.
They didn't care.
They had completely abandoned the idea of chasing the gyroball. Instead, they waited patiently for other pitches they could hit.
And Ichidai San was still pretending, still threatening with a weapon they weren't using. That wasn't strategy. That was suicide.
When Kameshima finally understood this, he closed his eyes briefly, pain flickering across his face. Then, he made a decisive choice.
The gyroball.
The pitch he had sealed away. He brought it out.
His catcher was visibly worried.
Unless a pitcher was naturally built for it, throwing a gyroball put tremendous strain on the body. The pitching motion conflicted with natural movement, forcing the pitcher to fight against his own inertia.
Simply put, it was exhausting. Far more exhausting than normal pitching.
Originally, Kameshima had no intention of revealing it this early. His stamina simply couldn't sustain repeated use. But now, he had no choice.
"With Seido's current rate of consumption, it's impossible to last until the end," Kameshima thought grimly. "We'll last as long as we can."
He let go of everything else. His only mission now was simple.
Stop Seido's offense.
Nothing else mattered.
"Ping!"
Zhang Han swung.
The bat struck the white ball, and a violent recoil surged through his arms. Zhang Han's heart leaped with joy. The stronger the recoil, the more solid the contact.
"Go!"
He poured strength into the swing, trying to force the ball through.
But the baseball refused to obey.
Instead of flying out, it smashed into the ground and bounced sharply upward. The change was so sudden that Zhang Han froze for a split second. By the time he reacted, the ball had already been fielded and thrown back to first base.
"Out!"
"Out!!"
Zhang Han was out.
Yuuki, caught between bases, was also taken out.
Double play.
Two outs. Runner on third.
The field fell into stunned silence.
Everything had changed in an instant. The Seido players stared in disbelief. They had just decided to ignore the gyroball entirely. Now, reality slapped them hard.
The strategy no longer worked. Whether Kameshima had fully guessed their intentions or something else was at play, one thing was certain.
Seido High School Baseball Team's previous plan had failed.
Coach Kataoka immediately called the players together again. His voice remained steady, unwavering.
"You've all seen the opponent's response," he said. "Trying to score quickly and widen the lead in a short time… that hope is probably gone."
He paused.
"But don't be discouraged. There are still other ways."
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