When Kominato Ryosuke successfully hit the ball foul, the impact on Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team was immense.

They only then realized that as the game progressed, it wasn’t just Seido High School Baseball Team that was suffering. It was also themselves. And their Ace.

By now, Narumiya Mei had thrown over sixty pitches, nearing seventy. His first peak of physical strength had already passed. For the remaining pitches, it would be good enough for him to maintain his current state; improving further would be difficult.

Meanwhile, the Seido High School Baseball Team players, having adapted during the first two rounds, were clearly starting to catch up to Narumiya Mei’s pitching speed. This meant that even players other than Zhang Han and Yuuki would likely be able to make contact and hit the ball. The challenge Inashiro Industrial faced had become considerably more difficult.

“Two outs…”

“Let him hit it!”

The fielders voluntarily spoke up, cheering Narumiya Mei on. The fans in the stands were even more frenzied.

However, Narumiya Mei on the pitcher’s mound showed no appreciation whatsoever. He glared at them with angry eyes.

What did they mean? Did they think he was finished? That he couldn’t hold on any longer and needed encouragement from his teammates and the crowd?

That was simply a joke. He still had infinite power within him.

“Whoosh!”

Hooking his two fingers tightly around the baseball, Narumiya Mei put almost his entire body weight into the next pitch. The baseball’s speed seemed faster than ever.

However, Kominato Ryosuke did not swing. He watched the baseball fly past with wide eyes.

“Thwack!”

“Foul ball!”

Harada, in the catcher’s position, frowned slightly. Too much force had caused the pitch to deviate slightly from its intended direction. It was no surprise that Narumiya Mei’s pitch went awry.

But what bothered Harada wasn’t Narumiya Mei’s willfulness. It was Kominato Ryosuke’s reaction.

That last pitch wasn’t far from the edge of the strike zone, yet he didn’t swing?

He was watching very carefully.

In this situation, getting him out would truly require some thought.

Just as Harada was pondering how to do it, Narumiya Mei threw a confident pitch. The white ball whistled in, extremely close to the inside corner.

Kominato Ryosuke narrowed his eyes, a stubborn look on his face. Seeing the baseball flying towards him, he initially intended to swing, but he suddenly stopped less than halfway through.

Is this a changeup?

The ball, which had been within the strike zone, slid out before reaching home plate.

“Thwack!”

The baseball burrowed into Harada’s mitt.

“Ball!”

Kominato Ryosuke didn’t swing. The count became two strikes, three balls. A full count. The next pitch would decide everything.

Both Harada and Narumiya Mei’s expressions were complex. Earlier, watching game footage of Kominato Ryosuke forcing pitchers to walk him had been quite satisfying. Now that it was happening to them, the feeling was entirely different.

Once Kominato Ryosuke could control the ball and hit it foul, he immediately became a devil. He was too difficult to deal with.

And the next batter up was someone Harada absolutely did not want to face with runners on base. Before it was Zhang Han and Yuuki’s turn, it was best to have no one on base.

From that perspective, they could not let Kominato Ryosuke get on base.

After weighing his options, Harada signaled for a forkball. Since they knew the opponent wanted to hit the ball foul, the best pitch location would be dead center. Only a pitch down the middle would be difficult to foul off.

However, a pitch dead center was too risky; they couldn’t throw that. So they settled for the next best thing: a fastball-forkball down the middle. Such a pitch would also be difficult to foul off.

Even if it’s hit, I’ll block it with my body!

Harada’s resolve was firm.

Narumiya Mei nodded slightly after seeing the signal.

“Since Harada-senpai has made up his mind, how can I not invite you to the field?”

The white ball whistled out.

Kominato Ryosuke, who had been persistently fouling pitches, did not do so this time. He took his stance, saw the baseball fly in, and swung directly. He was aiming two balls below the fastball.

“Ping…”

The white ball was struck and rebounded away.

Harada’s eyes showed deep disbelief.

He guessed it? Or rather, he saw through it. Did the opponent know they planned to use a forkball?

“Second Baseman!”

Ignoring everything else, Harada stood up to alert his teammates. But it was too late. Before Hirai could dive, the baseball flew out a step ahead of him, rebounding into the outfield. By the time Carlos ran up to pick up the ball, Kominato Ryosuke had safely reached first base.

Two outs, runner on first base.

Kominato Ryosuke had stubbornly gotten his hit, extending the lineup to the third batter, Zhang Han.

A huge roar erupted from Seido High School Baseball Team’s dugout and the stands.

“Nice hit!”

“His eye was too accurate!!”

“Let’s keep this momentum and score!”

Even the commentator, Fujita, was amazed.

“During Koshien previously, this player already began to display his own hitting style. In just two short months, he has made further progress, and his hitting style has already begun to take shape.”

Constantly pestering the pitcher, looking for an opportunity to hit the ball out. In professional baseball, there are quite a few skilled players like this. Kominato Ryosuke, despite his small stature, might truly achieve something in his baseball career.

Do not underestimate that evaluation.

Even in the current Seido High School Baseball Team, if no accidents occur, the only one certain to make a name for himself in professional baseball is Yuuki Tetsuya. The rest, including Zhang Han and Miyuki, are still unknowns; one can only say there is a very high possibility.

Now, Kominato Ryosuke had received that same high evaluation.

The Inashiro Industrial players felt as miserable as if they had eaten chaff.

As they watched Zhang Han walk to the batter’s box, they felt even worse. To face this opponent with a runner on base? They were just too unlucky.

“Hit it, Zhang Han!!”

“It’s all up to you!”

“Zhang San, you’re the coolest!”

“Han-kun…”

From the dugout, from the stands, and even among neutral fans, many people joined in the excitement. The main force was Zhang Han’s fan club of twenty to thirty girls. When they screamed in unison, every other sound in the stadium was suppressed.

In such an atmosphere, facing Narumiya Mei, Zhang Han’s own feelings were very different from before.

He hadn’t expected it to be like this.

Narumiya Mei’s expression was a mixture of annoyance and displeasure. The annoyance was probably because of Kominato Ryosuke. The displeasure was because of himself.

Zhang Han narrowed his eyes. If he were in the opponent’s shoes, he would feel just as conflicted. Zhang Han had hit the ball out the previous two times.

And now it was this complicated situation again.

What was the probability of Narumiya Mei throwing a changeup?

Since getting Yuuki out, Narumiya Mei hadn’t used a changeup once. His purpose was one of two things: either he was using the changeup as a bluff, with no real intention of throwing it often, or he was saving it specifically for himself and Yuuki.

Two months had passed since the Summer Tournament ended, meaning Narumiya Mei had only practiced the changeup for two full months. The probability of the second possibility was less than twenty percent.

It was the first one.

Zhang Han’s mind worked rapidly, running through possible scenarios. He had actually started thinking about it before he stepped up to bat, but only figured it out once he was at the plate.

It wouldn’t be a changeup. At least not the first pitch.

So what would the first pitch be?

“Whoosh!”

Without much hesitation, Zhang Han swung at Narumiya Mei’s first pitch.

The baseball was thrown slightly above center, desperately trying to mimic a changeup. Perhaps Narumiya Mei wanted to plant an impression in Zhang Han’s mind first. But it wasn’t a changeup. It was a fastball.

Zhang Han’s read was accurate. Facing such a pitch, he needed to aim one ball above where the fastball would land. Timing it perfectly, he swung with all his might.

When the bat made contact, a huge recoil force traveled through Zhang Han’s hands.

What a solid hit.

The baseball was forcefully swept away. As if sensing it, Zhang Han released his bat and raised his left hand.

That ball flew all the way into the left field stands.

“It flew, it flew out!!!”

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