Chapter 32: Smashing Suns

Ping!

"OUT!!"

The baseball seemed to have a predetermined path, landing directly in the outfield defended by Teito High School.

This bizarre scene made the players of Yakushi feel as nauseated as if they had eaten something bitter.

The most terrifying part is that, even now, they still can't figure out what went wrong.

On the pitcher's mound, Mukai Taiyou wore a smile as bright as the sun.

He relished this feeling—the sensation of playing with his opponents at will.

"Keep swinging your bats like clowns!"

In that moment, Yakushi's once-mighty lineup had become mere puppets for him to play with.

Completely under the control of the opponent, they had to do whatever Mukai wanted.

By the end of the fourth inning, even Raichi was unable to get a hit.

His hit flew high into the outfield and was caught by the outfielder.

In Yakushi's dugout, even the usually laid-back Superintendent Todoroki Raizou could no longer maintain his calm demeanor. He stood with his hands on his hips, staring at Teito's pitcher's mound.

The opponent was more troublesome than he had imagined.

Before the game, he had certainly made careful preparations. However, those preparations did not yield the desired results when faced with real competition.

'Mukai Taiyou!'

This pitcher, who gained fame in Tokyo's youth leagues, had always been the ace of the team. Although he had just entered his second year, his combat experience was astonishing.

'I need to come up with a solution quickly!'

Raizou secretly resolved to devise a strategy to take down Mukai as soon as possible.

But before he could act, Teito High School's offense began.

Ping!

First came a double from the third batter, followed by a timely hit from Kengo Inui!

The score became 2:1, with Teito High School completing the comeback.

As the strongest team in the East Tokyo area, Teito High School had even more fans than other giants.

At that moment, thousands of spectators erupted into cheers.

The situation facing Yakushi took a drastic turn for the worse.

Then their Ace pitcher Sanada stepped up, scoring consecutive Outs and finally preventing Inui from reaching home plate, keeping the score from expanding further.

However, recovering a point proved to be extremely difficult.

In the ensuing game, Mukai demonstrated to the Yakushi players what 3D pitching really means.

Sometimes, you can't blame Mukai Taiyou for being overly proud; he truly has the right to be.

The world he sees is not in the same dimension as that of ordinary players.

In the 3D realm, his pitching was unstoppable.

Though the players of Yakushi actively swung their bats, they were quickly eliminated.

As the game reached the seventh inning, the score remained 2:1.

Throughout this process, it wasn't that Teito High School didn't get players on base.

While they were not known for their offensive power, their batting ability was certainly not lacking. If not for a bit of bad luck, the score might have widened.

This situation continued until the seventh inning when Yakushi High School was on offense.

By this point in the game, apart from Raichi's super long hit in the second inning, Mukai Taiyou had not allowed any Yakushi players on base.

His dominant pitching prowess astonished the entire audience.

The Trickster truly lived up to his name.

In the seventh inning, he quickly secured Outs against both the second and third batters.

Mishima felt a surge of frustration during his at-bat.

Unfortunately, it was all in vain; he fell for the trap again.

After making contact, the ball turned into an infield rebound.

It was securely caught by Mukai Taiyou and thrown to first base.

Two Outs, no one on base.

For the battery, this was a once-in-a-lifetime duel opportunity.

So they chose to face Raichi head-on!

In Yakushi High School's dugout, Todoroki Raizou's expression was slightly stiff.

His previously arranged plans had not succeeded, and now he could only pin his hopes on his precious son.

At this point, if they failed, it would be disastrous.

"It's up to you, Raichi!"

When both teams have exceptional pitchers, the game can easily turn into a pitching duel.

Although Sanada Shunpei's strength was quite good, he still fell slightly short compared to Mukai Taiyou.

The current situation spoke for itself.

The score was 2:1, with Yakushi High School trailing.

In this case, if Yakushi High School wanted to stage a comeback, the only path was to confront the opposing pitcher directly.

If he couldn't defeat Mukai Taiyou in a head-to-head matchup, Yakushi would likely struggle to recover the score.

They had to make contact.

"Keha-ha-haa! Keha-ha-haa!!"

In the Batter's Box, Raichi laughed, his laughter unsettling enough to distract even Kengo Inui.

Though he despised such antics, Inui didn't underestimate Raichi.

'This guy was just too strong!'

'While he might not seem particularly clever, his batting strength was undeniable.'

Once targeted by him, the situation could quickly become troublesome.

After some thought, Kengo Inui was cautious when signaling.

He even considered using an ambiguous corner pitch against Raichi.

But upon reflection, that didn't seem effective.

'Raichi's hitting range was vast; he could hit even ambiguous pitches.'

To prevent him from making contact, the only solution was to rely on Mukai's pitching style and precise game-calling...

'Bring it!'

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, and finally, one idea emerged.

Inui confidently signaled Mukai.

Taiyou on the pitcher's mound nodded affirmatively in response.

At that moment, the minds of the Teito battery were closely aligned.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were of one mind.

Taiyou fully understood Inui's intentions with that signal and believed he could use such a pitch to deal with Raichi.

Just as they had done before!

Whoosh!

After assuming his stance, Mukai Taiyou threw the ball.

Raichi in the Batter's Box felt like a beast poised to devour his prey.

If there were anime effects at that moment, his eyes would undoubtedly glow with a demonic crimson light.

Fixating on the incoming baseball, he roared within himself.

'Bring it on!'

'Bring it on!'

'Throw it in!!!'

The small ball fell into a low course, appearing very fast.

This was Mukai Taiyou's duel-winning screwball.

Whoosh!!

The moment he saw the opponent's winning shot, Raichi felt not a shred of disappointment; instead, he was filled with satisfaction.

'THIS IS IT!'

As the ball approached his hands, it carried a slight change.

Mukai Taiyou's low-course screwball, during his match against the Seidou High School baseball team, Coach Kataoka had instructed all batters to give up on that type of pitch!

If all pitches were graded, Taiyou's screwball would surely be at the top.

Teito High School's battery had used the winning shot from the beginning to deepen the impression of this type of ball in Raichi's mind.

They didn't naively think they could solve Raichi with just that pitch.

But securing two Strikes should still be feasible.

The final knockout pitch, of course, had other plans.

This entire strategy had been formed the moment Inui gave Mukai the first signal.

Both of them had simultaneous thoughts in their minds...

But the development of events turned out somewhat unexpectedly.

Watching the ball fly toward him, the crimson light in Raichi's eyes intensified.

Only when the small ball was right in front of him did he suddenly widen his eyes.

'NOW!!!!'

BUUUZZZZZZ!!

During his swing, a small whirlwind erupted in the entire Batter's Box, centered on Raichi.

BANGGG!!!!!!

The bat didn't make solid contact, and Mukai's pitch had a sharp break.

But Raichi's swing was stronger; even if he didn't hit the ball perfectly, he relied on his raw strength to force it out.

Whrroosh!

The ball flew out faster than it had come, arcing high and landing in the outfield stands.

"Keha-ha-haa! Keha-ha-haa!!!!"

It felt like a direct blow to the soul, helping Yakushi High School tie the score.

The total score became 2:2.

But it wasn't over yet; next, Sanada Shunpei hit the ball beautifully.

Yakushi High's sixth batter seized the opportunity for a timely hit.

In this inning, Yakushi High School completed the comeback.

The total score became 3:2.

After that, although Teito High School created several good scoring opportunities, Sanada's pitching was like an impenetrable steel wall.

They never managed to score again.

The score remained at 3:2 until the eighth inning.

In that inning's offense, Mishima finally broke through and scored a hit!

Following that, Raichi hit a home run.

The score shot up to 5:2.

In the final inning, Teito High School managed to score a consolation point.

The score became 5:3.

This was also the final score of the game.

In this match, the standout performance belonged to Raichi, who hit a total of two home runs, a long hit, and three RBIs!

He went up to bat four times and connected three times.

His batting average was an impressive 75%!

He displayed an extraordinarily terrifying prowess.

Of course, the entire lineup of Yakushi High School also left a deep impression.

They showcased strength that rivaled Seidou High School!

"This opponent is a bit tricky!"

On the stands, Coach Ochiai stroked his little beard, pondering.

However, Superintendent Kataoka's expression remained calm as he stood up and turned to leave the field.

"Let's go!"

The team members of Seidou High stood up in unison, following Superintendent Kataoka out in a line.

…

T/N: Taiyou(太陽) means the Sun

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