With a runner on second—And with Kuramochi's speed, if he went for a steal…
There'd be no stopping him.
So aside from necessary precautions, Seiko's defense had to shift full focus to the batter.
The next two hitters in Seidou's lineup were even more troubleso.
Now was the ti to secure an out—any out.
Behind the plate, Masu Shinichirou cast a heavy glance toward Eijun, who was crouched in the on-deck circle.
Then, his sharp eyes swept across Seiko's infielders.
They all responded by nodding, eyes tense. Especially the third baseman—his entire body tensed, muscles coiled, eyes locked on Kuramochi at second.
Even if they knew stopping him was unlikely—
They couldn't let him advance freely.
Otherwise, Seidou's montum would snowball.
"Ryuhei, relax a little—it's just the first inning. Don't try to overpower everything."
Masu's eyes settled on Kojima Ryuhei. He gave a subtle signal.
Kojima nodded grimly.
His leg lifted high—
Then ca the driving motion of his arm.
"BOOM!"
Dust flew up with his steps, adding to the building intensity.
"Fwoosh!"
A white flash streaked from the mound—
A fastball, hurtling straight toward the batter, Kominato Haruichi.
As the ball entered Haruichi's field of vision—
His pink eyes lit up with sharp focus, his hair fluttering slightly with his movent.
Inside fastball.
Haruichi's expression hardened.
With swift footwork and a fluid stride, he rotated his upper body—
The bat whipped through the zone with calm and calculated precision.
"Swish—"
The wooden bat sliced the air, trailing cold, composed energy.
Then—
"Ping!"
The clear, crisp sound of solid contact echoed.
Haruichi's eyes flashed with a glimr of satisfaction.
Just as Eijun said.
...
At the sa mont—
Kojima Ryuhei and Masu Shinichirou's expressions froze.
The first pitch—again?!
Sure, Seidou was known for aggressive play—but this was on another level.
This wasn't just strong play—it was relentless.
Where was the feeling-out phase?
The timing adjustnts?
The mutual scouting?
None of that.
They weren't giving Seiko any room to breathe.
"Whoosh!"
The white blur tore through the air—
A perfect arc traced through the sky, like a teor streaking past the infield.
Seiko's fielders couldn't even react in ti.
"Plop!"
The ball dropped vertically into the gap between right and center field.
A low, muffled sound confird the hit.
...
"Ho plate!"
Almost the mont the ball landed, Kuramochi took off from second base like a phantom.
His body a blur—
His sprint—explosive.
The mont the ball dropped into the outfield, Masu Shinichirou's pupils flashed with anxiety. He imdiately stood upright, shouting directions toward the outfield.
Unfortunately for Seiko—
Their defense wasn't slow, but Kuramochi was even faster.
As long as the ball cleared the infield and landed, there had never been a ti when Kuramochi didn't score from scoring position.
Just as Seiko's right fielder picked up the ball and turned to fire it ho—
"Shffft!"
Like a shadow chasing the wind—
Kuramochi streaked toward ho plate.
The ball hadn't even neared ho, and Kuramochi had already stepped on the plate with ease, raising a clenched fist in celebration.
Masu's mouth twitched slightly at the sight.
"Smack!"
As the throw reached the plate, it was already too late.
At the sa ti, Haruichi had safely landed on first base.
Masu could only sigh and lower his glove.
"Safe!"
"OHHHH!! What a brilliant 1-2 combo from Seidou High! Kominato Haruichi with the tily RBI single! Kuramochi, using his blazing speed, dashes ho! Seidou takes the lead in the top of the 1st!!"
"Yeahhh! Nice one, Kuramochi!"
"Perfect hit, Haruichi!"
"First blood!!"
"Keep it going, Sawamura!"
"Let's go, Seidou!"
"Seidou! Seidou! Seidou!"
The dugout and stands erupted in cheers.
Up in the seats—
Tetsuya, Chris, Masuko, and the others, who ca together to watch today's ga, all smiled with satisfaction.
Their forr team hadn't crumbled after their departure.
Seidou still carried the pressure and pride of a champion.
That alone made them happier than anything.
Back when they were still active, they worried about lineup chemistry and offensive firepower.
It was a phase every team had to go through.
But now, it seed…
There was nothing to worry about anymore.
The new team was more than capable of carrying on Seidou's legacy.
...
In stark contrast to Seidou's celebration, Seiko's side was filled with frustration and disbelief.
They never expected Seidou to co out swinging so aggressively—And even more unthinkable was giving up a run so easily, before the cleanup hitter had even co up.
It was a complete miscalculation.
In Seiko's third-base dugout, Coach Oga's face had darkened.
And up in the spectator aisle above their dugout, a middle-aged man wearing a hoodie and sunglasses stood watching intently, a glint of concern in his gaze.
"Don't panic yet, Oga... It's only the first inning. Far from ti to fall apart."
He murmured softly to himself.
...
"Kojima-senpai doesn't seem to have any bite to his pitches today," muttered the ever-relaxed Ogawa Tsunematsu on the bench.
"Ogawa, start warming up."
Coach Oga said calmly but firmly.
"Huh? Oh! Yessir!"
Ogawa blinked, then brightened and followed the backup pitchers toward the bullpen.
Back in the dugout, Coach Oga stood still, brows furrowed, a deep concern flashing in his eyes.
Damn it... To give up the first run so easily...
Masu gritted his teeth, his left hand tightening around his glove without him realizing it.
He had been ntally prepared to allow a run—
But not this fast.
Not this easily.
Seidou's all-out opening assault had taken him completely off guard.
And perhaps... so had the unexpectedly poor condition of their own ace.
...
Just then—
"Batting third—left fielder, Sawamura-kun."
The announcer's voice rang out.
The sound of footsteps followed, heavy yet calm.
The tall, lean figure stepped into Masu's view—
And Masu's heart involuntarily skipped a beat.
His throat felt dry.
That calm, unreadable expression—
Sawamura Eijun.
The Ace of Seidou.
The real problem… had just arrived.
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