Chapter 139: A Powerful Start
"Boom!!!"
Just a second ago, the first batter from Seihou High School had been talking tough. But the moment he saw the baseball screaming toward him, he froze completely.
What kind of pitch was that?
The ball felt alive—like a ravenous beast charging straight at him, as if it wanted to devour everything in its path.
Even though his body stiffened under that overwhelming pressure, as Seihou's leadoff batter, his pride wouldn't allow him to stand down. He forced himself to swing—
But the quality of that swing…
"Thump!!!"
The baseball slammed into Akaishi Osamu's glove with a deafening explosion, like a bomb going off, echoing throughout the entire stadium.
Only after the ball had already settled into the glove did the batter's weak, delayed swing arrive.
He remained frozen in his follow-through, eyes wide, mouth slightly open, his face filled with disbelief.
"Strike!!!"
The umpire's voice rang out, unable to hide his excitement.
A pitch like that wasn't something you saw every day. In Japanese high school baseball, this was a once-in-a-decade fastball—just a step below the legendary 160 km/h class.
At that moment, the home plate umpire made a firm decision in his heart:
No matter what, he had to officiate more Yakushi High School games in the future.
Opportunities like this… were far too rare.
At the same time, the speed of the pitch flashed across the stadium's electronic display.
155 km/h!
The crowd instantly erupted.
"Here it is! A 155 km/h fastball!"
"That's insane! I came because I read about Yakushi in Baseball Kingdom Monthly, and it was totally worth it!"
"But that's still not Kitamura Kou's top speed of 156 km/h!"
"Are you serious? It's the first pitch of the game! Who else in high school baseball can even throw 155?!"
"Forget high school—even in pro baseball, there aren't many who can hit that speed!"
"Only 155? Is the display broken? That pitch felt close to 160!"
"I can't wait to see him hit 160 km/h—that would be incredible!"
In Seihou High School's dugout, Shuzo Sano could no longer stay seated.
He stepped forward, eyes locked onto Kitamura Kou on the mound. The excitement and anticipation on his face were impossible to hide.
He wanted to face him. Now.
On the mound, Kitamura Kou couldn't hear the crowd's chatter, but the thunderous cheers reached him loud and clear.
Still, none of it distracted him.
There was only one thought in his mind—
Shut down Seihou's batting lineup.
He stepped forward again and fired the second pitch.
"Boom!!!"
This one wasn't as explosive as the first—just over 150 km/h—but even that was a speed most pitchers could only dream of.
And this time, the control was sharper.
The ball cut cleanly toward the inside corner, grazing the edge of the strike zone with precision.
Kitamura Kou's rhythm was relentless.
The batter hadn't even recovered from the first pitch when the second was already upon him. Forced into a rushed swing—
He missed again.
"Thump!!!"
"Two strikes!"
Having completely seized control, Kitamura Kou had no intention of dragging things out.
Catching the return throw from Akaishi Osamu, he moved fluidly into his third pitch.
"Boom!!!"
The speed was similar to the second pitch, but this time the trajectory shifted—from a high inside corner to a low outside corner.
The batter watched the ball drift away, as if it were impossibly distant.
Even after adjusting and swinging with all his strength, he couldn't even graze it.
The tip of his bat missed by at least the width of a baseball.
"Thump!!!"
"Strike three! Batter out!"
Back in the dugout, the batter had barely sat down before Shuzo Sano stepped forward eagerly.
"How was it? Kitamura Kou's pitching?"
The batter still looked shaken.
"It's like the ball is alive… like a beast trying to devour you. It rushes at you with a terrifying presence—you'll understand when you face it yourself."
He paused before adding,
"And it's not just the speed. His control is incredible. There are almost no easy pitches."
Silence fell over the dugout.
At that moment, the second batter—who had just returned—spoke up.
"That pitcher's control isn't at a freshman level. Every pitch hits the corners. And with that 150+ km/h speed… it's no wonder Yakushi made it out of West Tokyo."
He glanced toward Sano.
"If we're going to beat someone like that… you're the only one who can do it."
The second batter was Seihou's most reliable hitter, known for his sharp eye. If even he said that, then Kitamura Kou's pitching was truly troublesome.
But this wasn't enough to shake them.
They had weathered countless storms before.
More importantly—
Sano Shuzo hadn't stepped up to bat yet.
As the top slugger in high school baseball, his swing alone could change the course of a game.
His walk-off home run against Osaka Kiryu was proof enough.
Back on the field, the third batter stepped in.
A powerful hitter in his own right—though still a tier below Sano—his strength couldn't be underestimated.
Yet even he was quickly pushed into a corner.
Two consecutive pitches from Kitamura Kou painted the edges of the strike zone perfectly.
Now fully locked in, Kou showed no mercy.
He unleashed a sharp inside four-seam fastball aimed at the batter's knees.
"Boom!!!"
The batter swung with everything he had—
But it wasn't enough.
"Thump!!!"
"Strike three! Batter out! Change!"
Three batters.
Three strikeouts.
A flawless opening inning.
Kitamura Kou had made his declaration—
Koshien… was his stage now.