The next day, the Seido players arrived at the stadium together to watch Osaka Kiryu's game.
"Look over there," Miyuki said quietly.
"That's Osaka Kiryu's Ace—Matsugi Musashi."
Sitting in the stands, Kanzaki Ryou followed Miyuki's gaze.
A towering figure stepped out of the dugout.
Nearly 1.9 meters tall, long-armed, broad-shouldered, his muscles clearly honed through years of training. Even before throwing a single pitch, Matsugi Musashi radiated an overwhelming sense of confidence—as if the entire stadium revolved around him.
"So this is the strongest pitcher in this year's Koshien…" Ryou muttered.
"He really does look terrifying."
"Oh? Rare to hear you praising someone else," Azuma Kiyokuni said with a smile.
"It's just the truth," Ryou replied calmly.
"My fastball is quick, but my pitch variety is still limited. Against a truly elite batting lineup, once they adjust to my velocity, they can still track the ball."
He paused, expression serious.
"And stamina is my biggest weakness. In a long game, once my physical condition drops, my pitch speed will inevitably slow, and the effectiveness of my Changeup will decline as well."
That was reality.
Hearing this, Nanjo Taishi, the former Ace, turned around.
"You're only a first-year," Nanjo said sincerely.
"What you've already accomplished is frightening enough. By next year, you'll definitely be the undisputed strongest pitcher in Koshien."
"Haha," Ryou laughed.
He extended his hand. "There are still two games left, Nanjo-senpai. Let's win the championship together."
Nanjo froze for a moment.
He hadn't expected those words.
Then, a relieved smile spread across his face as he firmly grasped Ryou's hand.
"Yes. Let's win it—together."
On the field, the broadcast announcement ended.
The third game of the Koshien quarterfinals officially began.
From the very first inning, Osaka Kiryu's Ace showed his dominance.
Three batters.
Three strikeouts.
Matsugi Musashi's fastest four-seam fastball reached 150 km/h.
Within just nine pitches, he displayed:
Four-seam fastball
Two-seam fastball
Cutter
All straight-ball variations.
As for breaking balls, he mixed in:
A high-speed slider
A sharp vertical curveball
According to Seido's scouting data, Matsugi also possessed a Circle Changeup.
From every angle, this was a complete pitcher.
Combined with his height, his pitches appeared to drop sharply from the batter's perspective, making timing extremely difficult to grasp.
Under the blazing sun, the game progressed steadily.
By the sixth inning, the score stood at 5–1, Osaka Kiryu firmly in the lead.
"Ryou," Miyuki suddenly asked,
"Could you hit his pitches?"
Ryou's gaze followed Matsugi Musashi as he walked off the mound, his expression solemn.
"I can hit them," Ryou said honestly.
"But hitting them well wouldn't be easy."
"In five innings, he only gave up one run against a strong batting lineup. That says everything."
"That's basically saying nothing," Miyuki complained.
"What I want to know is—against a pitcher like that, are you confident you could hit a home run?"
"A home run?" Ryou looked at him like he was crazy.
"Against a pitcher like that, who would dare say they're confident? That depends entirely on timing and luck."
Did Miyuki think he was some kind of guaranteed home-run machine?
Miyuki laughed awkwardly.
"I'm just trusting you. Yesterday, you hit two homers and drove in five runs. Hinata Hayato wasn't much worse than Matsugi Musashi."
"It still depends on the situation and condition of the day," Ryou replied.
At that moment, Azuma spoke up confidently.
"Kanzaki, you're lacking confidence. If it were me, I'd blast that guy's pitch straight out of the stadium."
"Heh… as expected of Azuma-senpai," Ryou said with a stiff smile.
Osaka Kiryu soon made a pitching change.
The new pitcher was Hiromi Tachi, a second-year.
With his eerie smile and fierce expression, he looked more like a villain than a baseball player.
Ryou couldn't help but think that this guy might become Osaka Kiryu's Ace next year—if only because his face alone could scare away the competition.
In terms of pitching ability, in a powerhouse school like Osaka Kiryu, he was only about on par with Tanba Koichiro.
Seido watched until the very end of the game.
Final score: 11–5.
Although Osaka Kiryu conceded three runs after Hiromi Tachi took the mound, their batting lineup became even more terrifying in the later innings.
Base hits.
Constant pressure.
Relentless offense.
"These guys are monsters," Shida Shota said with a frustrated sigh.
"Every single one of them can hit long balls."
"All muscle," Miyuki agreed.
"If the pitch is even slightly high or sweet, they swing without hesitation. And when they connect—it's almost always a long hit."
"Let's head back," Ryou said.
"There's no way to find a solution in one glance. We'll study it properly."
Only after seeing Osaka Kiryu in action did they truly understand why this team was called the strongest batting lineup in the nation.
After returning to the hotel, Coach Kataoka instructed everyone to rest and regroup later for dinner and strategy analysis.
Back in his room, Ryou had just sat down when his phone vibrated.
It was a message from his younger sister, Kumiko.
"Ni-chan! Our brass band training camp started today.
After it ends, we'll have a short break—I'll come watch your game!"
Ryou smiled and replied:
How long is the training camp?
Far away in Kyoto, Kumiko heard her phone chime.
Seeing her brother's name, she happily flopped onto the bed, clutching her phone tightly.