Chapter 295: Narumiya Mei's Choice

"No, those three outside pitches in the first at-bat weren't the catcher's idea. Although Miyuki Kazuya's pitch-calling style is aggressive, he generally wouldn't do that at the start of a game. This was mostly Huangqian Yangyi's own idea."

"This Overlord is responding to Narumiya Mei from the top of the inning with even more aggressive and direct pitching," Sanada Shunpei said.

Beside the two of them, Todoroki Raichi, who was squatting on the ground, had his fists clenched tight, a red glow rising in his pupils; he looked just like a monkey in heat.

"I want to hit! I really want to hit his pitches!"

Todoroki Raichi muttered to himself.

Aside from the Yakushi people, those from other teams who had come to watch the game were all discussing it at this moment. Although neither side had managed to get a hit so far, the tension in the game was already enough to ignite the passion of the entire stadium.

In the stands behind the first-base side, three girls wearing the same Seido uniforms hurried in from the aisle.

"Big sister, hurry up, the game has already started," Huangqian Kumiko shouted back after rushing in.

Behind her, Huangqian Mamiko and Kousaka Reina jogged in after her.

"You brat, why are you running so fast? It's only the bottom of the first, what's the rush?" Mamiko complained, panting for breath.

"It's Brother Yangyi!" Kousaka Reina saw Huangqian Yangyi on the field and shouted in surprise.

The three of them quickly found their seats and each took out their mobile phones and cameras to start filming.

On the field, Inashiro's third batter, Third Baseman Yoshizawa Hideaki, had already been pushed to two strikes.

Whoosh!

Thwack!

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!"

The final Forkball secured the strike count; in the bottom of the first, Inashiro Industrial went three up, three down.

"Nii-chan!!"

Seeing her brother retire the batter to end the inning and walk toward the dugout, Huangqian Kumiko stood up and waved the flag in her hand printed with 'King Seido'.

Huangqian Yangyi, who was discussing pitch-calling with Miyuki, captured his younger sister's voice with incredible precision amidst the cheers of thousands of spectators, as if it were some kind of passive skill.

He looked up accurately, spotting his sister in the stands in just a second.

"This girl, she didn't even say a word before coming," Huangqian Yangyi complained in a low voice, though the expression on his face was honest, happily waving toward the location of Kumiko and the others.

"Yo, your sister and her friend are here, and is that little girlfriend next to them?" Miyuki also saw the three of them, turning his head to tease him with a wicked grin.

"Don't talk nonsense, nothing's even started yet; I only want the Three-peat right now," Huangqian Yangyi rolled his eyes.

Returning to the dugout, Huangqian Yangyi immediately put on his batting gloves. In the top of the second, the first to bat was Yuki Tetsuya, and he was the next one up.

"Senior Jiecheng, good luck."

Before taking the field, Huangqian Yangyi and Yuki Tetsuya bumped fists.

"Top of the second, Seido High School on offense, 4th batter, First Baseman, student Jiecheng."

The broadcast sounded, and Yuki Tetsuya stepped into the Batter's Box.

His rock-steady stance made Harada Masatoshi feel immense pressure. Since the end of last summer and Yuki Tetsuya becoming Captain for the Autumn Tournament, this person had seen a huge improvement in both his batting technique and his presence. As an old rival, Harada Masatoshi felt this deeply.

Mei, don't be careless, throw your best pitch!

Harada Masatoshi gave a look and gestured with signs.

Narumiya Mei nodded heavily; facing Yuki Tetsuya, he would never have the slightest bit of contempt.

Inashiro's ace versus Seido's Fourth Batter and Captain; the fans of both sides were cheering their hearts out for their own players at this moment.

Whoosh!

The little white ball flew out, drawing a beautiful arc in the air before roaring toward the outside corner.

Yuki Tetsuya didn't move a muscle after seeing the ball's path; this wasn't the pitch he wanted to hit.

An outside Breaking Ball, not swinging?

Harada Masatoshi glanced at Yuki Tetsuya after catching the ball. Is he going to hit a Fastball? Or an inside pitch?

Unable to guess Yuki Tetsuya's thoughts, Harada Masatoshi could only probe slowly. Returning the ball to Narumiya Mei, Harada Masatoshi quickly gave the sign: an outside high-floating cutter.

Whoosh!

Narumiya Mei didn't dawdle either, his pitching rhythm was very fast.

This time, after the ball was thrown, Jiecheng swung his bat without hesitation.

Bang!

A crisp collision sound rang out, and the baseball was blasted high and far, but unfortunately, the angle was off, and the baseball landed in the stands outside the Third Base line.

Hiss~

Narumiya Mei gasped; the path of that ball was very tricky, almost at the very edge of the strike zone, very far from the body, and his cutter's movement was also very sharp. Even so, it was almost blasted for a Home Run.

As expected of Senior Yuki, Narumiya Mei turned his head to look at Yuki Tetsuya in the Batter's Box; if he didn't bring out his real skills, he was afraid this hurdle wouldn't be easy to pass.

At the catcher's position, Harada Masatoshi also broke out in a cold sweat. While feeling relieved to see the ball land in Jianjie, Harada Masatoshi also knew that with two strikes, Yuki Tetsuya would definitely swing at the next pitch unless Narumiya Mei threw an obvious ball.

Take this opportunity to finish him off quickly, Mei!

I know!

Narumiya Mei nodded.

Harada Masatoshi gave the sign, and Narumiya Mei quickly threw the third pitch. The baseball flew in a straight line, and Yuki Tetsuya's bat swung out, but the baseball entered the home plate a bit later than expected, resulting in a swing and a miss.

"Changeup!"

"He's using it already in the second inning?"

"Looking at it this way, Inashiro is determined not to let Seido's lineup score today."

In the stands, the reporter Fujio said after seeing this Changeup.

"Is that so? But Huangqian Yangyi is still coming up; throwing a Changeup at this time, wouldn't that make him prepared?" Miss Akiko, who was also holding a camera, turned her head and said.

Fujio smiled, "You've improved a bit, at least you can analyze the situation on the field. But did you forget, one out, no one on base, the probability of Huangqian Yangyi getting a Base on Balls is almost one hundred percent."

"This..." Miss Akiko was stunned; in her subconscious, Narumiya Mei did not seem like a Pitcher who would voluntarily grant a Base on Balls to an opposing Batter, especially when that person was Huangqian Yangyi.

On the field, following Yuki Tetsuya being called out on a Strikeout, Seido's momentum was once again suppressed by Inashiro, but as Huangqian Yangyi stepped into the Batter's Box, the Seido fans erupted again.

At this moment, the spectators and the media alike all fixed their gazes and camera lenses on these two people.

The Inashiro ace and the Seido ace in a direct head-to-head showdown—the level of hype for this was simply off the charts.

From the Catcher's position, Harada Masatoshi was very satisfied with the current situation.

Mei! Give him a Base on Balls!

Narumiya Mei frowned as he looked at Huangqian Yangyi, a flash of reluctance seemingly passing through his eyes, and then he threw the baseball.

"Ball!"

"Ball!"

"Ball!"

"Ball!"

"Base on Balls!"

Narumiya Mei ultimately chose to grant Huangqian Yangyi a Base on Balls.