Chapter 304: The Toyed-With Fourth Batter

Bottom of the fifth, Inashiro on the attack.

Huangqian Yangyi stands on the Pitcher's Mound; the game is already halfway over, and the current score remains 0-0.

The more it reaches this point, the less one can afford to be impatient. Whether it is the Seido or Inashiro batting lineup, the desperate desire to score as the game nears its end makes people perform at 120% of their ability. This is also the reason why dramatic comebacks often appear in the bottom of the ninth. Unlike the Batter, the Pitcher consumes a lot of stamina in the second half of the game, and their concentration drops; it is almost impossible to suppress the opponent's batting lineup like at the beginning.

Although Huangqian Yangyi has conserved his stamina well, and his pitch count is still under 40, standing opposite him now is Inashiro's heart of the order with an extremely strong desire to score; he cannot let his guard down.

In the Batter's Box, Harada Masatoshi watches the opposite side quietly. This is his second at-bat. Huangqian Yangyi's efficient pitching makes it very difficult for the Inashiro batting lineup to advance. If it continues like this, by the time the game ends, his at-bats might only come around three times!

Must seize every swinging opportunity and strive to get on base!

Quite determined, aren't you? Looking at Harada Masatoshi's focused appearance, Miyuki smiles. I know you want to get on base, but I won't give you the chance.

Miyuki gestures with his right hand in front of him to give the signal: a Cutter Slider on the inside edge!

Huangqian Yangyi nods slightly. Although Harada Masatoshi is standing close to home plate, he is not afraid. If the opponent can really hit this pitch that is almost against their body, he will accept it.

Lifting his leg and swinging his arm, the baseball flies rapidly toward Harada Masatoshi.

The moment the baseball is released, Harada Masatoshi widens his eyes. This pitch path is going to hit him!

His body subconsciously wants to dodge, but the desire to score and his sense of responsibility as Captain keep him rooted to the spot. A Hit by Pitch to get on base directly!

However, just when everyone thinks this ball will hit Harada Masatoshi, the little white ball suddenly curves in front of home plate and drills into the strike zone.

Pop!

"Strike!" the umpire behind him shouts.

Hearing the sound, Harada Masatoshi breaks out in a cold sweat and turns his head back in disbelief. This is a Slider?!

Huangqian Yangyi's Cutter Slider caused him to misjudge. Harada Masatoshi realizes this and glares fiercely at Miyuki. It was this bastard who called the pitch.

Using Inashiro's determination to get on base even at the cost of being hit, he deliberately called a pitch that looked like it would result in a Hit by Pitch. How dark! How sinister!

Harada Masatoshi experiences once again that someone's heart is black without limits; to think they could use such a trick!

Hehehe.

Feeling Harada Masatoshi's resentment, Miyuki shyly reveals a smile, looking like a bashful boy next door.

Ugh~ disgusting!

Harada Masatoshi feels a chill and hurriedly turns his head away to adjust his mindset.

Off the field, in the Inashiro Dugout, seeing their Captain being toyed with like this by Huangqian Yangyi and Miyuki Kazuya, the group is filled with burning anger. They had already steeled themselves to be hit by the ball, yet in the end, it was a strike.

Damn bastard!

In the on-deck circle, Narumiya Mei bares his teeth and glares at Miyuki like a rabid puppy. Kazuya, this guy, likes to toy with people's hearts as always; it's too sinful!

Conversely, on the Seido Dugout side, everyone is having a blast.

On the Pitcher's Mound, Huangqian Yangyi sees the signal given by Miyuki after receiving the return throw.

Tsk... too wicked!

Hehe, Miyuki smiles to himself and nods slightly toward Huangqian Yangyi.

Loosening his shoulders, Huangqian Yangyi quickly throws the second pitch.

Whoosh!

Still an inside pitch!

The difference from the previous pitch is that this is a super-high-speed Fastball! Carrying terrifying power, Harada Masatoshi seems to have an illusion, as if this ball is flying toward him again.

Resisting the instinct to dodge, Harada Masatoshi roars and swings his bat, but unfortunately, because of a moment of hesitation, the swing is late.

Pop! The baseball shoots into Miyuki's glove.

"Strike!"

Harada Masatoshi takes a deep breath, feeling like he has been toyed with again.

At the Catcher position, Miyuki's mouth curls into a smile. As the saying goes, the first drum rouses the spirit, the second wanes, and the third exhausts.

After making Harada Masatoshi think it was a Hit by Pitch twice in a row, Harada Masatoshi's determination to get on base at the cost of being hit has likely been shaken after such torture. After all, a Hit by Pitch is truly quite scary.

Having the courage to do it once is worthy of praise, but being tortured like this repeatedly—no one could stand it.

Thus, Miyuki calls for the third pitch.

In the Batter's Box, Harada Masatoshi's breathing becomes a bit rapid. After several deep breaths to calm his mindset, he raises his bat again.

Quite resilient, worthy of being Inashiro's Captain. Huangqian Yangyi smiles. After the previous two pitches, the opponent will definitely be on guard against a potential fake Hit by Pitch on an inside ball. Throwing an outside pitch at this time is quite good, but the pitch sequence Miyuki gave—that is truly wicked.

Slowly raising his arm to throw the baseball, Harada Masatoshi's pupils shake. It's still inside!

But this pitch path isn't as extreme; it's hittable!

"Ha!!"

With a roar, Harada Masatoshi swings his bat with all his might.

However, halfway through the swing, Harada Masatoshi knows he made a mistake.

It is an inside pitch, alright, but it's a Changeup!

Pop!

Harada Masatoshi finishes his swing, and only then does the baseball fly safely into home plate.

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!"

Three swings and misses; Harada Masatoshi feels his temper rising.

This isn't a normal Strikeout; this is a Strikeout from being toyed with!

"You're something else."

Harada Masatoshi turns his head and says in a low voice.

Miyuki looks up and reveals a smile: "Thank you for the compliment, Senior Harada."

"Hmph!"

Harada Masatoshi turned and walked off the field; the more he looked at this Miyuki Kazuya, the more annoying he found him, and he had no idea what Mei actually liked about him.

"Don't stand too far forward; although the opponent won't actually hit you, you are the ace, so don't take risks," Harada Masatoshi whispered to Narumiya Mei as they brushed past each other.

Narumiya Mei nodded; having played until now, he had already discovered that such a stance might work to restrict other Pitchers, but it was ineffective against the combination of Huangqian Yangyi and Miyuki—the more you tried to restrict his inside pitches, the more they would throw them to you, and they would even play all sorts of tricks with them.

Walking step by step into the Batter's Box, Miyuki at home plate could clearly feel Narumiya Mei's resentment.

"Yo, it's your turn."

"Hmph! I'll avenge Masa-san!" After saying this, Narumiya Mei stopped talking and focused intently on Huangqian Yangyi on the Pitcher's Mound.

Miyuki shook his head and then gestured toward the front.

Swish!

Huangqian Yangyi didn't say a word and threw the ball directly.

Pop~!

"Strike!"

Narumiya Mei swung and missed; huffing, he shouldered his bat again—this first pitch was actually a Changeup; bastard, don't you even need to set it up!