Rebirth of Toujou Hideaki

Top of the 4th Inning...

Toujou Hideaki stood on the mound, gripping the ball tightly. His breathing was steady now—focused. The early innings had shaken him, but he wasn't about to let this game slip through his fingers. The score was 2-0, but Hikari Gakuen had to build the momentum.

Across the field, Coach Ichiro watched from the dugout. He had seen the hesitation in Toujou's pitches earlier, but now… now, there was something different. His form wasn't perfect, but his presence on the mound had shifted.

"He's thinking two, three steps ahead," Ichiro realized. "Even though his mechanics aren't as sharp as usual, he's reading the batters and adjusting on the fly. Let's see how far he can push it."

Meanwhile, Seishin's coach, Murakami, frowned. He had expected Toujou to break down after those early mistakes. Instead, the kid had stabilized.

"Tch. He's shaking off the nerves? Fine then—let's test just how much he's really adjusted."

---

First Batter: Riku Nakamura

The leadoff hitter for Seishin was none other than their star, Riku Nakamura, the player the scout had been watching closely.

"I need to set the tone," Riku thought as he dug into the batter's box. "If we can extend our lead more, we'll force Hikari Gakuen into desperate plays."

Toujou took a deep breath and threw a high-spin fastball—the ball shot toward the plate, appearing faster than his usual pitch speed. Riku recognized it but hesitated for a fraction of a second.

SWISH!

The ball thudded into Ryoma's mitt.

"That looked way faster than his usual pitch... was it really just 70 mph?" Riku narrowed his eyes. "No, he's manipulating the batter's perception of speed."

Riku adjusted his stance for the second pitch. This time, he expected another high-spin fastball—but instead, Toujou threw a low-spin fastball.

THWAP!

Riku swung too early, sending the ball into a weak grounder toward shortstop.

"Got it!" Kazuki reacted quickly, fielding the ball and making the throw to first.

"OUT!"

Seishin's dugout fell silent for a moment.

"What the hell was that?" Riku clenched his fists. "His speed hasn't changed, but the way the ball moves… it's unpredictable!"

The next batter, Keisuke Nakamura, Riku's older brother and Seishin's first baseman, stepped up to the plate, determined to make an impact.

Keisuke had a more aggressive approach than his younger brother and didn't fall for Toujou's deceptive pitches. But the moment he swung at a slider-like fastball, he whiffed, and Seishin's dugout tensed.

The third batter, Haruto Suzuki, Seishin's left fielder, stepped up to the plate. He wasn't known for his power, but he could put the ball in play and was capable of small ball strategies, like bunting for a hit.

Toujou didn't waste any time. The first pitch came in—a breaking ball aimed for the outside corner. Haruto swung, but the pitch sliced across the zone, catching the corner for a strike.

"Nice one," Ryoma called to Toujou from behind the plate.

Haruto adjusted his stance. He took a quick glance at the pitcher before returning his focus to the ball.

Toujou didn't wait long before throwing another pitch, a low-spin fastball aimed for the outside corner.

THWACK!

Haruto tried to square it up, but the ball barely trickled to the first baseman, Riku Aoyama, who scooped it up and tossed it to Toujou, covering the bag.

"Out!"

Toujou walked off the mound with a nod to his teammates. Keisuke had gotten the best of him for a brief moment, but overall, the inning felt like a win.

Three outs. In just ten pitches.He wasn't at his best, but if he played his cards right, he didn't need to be.

---

Bottom of the 4th Inning – Matsukata began to adapt to the opposing pitcher's rhythm

Kazuki stepped up to bat, cracking his knuckles. He had been waiting for this chance.

"We finally shut them down. Now it's time to put some runs on the board."

The first pitch came—a sharp breaking ball. Kazuki didn't bite.

"Patience," he reminded himself.

The next pitch—a fastball down the middle.

CRACK!

The ball soared into the outfield. Kazuki sprinted to first, then rounded toward second before stopping. A clean single.

In the dugout, Coach Ichiro smirked. "Alright, let's keep applying pressure."

Next, Toujou executed a perfect sacrifice bunt, advancing Kazuki to second.

Now, Ryoma Tachibana, their cleanup hitter and catcher, stepped up.

"He's going to throw me something off-speed first," Ryoma guessed. "I just have to wait for my pitch."

First pitch—curveball outside. Ball.

Second pitch—fastball inside. Foul.

Third pitch—fastball, slightly elevated.

CRACK!

The ball ripped through left field, bouncing off the fence. Kazuki scored easily.

Score Update: Seishin 2 - 1 Hikari Gakuen.

Seishin's pitcher, Shunji Hasegawa, gritted his teeth. Momentum had shifted.

---

Top of the 5th Inning – Seishin Fights Back

Coach Murakami signaled to his batters. "Be aggressive. Don't let Toujou control the pace."

The first batter, Shinjiro Matsumoto, Seishin's second baseman, laid down a bunt, forcing Toujou to field it. But the throw was rushed, and the batter was safe at first.

"Damn it," Toujou muttered. "Stay calm."

Seishin attempted a steal, but Toujou caught the runner leaning too far and picked him off at first.

"Nice one, Toujou!" Ryoma grinned.

The next two batters, Ryoji and Suzuki, were dealt with quickly—a flyout and a groundout.

---

Bottom of the 5th Inning – The Equalizer

Shinji, the first baseman of Hikari Gakuen was known for his reliable, strong arm, decent power hitter finally worked a walk after an intense eight-pitch at-bat.

Next, Ryota executed a hit-and-run play, moving Shinji to the third base.

The perfect opportunity arose. Ryoma squared for a squeeze bunt—a split-second decision.

BUNT!

Kazuki charged home. The throw to first was too late.

Score Tied: Seishin 2 - 2 Matsukata.

In the stands, the scout leaned forward. "This is a completely different game now."

---

Top of the 6th Inning – Toujou vs. Riku Nakamura

Seishin was desperate to reclaim the lead.

With two outs, Riku Nakamura stepped up again. He locked eyes with Toujou.

"That tricky bastard. I won't be fooled this time."

First pitch—high-spin fastball.

"It looks faster, but it's the same speed."

Riku let it pass. Strike one.

Second pitch—low-spin fastball.

"This one's slower—wait, no!"

His timing was off. Foul ball.

Toujou smirked slightly. 0-2 count.

"He's expecting another fastball. Time to shake things up."

Ryoma signaled for a curveball—Toujou's least-used pitch.

Riku saw the spin and reacted—but it wasn't a curveball. It was a low-spin fastball disguised as one.

SWING!

"Wait—no!"

Riku's bat whiffed through empty air.

"STRIKE THREE!"

Toujou clenched his fist. Three outs.

---

Coach Murakami exhaled sharply. "That kid... he's still not at his best, but he's breaking my batters down psychologically. And his catcher is good too."

Coach Ichiro smirked. "That's Toujou for you. He doesn't need the best stuff—just the best mind."

The scout jotted something down. "Riku Nakamura is a star, but this Toujou kid… he's different. He doesn't overpower opponents. He outplays them."

As Toujou walked off the mound, he took a deep breath.

"It's still 2-2. But now... we have a real chance to win."

And it was now Hikari Gakuen's turn to bat and break the tie.

To Be Continued...