Toru Watanabe stood on the pitcher's mound, and Kamikawa's other eight players dispersed and took their respective positions.

Aoyama High School's first batter walked up to the batter's box carrying his bat.

"Watanabe! Watanabe!" On the left side, the Kamikawa support team in the audience shouted in unison.

In the auditorium on the right, the support team of Qingshan Academy was also chanting.

There were more than two to three hundred people from both sides, but their momentum should not be underestimated. The sparse audience frequently turned their attention to it, making it more eye-catching than the competition.

After the first batter from Aoyama High School adjusted his swing and the umpire standing behind the catcher made a gesture, Toru Watanabe could pitch.

As for pitching, he learned a little bit about it when training with Osamu Kunii.

The so-called some, to be more specific, are only the strike zone rule.

The so-called strike zone...the area that is easy for hitters to hit is the strike zone, which is used to restrict pitchers - this is what Osamu Kunii said at the time.

"It's not easy for a pitcher to pitch in an area that's easy for the opponent to hit." Toru Watanabe recalled in his mind while assuming a very standard pitching posture.

The above is all his knowledge and actions about baseball.

He took a pitching stance, and instead of being quiet, Kamikawa's cheers became even louder.

As the woman shouted "Watanabe! Watanabe!", Toru Watanabe threw the ball.

With a dull sound of "Bang!", the ball fell into the catcher's glove.

"A strike!" the umpire behind the catcher said incomprehensible words.

"ah--"

"Watanabe! Watanabe!"

"Aoyama! Aoyama! Aoyama!" There seemed to be more cheerleaders in Aoyama High School than in Kamikawa.

The catcher threw the ball back to Toru Watanabe, who adjusted his grip on the ball and looked at Aoyama's first batter, who didn't swing the bat just now.

"That's enough." He glanced at the auditorium to confirm that the two eldest ladies and their wives were safe.

Lift your legs and throw the ball.

"Bang -" the sound was clear, the ball was hit by the bat and rolled out.

After confirming the hit, Aoyama's first batter dropped his baseball bat and ran towards Osamu Kunii at first base.

When Tetsu Watanabe was watching the batter running, the ball suddenly flew out from behind him and went towards Osamu Kunii.

Osamu Kunii caught the ball neatly.

"One out!" the referee near Osamu Kunii shouted.

"It seems embarrassing." Watanabe Toru adjusted his baseball cap, walked off the pitcher's mound, and walked toward the dugout.

When he was about to walk out of the stadium, Osamu Kunii grabbed him and looked at him in disbelief:

"Where are you going?"

"Aren't you out?"

"...The batter just now is out! You bastard!" Osamu Kunii yelled, "As long as I'm here, they can't even get to first base!"

"I see." Toru Watanabe turned around and walked back to the pitcher's mound.

'The place where Kunii is standing is called first base. The batter just hit the ball and ran there immediately... Will he score when he reaches first base? Or... forget it.'

Just play this one game, there is no need to think about the rules.

"What we have to do now..." Toru Watanabe looked at the second batter from Aoyama High School.

Let the opponent miss the ball.

The second batter is in position, the catcher is squatting, and the umpire behind the catcher is paying full attention.

‘How to make the opponent miss?’ Toru Watanabe glanced at the auditorium again, thinking randomly in his head.

"On the first pitch, the batter deliberately didn't swing the bat and observed the path of the ball; on the second pitch, he hit it directly and almost hit a home run. Watanabe-kun is in danger." Mrs. Kujo, Watanabe Teru's first baseball fan, had a look on her face.

Said happily.

"Shameful." Miki Kujo was unhappy and decided to punish him that night.

Kiyono Rin yawned gracefully.

The temperature was neither hot nor cold, there was no wind, and the cheerleaders from both sides kept shouting.

‘I missed the hit... because the ball speed is too slow? Then try to go faster.’ Watanabe Toru raised his leg and assumed a standard posture.

Aoyama's second batter held the bat in both hands and stared at Toru Watanabe.

The first batter told him that the pitcher in front of him, who came from nowhere, had just thrown two straight balls with average speed, and they were in the middle of the strike zone.

There is no better ball to play than this.

The question is, the opponent's defense is very strong, can they get to first base?

No, I run very fast. If I hit the ball well enough, I might even hit second base...

"A good shot!" the referee shouted.

Aoyama’s second batter: “…”

The ball speed is average? Was it 140km/h just now? It is definitely there!

"Nice!" the catcher threw the ball back.

Toru Watanabe caught the ball thrown back by the catcher.

'The ball speed just now should be OK... No, the previous batter didn't swing the first bat, and his expression was equally calm.'

'Considering the possibility of not swinging the first ball as a tactic, it would be safer to use a little more force on the second ball.'

Toru Watanabe raised his legs, swung his arms, and threw the ball.

Harsh wind noise.

At that moment, the catcher who had been facing fast balls for many years, regardless of his courage or not, the ball rushing towards him like a cannonball made him instinctively close his eyes.

'It's over! Mistake!'

As soon as the catcher thought, there was a drilling force from the baseball glove on his left hand that was about to penetrate the palm of his hand!

"Two good shots!" the referee shouted.

"Nice Ball!" With his left hand slightly paralyzed, the catcher roared excitedly and threw the ball back to Toru Watanabe with all his strength.

Aoyama’s second batter: “…”

Watanabe Toru caught the ball easily and was as confused as the batter.

The catcher suddenly speaks English? Baseball rules?

Put it this way, baseball seems to have originated in the United States.

"This ball speed seems to be enough to handle Aoyama." Looking at the nervous expression of the second batter, Toru Watanabe confirmed.

Lift your legs and throw the ball.

"Strikeout! Batter out!"

Following the umpire's voice, the second batter walked back to the Aoyama High School coach's bench with his bat in hand and a look of doubt on his life.

Toru Watanabe caught the ball thrown back by the catcher, used his feet to find a comfortable footing on the pitcher's mound, and looked toward the audience.

The two eldest ladies are safe, madam...

"Watanabe! Watanabe!" When did she join Kamikawa's cheerleading team?

Cheerleading?

Watanabe Toru finally remembered that there was such a group of people, looked over, and then immediately looked away.

Although the skirt is short, it is all shorts-like safety pants.

"If this continues, baseball games will lose their charm sooner or later." Toru Watanabe looked at the third batter of Aoyama High School.

When the opponent got into position and was about to throw the ball, the catcher's ungloved hand suddenly made an unexplained movement in his crotch.

Watanabe Toru: "..."

It can be guessed that he is making a secret code, but such things as secret codes are not designed to be easily understood by laymen.

‘Do you understand?’ The catcher gave such a simple and easy-to-understand look and moved his position slightly at the same time.

"..." Toru Watanabe shook his head.

The catcher's movement paused, and then he quickly made gestures on his crotch again.

Before he could finish his gesture, Toru Watanabe shook his head directly.

If you don’t understand, you just don’t understand.

Even if he is number one in the country, it is impossible for him to understand what the other party is expressing.

"..." The catcher returned to the starting position and placed his glove in the middle of the strike zone.
To be continued...