Ace Takes the Mound

The second ball was called a ball, making the count two balls and one strike.

"Alright! Great eye!"

"Alright!!"

"Good choice!"

"Ka-haha!" Raichi laughed again, but there was one less "ha" this time, and it lacked the force it had at the start.

"Phew!" Maezono let out a heavy breath.

"Ha!" Seeing Maezono's fierce expression after that exhale, Raichi suddenly couldn't laugh anymore.

That expression could scare little kids to death...

"I'm freezing barefoot in the cold!

A-Yuan-san!!" Sawamura started singing to the beat again...

But this time, he properly added the honorific...

"He wasn't the kind of guy who showed others his weak side,

I understood that long ago!

Such a dejected apology...

Just how oblivious could he be?

...Me!!

What kind of vice-captain am I?!!!" At that thought, Maezono looked as if he wanted to swallow Raichi whole.

"Ka!... Haha!" Raichi was genuinely frightened by that expression and tried to keep laughing as though to encourage himself.

"Hahaha!"

"Pfft!"

"Whoosh!"

"Ping!"

"Foul!"

"Alright! He's got him cornered!!"

"He connected, he connected!

The timing was right!

A-Yuan-senpai!!" Sawamura no longer had time to sing.

At this point, nothing else matters! Overpower him with sheer force, Raichi!! Akiba thought.

Hit it, A-Yuan!! Kuramochi gritted his teeth on the bench.

*How long are you going to play around with some hastily trained pitcher?

Hit it, A-Yuan!

If you don't hit now, when will you?!!* Isashiki-senpai gritted out internally as well.

Maezono himself probably wished Isashiki-senpai would just shout that out loud...

*A-Yuan-senpai!!

That last pitch isn't moving all over the place anymore, and it doesn't have the same ball power as before!

This pitcher is mentally shaken!

Finish him off while you have the chance!!!* Sendou, on first base, stared intently at Maezono as he thought.

"Pfft!"

"Whoosh!"

"Smack!"

"Ball!!"

"It