"Batting 6th, our very own… Number 13… The Unicorn—Ken Takagi!"
The announcers excited voice called over the speakers, echoing through the arena and causing the crowd to cheer in response. Having heard the announcer speak the forbidden nickname, Ken shuddered on his way to the batters box.
'Ignore it…' he told himself, his eyes focused on the upcoming battle.
Ryan was standing on the mound, silently waiting for him to come up to bat. The past 2 at-bats against Ken he'd come out on top, in fact, Daichi's hit earlier had put a stop to the perfect game Ryan had pitched thus far.
Yet judging by his body language, Ryan didn't care at all. The only thing he was focused on was his rival Ken who was now in the batters box.
With 1 out and 1 runner on base, getting an out now was crucial to put Detroit on the back foot. Since it was Ken that he was facing, Ryan didn't need any additional motivation to go all out.
