Tohoku Region, Iwate Prefecture, Hanamaki City, Hanamaki East High School.
Ohtani Shohai stood alone on the pitcher's mound at the center of the field, while his catcher, Sasaki Takashi, was squatting at home plate not far away.
After exchanging glances with his teammates, he lifted his front leg high, then rotated his body to generate force from his waist and abdomen, using all his strength to throw the ball toward the baseline.
The baseball shot like an arrow from a bow, swiftly crossing nearly twenty meters, heading straight toward home plate.
"Bam!!!" The high-speed baseball collided violently with the thick, wide catcher's mitt, emitting an extremely loud sound—barely overcoming the body's instinctive fear, Sasaki Takashi, who caught the ball, felt his palm sting, even though there was a layer of cushion between the ball and his hand.
