Silence instantly fell over the dugout.
All eyes shifted in unison toward the boy who had spoken.
Takumi's raised hand gradually dropped, almost instinctively.
For a tense three seconds, the entire dugout held its breath before Takashima Rei rose and murmured, "I'll discuss it with the coach first…"
After all, this wasn't an official match, and as long as both sides consented, calling up a pitcher from the First String wasn't out of the question.
However, if Seidō won this way, it would still feel like an unfair victory.
Moreover, they were likely to lose this game.
That would be even more humiliating.
Watching her leave, he clenched his teeth.
When she had asked earlier, as if possessed, he had answered that he was a pitcher.
But thinking it over, he actually had no pitching experience at all. He had only watched Midori pitch and used his Sharingan to mimic the opponent's movements.
He had convinced himself that he could do it too.
But when her gaze fell on him, his heart recoiled.
This game wasn't a simple practice match—it was a farewell performance for the team's third-year seniors.
If he really messed up in this game…
Putting aside whether the team would punish him or not,
He knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself.
Yet, staring at her back, he couldn't simply act as if nothing had happened.
"I can do it."
His voice echoed firmly once more.
He wanted to do it, so he acted without hesitation.
As for what consequences his decision might bring?
He no longer wanted to think about that at all.
"Are you a pitcher?" Rei asked sharply, turning around and adjusting her glasses, her expression unusually serious.
"Yes. When Takumi-kun first joined the team, his best position was pitcher," Yōichi quickly answered before Takumi could speak.
He himself had never actually seen him pitch.
But Yōichi recalled that when they first joined the team, they had filled out a form listing their specialties and best positions.
Takumi had written down "pitcher."
Logically, he should have already gone to the mound for a trial pitch, a necessary step for all pitchers.
However, because his practice performance had always ranked in the middle to lower tier of the team, the coach believed he needed to build a solid foundation first.
So, the trial pitch had been postponed.
"Good!" Rei exclaimed, her eyes shining as she caught the determination in Takumi's gaze.
"Then you're up!" she announced with conviction.
The players in the dugout blinked in astonishment.
They clearly hadn't expected their assistant coach to be so easygoing.
Before heading onto the field, Miyuki Kazuya, as Takumi's partner, approached him, eager to discuss strategy.
But first, he turned to Takashima. "Rei-chan, do you really believe he can pitch?" he asked, a hint of doubt in his voice.
"You should show some respect and call me 'Sensei,'" Takashima Rei retorted, her tone tinged with irritation.
"That's not important, Rei-chan. What do you honestly think?" Kazuya pressed, leaning in.
Rei sighed and pouted. "Honestly, it feels like trying to revive a dead horse. We can't just call up Tanba-kun from the First String."
If this substitute could turn the tide, so be it.
The problem was, their team's backup pitcher probably couldn't.
By then, Seidō's reputation would probably be lost all the way to Oceania.
It was precisely because she considered all this that she decided to let Takumi give it a try.
"All right…" Kazuya murmured, nodding in agreement.
As a rookie of the same age group, although he had just joined the team and been promoted to the First String, he didn't interact much with players his own age.
But that didn't mean he ignored his teammates in the same grade.
After all, these were the players he would rely on for future Koshien appearances and even national dominance.
Takumi's impression on him was that he was the most handsome among their batch of rookies.
Aside from that, he had no other distinguishing traits.
Truly powerful players on the field are like needles in a haystack; they're bound to stand out.
"What pitches do you throw?"
"Do you have a fixed signal?"
"How's your control? Can you hit the inside and outside corners of the strike zone?"
He approached him, firing off three questions in rapid succession.
Takumi, who had never stood on the pitcher's mound before, was instantly flustered.
"I only throw the Spiral Ball!" he blurted.
"You can throw a Spiral Ball?"
Kazuya's eyes widened in astonishment.
Takumi wasn't even sure if the pitch Midori threw was a Spiral Ball.
But he kept replaying it in his mind, recalling every detail of Midori's pitching with vivid clarity—
that blazing spin, that distinctive grip and throwing style.
"Mhm," he murmured, nodding slowly.
"My control isn't very good; I can only focus on the center of the strike zone," he admitted quietly.
Hearing this, a smile involuntarily spread across Miyuki's face.
Did this partner even realize who they were facing right now?
They were up against one of the top four teams in West Tokyo.
While not quite at the level of Seidō's First String, Nanamori was by no means an ordinary team.
Today's game had gone smoothly for the Second String so far.
However, even the smallest mistake would immediately trigger a fierce counterattack from the opponent.
This was Nanamori!
To challenge such a team with pitches aimed only at the heart of the strike zone?
Miyuki Kazuya felt his blood surge with excitement.
"I can't wait! Warm up well—I'm counting on you, partner!" he urged enthusiastically.
Hearing his own words, he wasn't frustrated but instead brimming with motivation.
This deeply moved Takumi.
He had to admit his partner radiated a powerful charm.
The game continued.
Now in the top of the seventh inning, with Nanamori on offense.
Their core third batter stepped up, while Seidō made a pitching change—with Takumi coming in.
Not only that, they also substituted an outfielder.
Seeing Takumi—who had previously gotten a hit—now openly standing on the pitcher's mound,
Nanamori's coach narrowed his eyes and muttered, "Is this the team's secret weapon? Kataoka-sensei really knows how to play his cards well."
Though he lacked Seidō's full roster, he was certain.
The players on Seidō were definitely not all Second String.
This was a makeshift team.
"Stay focused! Don't underestimate the opponent!"
Just as Nanamori's coach was admonishing his players,
Takumi had already changed into his gear and stepped onto the pitcher's mound.
The moment he stood there, the system that had been dormant in his mind finally activated again.
[Congratulations host! You have successfully won your first battle and have been promoted to Genin]