"2 outs! Keep it up Kenny!"
Yusuke called out from 2nd base, trying to cheer up the tall guy on the mound who seemed to be brooding.
Ken flinched hearing the nickname that only his parents called him. His expression darkened as he sent a stiff smile towards his good friend Yusuke.
'Do you want to die?'
His eyes seemed to convey his thoughts as the perpetrator quickly shut his mouth in fright.
Daichi who was now in the batters box couldn't help but laugh out loud hearing Ken called his nickname on the field. He wouldn't even let his own brother call him that, so he knew exactly how much Ken hated it being used by others.
If they weren't in a game right now, Daichi would have probably teased him some more. However, there were more interesting things to come now.
Ken finally straightened his posture and looked down at Daichi. His wide shoulders and broad chest showed just how much effort he'd put into getting in shape over the past 8 or so months since he had left home.
Before he knew it, Daichi had already matured swiftly.
The time for their next duel had arrived. He felt the effects of Showdown creep into his muscles, giving off a hot sensation as strength filled his body.
A hushed tone fell over the field as the two brothers stared at each other from their respective positions. It was as if the whole stadium was holding it's breath, waiting for the first clash to take place.
They were like two warriors of opposing camps, each with their own ideals who had come to settle the score like men, one on one.
Daichi with his broad shoulders stood like a stalwart and prideful hunter, patiently lying in wait for his prey to reach his grasp. His gaze was calm and unflappable, as if he'd seen everything, yet a playful smile reached the corner of his lips.
Ken on the other hand was like a tall giant, his figure elevated further by the mound. His expression was filled with a fierce determination, intending on facing the hunter head on, leaving nothing to question in the exchange.
It was a clash of ideals, a battle of wills.
Who would come out on top in this round?
The giant raised its leg and coiled it's body before taking an insurmountable step forward and cocking his shoulder back. In the next moment, he whipped his arm around and threw the ball with all his might.
The ball blitzed through the air with tremendous force, causing those in the stadium to marvel at its sheer speed.
Daichi's eyes never left the ball, using his excellent coordination and instinct in order to time his swing.
'Now!'
His eyes widened as the ball began to break towards him, ruining the timing and placement he'd picked.
DONG
The ball was hit and sailed above both the umpire and Yuta on its way to a foul.
"Foul"
Yuta retrieved a ball from the umpire and threw it back to Ken upon the mound. He had felt breathless for a moment as the two stared each other down for the first ball. It was almost as if they were in a different timeline.
Ken caught the ball and stepped back to his position on the mound. In reality he was in awe that Daichi could hit his pitches, despite his pitching grade currently being SS+ thanks to Showdown.
According to Mika, SS+ would be enough to do well in college, at least by the system's measurements. The fact that he could attack them just spoke to how talented he was.
In reality, Ken had not wanted to use his skills from the system against Daichi since it almost felt like cheating. However, in the end he thought it would be too disrespectful to not use everything in his arsenal against his brother.
Especially since they'd been waiting for this moment for so long.
Yet it didn't take long for Ken to understand he'd made the right choice. Even when he had used Limit Break against him in the 2nd innings, the pitch had almost been sent into the stands for a home run.
It just showed that he would have been a fool to hold back against such a person.
His eyes focused on Yuta who had just called for a four-seam ball outside and low. He nodded in response, before getting into his stance.
"Hup!"
Ken stepped forward and sent the ball flying out to the directed spot.
WHOOOSH
DING
This time, Daichi hit the ball to the right of the field, bouncing along the ground and into the foul zone.
"Foul"
'Again.'
DING
"Foul"
DING
"Foul"
Yuta was feeling a little exasperated as every ball that he called for seemed to get fouled off with ease. Of course he knew that it probably wasn't as easy as Daichi made it seem, but he was starting to lose confidence.
He stared at Ken for a moment and made a signal for the very first time.
Ken's eyes widened as he saw the sign for a curveball. He hesitated for a moment before shaking his head, it was too early to release his secret weapon.
It wasn't that he lacked confidence in the throw, just that he knew how good Daichi was. As long as he saw the ball once, Daichi would be able to identify it again easily.
A good example already was this game. He had only thrown 3 pitches to Daichi in the 2nd innings, yet he was already able to foul off all of his balls in the 4th innings.
Yuta seemed lost in that moment.
'If he doesn't want to throw the curveball now, then we can only throw the forkball to mix it up.' He thought, feeling a little deflated.
He made the sign and placed his glove low.
'Even if he picks the pitch, we should be able to make him hit a grounder if it's low.' Yuta commented inwardly.