Jorge felt his confidence surge once more after making contact with the ball. What seemed impossible just a few moments ago, was achieved once he got his emotions under control.
The right mind frame was half the battle, these words never felt more true until now for him.
'I'll hit this next one properly.' He thought, once more taking his position.
Even after having his 100mph fastball hit, Ken looked unconcerned. In fact, he looked to be having fun on the mound during this battle.
'Again.'
WHOOOOSH
DING
"Foul."
DING
"Foul."
DING
"Foul."
The two battled back and forth for 9 pitches, Ken's fastball vs Jorge's bat.
Yet despite seeing the same pitch over and over, Jorge was not able to do anything but foul it off each time. For some reason, the ball would never take the same course, almost as if the pitch was alive.
Ken probably had his Lively Fastball skill to thank for this, yet he was too focused on the battle to think about such things.
Daichi who had been dictating the pitches, felt as if Ken was pitching the best he'd ever seen. Each one of the balls was something that needed his complete focus, just in case it made it past the bat.
'I think it's time to change it up.' Daichi thought, calling for a curveball.
He had been hoping that the fastball could get out Jorge, but he hadn't expected the guy to be so resilient, especially as time went on.
However, Ken shook his head in response. There was a huge part of him that wanted to beat Jorge with his fastball, even if it wasn't the right play.
Perhaps it was pride, or perhaps the passion of youth was to be blamed. Either way, Daichi could see the stubborn expression on Ken's face and knew when to relent.
So without making a fuss, he once again made the call for a fastball.
Ken let out a grin, thanking his brother inwardly. Maybe if it was a different catcher, they might step up and give him a grilling, but Daichi was different, at least to him.
He entered his windup once more and executed another perfect fastball.
*DING*
DING
"Foul"
'Eh?'
'Was that the system just now, or am I hearing things?'
The unexpected sound of a notification popped up in his mind, yet he had no time to check if it was real or just his imagination.
'I need to get this guy out first before I can check.' He said inwardly.
Once again, Daichi called for a fastball, knowing that Ken wasn't yet satisfied.
Ken grinned, sending his brother a nod. He had the added incentive of the possible system notification, making him even more fired up to put an end to the dogfight.
He wound up once again, intent on blasting through the strike zone. As he planted his foot, he felt a little different.
Every one of his movements seemed to flow subconsciously, inducing an out of body experience. Ken wasn't sure what was happening, but he went with the feeling, ingraining it into his body.
The ball sailed out of his fingertips, blitzing its way down the lane.
WHOOOOOOSH
PAH!
The sound of the ball landing in the glove echoed loudly through the field. The silence afterwards was deafening as everybody tried to make sense of what just happened.
Jorge felt the strength in his body leave him after what he'd just witnessed. All of the fighting spirit he'd accumulated merely vanished after facing this ball.
Daichi felt pins and needles from his hand, yet he paid it no mind as he stood up slowly and turned his attention to the jumbo screen.
"102mph…"
He knew the pitch was fast, yet seeing the flashing numbers on the screen confirmed his thoughts. This was the fastest pitch he'd ever caught, and it was thrown by none other than his brother.
"S-Strikeout! 3 outs, changeover."
Even the umpire was slow to call the strike, still recovering from the crazy pitch.
"H-Holy crap man!"
Aki almost sprinted to the mound, his round face filled with shock and adulation. Not only had Ken struck out Jorge after a long battle, the pitch he threw was ridiculous.
Suddenly, Ken was mobbed by the rest of his teammates as he tried to make his way back to the dugout. One might have thought that they'd already won the game at that point, the way his teammates were carrying on.
"Alright alright, it's not over yet. We still need to get another 2 runs before the game ends." Ken said, trying to calm down his teammates.
"Still… That pitch was craaaazy~" Riku interjected.
"You should try catching the damn thing, my hand is still numb!"
Daichi intercepted Ken and sent him a grin, holding his fist out for the fist bump.
"Ah, my bad. I'll try dial it back in the next inning." Ken retorted sarcastically, sending his brother a wink and bumping his fist.
"I think Dad might sub you if you did that." He said with a chuckle.
As if hearing his name, Chris appeared in front of Ken, tears already streaming down his face.
"I-I'm proud of you my boy."
"Eh?"
Not expecting the waterworks, Ken felt a little awkward. Especially with so many of his teammates surrounding him.
However, as if they'd all agreed beforehand, they turned away and ignored it, leaving the two to have their moment.
Chris couldn't help but be filled with pride, yet there was also a bitterness beneath it all. Back when Ken had declared he would become a professional player, he had his doubts.
Yet seeing how far Ken had come and his work ethic, made him feel guilty. After all, weren't parents meant to be their child's number one supporter?
"Thanks Dad." Ken replied, going in for a hug. He could tell that there were probably other reasons for his reactions, yet he didn't pry.
He might have been embarrassed before, but he didn't care who watched in that moment.
To have the opportunity to hear his father tell him that he was proud, made him a lucky man.