Dubian Che stood on the Pitcher Mound, while the rest of the eight Goda players spread out, each taking their positions.

Qingshan High School's first batter walked up to the batter's box with a bat in hand.

"Dubian! Dubian!" from the left-hand side, the Goda cheerleading team shouted in unison.

On the right-hand side, the cheerleading team from Qingshan College was also shouting loudly.

Both sides combined amounted to over three hundred people, which was a force not to be underestimated. It drew sporadic spectators to frequently look over, attracting more attention than the game itself.

Once Qingshan High School's first batter adjusted his batting stance and the umpire standing behind the catcher signaled, Dubian Che was ready to pitch.

Regarding pitching, he had learned a bit while training with Kunii Shuichi.

That "bit" specifically referred to the rule of the strike zone.

The so-called strike zone is an area where it's easy for the batter to hit, used to limit the pitcher—this was what Kunii Shuichi had explained.

"It's not easy pitching to an area where the batter can easily hit," Dubian Che recalled in his mind, while positioning himself into a very standard pitching stance.

That was the extent of his knowledge about baseball and his actions.

As he positioned himself for the pitch, the scene was anything but quiet; the cheers from Goda became even louder.

In the midst of the women's cheers of "Dubian! Dubian!" Dubian Che threw the ball.

With a dull "thud!" the ball landed in the catcher's mitt.

"Strike one!" the umpire behind the catcher spoke the incomprehensible words.

"Ah—"

"Dubian! Dubian!"

"Qingshan! Qingshan! Qingshan!" The number of people in Qingshan High School's cheerleading team seemed to outnumber Goda's.

The catcher tossed the ball back to Dubian Che, who adjusted his grip and simultaneously looked toward Qingshan's first batter, who hadn't swung at the last pitch.

"This should be enough," he thought to himself, glancing at the stands to ensure that the two young ladies and Mrs. Jiutiao were safe.

He lifted his leg and pitched.

"Crack—" The sound was sharp; the ball was hit by the bat and rolled away.

After confirming the hit, Qingshan's first batter dropped the bat and ran towards first base where Kunii Shuichi was.

As Dubian Che watched the runner, the ball that was hit suddenly flew out from behind him towards Kunii Shuichi.

Kunii Shuichi caught the ball effortlessly.

"One out!" the umpire near Kunii Shuichi shouted loudly.

"I seem to have lost face," Dubian Che adjusted his baseball cap and walked down from the Pitcher Mound, heading towards the coach's bench.

As he was about to exit the field, Kunii Shuichi grabbed him, looking at him incredulously:

"Where are you going?"

"It's an out, right?"

"...The out was for that last batter! You idiot!" Kunii Shuichi yelled, "With me here, they can forget about reaching first base!"

"I see." Dubian Che turned and walked back to the Pitcher Mound.

'Kunii stands at first base, the batter hit the ball and immediately ran there... Does getting to first base score points? Or... never mind.'

It was just this one game; there was no need to think about the rules.

'What I need to do now...' Dubian Che looked towards Qingshan High School's second batter.

Make the opponent miss the ball.

The second batter took his position, the catcher squatted down, and the umpire behind him focused intently.

'How to make the opponent miss?' Dubian Che glanced at the stands again, casually thinking.

"The first pitch, the batter intentionally didn't swing, observing the trajectory; the second pitch, hit straight, almost a safe hit to first base, Mr. Dubian was really in danger," Mrs. Jiutiao, Dubian Che's first baseball fan, said happily.

"Embarrassing." Jiutiao Meijie was displeased and decided to punish him that evening.

Kiyono Lin yawned elegantly.

The temperature was neither hot nor cold, no wind, and both cheerleading teams were shouting nonstop.

'Not hitting... is it because the pitch is too slow? Then let's try speeding it up,' Dubian Che thought as he lifted his leg and positioned himself in a standard stance.

Qingshan's second batter gripped the bat with both hands, eyes locked on Dubian Che.

The first batter had told him that this mysterious pitcher in front of him had just pitched two normal-speed fastballs, and moreover, they were right in the middle of the strike zone.

There couldn't be an easier ball to hit.

But, the opponent's defense was very strong; could he make it to first base?

No, he was very fast; if he hit the ball well, maybe he could even make it to second base...

"Strike one!" the umpire shouted.

Qingshan's second batter: "..."

Normal speed? It was 140 km/h just now, right? Definitely!

"Beautiful!" the catcher threw the ball back.

Dubian Che caught the ball thrown back by the catcher.

'That last pitch should be sufficient... No, the previous batter also didn't swing at the first pitch, and his expression was just as calm.'

'Considering that not swinging at the first pitch could be a tactical possibility, it's safer to put a bit more effort into the second pitch.'

Dubian Che lifted his leg, swung his arm, and pitched.

A piercing whistle of the ball through the air.

In that instant, the catcher, having faced fastballs for years, closed his eyes instinctively, regardless of courage, as that cannon-like ball whooshed towards him.

"It's done! A mistake!"

Just as the thought crossed the catcher's mind, his left-hand baseball glove felt a drilling force.

"Strike two!" the umpire shouted.

"Nice Ball!" With a slight numbness in his left hand, the catcher excitedly yelled, struggling to throw the ball back to Dubian Che.

Qingshan's second batter: "..."

Dubian Che easily caught the ball, feeling as puzzled as the batter.

The catcher suddenly speaking English? Baseball rules?

Now that it was mentioned, baseball did seem to have originated in America.

'This pitching speed seems to be enough for Qingshan,' Dubian Che noted, observing the nervous expression of the second batter.

He lifted his leg and pitched.

"Strike three! Batter out!"

As the umpire announced, the second batter with a bat in hand, carrying an expression of doubting his life choices, walked back to the Qingshan High School coach's bench.

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