We spent the next day practicing. Even though we only had a few hours to prepare, we were as ready as we could be for our showdown with the Baseball Club.
For the record, our starting lineup was as follows:
1st: Shortstop – Amelia 2nd: Second Base – Rebecca-senpai 3rd: Catcher – Club President 4th: Pitcher – Me 5th: First Base – Evi 6th: Center Field – Albert 7th: Left Field – Sera-senpai → Captain 8th: Third Base – Clarice 9th: Right Field – Elisa
We placed the experienced players at the top of the order. Clarice and Elisa, having no prior experience, took the bottom spots. As for Amelia batting lead-off, that happened because she had triumphantly declared, "I’m the number one shortstop!"
After talking it over with Sera-senpai, we finalized the rest of the batting order.
"Heh heh heh... Well, look at this. The ragtag team of amateurs has actually shown up."
"Do you really think you can beat the Kingdom's finest Baseball Club...?"
"Heh heh... Once we make the Student Council bow before us, we’ll be the undisputed number one group in this academy. In name and in reality... Heh heh heh..."
The members of the Baseball Club taunted us with sneers as we exchanged lineup cards. Sera-senpai, who had stepped forward as our Captain to handle the exchange, muttered a single word as she turned to leave.
"...Die."
With that, it was finally time for "Play ball!" The umpire was a student dispatched from the Baseball Club itself.
We were up to bat first. Our team name was "Rebecca-sama's Imperial Guard." Sera-senpai had proposed it with such intensity that no one dared argue, and it was adopted on the spot.
Most of us didn't really care what the team was called, but the sight of Rebecca-senpai looking strangely embarrassed left quite an impression.
Since we were leading off the attack, Amelia stood waiting near the batter's box.
Clad in her uniform and helmet, she took a few light practice swings, focusing on the opponent’s pitching motion. She had brought her own bat; while metal bats were the standard, hers was wooden and remarkably thin. As she put it: "My personal bat is going to spit fire!"
"Play ball!"
Our attack finally began.
Amelia was a right-handed thrower but a left-handed hitter, so she stepped into the left batter's box. Her stance was—of all things—the pendulum style. She pulled her body inward, swaying rhythmically as she searched for the perfect timing.
I see... I could certainly agree that she was experienced. Her form was the real deal.
The opposing pitcher showed her no mercy, firing a straight pitch with everything he had.
"Stri-i-ike!"
The first pitch was a strike. Being part of the Kingdom's top club, the pitcher had a formidable arm. A right-handed power pitcher, he was throwing at full tilt from the very beginning. His velocity sat around 145 km/h, though we’d heard he could clock in at over 150.
The pitcher wound up for the second pitch and threw.
"Got you!" Amelia cried.
With a sharp, fluid swing, she caught the second pitch—a slider. It was a difficult ball that started outside and broke into the outer corner of the strike zone, but Amelia executed a perfect opposite-field hit.
The ball zipped cleanly between the third baseman and the shortstop for a hit into left field.
"How's that for a start!"
Amelia looked jubilant as she reached first base and raised her voice in a cheer.
"Nice hit, Amelia!"
"Amelia-chan! That was amazing!"
"Way to hit!"
As we all praised her, Amelia scratched her head, looking a bit bashful despite her success.
Next up was Rebecca-senpai.
"I’m in your hands," she said with a polite bow before stepping into the box.
Senpai was a right-handed thrower and hitter. Her batting stance was beautiful—a textbook-perfect form. However, she immediately squared around to show a bunt.
A sacrifice bunt.
By doing this, senpai would likely be thrown out, but she could advance Amelia to second base. Sera-senpai was the one relaying the signs from the dugout. But the sign was actually...
"Don't get cocky!"
The opposing pitcher shouted as he fearlessly drove a high-velocity pitch toward senpai’s inside corner.
Rebecca-senpai whipped the bat back in a flash, switching from a bunt to a full swing. A sharp ping echoed through the grounds.
It was a beautiful line drive right back over the pitcher's head.
The ball rocketed into center field. Amelia rounded first and made it safely to second. We had runners on first and second with no outs.
The third batter was the Club President.
His physique was so massive that the bat looked like a toy in his hands.
"..."
The President stared the pitcher down with terrifying intensity, calmly raising his bat.
The sign from Sera-senpai was to hit. It seemed she had decided to stay aggressive rather than play it safe. However, the opposing battery appeared intimidated by the President’s overwhelming musculature and opted for an intentional walk. The bases were now loaded with no outs.
From the very top of the first inning, things were going our way.
"Time!"
The opposing catcher called for a timeout and trotted to the mound. After a brief huddle with the pitcher, he returned to his position. As I stepped into the batter's box, the catcher muttered under his breath.
"A mere Ordinary in the cleanup spot? Talk about a free out."
I listened in silence. I had no interest in arguing. I would let my bat do the talking.
Taking my place in the right-handed batter's box, I smoothly raised my bat.
Based on the pitches I’d seen so far, the opponent had only used his straight and his slider. However, I’d gathered intel beforehand that he also possessed a curve and a forkball. I didn't bother trying to overthink the pitch sequence, though.
I would simply hit whatever came my way.
"Hmph... Raah!"
The ball left the pitcher's hand and headed for the outside corner. I moved to meet it, but in that split second, the ball began to sink.
I reacted instantly, adjusting the trajectory of my swing. Scooping the ball from below, I caught it squarely on the sweet spot and followed through with every ounce of my strength.
Ping—!
The high-pitched crack resonated across the field as the ball soared into the distance.
"...It's gone."
I slowly lowered my bat and began a composed trot around the bases.
"H-Home run!" the umpire shouted, circling his arm.
Yes. The ball I hit had cleared the outfield fence and disappeared toward the far-off Kafka Forest. The contact had felt perfect. I hadn't expected him to actually throw the forkball there, but I’d been able to adjust.
This, too, was thanks to my days of special training with my Master.
She had once told me that a Sorcerer should at least be able to hit a home run. To think those lessons would bear fruit like this... Truly, Master's teachings are profound. She must have foreseen a situation like this long ago.
"Incredible! A home run!"
"Ray-san! That was amazing!"
"As expected of you..."
When I reached home plate, Amelia, Rebecca-senpai, and the Club President were waiting. We exchanged high-fives all around.
Just like that, we had put four runs on the board.
After that, the opponents showed why they were considered the Kingdom's best; they locked in and quickly retired the next three batters to end the inning.
"Ray, use the signs we discussed," the Club President said as we took the field.
"Understood."
The President headed to his spot behind the plate as the lead-off batter entered the box.
"Dammit... don't think you've won yet!" the batter spat, glaring at me.
I wasn't about to get careless. If anything, it’s right after scoring that one must be the most vigilant.
I nodded at the President's sign and fired a straight pitch with everything I had toward the outside corner.
"St-Stri-i-ike!"
"Wh... What...?"
The batter stood there, completely stunned.
—Hmm. I'm only hitting about 150 km/h. I should have spent more time warming up my shoulder.
I proceeded to strike out the side using nothing but straights and curveballs. It was a perfect start.
"Hey, Ray."
"What is it, Clarice?"
"I think I saw a butterfly..."
"A butterfly? Well, it's summer. It’s not unusual to see them."
"I know, but... it was weird. I know a lot about bugs, but that was... a species I've never seen before? And then it just vanished."
"Is that so? Perhaps you just imagined it?"
"You're probably right! Okay, I’m going to go get a hit!"
As the game progressed, scoring became much more difficult for our team. The Baseball Club was clearly taking us seriously now, playing with everything they had.
The opponents were also starting to make contact with my pitches. Fortunately, they were all infield grounders—though I noticed a strange number of them were going toward the shortstop.
When another one of my straight pitches was caught, the ball screamed toward Clarice at third base.
"Clarice!"
"I-I've got it!"
She might have been an amateur, but her athletic reflexes were top-notch. She was capable of handling grounders, but I didn't miss the single Crimson Butterfly that flickered near her.
In the next instant, the ball’s trajectory shifted unnaturally, rolling toward the gap between third and short. One could call it an irregular bounce, but it looked as if the ball had changed direction of its own accord.
Amelia reacted perfectly, snagging the ball with a backhand at the last possible second. However, her momentum was carrying her deep into the hole toward third base, making a throw to first nearly impossible.
Or so I thought. Amelia used that very momentum to launch into a jumping throw.
The ball streaked from deep in the hole like an arrow, slamming into Evi’s mitt at first base.
"Out!"
"Yeah! How do you like that!" Amelia cheered, pumping her fist.
It was an incredible play, but... a certain possibility crossed my mind.
No, there was no way. It had to be my imagination. That was just an irregular bounce—nothing more. It was too absurd to consider anything else.
I pushed the thought aside and focused on the next batter.
"..."
I had been noticing it for a while now, but the opposing team was definitely using magic. I could tell they were activating Inside Codes, though they were being subtle enough that it was hard to call them out.
Furthermore, while there were Magic Tools installed to detect cheating, they were likely calibrated in favor of the Baseball Club.
The moment I was accused of using an Inside Code, the opponents began using magic themselves. They probably couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that I was pitching like this without any magical reinforcement.
But since I gave off no magical signature, they had apparently decided to throw away all pretenses.
Fine then. I’ll just have to kick it up another gear and blow them away with pure power!
With that, the match entered its second half.