DNA: Under The Sun

The opponent for the training match was Saitama Sakai.

Originally, the coach hadn't planned for Rinichi to pitch a complete game, but he suddenly announced:

"For the first game, Kamishiro won't pitch. Furuya will start, and Kawakami will be ready to relieve."

"For the second game, against Sakai again, Kamishiro will pitch the whole way."

No one knew why Coach Kataoka arranged it this way.

As for the defensive lineup, both games were exactly the same—only the pitchers were swapped.

In the first game, Furuya pitched five innings, giving up only one walk while striking out batters with ease.

On Sakai's side, the hitters were all shaken:

"We never imagined that aside from their ace, they'd have another terrifying monster like this…"

Compared to Furuya, Kawakami struggled a bit more—he gave up three walks and five hits.

He didn't seem to be in good form.

The game ended 4–2, with Sakai High School taking the win.

They were overjoyed, huddling together in celebration, as if they had just conquered the world.

It was truly irritating.

Sitting in the corner, propping his chin in his hand, Rinichi thought so.

Even in the afternoon, Sakai High's players were still grinning, chatting about how they'd finally get to face Seidou's ace pitcher.

Standing on the mound, Rinichi felt the blazing summer heat. He adjusted the brim of his cap, rubbed some rosin into his left hand, and exhaled with displeasure.

Their opponent was called… Sakai High, was it?

He let out a breath, wound up smoothly, and unleashed a pitch with great force.

The Sakai leadoff hitter swung instinctively, a flicker of fear flashing in his eyes.

Even from the Sakai dugout, they could feel the sheer force behind Rinichi's pitch—their very breathing seemed to halt.

On the mound, Rinichi's lips curled into a grin, his cold eyes gleaming with mockery.

The only thought echoing in Sakai's minds was:

"This is the kind of pitcher who completely shuts down an opponent's lineup."

"Strike! Batter out!"

By the time they came back to their senses, Rinichi had already struck out the side.

Meanwhile, the infielders and outfielders felt almost drowsy.

Rinichi pitched at a rapid pace, without hesitation, every pitch a straight fastball. Miyuki wasn't even calling for a mix—it was as if Rinichi was just pitching for the sheer joy of it.

The opponents couldn't even touch the ball.

Kuramochi smirked, a sharp glint in his eyes.

Yes—this was Rinichi's pitching.

Completely dominating the opponent's lineup, easing the burden on the defense. In return, it was up to them in the field to score runs and ease Rinichi's burden on the mound.

It was a mutual exchange.

"Nice pitching, Kamishiro!" Kuramochi was the first to shout.

The newer players followed suit, echoing similar encouragement.

If you asked what was different between Rinichi's presence on the mound and when Furuya or Kawakami were pitching…

It was that with Rinichi pitching, they felt reassured.

There seemed to be a force about him—something that made his teammates feel secure, something they could trust.

Toujou and Kanemaru fell silent.

So this is what it feels like to be Kamishiro's teammate.

No wonder… when they faced Daikyou, it always felt like there was something different compared to other teams.

It was confidence.

As if any team standing before them was nothing more than a small obstacle.

That was the power Rinichi brought to the team.

As the innings passed, Sakai's morale collapsed completely. Some players sat slumped on the bench, scratching their heads in frustration.

Adding to that, Seidou's cleanup and fifth batter were Miyuki and Rinichi…

Surprisingly, the two of them managed to connect several times.

No one knew how they'd suddenly found that chemistry—before, it had been nearly impossible.

But now it seemed clear: the 4th and 5th spots were set in stone.

The game ended 4–0.

Every out was a strikeout—81 pitches total.

Some of the upperclassmen were watching the game as well.

Ryousuke chuckled:

"Coach really is cruel. First he lets Sakai win, then he stomps their confidence into the ground."

"Well, it does boost the morale of the new members."

In short, it was like giving them a stick first, then candy after.

Isashiki Jun and Yuuki Tetsuya glanced at him.

"…"

Now that he'd said it, it really did seem that way.

But no matter how you looked at it, that wasn't the coach's main intention.

Isashiki's gaze fell on Rinichi, now surrounded by teammates.

"Still, Kamishiro's pitching really is as merciless as ever."

"When we alumni play our exhibition game, we're going to be in trouble."

Ryousuke's grin widened.

"True enough…"

"I really don't want to face Rinichi as an opponent."

"Yeah, let's just tell coach not to let him pitch. Otherwise, we won't stand a chance…"

"Just kidding."

Suddenly, Rinichi's nose tickled, and he sneezed.

"You okay?" Miyuki paused in the middle of removing his gear.

Rinichi waved it off casually.

"Just a little tickle in my nose."

Since it was already late August…

September meant the Autumn Tournament preliminaries, and so invitations for practice games were relatively few.

There was no helping it—most teams were busy preparing for the Autumn prelims.

But now was also the time of major roster changes. Whether Seidou or any other school, everyone wanted to use real games to sharpen their squads.

In the following practice matches, Coach Kataoka only let Rinichi pitch the first two innings before pulling him. He didn't even let him play left field.

From the bench, Rinichi lazily lifted his eyelids.

Sensing that the situation on the field was getting a bit dangerous, he felt distracted, though he couldn't leave the dugout.

He had pitched two innings earlier and felt hot at the time, but now he was completely cooled down.

The faint breeze drifting in was rather pleasant.

The opposing team's coach had his eyes fixed on Kataoka standing at the dugout entrance.

Seriously…

They only let their ace pitch two innings.

The rest of the game was entrusted to another fastball pitcher and a sidearm right-hander.

After thinking it over, it wasn't too hard to understand.

The main goal was clearly to sharpen this new team.

That little ace might only be a first-year, but there was almost nothing to criticize about either his pitching or his hitting.

If he threw a complete game, then this so-called "sharpening" would lose all meaning.

Still, it was a bit irritating.

The coach grew angry, lifting a megaphone and barking instructions.

"Watch that pitcher's throws carefully!"

"This is your only chance to beat the national championship team!"

The players: "…"

Their coach really was childish.

But… what he said wasn't entirely wrong.

Without that ace named Rinichi, Seidou's overall strength had dropped quite a bit—especially since their third-years had all retired.

Then again… their own seniors had graduated too…

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