Yamada stood in the batter's box, his small tiger teeth visible as he clenched his jaw and carefully studied his opponent.
Since joining Seido High School Baseball Team, he had broadened his horizons. He had faced powerful opponents in games and trained alongside nationally renowned players within his own team. Azuma Kiyokuni. Hidezawa. Players whose names carried weight across the country.
Even so, the man on the mound before him was different.
Komochi.
The ace of Osaka Kiryuu High School Baseball Team. The ace of the so-called Cosmic Team. A pitcher who had stood at the top of the pyramid since his first year of high school.
Compared to Yamada, Komochi had always seemed like a distant star, someone seen only on television or in headlines. Even in the practice game earlier this year, Komochi had completely suppressed Seido with apparent ease. That memory lingered.
In Yamada's mind, this opponent had always felt unreachable. A towering presence.
Today, Yamada had largely played a supporting role. He had not recorded a meaningful hit. Even though both teams stood on the same field, their perceived statuses were worlds apart.
In the stands, Osaka Kiryuu's supporters had already risen to their feet. Many were smiling, clapping, celebrating in advance as if victory had already been secured.
How could someone as insignificant as him deal with the pitch of such a star?
The thought tightened around his chest.
Yet beneath it, another feeling burned stronger.
Unwilling.
After entering Seido, Yamada had endured the same grueling training as everyone else. In the suffocating heat of summer and the biting cold of winter, he had swung his bat again and again. Day after day. Month after month.
Through effort alone, he climbed from the second team to the first-string roster. Eventually, he became a starter.
He even stood now as the third batter in the lineup, placed before Azuma Kiyokuni. That was not an insignificant responsibility. Coach Kataoka and his teammates had once placed their hopes on him.
Even now, though the odds were bleak, they stared at him with wide eyes, mouths open, shouting encouragement he could not clearly hear over the noise. Still, he knew what they were saying.
They were cheering for him.
Three years of sweat could not be meaningless.
Since he had reached this point, even if the probability were one in a billion, he would multiply his effort a hundred trillion times over.
"Ping…"
Yamada swung with full force, and the ball sliced foul down the line.
"Foul ball!"
The sheer power of that swing caused a visible shift in Osaka Kiryuu's atmosphere.
"That felt solid."
In the dugout, Matsumoto's expression changed slightly.
Seido High School Baseball Team was a peculiar team. As long as they were suppressed, they remained manageable. But once they gained momentum, even a spark could ignite a wildfire.
On the surface, aside from their three core hitters, Seido did not appear particularly threatening. Yet that impression was deceptive. It was not that the others were weak. It was that the trio shone so brightly they overshadowed everyone else.
In truth, Seido possessed many players with distinct characteristics. Once one of them fully unleashed his potential, the resulting damage could be astonishing.
Matsumoto briefly considered signaling to the mound.
He stopped himself.
Not yet.
They were about to face the core trio. Komochi was already under tremendous pressure. If he sensed even a trace of doubt from the bench at this moment, his composure might crack.
That was the last thing Matsumoto wanted.
It was better to let the ace decide for himself.
On the mound, Komochi felt the tension tighten around him. Azuma Kiyokuni stood in the on-deck circle, waiting. The mere sight disrupted his rhythm.
He had already spent significant energy earlier in the game. Even after adjusting in the outfield, his stamina was not limitless. Facing Seido's three core hitters in succession would be grueling.
Before that happened, he had to secure this final out.
He focused intensely.
Compared to the terror posed by Azuma and the others, the unease from Yamada's previous swing was minor.
Finish it here.
"Whoosh!"
The white ball tore through the air and reached Yamada in an instant.
Yamada's eyes sharpened.
Behind the plate, Shibata felt a flicker of shock.
Right down the middle?
The pitch retained its speed and force, but its location was unforgivingly central.
How could a ball in that position be safe against Seido's third batter, even if he was considered less formidable than the others?
"Ping!"
Yamada's body reacted before conscious thought could intervene.
This was the result of countless swings practiced at Seido High School Baseball Team. Muscle memory honed through repetition took over.
The ball shot sharply along the Third Base line.
It struck the ground and bounced violently into the outfield.
Extra-base hit.
At this crucial moment, Yamada, the player Osaka Kiryuu had paid the least attention to, delivered a beautiful double.
Two outs. Runner on Second Base.
For a second, Seido's supporters in the stands stared in disbelief.
Then they exploded.
"Yeah!"
"Seido!"
Their voices were already hoarse from earlier shouting, but that did not diminish their passion. If anything, it intensified it.
Moments ago, hope had seemed extinguished.
Now, the batting order had rotated back to the core.
This was the opening they needed.
Students from Seido High School began leading coordinated cheers. One row crouched, then rose. The next followed. Then the next.
Blue uniforms rippled like waves across the stands.
The motion felt instinctive. Words alone could not contain their surging emotions.
"Go!"
"Azuma Kiyokuni!"
"Azuma Kiyokuni!"
In the crowd, a middle-aged man wearing glasses chuckled softly.
"They seized the chance."
The game was nearing its end. Opportunities would not come again.
In this desperate scenario, the first prerequisite had been fulfilled. One of the top three batters had reached base.
Even so, Seido's probability of victory remained slim. Less than ten percent.
The next three batters would each need to make the correct decision. Every swing, every step, every calculation would have to align perfectly.
Only then could Seido High School Baseball Team truly create a miracle.
The difficulty was immense.
Could they really do it?
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