"Hey… how fast was that last pitch?"
Realizing just how extraordinary that final throw had been, spectators immediately began asking those around them.
"I don't know—but it didn't look any slower than Furuya Satoru's!"
"Damn it! Of all times, the speed gun didn't even display it!"
"Did anyone bring their own radar gun? If so, tell us the speed!"
"I… I did, but…" One fan scratched his head awkwardly. "Since none of his earlier pitches reached 150 km/h, I didn't bother measuring…"
"I can't accept this! I'm definitely watching their next game—that pitch was absolutely over 150 km/h!"
The once-silent stands erupted into noise once more as discussions about Kitamura Kou's final pitch spread like wildfire.
In stark contrast to the heavy emotions weighing down Seido High School—
Yakushi High School was engulfed in celebration.
"We won!!! We actually won!!!"
"Amazing! We've defeated two of West Tokyo's three powerhouses!"
"Kitamura, your pitching was insane!"
"Just two more wins! Two more and we'll reach that stage!"
"Hahahaha!!!"
Yakushi's players rushed toward the mound, surrounding Kitamura Kou as they celebrated their hard-earned victory.
Their bench turned into a sea of joy, every player expressing their excitement without restraint.
"That's incredible! Kou and the others won again!"
Tsukishima Wakaba and Tsukishima Momiji hugged each other, jumping up and down in excitement—almost more thrilled than the players themselves.
Meanwhile, Tsukishima Aoba stood frozen, still processing what she had just witnessed.
"…Just how fast was that pitch…?" she muttered.
"…Could he really throw 160 km/h?"
For the first time, her firm belief that Kitamura Kou could never reach such speeds began to waver.
"Koichiro…"
Kaname Manaka watched his best friend standing on the field, tears falling uncontrollably. A pang of sorrow struck his chest.
He had never imagined that both of them would fall to the same opponent in their final summer—
Yakushi High School.
A team whose strength felt bottomless.
Hirakawa and Omae, who had once confidently claimed Seido would defeat Yakushi, now stood in silence.
Their earlier assumption—that Yakushi had only won through tricks—had completely collapsed.
Yes, Yakushi had used some unconventional tactics.
But the strength they displayed today…
Left no room for doubt.
Ichidaisan High School defeating them with certainty?
That idea now sounded like a joke.
There was no question anymore—
Yakushi High School had become a force capable of rivaling West Tokyo's three traditional powerhouses.
Even if their reputation hadn't caught up yet…
Their strength already had.
If they could defeat Inashiro Industrial High School—the reigning champions of West Tokyo—and perform well at Koshien—
Then Yakushi would truly establish themselves as the fourth powerhouse.
"I never expected even Seido to lose… Yakushi has really shaken things up," said Akiko Owada.
"Indeed," Fujio Mine nodded.
"Before this tournament, no one could have predicted this outcome. And what's more terrifying is that Yakushi's core lineup is made entirely of first-year players."
"Even if they fail to reach Koshien this year, their strength will only grow over the next two years."
"The balance of power in West Tokyo has completely collapsed."
"From now on, it won't be a three-way rivalry—it'll be a battlefield of many teams."
"But among them… Yakushi and Inashiro stand at the top."
"Both have the potential to dominate the nation."
"Their eventual clash will undoubtedly be spectacular."
At that moment, the words of Coach Todoroki from a previous interview echoed in Fujio Mine's mind.
Combined with the recent surge of talent across Japan—
It made him realize something profound.
From West Tokyo alone, there were already so many standout players:
Kitamura Kou.
Todoroki Raichi.
Kamiya Carlos.
Narumiya Mei.
Miyuki Kazuya.
Amahisa Kousei.
And that wasn't all.
East Tokyo had also produced a wave of prodigies:
Mukai Taiyo.
Inui Kengo.
Azuma Yuhei.
Mishima Keitaro of Teito High School.
If just Tokyo alone had this many geniuses—
Then across all of Japan…
How many more were there?
Japan's dominance in world baseball—
Suddenly didn't feel like a distant dream anymore.
Realizing this, Fujio Mine felt a surge of excitement course through him.
His entire being seemed to come alive, as if he could already witness that glorious future unfolding.
"Sawamura… it's time to line up."
Chris spoke in a low, steady voice.
"…Yeah. Let's go."
Tetsuya Yuki approached Haruichi Kominato, who still stood in the batter's box with his head lowered, tears streaming down his face, consumed by self-blame.
Placing a firm hand on his shoulder, he said:
"Everyone… stand up. Line up."
As the team captain, Yuki did his best to pull his teammates out of their grief—
Even as he struggled to hold back his own tears.
The audience rose to their feet, applauding the intense match.
"Salute!"
"Thank you for the game!"
The blaring siren signaled the official end of the match.
"Congratulations on advancing to the semifinals."
After the formal exchange, Tetsuya Yuki stepped forward and extended his hand to Kitamura Kou.
Without hesitation, Kitamura accepted it.
"Thank you. Your team was incredible," he said sincerely.
"Especially your determination to fight until the very end—that was truly admirable."
Yuki gave a small nod.
"Since you've defeated us… I wish you the best in your match against Inashiro. Reach that stage."
It was a simple blessing.
"Thank you. We'll give it everything we have."
Kitamura Kou responded solemnly.
Not far away, Sawamura Eijun—still unwilling to accept defeat—marched straight up to Todoroki Raichi.
Despite Raichi having already reverted to his usual awkward, withdrawn self after the game, Sawamura forcibly grabbed his hand for a handshake—
Causing yet another small commotion.
Future rivals…
Their stories had only just begun.