"They're here! It's Yakushi High School!"
"Kitamura Kou!!!"
"Todoroki Raichi!!!"
"Yakushi High!!!"
"You've already taken down two of the three powerhouses—now crush Inashiro too!!!"
"Inashiro Industrial High School is the strongest!!!"
"Narumiya Mei!!!"
"Take us to Koshien!!!"
The moment both teams stepped onto the field to warm up—
The stadium erupted.
Supporters from both sides roared, their voices colliding in a deafening clash of pride and expectation.
Would Yakushi High School continue its miraculous dark horse run—
Or would Inashiro Industrial High School preserve the dignity of the traditional powerhouses?
"That's just unfair…" Nakanishi Daiki muttered, staring enviously at the opposite stands.
Across the field—
Rows of uniformed cheerleaders waved in perfect sync, their youthful energy dazzling.
"Whoa… Narumiya Mei's fan club is insane," Maruyama Shinji joked, shielding his eyes.
"I'm going blind just looking at them!"
"We're not losing in that department either," Kitamura Kou said calmly, pointing toward the stands.
"Where? Where?!"
Everyone quickly turned—
"Go! Go! Yakushi High!!!"
Tsukishima Momiji and her two friends, dressed in matching cheer outfits, were cheering with all their might.
"…They're just kids."
The team's excitement instantly deflated.
"Man… it feels so empty…" Nakanishi sighed dramatically.
"Damn it! If only I had a support squad like that, I'd turn this emptiness into power!"
"Yeah!"
"In the top of the first inning, Inashiro Industrial High School takes the field!"
The commentator's voice rang out.
"On the mound is none other than their ace—Narumiya Mei!"
"A second-year pitcher who has yet to allow a single run in this tournament!"
"Catching for him is the team captain and cleanup batter, Masatoshi Harada!"
"Yakushi used unconventional methods to defeat two powerhouse teams," Akiko Owada commented thoughtfully.
"I wonder what strategy they'll use against Narumiya Mei, who hasn't allowed a single run yet."
"Yes," Fujio Mine nodded.
"On one side, we have Inashiro with an absolute ace."
"On the other, Yakushi—the dark horse with multiple explosive hitters."
"In the end, the pitchers will decide everything."
"Top of the first—Yakushi High School's leadoff batter, Fukuda!"
Standing in the batter's box, Fukuda Daiki focused intently.
Narumiya Mei—
Without a doubt, one of the strongest pitchers he had ever faced.
Second only to Kitamura Kou.
Yet, his expression remained calm.
During the past few days of preparation—
Kitamura had thrown 150 km/h fastballs to every starting batter.
Compared to that—
No matter how fast Narumiya was…
He couldn't be faster than Kou.
"Hmph… don't think you can hit my fastball that easily," Narumiya muttered, his tone dripping with disdain.
In his eyes—
Fukuda was nothing more than a mid-tier batter in Yakushi's lineup.
Not worth going all out against.
After receiving the sign from Harada—
Narumiya delivered the first pitch.
"SWOOSH!"
A four-seam fastball screamed toward the inside high corner—
Aimed straight at Fukuda's chest.
Even without going full power—
It still clocked around 145 km/h.
Fukuda didn't hesitate.
He swung.
"Clang!"
"…What?!"
Narumiya Mei and Masatoshi Harada both froze in shock.
They hadn't expected this—
A batter like Fukuda keeping up with Narumiya's pitch on his very first look—
And even making contact.
"Foul!"
The ball flew past third base, landing out of bounds.
Though he made contact—
The sheer force of the pitch overpowered him.
Narumiya's expression darkened.
His 145 km/h fastball—
Hit that easily?
"Mei," Harada said calmly, though his tone had sharpened.
"It seems we underestimated them."
"This is the final. Don't hold back anymore."
Narumiya's eyes changed.
The earlier arrogance faded—
Replaced by focus.
"Good," Harada thought.
"As long as he gets serious… we won't lose."
"Same course," Harada signaled.
"But this time—throw it your way. Let them see your real speed… and shut them up."
Narumiya didn't hesitate.
He poured everything into the second pitch.
"SWOOSH!!!"
Faster.
Sharper.
More explosive.
Fukuda's eyes could barely track it—
But his body couldn't react in time.
Smack!!!
The ball slammed cleanly into Harada's mitt.
Fukuda's swing came a split second too late.
"Nice pitch!!!"
The speed flashed on the screen.
148 km/h.
Narumiya Mei's top speed—
Unleashed.
Now completely locked in—
Narumiya didn't give Fukuda a moment to breathe.
The third pitch came immediately.
"SWOOSH!"
This time—
Around 145 km/h.
But the location—
Low and outside.
A tricky edge between strike and ball.
Fukuda gritted his teeth and swung with everything he had—
But—
"Strike three! Batter out!!!"
The first battle—
Ended decisively.
Narumiya Mei stood tall on the mound.
The "Tokyo Prince" had arrived—
And he wasn't going to let Yakushi take this game easily.