"Did Kitamura-san change his pitching strategy in the last inning?" Akiko Owada asked.
Fujio Mine nodded, clearly impressed.
"Exactly. Strikeouts consume a lot of pitches. Take Narumiya Mei as an example—aside from facing Todoroki Raichi and Kitamura Kou, he's only been using about 80% of his strength against the other batters. He's managing his pitch count extremely well—probably around fifty pitches over four innings."
He paused before continuing:
"More importantly, he understands psychological pressure. By going all-out against Raichi and Kitamura, he creates tension in the opposing dugout. I believe he planned this from the very beginning."
Akiko Owada widened her eyes in disbelief.
"How can that be…?"
Mine Fujio gave a wry smile.
"There aren't many pitchers in the country capable of this level of control. But what's even more shocking is Kitamura Kou. Don't be fooled by his nine strikeouts in four innings—he's actually thrown fewer pitches than Narumiya. His strategy is likely the same. Except when facing Masatoshi Harada and Narumiya Mei, he hasn't even gone all out."
He shook his head in admiration.
"He's only been in high school for a few months, yet he's already reached this level. That's… terrifying."
Kitamura Kou quickly wrapped up the defensive half of the fourth inning. Meanwhile, Narumiya Mei, who had just returned to the dugout, was preparing to take the mound again.
"In the top of the fifth inning, Yakushi High School comes to bat! Fourth batter—pitcher, Kitamura Kou!"
Narumiya Mei's pitching ability ranked among the very best in the nation, easily top three among high school players.
At the same time, Kitamura Kou had already demonstrated overwhelming batting strength in previous games against Ichidaisan and Seido.
A showdown like this—ace versus ace—was enough to electrify both the crowd in the stadium and the viewers watching from home.
The same went for Yakushi High School.
This at-bat would have a huge impact on the flow of the game.
In their previous encounter, although Kitamura Kou didn't reach base, he still managed to make solid contact. Even that alone had lifted Yakushi's morale.
But if he were shut down again this time…
The team's momentum would take a serious hit.
They might start thinking: If even Kitamura can't hit Narumiya, what chance do we have?
At that point, Inashiro would gain confidence, while Yakushi's defense could begin to falter under pressure.
Against a powerhouse lineup like Inashiro's, even a small lapse could prove fatal.
On the pitcher's mound, the Inashiro players gathered briefly.
Captain Masatoshi Harada spoke first, his expression serious.
"Mei, this game is crucial. Don't act childish."
Narumiya Mei stiffened slightly but nodded.
"I understand, Masa-san. I'll follow your pitch calls."
Harada's tone softened a bit.
"In the last at-bat, that kid nearly got a hit off your changeup. He probably has exceptional dynamic vision. If we keep throwing it, the results won't be good—especially since you've already used it a lot. It's starting to lose effectiveness."
He continued firmly:
"We'll seal the changeup for now and save it for a critical moment."
Another teammate asked, "Then how do we handle him?"
Harada looked directly at Narumiya.
"We face him head-on. Even if he gets on base, we can't lose in momentum. Stay calm and deal with the rest."
Narumiya Mei lifted his chin slightly, confidence returning to his face.
"Of course. We're going back to Koshien—to settle last year's score."
Smiles spread across the team.
Harada extended his hand, and Narumiya placed his on top. One by one, the others followed.
"Let's go, Inashiro!"
As the players took their positions, the duel began.
Behind the plate, Harada studied Kitamura Kou's stance.
Perfect posture. Solid grip. No wasted movement.
It looked as if he could hit any pitch.
Throwing balls won't work…
Harada made his decision and gave the signal.
First pitch—go all out. Use pure power to suppress him.
Narumiya Mei nodded.
His aura shifted instantly—calm, regal, and overwhelming.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes as his arm whipped forward like a coiled spring releasing all its stored power.
"Whoosh!"
Kitamura Kou's eyes sharpened.
147 km/h. Low outside corner. Slight cut toward the edge of the strike zone.
Type… unclear.
But that didn't matter.
He had already locked onto the trajectory.
As the ball approached the plate—
He swung.
CLANG!!!
The crack of the bat rang out sharply across the stadium.
The ball rocketed off the bat, screaming down the first-base line at incredible speed.
Shinya Fujikawa, Inashiro's right fielder, sprinted desperately toward the foul line.
Closer. Closer.
But the higher the ball flew…
…the heavier his heart became.
Because—
It wasn't dropping.
Inashiro's players watched in silence, tension gripping their chests.
Yakushi's bench, on the other hand, was already erupting in excitement.
The crowd stood frozen between anticipation and disbelief.
Would it stay fair?
Would it go out?
Everyone's eyes followed the ball as it soared through the sky—
Waiting for the final outcome.