"Ball!"
Masatoshi Harada narrowly avoided being hit, and Inashiro Industrial High School still held onto a sliver of hope to close the gap.
"This is troublesome…" Kitamura Kou pulled off his cap, wiping away the sweat streaming down his face. "My stamina isn't enough to guarantee I can keep the ball in the strike zone if I go all out. But no matter what, we have to shut them down here. If they build momentum, this game could turn in an instant."
He glanced at the plate.
"I'm sorry, Akaishi… I'm going all in. You have to stop anything that gets past."
A fierce aura surged from Kitamura Kou, pressing down on the batter's box.
The balance that once existed between the two sides had now completely tilted under Masatoshi Harada's pressure.
This is bad… Harada's heart skipped a beat. If this keeps up, I'll be out on the next pitch.
He forced himself to focus.
No more hesitation. Whether that last pitch was intentional or just loss of control—it doesn't matter anymore.
Harada stepped in tight to the plate, crowding the edge to pressure Kitamura. He bet everything on one possibility: that Kitamura wouldn't dare throw inside.
At the same time, he prepared to target an outside pitch and swing with everything he had.
Behind the plate, Akaishi Osamu read Kitamura's intent from the pitcher's overwhelming momentum. He clenched his jaw.
I've wasted every chance he's created today… Not this time.
Even if his hand broke, he would catch it.
Even if his body gave out, he would stop the ball.
"Akaishi… here it comes," Kitamura muttered.
Then—
Boom!!
The ball screamed toward Harada's inside corner, arriving in the blink of an eye.
Harada, fully committed to the outside, had no time to adjust.
He could only hope—
Thump!
"Strike three! Batter out!"
Harada froze.
He hadn't expected it—an inside pitch at that moment, thrown without hesitation.
That pitch had passed just centimeters from his chest.
Was he not afraid of hitting me?
As Harada walked back, he lowered his head slightly when passing Narumiya Mei.
"Mei… sorry. I couldn't bring it in."
Though Harada's performance hadn't been perfect, it was still solid. But failing to deliver here, as a third-year and as Mei's partner, weighed heavily on him.
Narumiya frowned immediately.
"What are you saying, Masa-san?" he snapped. "You stood your ground against a 150 km/h pitch without flinching. That was gutsy. Don't talk like that—it doesn't suit you."
He jabbed a thumb at his chest and grinned.
"Besides, this situation? It's my fault. That brat hit my pitch. I'll take those runs back myself—that's who I am."
His grin sharpened.
"I'm Narumiya Mei."
He turned and strode toward the batter's box without waiting for a reply, leaving behind a confident, commanding silhouette.
Harada watched him go, emotions swirling in his chest.
Mei… I'm counting on you.
You're the pillar of Inashiro.
Standing in the batter's box, Narumiya Mei radiated intensity. His eyes locked onto the mound, sharp and unwavering.
Kitamura Kou felt it instantly.
There was no hesitation in Mei.
Only resolve.
Boom!!
The moment the ball left Kitamura's hand, Mei swung.
He didn't wait to confirm its path—by then, it would be too late. He trusted his instinct.
A four-seam fastball.
Thump!
Strike.
His timing was off.
Mei clicked his tongue.
The second pitch came without delay.
Boom!!
Even faster—153 km/h.
Mei didn't change his approach. The instant the ball was released, he committed again.
Ping!
"Foul!"
This time, he read it correctly. His timing was perfect—
—but the contact point was slightly off. The ball clipped the top edge of the bat and flew into the net behind home plate.
Two strikes.
No balls.
He was cornered.
Kitamura didn't hesitate.
The third pitch came with even greater force.
Boom!!
"Don't get in my way, you damn rookie!" Mei roared, unleashing everything into his swing.
His bat cut through the air faster than ever before. He had read the pitch. If he connected, it would fly.
But—
The ball slowed.
Dropped.
Vanished beneath his bat.
Smack!
It hit the dirt and bounced cleanly into Akaishi's glove.
"Strike three! Batter out!"
Mei's eyes widened.
"…A changeup."
It wasn't even a sharp one—just a simple off-speed pitch.
But that simplicity shattered his timing completely.
The ace of Inashiro Industrial had swung and missed.
With that single pitch, Kitamura Kou disrupted the rhythm and closed out the inning cleanly.
At the end of the eighth inning, Yakushi High School still led Inashiro Industrial by one run.
Just three outs remained—
—and victory would be theirs.