As the baseball hurtled toward home plate, the calm expression on Sato Toshiya's face began to crack.
At first, it was only a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Then beads of sweat appeared across his forehead.
By the time the pitch was only inches from the plate, every trace of composure had disappeared, replaced by unmistakable panic.
His eyes widened as he watched the baseball streak toward him like a bolt of lightning.
Its trajectory was unlike anything he had anticipated.
The pitch continued sinking lower and lower, as though pulled down by an invisible force, diving sharply toward the dirt.
This isn't right!
"Kusano, get back!"
Unable to suppress the alarm in his heart, Sato shouted at the top of his lungs.
At the same time, he tightened his grip on the bat and thrust it forward with everything he had, hoping to deaden the ball.
At that moment, nothing else mattered.
Even if he couldn't lay down a proper bunt, he only hoped to foul the ball off—or at least interfere with Akaishi Osamu's ability to field it—to buy Kusano even the slightest chance of escaping.
Unfortunately...
Things rarely went according to plan.
Just before reaching home plate, the baseball slammed violently into the dirt.
Bang!
It exploded back upward with astonishing force, completely slipping past Sato's outstretched bat before continuing straight toward the catcher.
Thud!
The ball smashed directly into Akaishi Osamu's chest protector with tremendous force.
The impact sent a sharp wave of pain through his body, his abdomen feeling as though it had been struck by a sledgehammer.
Even so, Akaishi didn't hesitate.
Suppressing the pain, he quickly secured the ball inside his glove before it could ricochet away.
Then his sharp eyes immediately locked onto Kusano, who had barely covered a third of the distance between Third Base and home.
The look in his eyes was cold and unwavering.
The entire stadium fell silent.
Everyone watched Kusano.
Would he gamble everything and charge home?
Or would he heed Sato's warning and retreat to Third Base?
In the end...
Kusano gritted his teeth.
He chose to run.
Because he had already noticed Kitamura Kou quietly moving behind him from the mound, cutting off his escape route back to Third.
Retreating now would only guarantee an out.
Since both choices carried the same risk, he might as well bet everything on reaching home.
Maybe... just maybe...
The thought ignited a fierce determination in his eyes.
His speed increased yet again as he charged toward home plate with the resolve of a man prepared to risk everything.
Seeing Kusano charging headlong toward him, Akaishi stood his ground without the slightest hint of fear.
Come on.
His eyes flashed coldly.
Standing before the plate like an immovable fortress, his broad frame sealed off every possible path.
In the blink of an eye, Kusano arrived.
Finding every route blocked by Akaishi's imposing body, he made a split-second decision.
He launched himself into the air, diving toward the plate like an arrow released from a bow.
But Akaishi was no ordinary catcher.
The instant Kusano left the ground, Akaishi shifted his body with remarkable speed, perfectly matching the runner's trajectory and cutting off every opening.
Bang!
Bang!
Two heavy collisions echoed across the stadium.
Runner and catcher crashed onto home plate together, sending a massive cloud of dust billowing into the air.
For several tense seconds...
No one could see what had happened.
Every pair of eyes remained fixed on the swirling dust.
Finally, it began to settle.
The scene at home plate gradually came into view.
Akaishi Osamu remained standing firmly over the plate like an unshakable mountain.
His gloved hand, still clutching the baseball, blocked Kusano's outstretched right hand just inches from touching home.
Kusano stared in disbelief.
No matter how desperately he stretched, he couldn't break through Akaishi's airtight defense.
"Out!"
The home plate umpire's decisive call echoed throughout the stadium.
The duel at home plate was over.
The crowd immediately erupted into thunderous cheers and applause, mixed with disappointed sighs from Kaidou's supporters.
Meanwhile, Sato Toshiya stood frozen, his eyes fixed on home plate, frustration filling his heart.
Then a calm voice sounded from behind him.
"The obstacles are gone."
"Now we can finally have a real showdown."
Sato instinctively turned around.
Standing behind him was Kitamura Kou.
Their eyes met.
Kitamura's gaze burned with unwavering confidence, shining as brightly as the stars.
But what shocked Sato wasn't the look in his eyes.
It was the meaning behind his words.
His expression changed dramatically.
"You..."
He stared at Kitamura in disbelief.
"You deliberately took the risk of letting your catcher deal with that pitch... even knowing it could have become a passed ball and cost your team a run..."
"...all because you wanted a fair, one-on-one battle with me?"
Kitamura didn't answer.
He simply stood there with a faint, confident smile.
An overwhelming fighting spirit slowly radiated from his body.
It was like a blazing inferno.
Though invisible, its intensity was so overwhelming that everyone nearby could clearly feel it.
His desire to compete...
His confidence...
And his eagerness to face Sato Toshiya head-on without any distractions.