Chapter 245: In the Spotlight!
It was the top of the ninth inning—Seidou High School's turn to attack.
This was their last chance to score in regulation play.
From the dugout to their supporters in the stands, everyone from Seidou erupted into passionate cheers of encouragement.
"The opponent is already at their limit—there's nothing to be afraid of!"
"There's no way he can maintain peak pitching form forever!"
"Just swing with everything you've got and send that ball flying!"
Listening closely, it was easy to detect the fear those supporters had toward Narumiya Mei.
Right now, the score was tied at 2-2.
Although Seidou had managed to score two runs already, their hardcore fans in the stands still couldn't feel at ease.
The opponent's pitching, as well as their overall defensive capabilities, were simply too formidable.
It was a kind of strength that couldn't be easily expressed in words.
Against such a tough opponent, scoring runs had always been a tremendous challenge.
And to make matters worse, Inashiro Industrial's ace, Narumiya, seemed to have evolved even further!
He was already difficult enough to handle, but now he'd become even more intimidating.
Ever since Narumiya's sudden evolution, not a single player from Seidou had managed to gain an advantage against him.
The difficulty of scoring had become an undeniable fact they had to face.
But that wasn't even the biggest worry yet…
What concerned everyone most at this point was the condition of their own ace—the powerful freshman monster who had already pitched six or seven innings.
Pitching the way he did consumed stamina at a rate ordinary people couldn't possibly comprehend.
Seidou's players and their loyal supporters knew deep down:
No matter how talented their freshman ace was, if the game dragged into extra innings, the likelihood of something going wrong with Furuya would drastically increase.
Of course, even if the match did reach extra innings, it wasn't completely hopeless for them.
But undeniably, their chances of victory would become far slimmer if it came down to that.
Considering this, scoring a run right here in the ninth inning was absolutely crucial!
The ninth batter from Seidou High stepped into the batter's box first.
From the stands and dugout alike, the cheers continued to rise in waves.
Standing in the batter's box, cold sweat dripped down the hitter's forehead.
His heart pounded furiously.
The closer they came to the final moments of the game, to reaching that legendary dream stage, the more nervous everyone became.
This tension even continued to grow, spreading throughout the players and supporters alike.
In contrast, the players from Inashiro Industrial High seemed completely accustomed to this kind of fierce competition.
Entering the final stretch of the game, they displayed unwavering fighting spirit and a fierce competitive mentality.
Especially the boy standing on the pitcher's mound. From the look in his eyes, it felt as though he intended to devour everything in his path.
When the baseball left his hand, it flew forward with incredible force and power.
Whoosh!
The white baseball shot past in an instant.
The batter stood frozen, watching helplessly as the ball passed him.
The giant electronic scoreboard flashed the pitch speed clearly:
"147 km/h!"
Even at this point, Inashiro Industrial's ace, Narumiya Mei, was still maintaining extraordinary pitching speed.
"Strike!"
Faces in the Seidou dugout turned grim.
"Is he finally done holding back?"
Previously, when facing Seidou's weaker batters, Narumiya had conserved energy. If he'd been pitching at full power earlier, even Furuya, now at his limits, would've been unable to keep up.
But now, at this moment—
The players from Seidou High couldn't detect even the slightest hint that Narumiya was still holding back.
"We've entered the last stretch of the game," Coach Kataoka spoke calmly. "Inashiro must have already prepared themselves mentally for extra innings. That's why they won't allow any unexpected scenarios in this inning."
The opponent's intention was clear as day.
"Our only hope is to get on base. But it seems our opponents aren't planning to give us that chance," Chris added solemnly, pen in hand.
No one could deny that the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for Seidou.
"Strike!"
"Strike two!!"
"Strikeout!!!"
One out, no runners on base.
With their ninth batter struck out, Seidou's situation grew even more tense.
Meanwhile, from the stands, the hardcore supporters of Inashiro Industrial loudly shouted their encouragement:
"Just two more outs to go!"
Although they weren't clear on what exactly Inashiro Industrial High's overall strategy was, as dedicated supporters, they could instinctively feel it: if their team secured these final two outs, victory would surely be within their grasp.
At first, it was just a handful of people shouting, but soon all the hardcore Inashiro fans joined together, chanting loudly:
"Just two more outs!"
"Only two more!"
Inspired by these thunderous cheers, the players of Inashiro Industrial High seemed suddenly reinvigorated, their eyes fiercely locked onto Seidou's hitters with intense hostility.
"Trying to intimidate me, huh?"
Kuramochi, Seidou's first batter, stepped into the batter's box at this critical moment.
He could clearly sense that the Inashiro players harbored ill intentions.
They were obviously trying to shake Seidou's batters psychologically, preventing them from performing at their best.
This tactic might work on some people—
But to try it on him? They were dreaming!
"If you have the guts, throw whatever you've got at me—I'll send it flying right back at you!"
As strong as Inashiro's momentum was, Kuramochi's spirit burned even brighter.
Seidou's lead-off batter had an unmatched determination, a fierce competitive spirit that far exceeded anyone's imagination.
Even though he was only a second-year starter—not like those third-year seniors risking everything in their final summer—Kuramochi's resolve and determination were no less intense.
During the transition from middle to high school, he'd almost lost baseball forever because of a fight he'd gotten into defending a friend.
That had undoubtedly been the darkest period in the cheerful teenager's life.
It was precisely during that difficult time that Seidou High School's scout, Takashima Rei, reached out to him, offering him a lifeline.
Kuramochi would never forget that day—the day everything changed.
He'd gotten the chance to return to the baseball field, and even better, he'd met this group of teammates.
Though Kuramochi usually acted carefree and didn't express his feelings openly, he cherished these bonds deeply.
Now, their team finally had a chance to make it to Koshien—
And yet, Inashiro Industrial High School stood firmly in their way, blocking their path forward.
"Like hell I'd let you stop us here!"
Whoosh!
Narumiya Mei's pitch was as sharp as ever.
The moment the ball left his hand, alarm bells rang in the hearts of Seidou's players in the dugout.
"He's too strong!"
Even though the game had reached its final stage, the ace pitcher from Inashiro still showed no signs of fatigue.
Standing in the batter's box, Kuramochi felt every cell in his body trembling uncontrollably.
Even after facing him multiple times, he had to acknowledge the undeniable reality: this pitcher was truly special.
Narumiya Mei.
This was an opponent every bit as terrifying as their own monstrous ace.
Yet, even so, Seidou's leadoff batter showed no hesitation.
As the pitch approached, his eyes shone with fierce determination.
He tightened his grip on the bat, and the moment the ball was within reach, he swung without hesitation.
"Ping!"
Only after the ball collided with the bat did the spectators realize, to their astonishment, that Seidou's leadoff hitter wasn't nearly as fragile as they'd assumed.
Even against Narumiya's formidable pitches, he could fight back decisively and fearlessly.
"This guy..."
Seeing the ball soar into the air, the eyes of Inashiro's players and supporters widened in disbelief.
They watched in horror as the baseball flew over twenty meters forward before beginning to fall—and no fielder was in sight below it!
"Hyaha!!"
Though it was probably just an ordinary single, Kuramochi was visibly ecstatic.
His legs pumped furiously like a high-speed engine. The next moment, he burst forward, sprinting out of the batter's box like an arrow shot from a bow.
All that mattered was seeing the ball hit the ground.
With Kuramochi's inhuman speed, reaching first base was practically guaranteed.
While getting just one runner on base might not dramatically change the situation, it would definitely be a good start!
Kuramochi didn't only trust himself—he had absolute faith in his teammates batting behind him.
As long as he reached base, Kuramochi believed his seniors would find a way to bring him home.
But just as Kuramochi had this thought, a figure on the field suddenly lunged forward.
At first glance, it seemed impossible for this diving figure to reach the ball. However, after his initial dive, the player used his hand to push off the ground, propelling his body even further forward.
This tiny extra distance allowed him to catch the ball that originally seemed out of reach.
"Pop!"
"Out!"
Two outs, nobody on base.
For a moment, the entire stadium went dead silent—only to erupt a second later in deafening cheers and gasps of disbelief.
"Oh my god!"
"Shirakawa, you're amazing!"
For the Inashiro supporters, this result was an unexpected surprise.
Who could've guessed Shirakawa, previously hit by a pitch, would still display such incredible athleticism?
"Stop underestimating us. Our team isn't just about Mei alone!"
Shirakawa stood up proudly, raising his glove high in the air.
In that moment, he looked like a giant.
"Batting second, second baseman, Kominato Haruichi!"
With two outs, it was now freshman Kominato Haruichi's turn to bat.
A deep sense of despair began to hover over Seidou's players and supporters.
If it had been their original second batter, Kominato Ryousuke, perhaps they wouldn't feel as worried as they did now.
But Ryousuke was injured, and replacing him was his younger brother—a first-year student.
Although the younger Kominato had a fearsome reputation of his own, that didn't automatically mean he could match his older brother's prowess at bat.
In Seidou's dugout, Coach Kataoka showed no intention of substituting him.
This meant the first-year rookie would have to take Seidou's potentially final swing of this crucial game.
At some point, the older Kominato brother, Ryousuke, had quietly made his way to the front of the dugout.
With narrowed eyes, he stared calmly onto the field.
"You don't have to worry too much. Even if we can't score now and the game heads into extra innings, we can still win!"
Even though this was exactly the scenario Seidou's players had hoped to avoid.
But to say they had completely lost confidence in winning the game because of this setback wasn't realistic either.
Kuramochi confidently reassured his senior.
"You talk as if you actually got a hit earlier," Ryousuke replied, his sharp tongue never missing a beat.
"Senpai!" Kuramochi gave his senior a helpless look.
If he'd known Ryousuke was still this composed, he wouldn't have bothered trying to comfort him in the first place.
"You did manage to hit Narumiya's pitch earlier," Ryousuke calmly continued, "which means the Tokyo Prince's pitching has already started losing some of its edge."
Just as Ryousuke was finishing his analysis—
Narumiya unleashed another fierce pitch!
The intimidating speed of his throws had long since left a powerful impression. Against a freshman batter, using other breaking pitches rashly could potentially lead to trouble—especially on the very first pitch. He absolutely couldn't show any sign of hesitation.
Whoosh!
The instant the white ball shot forward, it appeared as fast as ever.
Seeing Narumiya's throw, both players and fans from Inashiro Industrial High nearly erupted into cheers.
Yet, at that precise moment, the boy in the batter's box suddenly moved.
Gripping the bat tightly with both hands, he swung decisively toward the incoming ball.
As he swung, beneath the scattered strands of hair across his forehead, a crimson eye gleamed sharply.
"Ping!"
The baseball followed precisely the trajectory he had anticipated—a fastball.
This type of pitch wasn't something Haruichi typically excelled at hitting.
Fortunately, he'd predicted Narumiya's pitching path ahead of time. Even though it wasn't his specialty, he still managed to connect solidly.
The white ball soared toward first base.
Yamaoka immediately jumped up, desperately reaching out to intercept it.
Yet, his glove fell short by at least a dozen centimeters.
He could only watch helplessly as the baseball sailed past him, bouncing to the ground behind him.
The Seidou supporters, who had already begun losing hope, were suddenly filled with excitement and delight at this scene.
"It got through!"
For them, nothing could have been more exhilarating or satisfying than witnessing this moment.
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