Chapter 281: The Test
"OUT!!"
"YAAAAAH!!!"
"OOOOOOHHH!!!"
The moment the out was confirmed, the entire Seidou side—field, dugout, cheering section—erupted.
A tidal wave of cheers shook the stadium, echoing into the sky.
In contrast, Inashiro's bench watched quietly and sternly as Seidou celebrated wildly.
Narumiya sat frozen, expression unchanged.
Shirakawa tilted his head back with a long sigh, silently cursing himself for falling into the trap.
Next up, the 3rd batter, Yoshizawa—cold sweat running down his cheek—but still firm, still determined.
The match had reached the point where blood touched steel.
Every player except the clueless first-years understood:
Lose here, and summer ends.
Win here, and you reach Koshien.
Different personalities showed pressure differently—
some froze, some trembled, some grew eerily calm.
During Shirakawa's at-bat, Carlos had repeatedly tried to steal—only to be forced back by foul balls.
Miyuki's eyes never left him.
Until he confirmed Kawakami's rhythm was stable again, Carlos didn't dare run.
In this moment, Carlos envied Sendo more than ever—If only I had his speed… with my reaction time, I could barrel through this entire situation.
But fantasy was fantasy.
His movements could only disrupt the pitcher slightly; they had no real effect if Kawakami hit his spots.
And Kawakami's control was sharp again.
Outside pitches? He could throw those all day.
....
"Just one more out… one more out…"
Kawakami repeated silently in his mind.
Yes.
One out left.
But the pressure was suffocating.
The more intense the match, the heavier the final moments became.
Baseball starts with the pitcher's throw—and everything depends on the catcher's call and the pitcher's execution.
A brilliant pitch could lead to a strikeout, grounder, or easy fly ball.
A single mistake could lead to a double, a triple… a home run.
Defense can't save you until the pitcher releases the ball.
That is why the ace carries the team's fate.
The ace sets the stage.
Only when he performs, can the defense shine.
Unless the game devolves into a slugfest—and that requires outrageous luck or overwhelming offensive power.
In this 9th inning, bottom half, the stadium's immense pressure fell on two people: the pitcher and the batter.
Even Yoshizawa, a third-year, felt pressure like never before.
He knew:
Either he keeps the team alive…or the game ends on his swing.
....
"Bottom of the ninth. Two outs. Runner on first! Seidou has forced the reigning champions—Inashiro—to the very edge of a cliff! One more out! Just one more out and they go to Koshien!!!"
The announcer's voice trembled with emotion.
....
"ONE MORE!"
"ONE MORE!"
"ONE MORE!"
"ONE MORE!"
The stadium shook as thousands chanted in unison—
everyone except Inashiro's supporters, whose voices had been swallowed by the overwhelming momentum.
To neutral fans, nothing mattered except the excitement.
Watching a reigning champion fall? Even better.
"Hold them down!"
"Seidou!!!"
The stadium roar drowned out bench voices completely.
The female managers and Wakana clasped hands, praying through tears.
Some held each other's arms tightly—silent wishes for a miracle.
"DON'T GIVE UP! NOT YET!"
Even Seidou's substitutes shouted at the top of their lungs, trying to support the players.
"Go!!"
Seidou's players all showed smiles—raising their index finger, signaling: ONE OUT LEFT.
Even the third-years couldn't stop themselves.
They had waited for this moment… for years.
"We can do it!"
"We will…"
"WIN!"
"WE CAN STAND… ON THAT STAGE!"
Jun-san's face was already twisting with emotion.
"This isn't good," Sendo thought.
The crowd's overwhelming chant, the premature celebration…The seniors had forgotten: THE GAME ISN'T OVER. Baseball is built on miracles—both beautiful and cruel.
Sendo looked at the stadium, then nodded inwardly.
There was only one thing he could do—play with everything he had.
"What a joke…"
Even knowing his seniors' composure was slipping, Sendo trusted that their defense wouldn't crumble.
But he could already picture Kawakami's face stiffening.
With this massive pressure, Kawakami finally understood:
Every pitch from this moment on could end the game.
Victory or defeat—the team's fate rested entirely in his hands.
The weight was crushing.
.....
"I CAN'T MISS!!"
Kawakami muttered like someone possessed.
Sendo's prediction was dead-on.
Kawakami now realized—
He had climbed to heaven with that last out.
A single mistake now would plunge him—and the team—straight back into hell.
The fear was overwhelming.
Even the air felt heavy.
Breathing became difficult.
Inside Inashiro's dugout,
Narumiya's killing aura spilled out like smoke.
He believed—absolutely—that Yoshizawa wouldn't let the game end like this.
"GO, YOSHIZAWA!"
"Yoshizawa-senpai!"
"You guys! Only ONE more out! Don't choke now!!"
Hirakawa from Ichidaisan shouted at the TV in a random shop.
"Yoshizawa hasn't done much today… He's definitely thinking home run here. If it goes to the cleanup hitter next…anything can happen."
Manaka muttered.
....
Miyuki analyzed swiftly:
"Getting that second out was huge. Now Carlos can't steal as freely. No—Inashiro is cautious, but we can't relax. He might still run. This batter will definitely swing at the first pitch. We must keep it low."
He saw Yoshizawa's face—calm but visibly burdened.
He would bet everything on the first pitch.
....
"Huu…"
Kawakami exhaled as he saw the sign, relieved.
He glanced at Carlos taking a huge lead.
Pretended to ignore him.
Snapped his head back again—
Carlos didn't flinch.
These petty feints only annoyed him.
But irritation was still pressure.
Carlos was sweating.
His breath shaky.
One wrong move… and everything was over.
Just moments ago, Kawakami's sudden head-twitch nearly scared him into jumping back to base.
All courtesy of a certain mischievous catcher.
Miyuki's grin had gone completely crooked.
These two—Miyuki and Sendo—were the only ones smiling now.
Earlier, it had been the seniors smiling.
But they knew the game wasn't finished.
Now?
Miyuki and Sendo were simply reveling in the intensity.
....
"The sidearm's pitch comes from shoulder height…To get a long hit, I need to aim right-center. No, more right… Actually—left field…Ugh! Forget it—just aim for left!!"
Yoshizawa's thoughts were a mess.
Sendo in center.
Isashiki in left.
Both were monsters.
To hit a long ball, he needed to send it to the far corner—left field.
Right field was also airtight—Shirasu had taken over, and his fall season performance made people wary even if he'd only just entered.
Three outfielders.
Three fortresses.
How do you hit a long ball like this!?
....
As the pitcher checked the batter, Miyuki glanced at Carlos one more time.
At this stage, he really didn't want trouble.
....
"The first pitch matters most!! Kawakami-senpai!!!"
Sawamura screamed at the bullpen fence.
"Can you NOT shout!? Warm up properly, idiot!"
Miyauchi wanted to punch him.
"Weren't YOU the one who said the game isn't over!?"
....
Kawakami lifted his leg—
Carlos bolted.
"WHOOSH!"
POP!
Carlos dove back to first as Miyuki received the pitch perfectly.
"STRIKE!"
Low outside.
Borderline.
Sharp.
Yoshizawa wasn't ready.
Carlos couldn't run.
Too dangerous.
Too risky.
The pitch was so low… even if he swung, he might not touch it.
The fight was nowhere near over.
.....
"Nice one, Nori!!"
Kuramochi shouted.
"That's it, idiot!!"
"Yes! THIS is Kawakami!"
"That pitch had spirit!!"
Kawakami was their last hope—and he was holding the mound together.
....
"One pitch… and my energy's back."
Kawakami felt refreshed.
But also terrified.
The score, the inning, the stakes—everything made this final confrontation monstrous.
Miyuki judged instantly:
Carlos wouldn't steal.
Not with Miyuki catching.
Not in this moment.
Not unless he saw a guaranteed opening.
Carlos was fast and smart—not insane.
"Good. That last pitch boosted his confidence.
Now let's throw it."
....
"Haa… huu… haa…"
Kawakami held his breath—
"WHOOSH!"
POP!
"Ball!"
Carlos dashed back and forth again.
....
"Good pitch! Powerful!"
"Stay sharp!"
"You're seeing it clearly!"
"Yoshizawa!!"
Inashiro's managers clasped hands, whispering prayers.
Seidou's girls did the same—for the opposite reason.
"Please, no more disasters…"
Seidou's luck recently had been terrible.
....
"Yes! Another precise pitch!"
"Huff… the next pitch—here."
Even Miyuki consciously adjusted his breathing.
Victory was right there—so close it was frightening.
Fear of a hit.
Joy of near victory.
The thrill of a beautiful duel.
It all fused inside him.
"This is why catchers love baseball. This incredible, maddening tension—You can't feel this standing far away. Serves you right, Sendo."
Miyuki even took a moment to look back at Sendo,
imagining how much that idiot must want to feel this too.
Then he focused again.
Carlos.
The runner's presence was huge.
Seidou could not allow even one run.
Not now.
Not ever.
....
"Huuu… haa…"
"Kuh!"
"WHOOSH!"
"Inside corner!"
POP!
"Slider!"
"STRIKE—!!"
"Gh—!"
Carlos bit down hard as he scrambled back.
...
"Slider! Swing and miss!!! Two strikes, one ball!!!In only three pitches, the batter is cornered!! Seidou is ONE STRIKE away from defeating the reigning champions!!! Inashiro… is on the brink!!!"
The announcer's voice cracked with emotion.
"That one was nasty," Ninomiya muttered.
"The first strike built his confidence. The second hit its spot beautifully—just as the catcher wanted.With that momentum, the third pitch was razor-sharp."
"BUT—now comes the REAL test."
Yang folded his arms.
"When a pitcher corners the batter…THAT'S when the heart gets tested.Especially for someone like Kawakami—who has always struggled with mental pressure."
He spoke with authority.
After all—he was a pitcher who, even after giving up consecutive hits and runs, could keep pitching with a steady heart.
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