Chapter 284: Something Got in My Eye
"O–Out… OUT!!!"
Three outs! But the king's fierce counterattack has already tied the score!
Extra innings!!
The game goes into extra innings!!!
"OH!!!"
"YOSHAAA!!!"
"What a throw back! Sendo!"
"You bastard—! You really are something!"
"That was beautiful!"
"So close!!!"
"Just one step short!!"
Even though Inashiro Industrial scored, the side erupting in cheers was Seidou.
Extra innings didn't matter anymore—what mattered was that that one hit didn't kill them!
Once again, Sendo became the savior.
Tanba, Tetsu, and Isashiki had all been crying earlier, still staring blankly at home plate.
And believe it or not, Coach Kataoka was shouting the loudest.
Before Harada's final hit, Inashiro had been worried about losing—but after that swing, the momentum flipped completely.
They had nearly walked off Seidou.
How could that not feel frustrating?
That's baseball—a sport where life and death reverse in an instant.
Brutally thrilling.
"Damn it!" Yoshizawa cursed himself.
"But we're tied now, Ji-san!"
Carlos said—words completely unlike his usual style.
"The coach said it himself! If it's tied, we'll definitely win!"
"…Yeah!"
Carlos stood up.
....
On the other side—
Sendo picked up his cap and walked over to Isashiki, who was still lying on the ground in a daze.
"Jun-san… were you crying?"
Sendo's teasing voice rang in his ear.
"LIKE HELL I WAS, YOU IDIOT!"
Isashiki wiped his tears hard.
"I just got sand in my eye!"
"…This is grass,"
Sendo exaggeratedly scanned the area, then spoke seriously.
"Shut up! The wind blew it in!"
Isashiki stubbornly insisted.
There was no way he'd ever admit that the breeze he felt was actually from Sendo sprinting past him.
"I see~ That's really unlucky then."
Sendo dropped the teasing and gave him an out.
Then he reached out.
Smack.
"Great job."
He pulled Isashiki up, and the two headed toward the dugout together.
Tetsu quietly wiped his tears with a natural motion—
though some ironclad straight men had no such awareness.
"Sendo! That was amazing!"
"I seriously love you!"
"That was scary-good!"
As he approached the dugout, Sendo was drowned in cheers.
"That was terrifying… That kid from last year is unbelievable now."
Azuma exhaled deeply on the sidelines.
In a one-pitch-do-or-die situation, it had been insanely intense.
"Thank you… You saved us, Sendo."
Back in the dugout, the first to thank him was none other than Coach Kataoka.
"Too early to thank me, Sunglasses Old Man,"
Sendo replied casually.
"The game's not over yet. They tied it—we've gotta take it right back."
Despite his flippant tone, everyone who heard him felt at ease.
"Heh. Hurry up and rest while you can,"
Kataoka smiled.
"…!"
Sendo stared at him dramatically.
"What? Want to tease me too?"
Kataoka joked—rare for him.
"No, no! Just surprised you can smile!"
Kataoka patted his shoulder, signaling him to go rest—his break wouldn't last long.
Sendo headed into the dugout.
"That last play… you really saved us,"
Miyuki said quietly.
"For a moment, I almost lost hope. I never knew baseball could feel that painful."
"Losing feels the same for everyone,"
Sendo replied flatly.
"Huh? Even you?"
"What are you thinking? Of course I hate losing—especially since I've never lost."
"That just makes me want to punch you,"
Miyuki said.
"But still… thanks for not giving up at the end.
If you'd stopped, even that throw wouldn't have beaten the runner."
"I couldn't drag you down, right?"
Miyuki held out his fist.
Tap.
Sendo bumped fists with him.
"How about you and I become a duo?"
Miyuki slung an arm around him.
"I refuse. Don't even think about it—"
"SEEEENDO!!! I knew we could trust you in the clutch!"
Before Sendo could finish rejecting him, Sawamura tackled him from behind.
Furuya nodded furiously beside them.
Both of them had felt defeat in that instant—so the joy of surviving had to be shared.
"Of course."
"You're basically a god!"
Sawamura exaggerated.
"Go get ready!"
"Yeah!"
"Now you understand how cruel games can be, right?"
"…Yeah. But what is Koshien anyway?"
Sawamura murmured.
"Everyone's fighting like they want to tear each other apart…"
"No idea. I've never been either,"
Sendo said quietly.
"But whatever's there—we absolutely cannot lose.
Even if it kills us."
Miyuki sensed that those words weren't entirely a joke.
Sendo lowered his head and closed his eyes.
That oppressive presence surged again.
Miyuki backed off.
Only Furuya diligently fanned Sendo with a towel.
....
On Inashiro's side—
"I'm sorry, Coach,"
Yoshizawa apologized.
"No need,"
Coach Kunimoto said calmly.
"We can only praise that first-year's ability. And I said it before—one run is enough. In extra innings, we win."
"Yes!"
"This inning starts with the heart of their lineup. If we suppress it, the game ends early.
Be careful."
Seeing Narumiya in peak condition, Kunimoto felt no worry.
He leaned close to Harada and whispered something that made Harada's eyes widen.
"I understand,"
Harada replied.
Kunimoto wasn't arrogant—he didn't underestimate Seidou's core lineup.
But Seidou's pitcher was clearly nearing collapse.
Unless Seidou kept getting absurdly lucky and somehow filled the growing hole on the mound, Inashiro's odds were extremely high.
Kunimoto glanced at Kawakami, then across Seidou's dugout, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, most spectators believed Seidou had the edge.
They ignored Kawakami's fatigue and focused only on surface results—Tetsu's unlucky out, Sendo's home run.
Mine believed Seidou might win the first extra inning—if they scored and somehow held the bottom half.
But Kawakami was on the brink.
If Seidou failed here, Inashiro would likely win—
unless Seidou was truly blessed by the goddess of luck.
No expert believed a first-year like Sawamura could shoulder that burden.
Even Coach Kataoka wouldn't swap him in unless Kawakami fully collapsed.
But he was ready—just in case.
"Top of the 10th! Seidou High's offense! Leadoff batter—Number 3, left fielder Isashiki!"
The final battle had begun.
"Go, Isashiki!"
"Jun-san, please!"
"One hit, please!"
"If possible, swing at the first changeup—
and Yuuki, ignore the changeup,"
Kataoka's instructions tilted toward Sendo.
Sacrifice one strike for Yuuki—then let today's transcendent Sendo decide it.
All in.
If this inning failed, it would come down to sheer willpower.
"I get it…The batter behind me is someone I can trust completely,"
Isashiki thought.
"One strike is worth it. Sendo deserves it. Reliable junior—this chance is yours!"
"COME ON, DAMN IT!!!"
"Annoying,"
Narumiya thought coldly.
"Even though they hit me last inning, the pitch quality isn't bad. Alright—let's make it unforgettable."
Whoosh!
"Ch–Changeup!"
Pop!
"Strike!"
"First pitch?!"
Isashiki was stunned.
"Good—Narumiya's in great shape,"
Harada noted.
"Even the changeup's working."
Pop!
"Strike!"
"Another changeup?!"
Pop!
"Strike three! Batter out!"
"YOSHAAA!"
"One out!"
Narumiya's eyes shifted—to Yuuki.
And deeper—into Seidou's dugout.
At the same moment Isashiki struck out, Sendo opened his eyes.
His pupils were like black holes—devouring everything.
He stood.
Instantly, Furuya felt that suffocating pressure again.
"Fourth batter—First baseman Yuuki Tetsuya!"
Cheers thundered.
But Narumiya, Harada, Inashiro's bench—and their stands—all stared at one figure.
The man who had homered last inning.
The most dangerous man on the field.
Even Coach Kunimoto's gaze hardened.
No matter whether it was luck or transcendence—
Today, Sendo had become the most troublesome man alive.
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