The cleanup hitter is the heart of any team.
Especially for Nanamori, their reliance on their cleanup hitter surpassed that of most other teams.
At this point in the game, the score was 2–5.
Of the five runs Seidō had allowed, three were scored by their cleanup hitter.
In particular, their first run owed everything to him.
If it weren't for their cleanup hitter, they might have lost all face early in the game.
Facing Seidō's Second String and still trailing by two runs without scoring themselves—what kind of impression would that leave?
Now, confronting the daunting challenge of Takumi, everyone—including their coach—pinned their hopes on their cleanup hitter.
Miyuki Kazuya, crouched behind the plate, reminded his partner, "This guy has already hit twice. His batting average is frighteningly high…"
Even Kawakami Norifumi, who was in top form, couldn't escape the threat posed by this cleanup hitter.
They had to be careful.
Takumi, however, paid no mind to his warning.
No matter what, he was determined to rely on his Spiral Ball.
Still, he couldn't control the outcome when using this pitch.
It would be ideal if he could handle the current batter.
If not, there was nothing more he could do.
He gripped the ball tightly, feeling its strange texture—like two spiraling roads etched into its surface.
He stepped forward, swinging his arm in sync.
Only when the motion was complete did his body press fully into the pitch, releasing the ball.
Swoosh!
With every pitch, he felt his stamina drain rapidly. There was no other way; his physical foundation was simply too weak.
Forcing himself to use the Spiral Ball was a heavy burden.
What made it even more frustrating was that, in his current condition, he couldn't fully unleash its power.
Yet even so, the pitch flying from his hand was already terrifying.
The cleanup hitter of Nanamori didn't swing immediately.
He watched the ball sail past him.
Snap!
"Strike!" Miyuki Kazuya announced confidently.
He had promised he'd catch it—and he did.
Except for the first pitch, he snagged every Spiral Ball Takumi threw.
Clutching the ball, he furrowed his brow, studying the batter before him.
Facing Takumi's Spiral Ball for the first time, the Nanamori cleanup hitter showed no flicker of surprise.
Instead, his expression was calm, almost cocky—radiating quiet confidence that he could handle the pitch.
"What an infuriating opponent," Miyuki Kazuya grumbled under his breath.
It was undeniably exhausting to face someone whose emotions were completely unreadable.
But there was no other choice.
The rest of their team felt the same; no matter who stood on the mound, they had to confront them head-on.
"One strike ahead—let's keep the pressure on," he urged tentatively.
Unsure whether the batter would swing at the next pitch, his call was careful and measured.
But Takumi dismissed it all without a second thought.
From 18 meters away, he had already poured every ounce of strength into simply getting the ball into the strike zone.
Expecting him to fine-tune the ball's landing spot based on Miyuki's signals?
That was nothing but wishful thinking.
As Miyuki Kazuya paused, he stepped forward and pitched.
Whoosh!
The ball, imbued with the Spiral Ball's spin, rotated at an astonishing speed.
Though its actual velocity was only about 135 km/h, it felt like a blazing fastball exceeding 150 km/h.
Nanamori's cleanup hitter watched the pitch steadily approach.
He tightened his grip on the bat.
He couldn't wait any longer!
With two strikes against him, he knew he couldn't afford to wait for the perfect pitch.
He had to swing now.
Resolute, the Nanamori cleanup hitter swung decisively.
Though the pitch was incredibly fast and the ball's spin unusual, he found the perfect timing immediately.
They had a similar player on their own team—Midori, the bulky pitcher.
This cleanup hitter often faced their team's Ace during practice, giving him ample experience against challenging Spiral Ball pitches.
Takumi's pitch was exactly what he had been waiting for.
As the ball hurtled closer, the cleanup hitter felt as if he was about to make solid contact.
In the Nanamori dugout, everyone—including their coach—watched eagerly.
Hit it!
You must hit it!
Their coach had already issued the order: if they couldn't hit the ball now, how could they still claim to be among the top four in West Tokyo?
Under everyone's expectant gaze, Nanamori's cleanup hitter's bat connected solidly with the ball.
But before excitement could surge, he suddenly felt his hand betray him.
The bat, gripped tightly moments before, slipped from his grasp and flew out of his hand.
Miyuki Kazuya, crouched in the catcher's position, quickly turned his head.
Coach Kataoka, standing behind him, looked like a god of war.
Though he saw the bat coming, he didn't flinch or step back.
He let the bat graze his helmet and fly away.
Despite the bat flying off, the ball still landed in fair territory.
Seidō's first baseman took a few quick steps forward and caught the ball cleanly in his glove.
"Out!"
Two outs, no one on base.
The Nanamori players and their coach were all stunned.
They had rehearsed countless scenarios, but never expected it to end like this.
Their cleanup hitter had actually lost his grip on the bat!
Though they were one of the top four teams in West Tokyo, their cleanup hitter was a star player in their prefecture.
Even among the powerhouse teams in West Tokyo, he was a core batter.
Yet facing a first-year rookie pitcher, his bat flew out of his hands?
And it didn't stop there.
When the fifth batter stepped up, Takumi repeated his strategy, deliberately pitching down the center, hoping the batter would swing.
Snap!
"Strike!"
Snap!
"Strike!!"
Snap!
"Strike!!!"
"Strikeout!!"
"Three outs, side retired."
Under his watchful, expectant gaze, Nanamori's fifth batter failed to make contact with the ball.
He was struck out outright.
This left Takumi feeling deeply disappointed.
However, before he could even show his frustration upon returning to the dugout, he was immediately surrounded by his jubilant teammates.
"Fantastic!" one cheered enthusiastically.
"Three up, three down!!" another exclaimed triumphantly.
"From today onwards, you're my idol!!" someone shouted with admiration.