"Pop!"
"Strike!"
The baseball's sharp late movement slipped past Shinkawa Kenichi's bat.
Missing the swing, Shinkawa Kenichi finally showed a trace of tension on his face.
Top of the ninth. Two outs. Two strikes.
Just one more pitch. If they failed to hit this next ball, Inajitsu's dream of Koshien would end right here.
"Just one more pitch!!"
Seido's supporters roared, and across the stadium, behind Inajitsu's dugout, Inajitsu's fans screamed just as loudly, channeling everything they had into cheering for Shinkawa Kenichi.
Amid the deafening noise, Kanzaki Ryou immediately began his motion after seeing Miyuki's signal. The white ball left his hand—an inside-corner Two-seam fastball.
Miyuki had barely set his glove, Shinkawa Kenichi's bat had not even fully returned to its ready position—yet Hada Kazuki was already sprinting toward second.
A steal!!
At the same time, Shinkawa Kenichi swung.
Thud!
A sharp bounce shot off the bat, heading toward second.
Kominato Ryosuke charged forward, cleanly fielded the ball, and fired to first—completely ignoring Hada Kazuki's steal. There was no need to stop the runner. As long as Shinkawa Kenichi was out—
The game would end.
The ball and Shinkawa Kenichi raced toward first base. Everyone—Inajitsu and Seido fans alike—held their breath, eyes stretched wide, terrified to blink and miss the outcome of this decisive moment.
"Pop!"
The ball entered the glove.
And almost at the same instant, Shinkawa Kenichi's foot hit the base.
The entire stadium froze.
An eerie silence fell for two full seconds.
Then—
"Out!!"
As the umpire's voice echoed through the stadium, Shinkawa Kenichi collapsed to the ground on first base, as though all strength had drained from his body.
Inajitsu's dugout and stands went completely silent.
Then the sobs began—soft at first, then swelling until they blended into a collective cry.
The ones crying the hardest were the third-years.
Their summer… was over.
Narumiya Mei cried the loudest. In this game, he had pitched a masterpiece—no runs allowed, perfectly suppressing Seido's batters.
Yet now he was hunched over the railing, shoulders shaking as he sobbed uncontrollably.
Hearing his cries, Inajitsu's third-year Ace, Matsumoto Takumi, felt a crushing guilt.
"It's my fault. I'm the one who gave up the runs…"
"I'm sorry."
Matsumoto Takumi suddenly bowed deeply to his teammates.
Everyone rushed toward him. When they lifted him up, his face was streaked with tears, and he collapsed into their arms, trembling.
Seeing him like this, the entire Inajitsu team felt even more guilty.
Yes—Matsumoto Takumi had surrendered runs.
But how could everything be his fault?
The truth was painful:
None of them had delivered at the plate.
They all shared the responsibility for this loss.
Meanwhile, on Seido's side, the mood was the complete opposite.
The moment the umpire declared the out, Seido erupted.
Players stormed the mound. Substitutes sprinted out of the dugout. The stadium shook with their cheers.
They were beyond ecstatic.
"We won… We really won…"
Takashima Rei's lips trembled—it was only the semifinal, but she couldn't hold back her emotions.
How many years had it been since Seido had reached the Summer Tournament finals?
Takashima Rei didn't dare remember.
Beside her, Ota collapsed into a chair, clutching his chest and breathing heavily.
Coach Kataoka, standing outside the dugout, hands quietly trembling, kept staring at the field.
"You did it, Kanzaki."
Chris closed his notebook with a faint smile—relieved, but also with a hint of bittersweet regret.
On the field, Kanzaki Ryou was surrounded by teammates, big hands ruffling his head.
"Well done!"
"That was beautiful, Kanzaki!"
"We won!!"
Kanzaki Ryou laughed, sharing the joy with everyone.
"West Tokyo Summer Regional Tournament Semifinal—
Seido High School versus Inashiro Industrial High School.
The winner: Seido High School, 2–1!!"
A single run separated triumph from heartbreak.
As the two teams lined up for handshakes, Narumiya Mei kept his head bowed, still crying silently.
Kanzaki Ryou took his hand. All the trash talk he had prepared before the game—none of it came out.
He simply stayed quiet.
Just as he was about to let go, Narumiya Mei gripped his hand tightly and lifted his head.
"Next time, it'll be us going to Koshien!"
Kanzaki Ryou paused, then replied,
"I'll be waiting."
"Don't you dare lose to Ichidai Third High! If you beat us and then lose to them, I'll make you regret it!" Narumiya Mei snapped.
"Relax. The champion today will be Seido," Kanzaki Ryou said.
Narumiya Mei understood.
Not Summer Tournament champion.
Koshien Champion.
"You better be! It'll be more fun beating a Seido like that!"
Kanzaki Ryou smirked.
"How long are you planning to hold my hand?"
"…Hmph!"
Narumiya Mei quickly jerked his hand free, shaking it as if burned.
After thanking the spectators, Seido left the field. The moment they exited the stadium, a swarm of reporters attacked.
Ota and Takashima Rei hurriedly guided the players onto the bus while Coach Kataoka was surrounded.
"Coach Kataoka! Seido has advanced to the finals. What are your thoughts?" a reporter asked.
"Relief," he replied curtly.
"Seido will face Ichidai Third High next—"
Coach Kataoka cut him off with a cold glare.
"The second semifinal hasn't even been played yet. How do you know Ichidai Third High will win?"
"Uh…"
The reporter froze.
Was saying it aloud… disrespectful?
After a few more shallow questions, Coach Kataoka boarded the bus.
Ota immediately shut the door as if afraid the reporters might force their way inside.
When they returned to school, Coach Kataoka dismissed everyone to rest—especially Nanjo Taishi and Kanzaki Ryou, who had spent the most stamina in the semifinal.
The players headed toward the dorms in small groups.
Coach Kataoka watched their backs as they walked away.
At long last—
A smile formed on his face.