Between the two options, Coach Yamamoto ultimately chose to intentionally walk Azuma Kiyokuni.
In his judgment, although Kanzaki Ryou was dangerous, his overall batting power and experience still fell short of Azuma's overwhelming presence.
"Dangerous…"
Ochiai Hiromitsu's heart pounded nervously.
If runs were conceded here, it would be extremely difficult to recover later. Even though reaching the Koshien Top 8 was already considered a success, as an assistant coach, Ochiai naturally hoped the team could advance further.
—Not to mention, better results meant a better bonus.
Receiving the signal, Hayato Hinata nodded calmly. He wasn't the arrogant type and immediately threw four deliberate balls.
The intentional walk was completed cleanly.
Azuma Kiyokuni clenched his teeth in frustration, but there was nothing he could do.
"Tch… intentionally walking Azuma-senpai?"
"So they think I'm easier to deal with?"
Kanzaki Ryou stepped into the batter's box, gripping his black bat tightly.
With Kominato Ryosuke on third base and Azuma Kiyokuni on first, a single extra-base hit was all it would take to blow the game open.
Sagara High School's strategy was obvious.
They believed Kanzaki was the softer target.
Kanzaki admitted it himself—
In terms of raw power, swing speed, and experience, he couldn't match Azuma.
But—
Why was he Seidou's fifth batter?
Because of his terrifying dynamic vision.
Because of his absurd ability to read pitches.
Thinking they could break through him was nothing short of naïve.
Come on.
Throw it.
As long as it's not an impossible pitch… I'll send it into the stands.
"Kanzaki!! Blast it out!!"
"Go for it!!"
"Score!!"
Seidou's fans roared in unison.
Kanzaki adjusted his stance, stepping slightly closer to the plate, eyes sharp and focused.
"This kid's presence at the plate…"
"He's starting to look just like Tetsu."
Isashiki Jun slapped the railing excitedly.
"He trained meditation with Yuki, after all."
"He really looks the part now."
"Sagara High School's in trouble."
"They thought walking Azuma would stabilize things—but it won't be that easy."
In the dugout, President Ota trembled uncontrollably with excitement.
"We have to score… we have to score!"
Compared to Ota's agitation, Coach Kataoka and Takashima Rei remained calm, arms crossed, eyes fixed firmly on Kanzaki.
On the mound, Hayato Hinata exchanged a glance with his catcher and finalized the pitch.
No tricks.
No escape.
They had to confront Kanzaki Ryou head-on.
Whoosh!
The baseball tore through the air.
The instant the bat's afterimage flashed, the catcher's heart skipped violently.
Bang!!
Kanzaki swung the moment the ball entered the zone.
The bat smashed into the baseball with terrifying force.
"HAAAAH!!"
With a roar, the white ball soared high toward right field.
"Oh——!!!"
"HOME RUN!!!"
"Kanzaki!!!"
"Three runs!!!"
The stadium exploded.
Cheers, screams, and applause collided into a deafening wave.
Kanzaki jogged steadily around the bases.
After rounding second, he leaped toward Azuma Kiyokuni—
The two crashed chest-to-chest midair, Kanzaki bouncing backward from the impact.
He nearly lost his balance, only to be caught by Kominato Ryosuke.
Kanzaki laughed and slapped his hand.
"Three runs, senpai."
"We're unstoppable."
"Yeah," Kominato replied with a grin.
"That one was all you."
The three returned to the dugout together and were immediately swallowed by their cheering teammates.
On the mound, Hayato Hinata's composure finally cracked.
A single swing.
Three runs lost.
Sagara High School had been pushed to the edge.
This was only the third inning—but this was Koshien, and both teams were elite. Chasing runs in a game like this was no different from climbing a sheer cliff.
In the dugout, Coach Yamamoto's face was grim.
He had believed that walking Azuma would increase their odds.
Instead—
Kanzaki Ryou had answered with a brutal slap to the face.
Still—
A powerhouse never surrendered easily.
The game wasn't over.
Carrying Seidou's momentum, Isashiki Jun stormed into the batter's box, aiming to pile on more damage—but was struck out in three pitches.
With no runners on base, Miyuki followed and was also retired.
In the bottom of the third inning, Sagara High School attacked—
Only to be completely shut down by Kanzaki's overwhelming pitch speed.
Three batters.
Three outs.
In the fourth inning, Hayato Hinata struck out Araki Keita and Yoshikawa Junpei.
Shida Shota managed to reach base with a bunt, but Kominato Ryosuke was struck out immediately after.
When Sagara's offense returned, their leadoff batter finally connected, sending Kanzaki's straight ball through the infield gap between second and third.
Runner on first.
The second batter was struck out.
Then—
Maya Yamato stepped up again.
After a long duel, the count reached two balls, two strikes.
Kanzaki threw a slider.
Maya Yamato timed it perfectly and crushed it before it broke, sending the ball screaming toward right field.
Although Araki Keita quickly returned the ball to the infield, the runner advanced to second base with a hit-and-run.
Two outs.
Runner on second.
Once again—
Shunsuke Furukawa, Sagara High School's cleanup hitter, stepped into the batter's box.
Miyuki narrowed his eyes.
A strikeout would be ideal—but unlikely.
The opponent was adapting.
Kanzaki's stamina would inevitably decline.
As the innings progressed, hits were bound to come.
Given the situation—
Miyuki set his glove to the outside corner.
Slider, edge of the zone.
Even if it was hit—
It wouldn't be a long one.
Kanzaki nodded slightly and released the pitch.
To read his cutter-slider before it broke, one would need vision as abnormal as his.
At the plate, Furukawa committed early, choosing the slider's trajectory and swinging with full force.
Bang!!
The sound rang sharp and heavy.
The white ball shot straight toward right field—