Bottom of the fourth inning.
Inashiro's offense.
On the mound, Kanzaki Ryō casually glanced toward the dugout—his eyes briefly landing on Narumiya Mei.
Just wait… I've got a "gift" for you next inning.
Clap! Clap!
Miyuki's glove snapped, pulling him back to focus.
Kanzaki exhaled, dug his cleat into the mound, then lifted his leg—
And fired.
Whoosh!
The ball tore through the air like a white streak.
Before Carlos could even react—
Thwack!
It slammed straight into Miyuki's glove.
…Whoa.
Miyuki's fingers tightened instinctively.
That's heavy!
He turned his head toward the scoreboard—
162 km/h.
His eyebrow twitched.
Did he get pissed after that strikeout?
So that calm expression earlier…
…was just an act.
In the batter's box, Carlos's face darkened.
That sudden jump in velocity had completely thrown off his timing.
Sweat dampened his grip on the bat.
He adjusted his footing, inching closer to the mound.
Swing early.
He rolled his shoulders, forcing himself to relax.
Meanwhile, the stadium erupted.
Seido fans roared in excitement, their cheers nearly drowning out everything else.
Back on the mound, Kanzaki caught the return throw and flashed Miyuki a faint smile.
Relax. I'm not losing control.
Miyuki paused—then let out a small, helpless smile as he crouched again.
…Yeah. Of course you aren't.
Second pitch.
A low inside two-seam fastball.
Crack!
Carlos managed to connect, sending a grounder toward first.
He sprinted immediately, speed exploding off the line—
But the ball hadn't traveled far.
Miyuki charged forward, scooped it cleanly, and fired to first.
Out!
One down.
Next up—Shirakawa Katsuyuki.
His stance was unusually aggressive, crowding the plate even more than the others.
As if—
He didn't care about getting hit at all.
Kanzaki's eyes narrowed slightly.
This guy's insane…
That kind of resolve—to get on base even at the cost of his body—
It was something to respect.
But—
Respect didn't mean mercy.
Whoosh!!
The forkball dropped sharply.
Swish—
"Strike three!"
Another strikeout.
Two outs.
Yoshizawa Hideaki stepped in next.
A solid hitter—fundamentally sound, powerful, disciplined.
But against Kanzaki—
It wasn't enough.
Crack!
A clean hit to left—
But not deep enough.
Masuko Tōru moved into position and caught it steadily, then fired the ball back in.
Out!
Three up.
Three down.
Once again.
Through four innings, Inashiro still couldn't mount any offense—their momentum visibly fading.
Your turn, Kazuya.
Top of the fifth inning.
Miyuki stepped into the batter's box.
No hesitation—
Whoosh!
First pitch—
Crack!
He swung immediately, driving an outside cutter into left field.
"Nice one, Miyuki!"
"Get on base!"
"So cool!!"
Amid the cheers, Miyuki raised his fist with a smug grin.
On the mound—
Narumiya's eye twitched.
"…You bastard."
Did he read that perfectly?!
No way.
Absolutely no way.
"…Lucky punk."
He was convinced.
Miyuki must've stepped in dog poop this morning.
"Mei. Focus."
Harada tapped his glove lightly.
"…I know."
Narumiya shot Miyuki one last glare before turning his attention forward.
Masuko Tōru stepped in.
First pitch—
Bang!
Another hit.
A two-seam fastball blasted into left field.
Just like that—
Runners on first and second.
No outs.
The stadium atmosphere tightened instantly.
Against Seido, giving up the first run—even just one—could decide the entire game.
Narumiya's eyes burned.
No…
Absolutely not.
Even Yūki and Kanzaki hadn't scored yet.
There was no way he'd allow anyone else to break through first.
He exhaled slowly.
Then—
Focused.
The eighth batter, Shirasu Kenjirō—
Strikeout.
Next—Sakai Ichirō.
He squared to bunt.
The ball rolled forward cleanly.
Miyuki advanced to third—
But—
Inashiro reacted perfectly.
A swift pickup.
A sharp throw.
Then another.
Double play.
Three outs.
Crisis over.
Back in the dugout—
"Sakai."
Coach Kataoka's voice was calm.
But heavy.
"…Why bunt?"
Sakai froze.
One out. Runners on first and second.
Choosing a bunt in that situation—
High risk.
High consequence.
If executed poorly…
Exactly what just happened.
"I…"
No answer came.
"Were you afraid?" Kataoka continued. "Afraid you couldn't hit Narumiya's pitch?"
Sakai lowered his head.
His silence said everything.
Last at-bat—double play.
This time—another one.
Different method.
Same result.
"…Go rest."
The words were merciless.
Sakai's body trembled.
"…Yes."
He walked to the back of the bench and sat down, head lowered.
"Kadota. You're up next inning."
"Yes!!"
Kadota Masaaki's voice rang out, full of excitement.
Finally—
A chance to play in the finals.
The upperclassmen barely reacted.
To them, this was normal.
Shrinking back in a crucial moment and costing the team a scoring opportunity.
Substitution was inevitable.
But the first-years—
They froze.
A chill ran through them.
Sawamura swallowed hard.
I can't mess up… absolutely not.
Furuya.
Haruichi.
Arima.
All of them felt the same pressure.
Noticing their tension, Kanzaki—now wearing his glove—smiled faintly.
On the field—
Mistakes happen.
Errors are part of the game.
No one is perfect.
And Coach Kataoka wasn't unreasonable.
But—
Mistakes caused by hesitation…
By fear…
Those were different.
Losing focus.
Making cowardly decisions.
Like choosing a bunt out of fear and handing the opponent a double play.
That—
Was unforgivable.
Especially for Seido.
A team built on aggressive batting.
A team that never backs down.
Bunting like that—
Was no different from surrender.