As the game reached the final inning, the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team's performance was incredibly sharp.
After nine innings, Inashiro Industrial's players had completely found their rhythm and begun displaying their full strength.
They swung their bats aggressively, targeting Third Base repeatedly. Having identified their opponent's weakness, they were not going to let it go.
These players knew exactly how to win a game.
Their grasp of opportunity and timing had reached a remarkable level.
Although the score difference between the two teams was only one run, over 90% of the fans at the scene had already mentally conceded the victory to Inashiro Industrial.
That Yakushi High School had held on this long was, in the eyes of most fans present, already an extraordinary achievement.
This far exceeded anyone's expectations.
In this game, although the Yakushi High School Baseball Team had exposed many shortcomings, their overall strength was still astonishing.
In the Summer Tournament a few months from now, they would surely cause a stir.
But for today's game, whether Yakushi could hold onto that one-run lead was very much in question.
As for winning outright, considering Narumiya Mei's dominant pitching and those nearly unhittable strikeouts, the fans were not optimistic about Yakushi High School at all.
The outcome of this game seemed already decided. It just remained to be seen how the final score would look.
Even if the game ended here, Yakushi High School would still make headlines in tomorrow's baseball media.
Sometimes, even losers become famous.
It just depends on whether the performance was outstanding enough and whether the opponent was formidable enough.
Losing to National Champions Inashiro Industrial by only one run was more than enough to earn attention.
Even if Inashiro scored a few more runs in the final inning, Yakushi High School's name would still appear repeatedly in tomorrow's coverage.
Their reputation might not be quite as striking as a one-run loss, but it would be there.
From any perspective, the Yakushi High School Baseball Team had arrived.
They had added more fuel to the already fiercely competitive West Tokyo scene.
This year's Summer Tournament, still months away, already had many fans looking forward to it.
Inashiro Industrial's repeated attacks on Raichi Todoroki at Third Base had a significant effect. Raichi Todoroki made two consecutive errors, creating a major crisis with runners on First and Third Base.
One out, runners on First and Third Base.
The Inashiro supporters in the stands were nearly beside themselves.
This was their moment, the chance to finish it. They eagerly awaited the victory.
Before the game had started, those supporters might not have expected to feel this anxious. But now they were.
Today's game had been incredibly difficult.
They no longer hoped for a rout. The game had reached the ninth inning and a blowout was off the table. A steady victory, preferably with a few insurance runs, would be enough.
This was a good opportunity, and they weren't going to let it slip.
At the Seido High School Baseball Team's gathering spot in the stands, the players were full of unease.
"Even the lower-order hitters have this kind of strength!"
They watched the Inashiro Industrial hitters at work on the field, shaking their heads.
Putting themselves in their opponents' shoes, it would be difficult to match that kind of performance.
Inashiro Industrial, after the winter break and the Spring Koshien, had become too powerful.
Even when caught off guard and facing a sudden challenge, they could quickly stabilize and turn the situation around.
The strength they displayed across every aspect of the game was chilling. The details in particular gave the Seido players a deep sense of dread.
There is a saying: one minute on stage, ten years of practice off stage.
The baseball field was the same.
The Inashiro Industrial players currently on the field had put in an enormous amount of work behind the scenes. That was how they had gotten here.
The later the game progressed, the more polished they appeared. It was astonishing to watch.
Just as the Seido players also began to think the outcome was settled, the batter hit the ball beautifully.
The baseball flew directly over the Third Baseman's head.
"Ping!"
The moment the white ball flew out, the runner on Third Base broke for home.
These players were willing to take huge risks for one last chance.
The Seido players watching from the stands felt the tension spike. Inashiro Industrial had given them too many shocks today.
When Inashiro went all out, they were truly terrifying.
And then, a figure at Third Base leaped.
Like a sudden burst of movement, he reached back and grabbed the baseball that was flying behind him directly into his glove.
The Inashiro batter at the plate was stunned.
How could he jump that high?
"Gak gak! Gak gak gak!!"
A harsh, duck-like laugh rang out across the field.
Raichi Todoroki felt no sense of crisis. He was thoroughly enjoying the moment.
He was enjoying the game.
Not just him. Every player on the Yakushi High School Baseball Team at this moment seemed to be enjoying themselves.
They celebrated loudly, as if the inning had already been won.
The runner on Third Base, who had already broken for home, thought he was out. Watching these players celebrate so freely, he quietly tried to sneak back to Third Base.
His movements were careful, almost furtive.
These players weren't the sharpest, but their reflexes were frightening. If they noticed him, the outcome would be humiliating.
The thought of being thrown out by this group was unbearable.
He couldn't afford to lose face like that.
But just as he was four or five meters from Third Base, preparing to dive back, a cheerful figure with a calm smile appeared in front of him.
"Sorry..."
The glove, holding the baseball, came down directly onto him.
"Slap!"
"Out!!"
Double play.
Three outs, side retired.
The fans in the stands were stunned.
"The pitcher actually ran over to cover Third Base. Yakushi's positioning is quite sharp!"
"Did you see the runner's expression? He looked like he was about to have a breakdown."
Although the game was tense and this was no moment for levity, the fans who witnessed the scene couldn't help themselves.
It was too good.
Two teams, one a sudden dark horse, the other the reigning champion who had just returned from the Spring Koshien, delivering a scene like that.
Narumiya Mei hung his head, unable to look at anyone.
"How embarrassing!"
Just thinking about it made his face burn.
His own teammate had moved like a thief, and the most mortifying part was getting caught doing it.
The runner who was called out returned to the dugout with his head down.
Thankfully, his Inashiro Industrial teammates didn't blame him.
"The game isn't over yet. Let's send them home!"
Narumiya Mei lifted his head and walked toward the pitcher's mound.
He had already changed into his gear.
The other players exchanged glances, then stood up one by one.
At that moment, the sunlight fell across the backs of those nine young men, making their figures appear particularly tall.
These nine players, just half a month ago at the Spring Koshien, had fought their way through to the final victory.
They were all main starters, numbers one through nine, of Inashiro Industrial.
The strongest high school team at this stage.
Their opponent, Yakushi High School, had been somewhat well-known before today, but nothing like a powerhouse of Inashiro Industrial's level.
And yet in today's game, the two teams had gone back and forth, refusing to give an inch, all the way to the bottom of the ninth inning with Yakushi trailing by only one run.
Anyone with a bit of sense knew that after today's game, Yakushi High School was going to become an overnight sensation.
Playing the National Champions this close, even in defeat, was remarkable.
The media would not let it go, especially with four of Yakushi's key players being first and second-year students.
In terms of topicality and impact on the Tokyo high school baseball scene, the story would be significant.
But for now, no one was thinking that far ahead.
Even the reporters who had come specifically for this game had no mind for how they would write their stories later.
They were completely absorbed in what was in front of them.
Although they believed Inashiro would ultimately win, they didn't want to miss a single detail. And beneath that certainty, something else was stirring, an anticipation they couldn't quite name.
Next up was Mishima Yuuta, the First Batter for the Yakushi High School Baseball Team.
As soon as he stepped onto the field, he fixed his gaze on Narumiya Mei, eyes bright.
No one knew that Narumiya Mei had once been Mishima's idol and the opponent he most wanted to face.
Since joining Yakushi, he had always looked forward to this day.
But he never expected it to come so quickly.
As of today, he had only been in high school for two full weeks.
He had not expected an opportunity like this, a chance to challenge his idol, to come this soon.
His first confrontation had not gone smoothly. He had been struck out cleanly.
This time, he would make contact, whatever it took.
"Ping!"
Mishima Yuuta, seemingly favored by luck, actually made contact.
The white ball rolled behind the pitcher and bounced into the outfield.
Mishima himself could barely believe it. He stood stunned for half a second before scrambling toward First Base.
"Safe!"
No outs, runner on First Base.
In the catcher's position, Harada frowned slightly.
That last pitch, while powerful, had shown a slight deviation in control.
The Inashiro Industrial players had all been affected to some degree by the Spring Koshien. But the most affected was Narumiya Mei, who had appeared in all six games.
Although relief pitchers had shared the workload, Narumiya Mei himself had thrown a total of 814 pitches.
The media had praised him as the man with a volcano hidden in his small body.
It was exciting to watch. But the consequences had followed.
In today's game, after only three innings of full-effort pitching, Narumiya Mei's command had begun to show signs of wear.
This was not a good sign.
"Haha, I'm a genius!"
Mishima felt like he was dreaming.
He had imagined this scenario more than once in private, but when it actually happened, he couldn't quite accept it.
The man he considered his strongest opponent, and he had gotten on base against him?
Unbelievable.
Harada wanted to call a timeout.
But Narumiya Mei on the mound shook his head.
He indicated that he was fine, that the previous pitch had been a one-off.
Harada trusted his partner and settled back into his crouch.
"Quack, quack, quack!!"
The young man with the duck-like laugh stepped up to the plate.
Even Narumiya Mei and Harada were on high alert facing this opponent.
The fans who had been quietly hoping for an upset felt something shift when Mishima reached base.
Their attitude turned immediately.
Originally, over 90% of the fans in the stadium had been supporting Inashiro. Now at least half of the previously neutral fans had switched to cheering for Yakushi.
"Hit it out!"
"It's up to you."
"If you hit a Homerun, you win the game."
The fans in the stands had transformed in an instant.
The Seido players were also caught off guard.
They had assumed Inashiro had the win in hand. They hadn't expected the situation to shift this quickly.
Could Yakushi High School still survive from here?
Their players had been relaxed and enjoying themselves from beginning to end, regardless of the score. That in itself was unusual.
There was something more to this team than met the eye.
"No matter what you're planning, as long as we get the last three outs, the game is over."
Narumiya Mei pressed his tongue against his upper palate, refocused, and threw with everything he had.
Despite the fatigue from his previous outing, he recovered his form with a single pitch.
Koshien had grown him not just in pitching skill but in experience and mental strength.
He had been reborn, from the inside out.
"Whoosh!"
The white ball cut through the strike zone like a beam of light.
Raichi Todoroki, aggressive as always, didn't even have time to swing.
"Thwack!"
"Strike!"
Narumiya Mei immediately followed with his second pitch.
This time, Raichi Todoroki's eyes widened. He swung without hesitation.
"Ping!"
The white ball soared and landed out of bounds.
"Foul!"
One strike, one foul. Narumiya Mei had Raichi Todoroki in a difficult position.
Then he threw the decisive pitch.
"Whoosh!"
The Seido players watching from the stands couldn't help reacting.
In a situation where one mistake could end the game, Narumiya Mei had thrown a changeup.
Truly skilled and daring.
But wasn't it precisely because it was unexpected that it was the safest option?
Raichi Todoroki could not have seen that coming.
"It's decided."
Miyuki said with confidence.
The next second, that confidence was shattered.
"Boom..."
Accompanied by that duck-like laugh, the white ball was struck with full force.
Raichi Todoroki's swing, whenever you watched it, always felt like something special.
Time seemed to freeze.
Only that white ball, under the gaze of the entire stadium, soared into the sky.
The baseball traveled over one hundred and twenty meters, cleared the stadium wall, and slammed into the outfield stands.
At that moment, the entire sky over Tokyo felt different.
West Tokyo's established three-powerhouse order faced its most formidable challenge yet.
The reporters in the stands sat frozen for twenty to thirty seconds before remembering their jobs.
They scrambled for their cameras.
The fans were already in an uproar, shouting the name of the Yakushi High School Baseball Team.
Shouting Raichi Todoroki's name.
In just one game, the Yakushi High School Baseball Team had won over thousands of fans.
Even the Inashiro supporters, still unconvinced, gave their applause.
The performance deserved it.
Fujio, a senior reporter from Baseball Kingdom Magazine who had come specifically for this game, looked down at his notebook.
The words on the page were slightly distorted from his unsteady hand.
"Big News."
He had pressed down hard writing those two words, and they showed it.
This was his mood exactly.
All of Tokyo was about to be hit with a major story.
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