"Enomoto-senpai... Enomoto-senpai!"
A series of urgent calls finally pulled Naoki Enomoto back from his own thoughts.
He slowly turned his head toward the voice.
What entered his sight was Sato Toshiya's handsome face, which was filled with concern, worry, and uneasiness.
"Enomoto-senpai... are you alright?"
Sato Toshiya asked carefully.
He was worried that saying the wrong thing might further hurt Naoki Enomoto after such a crushing defeat.
"Sato..."
"With someone like that standing in the way of Kaidou High School..."
"I'm afraid your next year won't be easy."
Naoki Enomoto turned his gaze back toward Kitamura Kou.
His voice carried a rare trace of helplessness.
In this confrontation against Kitamura Kou, he had truly given everything.
Every pitch.
Every strategy.
Every weapon he possessed.
He had thrown them all onto the battlefield.
But against Kitamura Kou...
Those techniques that had once made countless opponents tremble seemed to have lost their effect.
In the end, he was even forced to reveal his final trump card.
The Berserk State that he normally kept hidden and would only use in the most desperate situations.
Yet even after reaching that terrifying level...
He still failed to defeat Kitamura Kou.
Instead, Kitamura Kou found an opportunity and delivered the decisive blow.
This battle had shaken Naoki Enomoto's confidence more than he wanted to admit.
Just imagining having to face Kitamura Kou again in the future caused a deep sense of helplessness to rise within him.
For the first time, he wondered...
Could he really withstand those terrifying swings again?
"Enomoto-senpai, what are you saying?"
Sato Toshiya suddenly spoke with a smile.
"The game is only in the fifth inning."
"We still have plenty of opportunities to turn things around."
"Besides, their defense isn't some perfect fortress."
"And you're not fighting alone, Enomoto-senpai."
He extended his right hand toward him.
"So cheer up."
"Let's work together and reverse this game!"
Naoki Enomoto stared at Sato Toshiya's outstretched hand.
After a moment of silence, he shook his head slightly.
Then he took a deep breath and pushed all those negative thoughts aside.
"You're right, Sato."
"Now isn't the time to lose myself in regret."
"What we need to do is find every possible way to turn this game around."
"Although I don't have the confidence to defeat that kid head-on right now..."
"I will still do everything I can."
"I'll throw my best pitches directly into your glove."
As he finished speaking, Naoki Enomoto reached out his right hand.
Slap!
The two teammates exchanged a powerful high five.
Meanwhile, when Kitamura Kou returned to the dugout...
He was immediately welcomed like a victorious hero.
"Hahaha! Amazing, Kou!"
"Your performance today is completely insane!"
"Even if you entered the draft this year, those professional teams would probably fight over you like hungry wolves!"
Nakanishi Daiki rushed forward first.
His face was filled with excitement as he opened his arms, preparing to give his friend a huge hug.
However—
"Wait! Wait! Wait!"
Kitamura Kou immediately raised his hand to stop him.
"Nakanishi, hold on!"
"With your size and weight..."
"If you crash into me, it'll be a miracle if I don't get knocked flat!"
"I can't survive a charge from a monster like you!"
After saying that, Kitamura Kou quickly moved aside.
His expression intentionally showed complete fear.
Nakanishi Daiki never expected Kitamura Kou to dodge.
Because he had already committed too much momentum forward, he couldn't stop himself.
"Whoa—"
He stumbled.
Then—
Bang!
He fell directly onto the ground.
For a moment, the entire dugout became silent.
Then...
Everyone burst into laughter.
"Hahahahaha!"
The Yakushi players laughed until they were holding their stomachs.
The entire dugout was filled with cheerful voices.
"Kou..."
"I have to admit."
"Your performance today was unbelievable."
"That's Kaidou High School you were facing."
"And you hit three consecutive Home Runs!"
Akaishi Osamu looked at Kitamura Kou with admiration.
"It was really just luck this time."
Kitamura Kou answered honestly.
However—
"Kitamura, don't be so humble."
"You know what they say."
"Being too humble is just another form of pride."
Despite Kitamura Kou's attempts to explain, his teammates still refused to believe him.
Their trust in his ability was simply too strong.
"No, I'm serious."
"If you don't believe me... look."
Kitamura Kou's expression became serious.
He raised both hands.
At that moment...
Everyone finally noticed.
His hands were trembling slightly.
After repeatedly fighting against Gyro Balls exceeding 150 km/h...
Some even approaching 155 km/h...
And enduring their terrifying impact again and again...
Kitamura Kou was not nearly as relaxed as everyone thought.
Seeing this, Sanada Shunpei and Todoroki Raizo's expressions immediately changed.
Their faces became extremely serious.
As a Pitcher himself, Sanada Shunpei understood the meaning behind this.
It was very possible that Kitamura Kou would not be able to pitch for the remainder of the game.
And even if he forced himself onto the mound...
His control and pitching ability would likely be greatly affected.
Todoroki Raizo, with his years of baseball experience, also realized something.
The game that had seemed almost guaranteed to end in victory...
Had suddenly become full of uncertainty once again.
Without hesitation, he jumped up from his seat and rushed toward Kitamura Kou.
His face was filled with anxiety.
Even a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Kitamura!"
"How do you feel right now?"
"Do you need to go to the hospital for a detailed examination?"
His voice carried a rare sense of urgency.
As he spoke, Todoroki Raizo instinctively reached out his hand, intending to check Kitamura Kou's condition.
But just before touching his trembling hands...
He suddenly stopped.
Then quickly pulled his hand back.
This was not because Todoroki Raizo was being overly cautious or afraid.
Rather...
It was because he understood exactly how valuable Kitamura Kou was.
The talent Kitamura Kou had displayed was extraordinary.
In Todoroki Raizo's eyes...
Kitamura Kou was a future star.
A player who could potentially stand at the top of Japanese baseball.
If such a talent suffered a serious injury before truly beginning his career...
It would be an enormous loss.
Not only for Yakushi High School.
But perhaps for the entire Japanese baseball world.
Therefore, even the smallest action required careful consideration.
A bitter smile appeared on Kitamura Kou's face.
He gently shook his head.
"Don't worry, everyone."
"It's nothing serious."
"My hands are just temporarily numb."
"After resting for a while, they should recover."
"However..."
"For the next one or two innings..."
"I'm afraid I'll have to rely on you, Sanada-senpai."
Hearing this, Todoroki Raizo immediately nodded.
Then he turned toward Sanada Shunpei.
"Sanada."
"This situation is beyond what I expected."
"But now that things have reached this point..."
"We'll have to depend on you."
"While there is still some time, quickly practice your pitching with Watanabe."
Sanada Shunpei's already serious expression became even more determined.
He straightened his back.
"Yes, Coach!"
"Leave it to me!"
"I'll hold the line no matter what!"
After saying that, Sanada Shunpei immediately left the dugout with Watanabe Tatsuya.
The next battle...
Would depend on him.