"Hey, isn't pitching supposed to be about strategy? Every pitch so far has been a four-seam fastball, all thrown straight into the strike zone. Even if you're not mixing in breaking balls, shouldn't you at least make use of balls outside the zone?"
"That's true… but isn't that exactly what makes this so exciting?"
"Yeah. Even at Koshien, you don't often see a showdown like this."
"Let's just enjoy it to the fullest."
On the mound, Kitamura Kou was breathing heavily, sweat pouring down his face in streams.
In the batter's box, Masatoshi Harada wasn't faring any better. His hands were numb from the constant impact, his breathing uneven, his body drenched in sweat.
In the stands, the Tsukishima sisters clasped each other's hands tightly, their eyes fixed anxiously on the field.
Under everyone's gaze—
Kou threw the sixth pitch.
"BOOM!!!"
The ball rocketed forward, but this time, Kou's control had begun to slip. The pitch drifted toward the center, its exact placement uncertain even to him.
Harada, refusing to fall behind, swung instinctively with his numb hands.
"THUMP!!!"
The ball reached the catcher first.
"Strike three! Batter out!"
Although Masatoshi Harada struck out, the crowd erupted in approval.
"Impressive! No wonder he's Inashiro's cleanup hitter!"
"The powerhouses of West Tokyo really live up to their reputation!"
"Don't worry—you'll get another chance!"
"Harada might even be stronger than the other two power hitters!"
"What are you talking about? Tetsuya Yuuki wouldn't lose to him!"
"Are you kidding? Takahiro Omae from Ichidaisan is the strongest!"
As the argument heated up, a quiet voice nearby cut through the noise:
"…Shouldn't the strongest hitter right now be Kitamura Kou from Yakushi?"
The group fell silent.
They wanted to argue—but couldn't.
Inashiro's players were stunned.
Even Harada had been struck out… so how were they supposed to deal with this pitcher?
Do they really have to wait until he runs out of stamina?
"Fifth batter—pitcher, Narumiya Mei!"
Narumiya Mei stepped up without hesitation.
Harada's strikeout surprised him—but it didn't shake his resolve.
Narumiya wasn't a weak hitter. His instincts were sharp, similar in some ways to Todoroki Raichi. He didn't need to overthink—his body reacted naturally to the pitch.
He stared at Kou, eyes burning.
"Throw it. I'll crush it this time."
Kou smirked slightly.
"Still not giving up? Good… I never get tired of facing someone like you."
Narumiya Mei… I'll show you despair again.
He lifted his leg, stepped forward, and unleashed the pitch.
"BOOM!!!"
The ball screamed toward the plate, arriving in an instant.
Narumiya's eyes lit up.
"It's here! Finally!"
Not long ago, he had been humiliated.
How could I not take revenge?
He was certain—this would be a fastball. A direct challenge.
Because if their roles were reversed…
He would do the same.
They were alike—proud, competitive, unwilling to back down.
Narumiya swung without hesitation.
"THUMP!!!"
"Strike!"
Too late.
The 153 km/h fastball had already hit Akaishi's glove.
Kou didn't slow down.
He fired the second pitch.
"BOOM!!!"
Narumiya swung again with full force—
"THUMP!"
"Strike two!"
154 km/h.
Another miss.
The tension in Inashiro's dugout skyrocketed.
Their cleanup hitter had just gone down.
Now their ace was on the verge of the same fate.
If Narumiya fell here… Yakushi's momentum would explode.
Kou ignored everything around him.
He threw the third pitch without hesitation.
"BOOM!!!"
Narumiya roared internally, putting everything he had into the swing—
But once again—
"THUMP!!!"
The ball beat him.
Behind the plate, Akaishi Osamu gritted his teeth, enduring the sharp pain in his palm as he secured the pitch firmly.
This time—
He didn't let it slip.
The spinning ball finally came to a stop inside his glove.
"Strike three! Batter out!"
Narumiya Mei… struck out.