"Line up!"
"Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!"
"Bow!"
"Please guide us!"
"Please guide us!"
Under the excited gazes of thousands of spectators, the voices of Seido and Inashiro thundered across Jingu Stadium.
The players on both sides stared at one another with unwavering focus.
Everyone understood the significance of this game.
Win—
And they would secure a ticket to the Spring Koshien.
Win—
And they would earn the right to represent Tokyo at the Jingu Tournament.
There was no room for failure.
"SEIDO!"
"Let's go!"
"Win this!"
"Go! Go! Go! Seido!"
"Come on!"
"INASHIRO!"
"NARUMIYA!"
"Defeat the Great Demon King!"
"Take us to Koshien!"
The supporters of both schools had already begun their own battle in the stands.
The atmosphere was electric.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, and viewers watching from home!"
The commentator's excited voice echoed throughout the stadium.
"Thank you for waiting!"
"The final of the Tokyo Autumn Tournament is about to begin!"
"On one side, we have Seido High School!"
"On the other, Inashiro Industrial High School!"
"Both schools are perennial powerhouses from West Tokyo!"
"Both boast elite players capable of competing on the national stage!"
"And both entered this tournament as championship favorites!"
The commentator raised his voice dramatically.
"So who will claim the crown?!"
"Who will earn the right to advance to Koshien?!"
"We're about to find out!"
"Top of the first inning!"
"Seido High School will bat first!"
"Defending is Inashiro Industrial, led by their ace, Narumiya Mei!"
"Can he finally overcome the obstacle standing in his way and lead Inashiro back to Koshien?"
"Let's begin!"
—
Inside the Seido dugout, Coach Kataoka was giving his final instructions.
"Do not rush."
His voice was calm but firm.
"Narumiya Mei is not a pitcher you can defeat through impatience."
"Don't become fixated on any particular pitch."
"Force him to show everything."
"Force him into difficult situations."
Coach Kataoka pointed toward home plate.
"The weak point isn't Narumiya."
"It's their battery."
"Their catcher still lacks experience."
"Their coordination isn't perfect."
"Exploit that."
"Score first."
"Take control of the game."
"Yes, Coach!"
The players responded in unison.
Compared to their previous meeting, both teams had changed.
New players.
New weapons.
New strengths.
This final would reveal just how much they had grown.
—
"Top of the first inning."
"Seido High School batting."
"Leading off, shortstop, Kuramochi Yoichi!"
"Hoo..."
"Haa..."
Kuramochi took a deep breath as he walked toward the batter's box.
His eyes swept across the Inashiro defense.
Three months ago, aside from Kanzaki Ryou, none of Seido's second-years had managed to achieve much against Narumiya.
Now things were different.
At least, he hoped they were.
But judging from Narumiya's expression...
This wasn't going to be easy.
Stepping into the box, Kuramochi tightened his grip on the bat.
Across from him stood Narumiya Mei.
The ace of Inashiro.
"PLAY BALL!"
The umpire's voice rang out.
The championship game had officially begun.
—
Behind the plate, catcher Tadano Itsuki exchanged a glance with Narumiya.
"Narumiya-senpai?"
"Don't rush."
Narumiya nodded.
"Stick to the plan."
A confident smile appeared on his face.
Then he began his motion.
The slight bend in his posture disappeared.
His body straightened naturally.
His leg lifted.
His arm whipped forward.
WHOOSH!
The baseball shot toward home plate.
Fast!
Kuramochi's eyes widened.
His bat instinctively came through the zone.
SMACK!
"STRIKE!"
The umpire's call came immediately.
151 km/h.
Inside corner.
Kuramochi clicked his tongue.
Narumiya's average velocity had already reached 150 km/h.
While it wasn't as outrageous as Kanzaki's speed, it was still more than enough to dominate high school hitters.
"Nice pitch!"
"Narumiya!"
"Full power from the first batter!"
"Now this is a final!"
The crowd applauded enthusiastically.
This was exactly what they wanted.
An all-out battle from the very first pitch.
—
Second pitch.
Tadano gave the sign.
Narumiya nodded.
While his new catcher lacked Harada's experience, he possessed plenty of talent.
Otherwise, he never would have inherited Inashiro's starting catcher position.
More importantly—
Narumiya had changed.
Instead of demanding that his catcher adapt to him, he actively worked together with Tadano.
Their chemistry improved with every game.
WHOOSH!
The ball left his hand.
Kuramochi's eyes narrowed.
Slider?
No—
High-Speed Slider!
His reaction lagged by half a beat.
The pitch sliced sharply across the plate before diving into the strike zone.
SMACK!
"STRIKE TWO!"
Kuramochi's expression changed.
A new pitch.
Narumiya had developed a new weapon and hidden it until the finals.
Damn it.
Kuramochi glared at the mound.
Just wait.
I'll hit it eventually.
Seeing the slight smile on Narumiya's face only made him more annoyed.
The third pitch arrived.
A low outside cutter.
Kuramochi attacked immediately.
CRACK!
He made contact.
Unfortunately, the ball wasn't hit cleanly.
The pitch's movement and weight overpowered his swing.
The ball bounced sharply toward second base.
Inashiro's second baseman, Ezaki Taku, fielded it cleanly.
One throw.
One out.
Even Kuramochi's speed couldn't save him.
"OUT!"
The commentator immediately jumped back in.
"Three pitches!"
"Three pitches to retire Seido's dangerous leadoff hitter, Kuramochi Yoichi!"
"Inashiro gets exactly the start it wanted!"
"And that second pitch was particularly impressive!"
"A High-Speed Slider!"
"Was Narumiya Mei deliberately hiding a new weapon for the championship game?"
"If so, the surprise attack worked perfectly!"
"Kuramochi clearly misjudged the pitch!"
Back in the dugout, Kuramochi clicked his tongue in frustration.
What a waste.
"Don't dwell on it."
Kanzaki leaned against the railing.
"That's not entirely Narumiya's victory."
Kuramochi looked over.
"What do you mean?"
Kanzaki nodded toward home plate.
"That catcher."
"The guts to call a new pitch on the second pitch of the game?"
"That's impressive."
His eyes remained fixed on Tadano.
Not bad.
The kid had talent.
Maybe not Miyuki-level talent.
But definitely excellent.
Combined with Narumiya's willingness to cooperate and guide him, the battery had become far more dangerous than before.
Kuramochi frowned.
"So you're saying I lost to the catcher?"
"That's normal."
Kanzaki laughed.
"You've never faced him before."
"You're unfamiliar with his style."
Kuramochi's eyebrow twitched.
For some reason, that sounded suspiciously like an insult.
"Enough."
Miyuki interrupted.
"Let's watch Haruichi."
—
At the plate, Kominato Haruichi prepared for his at-bat.
The first pitch came.
SWISH!
Strike one.
The second pitch.
A low outside fastball.
CRACK!
Foul.
Two strikes.
Unlike Kuramochi, whose job was to get on base, Haruichi's role was to ignite the offense.
Every pitch mattered.
The third pitch arrived.
Outside.
Forkball.
Haruichi reacted instantly.
CRACK!
The ball bounced toward the infield.
For a moment, Seido's fans stood up hopefully.
But the defense was ready.
Fielded cleanly.
Thrown to first.
"OUT!"
Two batters.
Two outs.
Narumiya Mei had come prepared.
And Inashiro's ace was making his intentions crystal clear.
This final would not be easy.
Not for anyone.