Without anyone truly realizing it, the game between Teito High School Baseball Team and Seido High School Baseball Team had already reached its final stage.
The scoreboard read:
9 : 0
And the game had only just entered the fifth inning.
Logically speaking, Teito still had room to struggle.
Turning the game around was impossible—but they should at least have been able to hold on for another two innings. Maybe even scrape together a run or two.
At the very least, it would allow the prestigious Teito High School to preserve a shred of dignity.
But reality was far harsher.
One out. Runner on second base.
And more importantly—
The players of Teito High School were already at their limits.
Anyone with eyes could see it.
They were only one step away from total collapse.
Their belief had already crumbled; what remained was merely the stubborn pride of refusing to admit defeat.
But how long could such fragile determination last?
No one said it out loud.
Yet everyone understood the truth.
They were finished.
Once this game ended, Teito would become the laughingstock among the nation's elite high school teams.
Even losing to Seido could not completely soften that humiliation.
The only small comfort they had…
Was the performance of their first-year pitcher.
Perhaps their junior could still bring them a glimmer of hope.
On the mound, Mukai Taiyo carefully studied his opponents.
Facing Zhou Hao and Yuki Tetsuya, he felt no shame in giving up hits.
After all—
Even the nation's top pitchers had been crushed by those two monsters.
Why should he be any different?
Because of that, the young pitcher remained unusually calm.
Hits?
Runs?
Those were normal things in baseball.
What truly mattered was the next batter.
His gaze shifted toward the batter's box.
Isashiki Jun.
From the scouting reports, Mukai already knew what kind of player he was dealing with.
A hitter who thrives on unconventional pitches.
The trickier the pitch—
The easier it was for him to hit.
A mischievous grin appeared on Mukai's face.
If that's the case…
Then I simply won't play by the rules.
"How about a fastball right down the middle?"
"Let's see if you can really hit it."
He lifted his leg and delivered the pitch decisively.
Whoosh!
The ball shot straight toward the center of the strike zone.
In the batter's box, Isashiki froze for a split second.
A fastball… right down the middle?
This rookie pitcher from Teito might have some talent—but in Isashiki's eyes, he was still just a naive first-year.
Where did he get the nerve to throw such an obvious pitch?
"This is meat served on a plate," Isashiki muttered.
"How could I not take a bite?"
Even though a faint sense of unease flashed through his mind, he didn't hesitate.
The bat came down hard.
Ping!
The moment the bat connected with the ball—
A flicker of surprise crossed Isashiki's face.
…I got tricked.
But the realization came too late.
The ball soared high into the air.
Waiting underneath it was Teito's shortstop, who had already read the trajectory.
He calmly raised his glove.
Snap!
The ball dropped neatly inside.
"OUT!!"
Teito finally secured their first out of the fifth inning.
"One out! Runner on second!"
For the Teito supporters in the stands, it felt like a miracle.
They hadn't even dared hope for an out.
"Nice!"
"See? Seido isn't invincible!"
Their morale instantly surged.
But for Seido's players, the situation felt very different.
They were shocked.
And slightly irritated.
Isashiki returned to the dugout, scratching his head helplessly.
"The pitch looked different from what I expected."
Hearing this, Zhou Hao nodded.
Others might not understand—
But he had already guessed the reason.
Mukai Taiyo's famous three-dimensional pitching had not yet fully matured.
However, the depth of his control was already remarkable.
On top of that, Isashiki had underestimated him.
After all, Zhou Hao and Yuki had just blasted consecutive hits.
To the outside world, that sent a very clear message:
This rookie pitcher wasn't that impressive.
Because of that assumption, Isashiki likely only used half of his usual focus.
And Mukai exploited that perfectly.
Not only was the rookie's pitching unusual—
He also showed no hesitation despite the earlier home run.
Inside the Seido dugout, Kataoka Tesshin watched silently from behind his sunglasses.
A sharp light flickered in his eyes.
Ever since Zhou Hao joined the team, Seido had been sailing smoothly.
Thinking carefully…
They had rarely encountered any true adversity.
But now, Kataoka realized something.
Perhaps they had grown overly optimistic.
Seido wasn't the only team improving.
Other teams were evolving as well.
They had already crushed Ichidai San High School Baseball Team, and now Teito was on the verge of elimination.
Both games might even end early.
On the surface, the gap between Seido and these teams seemed enormous.
But in reality—
The potential of their emerging pitchers was terrifying.
Given time, those players would become massive threats.
"The next time we face them," Kataoka said quietly,
"It won't be this easy."
Beside him, Ota Kazuyoshi nodded with a tense expression.
"If that first-year manages to survive this inning…"
"…his future will be frightening."
Kataoka's response was immediate.
"We won't give him that chance."
He raised his hand.
"The Seido High School Baseball Team requests a substitution!"
Seeing the momentum beginning to shift toward the opponent, Coach Kataoka immediately made his move.
"The Seido High School Baseball Team requests a substitution!"
The next player stepping onto the field was Miyuki Kazuya.
The moment Miyuki appeared, the Seido supporters in the stands were momentarily stunned.
In their impression, Miyuki was practically the team's starting catcher.
Why would he be sent in as a pinch hitter at a time like this?
But after thinking about it for a moment, the answer became obvious.
One out. Runner on second base.
Among all the players still in Seido's dugout, the one most capable of producing a decisive hit in this situation…
Was Miyuki Kazuya.
Everyone knew his reputation. When runners were on base, his batting ability could rival even Yuki's.
"I have to say, this is what you call depth."
"No matter the situation, Seido always has the right player ready."
Just like that, Miyuki calmly walked into the batter's box.
Meanwhile, the rookie pitcher on the mound—Mukai Taiyo, the "Little Sun"—had already carefully studied the profiles of Seido's main players before the game.
When he saw Miyuki step up to bat, his eyes immediately lit up.
Of course he knew how troublesome Miyuki Kazuya was.
But Seido's decision to send him out also confirmed something important.
It meant his pitching had already made the national champions cautious.
If his pitches had posed no threat, Seido wouldn't have bothered making a substitution.
"They're taking me seriously…"
Realizing this, the Little Sun's confidence grew even stronger.
He raised a finger and shouted toward his teammates.
"One out!"
The Teito fielders immediately responded.
"One out!!"
"Just two more!"
For them, surviving this inning would be nothing short of a miracle.
Even if they still lost the game in the end, enduring this moment would give their defeat meaning.
And if they met Seido again at Summer Koshien, they would have the confidence to fight to the end.
Just thinking about it made their blood boil.
"Keep going!"
"They already had to substitute a batter!"
On the mound, Mukai Taiyo tightened his grip on the baseball.
Against Miyuki, he had no intention of holding anything back.
This was his chance.
If he could retire Miyuki here and escape the inning, he would create a miracle.
Even though he was only a first-year player—
If he accomplished this feat, he would become the true ace of Teito High School.
Even the idol he admired had never enjoyed the treatment of being the number one pitcher during Seido's summer tournament run.
"Come on… help me reach the top in one step!"
With that thought, he poured all his strength into the pitch.
"Swoosh!"
The baseball rocketed toward home plate.
The moment Miyuki saw the pitch, his eyes narrowed.
Fast.
An unfamiliar thrill surged through him.
He loved this kind of confrontation pure, straightforward, with no deception.
The rookie's intentions were written all over his face.
If Miyuki couldn't read the pitch under these circumstances—
Then he wouldn't deserve to compete with Chris for Seido's starting catcher position.
"Bring it on."
The pitch's direction and course were exactly what Miyuki had predicted.
Still uncertain whether the ball carried any hidden movement, Miyuki chose a simple solution.
He gripped a heavy metal bat.
Even if he missed the sweet spot, he would still force the ball through.
"Whizz!"
The bat tore through the air.
Ping!!
The bat connected solidly with the ball.
On the mound, Mukai Taiyo's pupils shrank.
He hit it?!
This outcome had never crossed his mind.
But Miyuki had done exactly that.
Not only did he make contact—he drove the ball fiercely into the field.
By the time the Teito players reacted, it was already too late.
The baseball landed in front of them, bounced violently, and shot past the infield.
"It got through!!"
Even before the commentator could announce it, the Seido players and supporters had already realized what had happened.
The stadium erupted instantly.
With a runner on second base, a hit like this meant only one thing.
Some Seido fans even jumped to their feet.
The moment they had been waiting for… was about to happen.
"It's happening!"
Although the infielders missed the ball, the outfielder managed to stop it.
But he didn't even bother securing it with his glove.
He scooped it up and immediately fired a throw toward home plate.
"Swoosh!"
The ball sliced through the air like a bullet.
Even the spectators in the stands could sense the terrifying speed of the throw.
Teito's fielders were fast.
But Yuki Tetsuya was faster.
He had already rounded third base and sprinted toward home.
When the baseball was still several meters away—
Yuki had already stepped firmly on the plate.
"Snap!"
The catcher received the ball.
The head umpire decisively extended his arm.
"Safe!!"
"Congratulations to the Seido High School Baseball Team for scoring another run!"
"The score is now 10:0!!"
"Congratulations to Miyuki Kazuya for delivering the walk-off hit!"
A player who had only been on the field for a few seconds had nearly stolen the game's MVP spotlight.
If Zhou Hao's performance earlier hadn't been so dazzling, Miyuki might have become the brightest star of the match.
The Seido supporters could no longer contain themselves.
Thunderous cheers erupted across the stadium.
Ever since Seido's shocking defeat in last year's Autumn Tournament, the defending national champions had been doubted from every direction.
Although Seido had fought back with overwhelming strength, the criticism had still left its mark.
But now—
They could finally hold their heads high again.
Seido High School had successfully advanced to the finals of the Autumn Tournament.
Even though the championship had yet to be decided, reaching the finals already guaranteed them a ticket to the Kanto Tournament.
Compared to that goal, everything else seemed secondary.
Of course, that didn't mean Seido would take the final lightly.
Because their opponent waiting there was none other than their old rival—
Inashiro Industrial.
The two teams had faced each other twice in crucial matches last year, finishing with one win each.
Now…
It was time to settle the score.