"Tch… playing against such a chaotic team is exhausting. We should just crush them already," Jun Isashiki complained irritably.
"No," Chris said calmly. "Ichidaisan may still be leading, but walking the fourth and fifth batters earlier gave Yakushi momentum. If this continues, the outcome is uncertain. To secure victory… they need their ace Manaka Kaname."
His judgment was spot on.
Following Watanabe Tatsuya's single, Kobayashi Keisuke added another hit. Although Mino was stopped, Fukuda drove in Watanabe with a timely single.
9–10.
Yakushi was now just one run behind.
"Nice! Just one more!"
"Well done, Fukuda!"
"Keep the pressure on!"
But luck didn't stay on Yakushi's side.
Akiba Kazuma's sharp hit toward third was cleanly fielded by Takahiro Omae. In one fluid motion, he threw to second—then to first—
Double play!
Ichidaisan's defense held firm once again.
"We're still ahead—keep it that way!" Omae shouted.
By repeatedly shutting down Yakushi's rallies with clutch defensive plays, Ichidaisan slowly regained its footing.
"We had another chance… and got doubled up again," Yakushi's assistant coach sighed helplessly.
Coach Tahara, however, looked satisfied.
"Well done, Omae. With you holding the defense together, I have nothing to worry about."
Then his gaze shifted—
To the player wearing number one.
Finally… Manaka. It's time.
Misaki stood on the mound, breathing heavily.
"Why do they swing at everything…? No matter where I throw, they attack…"
The pressure was suffocating.
"Misaki."
A hand rested on his shoulder.
Manaka Kaname stepped forward, a faint smile returning to his face.
"If they want to swing… let them swing. We have a defense we can trust. Just focus on your pitches."
"…Senpai…"
Manaka's eyes sharpened.
"I got crushed earlier. So anything I say now doesn't carry much weight… but—"
He looked at his teammates.
"We all want to stand on that stage again. Together."
Silence.
Then—
Resolve.
"Bottom of the sixth inning. Ichidaisan High School makes a pitching change! Right fielder Manaka returns to the mound!"
As the announcement echoed, Manaka stepped onto the mound once more.
He gently smoothed the dirt beneath his feet.
"Why is he back?" Sawamura Eijun asked, confused.
"Because he's their ace," Miyuki Kazuya replied with a smile.
"If he doesn't recover, the team can't move forward," Chris added. "That's what it means to be the ace."
Manaka's gaze locked onto two figures—
Todoroki Raichi, stretching eagerly.
And Kitamura Kou…
…casually eating Raichi's banana in the dugout.
A vein twitched on Manaka's forehead.
Those two…
I'll shut them down.
And lead this team to victory.
"We're not a team that stands still… don't get in our way!"
Manaka roared inwardly.
He lifted his leg high—
Drove forward—
And fired.
The ball screamed through the air, carrying his fury.
Mishima Yuta swung—
But just before contact—
The pitch broke sharply, slipping past the bat.
Snap!
"Strike three! Batter out!"
The stadium erupted.
"Nice pitch!"
"That's our ace!"
"Manaka-senpai!"
The crowd began chanting his name.
"Manaka! Manaka! Manaka!"
Mishima clicked his tongue as he walked back.
"Tch… what's the big deal about one strikeout?" he muttered, then glanced at Raichi. "Be careful. He's completely different now."
Raichi's response?
Pure excitement.
"Hahaha! This is amazing—I'm getting fired up!"
"Hmph… the troublesome ace is back," Todoroki Raizo said, grinning. "Sanada, you're up next. Ready?"
From beneath a towel—
"Finally my turn, Coach?" Sanada Shunpei's voice came calmly.
"You always save your trump card for last," Raizo chuckled. "Though… we've got more than one."
"…Coach, we're still behind," Sanada replied dryly.
"Doesn't matter. Their so-called 'kingdom' is about to collapse. Raichi, Kou, use your bats and open the path to victory!"
In the stands—
"Aoba, will they walk Raichi and Kou again?" Wakaba asked nervously.
"No," Aoba replied confidently. "He's the ace. If they walk them now, they lose all momentum. There'd be no point in bringing him back."
"It's only one run… if they hit two more home runs—"
"It's not that simple," Aoba cut in. "That pitcher isn't weak. One mistake, and they'll strike out."
Wakaba smiled anyway.
"I still believe in Kou and the others."
On the field—
The air tightened.
The second showdown between Todoroki Raichi and Manaka Kaname was about to begin.
The game had entered its final stretch.
And the outcome—
Would soon be decided.