Chapter 497: The Final Step
Ping!
A loud impact rang through the stadium.
Instantly, every pair of eyes in the crowd locked onto home plate.
At the same time, the batter—Nagata—froze for a moment, his expression changing.
The power behind that pitch... it's more than I expected.
Even though he timed the swing correctly, the strength and angle were slightly off.
Whoosh!
That slight miscalculation led to a fatal result:
The ball didn't get any lift!
Thud!
The ball smashed into the ground near first base.
"Damn it!"
Nagata flung his bat and sprinted toward first base.
Eijun, reacting fast, raced over to cover the bag.
First baseman Maezono also lunged toward the bouncing ball.
This should be an easy out, Eijun thought as his foot hit the base.
But then—something unexpected happened.
The ball took a wild, unpredictable bounce off the dirt.
Maezono, who had positioned himself perfectly, was thrown off by the sudden change.
In a split second of hesitation, the ball glanced off his glove and veered off in another direction.
"What!?"
The entire Seidou bench flinched in disbelief.
Meanwhile, the Seikou crowd exploded in cheers.
"He's safe!!!"
Despite Haruichi trying to block the ball further down the line, he was a second too late.
The ball rolled into shallow right field.
With the ball loose, Nagata charged straight to second base.
Outfielder Shirasu retrieved the ball and fired it to second—
Smack!
Kuramochi caught it, but Nagata had already slid in safely.
"Safe at second!!!"
The second base umpire stretched out his arms with a loud call.
Kuramochi's face darkened.
Back at first base, Eijun was clearly frustrated.
It should've been a routine out… Now they've got a runner in scoring position in the final inning… this could be trouble.
"Damn, he actually made it to second!"
"And it should've been a sure out too!"
"That random bounce... is Lady Luck siding with Seikou now?"
"Runner on second, and their No. 5 is up next. One solid hit ties the game. If it clears the fence, they take the lead. The ninth inning is heating up!"
"Seidou! Seidou! Seidou!"
"Seikou! Seikou! Seikou!"
Even Coach Kumakiri in the stands finally relaxed a little, throwing a silly victory pose as Nagata stood on second.
A runner in scoring position in the final inning—Seikou couldn't have asked for better luck.
"Don't go soft just because it's the last inning, Oga. Keep pushing—go all-out on offense!" Kumakiri muttered as he glanced toward Seikou's dugout.
"Now batting: No. 5, second baseman, Tamaki."
Eijun returned to the mound.
He glanced at Nagata, who grinned with a wild, almost beastly look from second base.
Then his gaze shifted to the batter—Tamaki.
So luck's on your side, huh?
But then a cold light flashed in Eijun's eyes.
If you think luck will save you twice, you're dead wrong.
His glare sharpened.
The umpire's voice boomed:
"Batter up!"
Whoosh—
In the next second...
The moment Miyuki signaled the pitch, Eijun snapped into motion, swiftly whipping his left arm.
A sharp white streak cut through the air—
the blazing fastball burst through the sky.
At the plate, Tamaki's expression turned stern as he stepped forward to swing.
Swish.
Ping.
It was a powerful inside pitch.
Tamaki swung with force.
The moment the bat met the ball, a sharp metallic clang rang out.
A glint of fierceness flashed in Tamaki's eyes.
Whoosh.
Thud.
Foul!
A head-on clash.
But Eijun showed no fear of Seikou's so-called "power lineup."
Second pitch: a faster four-seamer.
Eijun gave a subtle nod.
Whoosh.
Another stride forward, arm raised, light flashing.
The fierce gleam of the pitch bore down on home plate.
Tamaki put everything he had into the swing.
Boom!
The air roared as the bat cut through it,
but the ball accelerated at the last moment,
slipping past the violent swing—
Smack!
"Strike!!!"
It landed cleanly in Miyuki's glove with a crisp pop.
So that's the legendary accelerating fastball?
Damn it… this guy has way too many pitches!
Tamaki clenched his teeth in frustration, gripping the bat tighter with both hands.
Third pitch: low and outside fastball.
Use the full width of the strike zone to bait the batter.
Whoosh.
Ping.
Thud.
Foul!
The change in velocity is messing with his timing.
Fourth pitch: a changeup.
Whoosh.
Ping.
Thud.
Foul!
Final pitch: straight down the middle.
Beat the batter head-on!
As Miyuki gave the sign, pitcher and catcher synced completely.
Whoosh.
Eijun's arm rose in a sweeping arc—this was a work of art crafted by perfect battery chemistry.
The pitch blazed forward, unstoppable.
Tamaki was already unable to properly react.
Smack!
The pitch slammed into Miyuki's glove with perfect accuracy.
"Strike three, batter out!"
A dazzling pitch, a flawless call, and a batter toyed with from start to finish.
One out—secured!
"Ohhh! Nice pitch, Sawamura!"
"One out, one out!"
"Let's go, Eijun!"
"Ace! We're counting on you now!"
"Seidou! Seidou! Seidou!"
This final showdown, the fight for the one ticket to the championship...
With the first out in hand, Seidou's morale soared.
Next up, the No. 6 batter: Nishijima.
Even though he tried desperately to make contact,
Eijun's dominant presence was in full display.
Whoosh.
Smack!
Before everyone's eyes—
"Out!"
The umpire's shout echoed through the stadium.
Nishijima froze mid-swing, stunned.
Two outs.
Seidou High is one out away from victory!
On Seikou's side, every player held their breath.
"Now batting, No. 7, pitcher, Ogawa."
Ogawa slowly stepped up from the on-deck circle,
his expression solemn.
Hit. Hit. Hit. I have to bring Nagata-senpai home. This game can't end like this!
"Tsunematsu! Tsunematsu! Tsunematsu!!"
"Let's go!!"
Ogawa flinched slightly at the crowd's call and turned around—
Coach Oga's determined gaze met his.
"It's okay. You've got this. Swing at the first pitch. Stay true to your style."
"Yes, sir!!"
Ogawa licked his dry lips and nodded fiercely.
His figure stepped into the batter's box.
Two outs. Runner on second.
Seidou is just one step from victory—while Seikou teeters on the edge of defeat.
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