[153] Inashiro Match - Unwavering Determination!

Chapter 153: Inashiro Match - Unwavering Determination!

The stadium buzzed with noise, the atmosphere electric.

At this moment, on the expansive Jingu Stadium field, the tension between the two teams grew even stronger. One out, a runner on first.

Standing in the batter's box was Inashiro Industrial High School's most dependable cleanup hitter, their captain, Masatoshi Harada. Just one swing could change the course of the game.

Both teams were on the edge, with no room to back down.

Harada's imposing figure stood in the batter's box, his broad frame and powerful presence exuding an overwhelming pressure on Eijun. It was an even heavier weight than the sharp, piercing threat posed by their third batter, Yoshizawa.

His intimidation felt like it was closing in from all directions, trapping Eijun in an inescapable circle.

The pressure was suffocating, with sweat trickling down Eijun's forehead, showing just how much he was enduring.

"Don't rush, Sawamura. At worst, let this batter walk. The runner's only on first, and we still have a two-run lead to use to our advantage."

Behind the plate, Miyuki made a small motion to calm Eijun. He understood that, facing a hitter like Harada, even the slightest opening could lead to irreversible consequences.

A stiff, tense body would make controlling the pitch and generating power difficult. In this situation, staying natural was crucial for a pitcher.

"Right!" Eijun took a deep breath, steadying his agitated emotions.

Stay calm, stay calm. In a moment like this, keeping a steady mind was everything!

Looking at Harada's intimidating red eyes in the batter's box, Eijun repeated to himself, forcing himself to stay composed.

The umpire's command broke the silence.

Miyuki discreetly glanced at Harada's stance and grip, then gave a slight, meaningful glint.

His fingers moved subtly to signal.

Whoosh

Pop

"Ball!!!"

Whoosh

Pop

"Strike!!!"

Harada's powerful, threatening swings applied an unprecedented weight on Eijun.

So he's completely targeting the fastball? No—he's locked onto all of Sawamura's pitches, with a special focus on the fastball.

Miyuki clenched his teeth, his fingers signaling once again.

Eijun nodded solemnly.

His right leg lifted high, his arm moved in one fluid, powerful motion, pouring all of his energy into the pitch.

At that moment, it was all unleashed.

Whoosh

His foot stepped forward, kicking up dust.

A streak of white light shot toward the batter's box, straight at Harada.

The dazzling flash entered Harada's line of sight, his expression sharpening as he shifted his stance, bracing his arms as tightly as possible.

With a downward swing, Harada aimed to intercept every possible variation of the ball's path.

Swish

Boom!

The fierce swing cut through the air with a resounding force.

The sharp edge of the bat met the ball head-on, as Inashiro's cleanup hitter poured all of his power into this single swing.

Swoosh

The blinding white streak came hurtling toward home plate, meeting the bat's fierce edge head-on without hesitation.

Clang!!!

A loud, intense sound reverberated.

On the pitcher's mound, Eijun's expression shifted as the ball sped out in a sudden flash of white light.

It zipped at high speed, smashing down just inside the third-base line. Masuko's eyes narrowed sharply.

Fair!?

He quickly shifted his body, trying to intercept the ball.

If this gets through, the runner might make it all the way to third base!

With swift movements, the ball whizzed by.

In a split second, it grazed the edge of Masuko's glove but missed.

Masuko's face fell as he realized he'd missed it.

The umpire's voice rang out.

"Foul!"

Eijun and Masuko both breathed a sigh of relief as Harada and Shirakawa, who had already begun running, reluctantly returned to their positions.

Eijun wiped a bit of cold sweat from his forehead, glancing with lingering anxiety at the spot near third base where the ball had just bounced. His heart tensed slightly.

If it had been just a bit more precise, that ball would have shot through the infield as a fair hit.

Then, there'd be no stopping the runner from reaching third base.

If that happened, the consequences would be too heavy to imagine—especially if he made another mistake right after…

For a moment, Eijun's mind wandered, his eyes flickering, almost shifting between a fierce red and an empty white, his lips dry and pale.

He rolled his neck, feeling a stiffness running through his body. He knew all too well that even a slight tightness here could lead to dire consequences.

But he also understood it was beyond his control.

His mind was clear, yet his body instinctively reacted to the pressure.

He wasn't as calm as he wanted to believe. Faced with a scene like this, he still felt tense, worried, even fearful.

"Hiss... Hoo..."

He took a deep breath, then another.

Clearing his mind of distractions.

Stay calm, stay calm, he reminded himself.

Yet the slight tremor in his left hand betrayed the anxiety he couldn't shake.

For a moment, his gaze grew distant, his pupils unfocused, almost hollow.

Am I going to...?

"SAWAMURA!"

"Sawamura…"

"SAWAMURA!!!"

A loud, sharp voice snapped him out of his trance, and he shivered back to reality.

Looking toward home plate, he saw Miyuki's stern expression. Eijun's dazed eyes gradually regained focus.

"Sawamura, you've got him at two strikes! The count is in our favor. Don't be afraid. If you give up now, it's all over for us!"

"You're not alone out here—I'm right in front of you. Don't look anywhere else. Just keep your eyes on my glove and throw the ball straight to it. That's all you need to do!"

With unwavering eyes and open arms, Miyuki's stance was as if he were ready to embrace Eijun's pitch.

Eijun's gaze brightened, and he clenched his left hand into a fist.

Giving up would be the easy choice, but it's also the most meaningless. If he ran from this now, how could he ever call himself the ace?

If he backed down here, would that mean accepting the same old ending?

No…!

What do I want to do?

Why did I come here?

What does making it to Koshien really mean? What will I find when I get there?

Don't be afraid.

Don't hesitate.

Don't rush.

Do what I can do.

Relax… I want to stand on that stage.

Attack!

Don't run away.

Move forward!

I'm not backing down here!!

Damn it!!!

"Whoosh!!!"

The blazing white ball shot forward like a streak of light.

It was the brightest glimpse of the future.

He launched into action.

In the next moment, the line between heaven and hell was drawn in a single, decisive pitch.

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