Nanami Haruka felt his heart beating rapidly, thumping in his chest.
All the blood in his body was boiling.
The Hoshiryu High School baseball team was already standing at the edge of a cliff, unable to endure any more hits or damage.
Otherwise, not to mention the players who had never experienced anything major, even Hosho and the others would likely give up on the game.
As the Ace pitcher and the spiritual pillar of the team, Nanami Haruka knew very well what he needed to do at this moment.
He had to pull the team out of the mire and lead them forward.
Even if the final result was that the Hoshiryu High School baseball team couldn't win this game, he couldn't let this match be the final regret in his teammates' hearts.
Time passed, unceasingly.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, their three years of high school baseball were almost over.
The golden generation of Nagano was now in its third year.
This was their last chance, and this game had an 80-90% chance of being their final match.
Whether for himself or for his teammates who had fought alongside him, Nanami would not allow himself to retreat.
He longed to face off against strong opponents, as only such battles made him feel truly alive.
He didn't want to disappoint his teammates, the coach, or the supporters who silently cheered for him…
Carrying the hopes of so many people on his shoulders, even though Nanami Haruka's body was exhausted, his fighting spirit was still as strong as ever.
In terms of sheer fighting spirit, he even surpassed many of the Seidou High School players.
Kominato Haruichi!
Now, the problem facing him was clear.
To be honest, Nanami Haruka truly admired Kominato Haruichi.
Simply put, the physique that fate had given him was not suited for baseball.
Compared to the players on Seidou High School's baseball team, his physical abilities were far inferior.
Not only would he be overlooked by top teams like Seidou High School, but even in most other elite teams, Kominato Haruichi's physique was his biggest weakness.
In fact, many teams wouldn't even give him a chance just based on his body type.
They would think that a player with that physique simply wasn't cut out for baseball.
Kominato Haruichi's older brother, Kominato Ryosuke, and the current backup catcher from Seidou High, Yui Kaoru, had experienced this awkward situation right after middle school graduation.
Their abilities weren't weak, but high school coaches just didn't believe in them.
In such circumstances, and like Kominato Ryosuke, Kominato Haruichi had managed to rise above. He had even become an indispensable star player for Seidou High.
Given his body type, for him to reach this level was something that made Nanami Haruka truly admire him.
If they weren't opponents now, and if they met in private, Nanami Haruka would probably have a good chat with him and maybe even become friends.
But sadly, they were on opposite sides, and currently, they were directly confronting each other.
Let's not talk about what would happen after the game, but for now, there was no way for them to communicate friendly.
Before they truly met, there was no avoiding the need to fight head-to-head.
He had to use his actions to express his respect.
"I won't hold back then!"
Muttering to himself, Nanami Haruka threw the baseball in his hand with great force.
The game had reached this point, and Seidou High School's batting lineup had already had an explosive round.
By the time the 8th inning came, Nanami Haruka's pitch count had already reached a dangerously high number.
The title of the "King of Seidou High School Baseball Team" wasn't just for show; it had been earned through hard-fought battles.
Nanami Haruka had already faced them for seven innings. Although he had allowed only a few hits, his pitch count had already taken a toll.
At this point, his pitch count had nearly reached 120.
This was a very dangerous number.
His physical peak had already passed, and continuing to pitch could even result in an injury.
At this stage, Nanami Haruka's stamina should have weakened significantly, and his pitch speed and quality should have dropped as well, right?
But in reality, based on how Nanami Haruka was performing, no one could tell there was anything wrong.
His performance remained as strong as ever.
It felt as though he was about to crush his opponents with ease.
Nanami, at this point, had the intention and momentum to completely defeat his opponents.
However, Haruichi in the Batter's Box didn't want to cooperate with him.
Looking at the incoming baseball, Haruichi chose to let it pass.
"STRIKE!"
"STRIKE!!"
Two consecutive Strikes, and he didn't swing.
Nanami and Hosho's momentum continued to rise to its peak.
They naturally believed that the time to take down their opponent was now.
With all their might, Nanami threw the ball with a thunderous motion.
The feeling was that the pitch would crush everything.
But facing this, Haruichi in the Batter's Box wasn't overwhelmed by the pitch's momentum.
Although Nanami was still as strong as ever, it seemed that his previous pitch count didn't affect him in the least, the pitch speed was slower!
And now, this was their fourth confrontation.
In the previous three encounters, Kominato Haruichi had been solved twice but had successfully Walked once.
In a pitcher vs. batter contest, Haruichi didn't come out at a disadvantage.
After all, not everyone could maintain an on-base rate of over 30%.
Haruichi's performance was commendable.
Now, in the fourth confrontation, he had already become familiar with the pitcher's speed and variations.
Under such circumstances, how could he back out?
The reason he didn't swing at the first two pitches was not that he didn't want to swing.
He was just waiting for the right opportunity, for the most perfect time to strike.
'Just like now.'
With two Strikes in his count, his opponent was desperate to take him down.
So, he decisively swung at an inside pitch!
This way, if he swung, the outfielders of Hoshiryu High School's baseball team would likely intercept it.
'Don't underestimate me!'
What kind of strategy was Hoshiryu High School's team playing?
Kominato Haruichi knew it very well.
Their strategy wasn't bad, but they made one critical mistake.
In this game, it wasn't just Nanami who had grown.
Paak!
The bat made solid contact with the baseball, sending it flying.
...