Chapter 524: The Meaning of a Teammate in the Inashiro Match
"Clang!"
A fierce crack echoed through the stadium.
The sharp edge of the bat collided violently with the ball—
"Whoosh!"
The ball rocketed into the sky.
In that instant, everyone turned their heads sharply,
eyes locked on the white blur flying straight into the outfield.
...
Kuramochi instantly tossed his bat and exploded out of the box, his face fierce with determination.
Get on base—
I have to get on base!
This was his job.
His mission.
...
His figure blurred like lightning.
Kuramochi pushed his speed to the absolute limit,
tearing down the first base line like a wild panther.
The soaring ball arced high above the outfield—a race between runner and ball.
...
"Tap-tap-tap-tap!"
Kuramochi was fast.
But Inashiro's defense wasn't slow either.
In center field stood their best defender—
Carlos.
With precision and explosive speed, he tracked the ball's path without missing a beat.
...
"Whoosh!"
As the ball began its descent, Carlos dove, gliding across the grass—
"Pop!"
His glove snapped shut around the ball.
"Out!"
The umpire's voice rang out sharply.
...
Kuramochi, gripping the brim of his cap, lowered his head in frustration.
"Damn it… damn it… DAMN IT!!!"
...
"So close!"
"Leadoff batter Kuramochi's deep drive is robbed by Carlos with a spectacular diving catch in center field!"
...
"Nice catch, Carlos!"
"Haha, I knew you'd get it, Kamiya-kun!"
"Let's go, Carlos!"
"Awesome stuff! That's the rhythm we need!"
"One out! One out!"
...
From bat crack to running to diving catch—it all happened in just seconds.
But in that short time, the emotional roller coaster for Inashiro's dugout and fans was massive.
...
"He really is something, that Carlos…"
"Well, he is the backbone of Inashiro's defense.
Still, what a pity for Seidou."
"I honestly thought that was a guaranteed double…
maybe even a triple."
"Whether Kuramochi gets on base or not makes all the difference for Seidou."
"Yeah. If he gets on, Seidou's scoring chances shoot up. If not, it gets way harder."
...
The stands buzzed with chatter.
Almost everyone felt the sting of missed opportunity
from that near-hit.
...
"Don't worry about it, Kuramochi-senpai," Eijun said with a smile when Kuramochi returned to the dugout.
"Next time, you'll definitely blast it out."
Kuramochi paused for a moment, his steps slowing ever so slightly.
Then, with a firm voice, he replied:
"Yeah… next time, I'll blast it out for sure."
...
Eijun looked at him deeply.
"I always believe in you, Kuramochi-senpai."
...
"Now batting second, right fielder—Shirasu-kun!"
...
"Go for it, Shirasu-senpai! Bring us a hit!"
"Shirasu, we're counting on you here!"
"Charge forward, Shirasu-senpai!"
"Let's go!!!"
"Seidou! Seidou! Seidou!"
...
Shirasu Kenjirou—solid and steady.
Truth be told, he had the power to be a cleanup hitter.
In terms of composure and presence, he was probably the closest to their former cleanup, Captain Tetsu.
But against a near-perfect Narumiya Mei, even Shirasu's bat felt a bit lacking.
...
"Whoosh!"
"Clang!"
"Bang!"
"Foul!"
"Clang!"
The blazing fastball collided with the bat.
A sharp, biting crack.
The ball soared.
"Whoosh!"
All eyes snapped to the sky, tracking the white streak arcing high—but it wasn't enough.
...
"Pop!"
"Strike! Batter out!!"
...
A perfect low fastball on the outer edge—the batter swung through it. Strikeout. Two outs.
Narumiya Mei was once again pressing hard against the Seidou lineup.
...
"Nice one, Ace!"
"Too cool, Narumiya-kun!"
"Haha! Two outs, two outs!"
"One more! Shut 'em down, Narumiya!"
...
Narumiya's overwhelming dominance was pressing down hard on Seidou's dugout.
No matter the pitch, no matter the location—they couldn't touch him.
This helplessness was suffocating.
Even Coach Kataoka and Ochiai furrowed their brows on the bench.
A Narumiya in this kind of form made even a single hit feel improbable—let alone consecutive hits.
Without consecutive hits, there would be no scoring.
Which meant...
The only real option left was a home run.
...
A home run?
Even Ochiai, the ever-pragmatic strategist, quietly sighed at the thought.
Getting a homer off Tokyo's "Prince" Narumiya Mei...
wasn't quite a fantasy—but it was pretty damn close.
...
"Don't try to force a specific pitch. Focus on pulling it."
After a brief silence, Coach Kataoka issued the order.
If they couldn't find a clear opening soon—then their best bet was to wear Narumiya down.
The young catcher might be competent, but he still lacked polish in some areas.
Force more pitches, and maybe—just maybe—he'd crack.
...
"Got it."
Haruichi nodded calmly.
He gripped the bat tightly and stepped toward the plate with confident strides.
...
"Now batting third, second baseman—Kominato-kun!"
...
"Huh?"
"Wait… what?!"
As Haruichi entered the batter's box, a wave of surprise rippled across the field and the stands.
Even Seidou's own players were stunned.
...
In the stands, his older brother Ryousuke frowned deeply.
"...Haruichi, you…"
...
The metal bat gleamed brightly in Haruichi's hands,
shimmering with a cold, sharp aura.
No one knew quite what to say.
...
Kominato Haruichi—had chosen to use a metal bat in this championship game.
...
The team had seen him practicing with one since the Red vs. White game—both in free hitting and toss drills, he handled the metal bat like a natural.
But in the semifinals, he'd gone back to his usual wooden bat, so they'd all assumed it was just for training.
No one expected this—
That in the finals, during his second at-bat, Seidou's No. 3 hitter would switch to metal.
...
"…Haruichi…"
In the on-deck circle, Eijun tightened his grip on his bat.
He remembered clearly what Haruichi had said to him before the match:
...
"I'll get on base. I'll bring in a run. Eijun-kun, we're going to win this."
...
That voice still rang in his ears.
So strong.
So determined.
So pure.
...
And now…
Eijun began to understand.
Haruichi must've figured it out—about his injury.
...
Even if it meant giving up his own batting style—he chose to use a metal bat.
To fight.
To win.
Whether it was an advantage or a disadvantage—didn't matter.
...
That—was Haruichi's resolve.
This was what it meant…to be a teammate.
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