From the fifth inning onward, Komadai Fujimaki's newly substituted pitcher failed to suppress Seido's batting lineup the way he usually did against other schools. Their pitching rotation strategy proved ineffective.
In just two innings, they gave up another two runs.
7–0.
In the Seido dugout, Kanzaki Ryou—who had already pitched six innings—put on his glove once more, preparing to return to the mound.
He intended to finish the game himself.
Stepping onto the mound, he struck out three batters in succession.
Three up, three down.
Today, Kanzaki Ryou had unleashed his full power. Every pitch exceeded 155 km/h, each one like a bullet tearing through the air. The Komadai Fujimaki batters were nearly helpless in the face of such overwhelming speed.
And just when they began to adjust—
A sudden changeup shattered their timing once again.
In this game, Kanzaki had elevated pitching into an art form.
Just like that, the game advanced to the ninth inning.
Top of the ninth.
Two outs. Bases empty.
The entire stadium had already begun celebrating Seido's imminent victory.
The Komadai Fujimaki batter at the plate was drenched in sweat. With two strikes against him, one more miss would end everything.
"Two strikes!"
"Seido!"
"Kanzaki!"
"One more pitch!"
...
Every Seido supporter in the stands was on their feet, waving flags and shouting at the top of their lungs.
Behind home plate, Chris returned the ball to Kanzaki. His heart pounded violently, his hands trembling despite himself.
Taking a deep breath, he steadied his nerves—
Then gave the signal for the final pitch.
On the mound, Kanzaki wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Nine innings.
Though his pitch count wasn't high, every throw had been over 155 km/h. Under the blazing summer heat, the strain on his body far exceeded usual.
One more pitch…
And Seido will claim back-to-back championships.
Whoosh!
The roar of the crowd filled his ears.
Kanzaki turned his head slightly, glancing toward the dugout—Coach Kataoka, the staff, his teammates.
All eyes were on him.
Even if the game hadn't been close, this was still the decisive moment.
The championship point.
He looked down at the baseball in his hand, slowly rotating it once… twice…
Then raised his gaze to Chris's waiting glove.
Whoosh!!
Under the watch of the entire nation, Kanzaki Ryou delivered the final pitch.
"Graaah!!"
The Komadai Fujimaki batter roared, swinging with everything he had.
Thwack!
The crisp sound of the ball striking the glove echoed sharply.
For a split second—
The stadium fell into complete silence.
"Strike!"
"Batter out!!"
"Game over!!!"
"Seido High School's Ace has thrown the final pitch!"
"The winner is Seido High School!!"
"Back-to-back champions!!"
"Seido High School has claimed consecutive Summer Koshien titles!"
The umpire's call and the commentator's voice rang out almost simultaneously.
"YEAHHHH!!!!!"
"Ahhh!!"
"We won!"
"We won!"
"We are the champions!"
The Seido supporters in the stands erupted in celebration.
At the same time, the players on the field and those in the dugout rushed toward the mound.
Coach Kataoka, Coach Ochiai, Takashima Rei, Ota, and Manager Fujiwara Takako all stepped out as well.
Coach Kataoka's usual composure was gone. Though he said nothing, the fist he raised high revealed his emotions.
Takashima Rei and Fujiwara Takako were already in tears.
Ota shouted wildly.
Even Coach Ochiai trembled uncontrollably.
"Champions!"
"Kanzaki!!"
The team surrounded Kanzaki Ryou—
And tossed him high into the air.
This had been a game without suspense.
Everyone understood that reaching this point was because of him.
Nine innings.
Complete domination.
Komadai Fujimaki failed to score a single run—
Not even one batter reached base.
A true perfect game.
In the Koshien finals.
"This is unbelievable… This game will go down in Koshien history."
"A perfect game in the finals… has that ever happened before?"
"That guy is terrifying."
"Even if Komadai's lineup wasn't the strongest, they're still a powerhouse…"
Everyone who witnessed this match was conquered by Kanzaki Ryou's performance.
On the field—
Yuki Tetsuya, Chris, Kominato Ryosuke, Isashiki Jun, Masuko Toru…
The third-years stood with tears in their eyes.
Their second Summer Koshien championship.
Nearby, the first-years—Sawamura, Furuya, Kominato Haruichi, and Arima Kazusa—were also overwhelmed, their eyes glistening.
When Kanzaki landed safely, he turned his gaze toward the third-base dugout.
The Komadai Fujimaki players stood there, heads lowered, tears falling freely.
For them, today's game had been a complete rout.
Their offense couldn't score.
Their defense, even after multiple pitching changes, had been useless.
Seido's batting lineup was simply too stable—too strong.
No matter what tactics they used, they couldn't stop the relentless offense.
A total defeat.
Coach Nitta clenched his fists tightly.
His strategies had seemed clever before—but against Seido's overwhelming strength, they felt utterly powerless.
Outside the dugout, Hongo Masamune stared blankly at the celebrating Seido players.
His pride wouldn't allow him to cry—
Yet tears still slipped down his face.
We lost…?
Just like that…?
He had only pitched four innings.
He hadn't even fully processed it.
Pain.
Regret.
Disbelief.
His expression twisted, emotions clashing violently within him.
Along their journey, Komadai Fujimaki had defeated many strong opponents—Teito in the first round, Osaka Kiryu in the quarterfinals, Hakuryu in the semifinals.
Against those powerhouses, even when runs were scarce, they won with scores like 1–0 or 2–1.
That had been their formula.
But today—
Facing Seido, the team known for the strongest batting lineup in the nation—
Their pitching staff, including himself, had seemed fragile.
Balls were constantly driven into play.
Seido's batters looked almost relaxed, as if they were simply practicing.
"Line up."
"Yes… Coach."
The quiet responses of the Komadai Fujimaki players followed one after another.
Their voices choked.
Their shoulders slumped.
And in that moment—
They looked utterly defeated.