Chapter 503: Only the Victor Is King
By the time the game reached the seventh inning, the score remained a tense 1–0 stalemate.
However, compared to the first three innings, since the fourth, Yakushi High had started to land some hits off Narumiya Mei.
Previously, even though Inashiro had only scored one run, they had managed to get runners on base in nearly every inning — a sharp contrast to Yakushi, who had struggled for chances.
But ever since the fourth inning, after the young catcher began to show signs of nervousness and made a few mistakes — especially with Coach Todoroki's tactical adjustments — Yakushi changed their approach.
Other than Raichi, the rest of the lineup completely abandoned targeting Mei's breaking pitches, which they had initially been wary of, and instead focused solely on attacking his fastballs.
Under this aggressive strategy, the pressure on the young catcher increased drastically.
...
In the bottom of the sixth, with Yakushi's batting order cycling back around...
"Ping!"
The young catcher, clearly wary of power hits, called for a breaking pitch on the outside corner — but Yakushi read the intent perfectly.
Mishima, taking advantage of this, launched his first hit of the game: a solid shot off the left field wall, and reached second base.
Now with a runner in scoring position, it was Raichi's third at-bat.
With the young catcher rattled, his pitch calls started to lose clarity.
Raichi, with his overwhelming presence, sharp instincts, and monstrous bat speed, seized the perfect timing against a fastball.
Despite Mei's frustrated expression and the pale face of his catcher, Raichi sent the inside fastball screaming toward center field.
But just before it could land—
Carlos, the blazing-fast outfielder, made a perfect diving catch at the last possible moment, robbing Yakushi of a sure base hit and forcing Mishima to hold at second.
A game-saving defensive play.
Despite the opportunity, Yakushi failed once again to capitalize.
The following batters couldn't break through Narumiya's dominance.
Yakushi had missed another golden scoring opportunity.
...
"Such a shame for that last one," Eijun said with a flicker in his eyes. "If Kamiya-senpai had been just a second slower, Mishima would've made it home for sure."
"Eh, that kid's always had incredible range ever since middle school," said Miyuki, stretching out lazily in his seat.
"Yakushi's approach is solid, but they're just a little short on luck. If this keeps up, I'm afraid Inashiro might walk away with the win," said Maezono grimly.
"Yeah, the problem's still with the catcher. Yakushi's getting their timing, but something's still missing," Kuramochi nodded in agreement.
"Inashiro's defense really is something else," said Kanemaru with a serious expression.
Tojou, seated beside him, also nodded quietly, his face tense.
...
For Seidou, watching the game live, this had all made something very clear:
Whether they had faced Mei before or were new first-string players this autumn — everyone was secretly hoping their opponent in the finals would be Yakushi, not Inashiro.
Sure, the young catcher was Inashiro's weak link...
But Narumiya Mei was just too strong.
Even Yakushi's ferocious lineup was struggling, and Raichi only managed to pressure Mei because of the catcher's mistakes.
If it had been them instead?
Honestly, most of Seidou's players didn't feel confident about doing any better against Mei.
In contrast, they were much more comfortable going up against Yakushi.
Yes, Inashiro had Narumiya Mei...
But Seidou had Eijun, who was only slightly behind in terms of level, and Miyuki, a catcher far superior to Tadano.
With that kind of golden battery, Seidou had nothing to fear from Yakushi.
Inashiro, on the other hand...
Yeah — Seidou's bench was definitely a little nervous about facing them.
That kind of pitching was just on another level.
...
After surviving the sixth-inning crisis, the game moved deeper into its final stages…
In the seventh inning, Narumiya Mei once again demonstrated his overwhelming dominance by retiring all three of Yakushi's batters in order.
The Yakushi lineup looked completely helpless under his pressure.
From the stands, the crowd echoed the same sentiment:
The Tokyo Prince—Narumiya Mei—without a doubt, he was one of the strongest pitchers of his generation, and likely the leading candidate for the title of Japan's number one.
In fact, at this point...
Narumiya Mei seemed to be the most likely pitcher to claim the crown of "Ace of Japan."
...
This fiercely contested second semifinal between Inashiro Industrial and Yakushi High was clearly among the highest-level games not only in Tokyo or the Kanto region but in all of Japan.
And Inashiro's strength showed itself clearly in the top of the eighth inning.
Using well-placed hits, they advanced a runner to second base. Then, Carlos delivered a timely single to bring in a run, extending Inashiro's lead.
A few more hits followed.
Combined with a walk to Narumiya, even with two outs already recorded, Yakushi couldn't stop the bleeding—Inashiro tacked on two more runs in that inning.
3–0.
A three-run gap this late in the game?
It was as if the outcome had already been sealed.
A scenario completely different from what many fans had expected.
...
In the bottom of the ninth, Yakushi mounted their final offense.
Driven by their trademark tenacity, Raichi finally connected off Narumiya for a powerful double, scoring Yakushi's first and only run.
Sanada managed to draw a walk right after, giving Yakushi a glimmer of hope.
But then came the sixth batter—who was utterly overwhelmed by Narumiya. The young catcher handled the matchup with ease.
Three pitches. Three strikes. Game over.
Yakushi's hopes of a miracle comeback in the ninth inning were extinguished.
...
Whoosh.
Smack!
"Strike! Batter out! Game over!!!"
As the umpire's call rang out, the crowd erupted in a mixture of cheers, gasps, and sighs.
On Yakushi's side, players stood stunned.
Raichi, standing on second base, quietly removed his cap.
Perhaps it didn't hurt like it had in the summer.
There were no heart-wrenching screams or bitter tears.
But this still and somber moment—like a quiet brushstroke of melancholy in ink—was its own kind of sorrow.
Raichi had given everything.
Yakushi High had given everything.
They had managed several solid hits off Narumiya.
They had gotten runners on base more than once.
But in the end… they only scored a single run.
Narumiya's dominant pitching, paired with Inashiro's unshakable defense, consistently shut Yakushi down at the very edge of breaking through.
...
The conquerors of West Tokyo had returned.
At the center of the mound, surrounded by teammates, the Tokyo Prince stood tall.
Victory belongs to the king.
Inashiro Industrial will once again face Seidou High in the finals.
This time...
Narumiya Mei—and all of Inashiro—are determined to avenge their summer defeat.
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