Chapter 308: Finally, the Bottom of the Ninth

Huangqian Yangyi pitched the ball, and Narumiya Mei also deliberately swung his bat after the baseball flew out.

He chose the Changeup!

Whack!

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!!"

The baseball entered Miyuki's glove, and Narumiya Mei turned his head in disbelief; was this a Changeup?

Why was it so slow!

Was this a Palmball?

Noticing the location where Miyuki received it, Narumiya Mei immediately understood; this was not a Circle Changeup.

He suddenly turned his head to look at Huangqian Yangyi, and seeing the smug expression on the other's face, Narumiya Mei's heart gave a sharp tug; he hadn't expected that while he brought out a Reverse Changeup, the other had also brought out a Palmball!

Looking at the smiles on the faces of this battery, Narumiya Mei only felt a chill in his heart; he and Harada Masatoshi had been put out one after another, and next was the 6th Batter, Yamaoka Riku.

Watching Yamaoka Riku walking toward the Batter's Box, Narumiya Mei went up to meet him and gently punched him in the chest, "Relax, there are still chances later."

Yamaoka Riku shuddered; was this really Narumiya Mei?

With a pang of sorrow in his heart, Yamaoka Riku nodded heavily: "Leave it to me!"

Standing in the Batter's Box, Yamaoka Riku gripped his bat tightly; bottom of the eighth, two outs, no one on base—his pressure at this moment was extraordinary.

Please don't be a Changeup! Yamaoka Riku prayed incessantly in his heart.

Whoosh!

Huangqian Yangyi didn't care at all about how Yamaoka Riku in the Batter's Box was feeling or how nervous he was; upon seeing the signal from Miyuki and confirming the batter was ready, he pitched the baseball toward home plate.

The extraordinary speed and terrifying power of the ball made Yamaoka Riku feel incredibly troubled, but he still mustered his strength to swing the bat.

It's a Fastball! I can do this! Yamaoka Riku widened his eyes, staring fixedly at the incoming baseball, but just then, the baseball suddenly accelerated in his eyes, and before his swinging bat could reach the spot, it rushed past home plate and drilled into Miyuki's glove.

Yamaoka Riku, who had swung and missed, had a gloomy expression; this Fastball that accelerated was impossible to defend against.

Whoosh!

Whack!

"Strike!"

Swish!

Bang!

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!"

After three pitches, Yamaoka Riku, who had wanted to contribute to the team, left the field with regret.

The game finally reached its final stage.

Top of the ninth, Seido on offense.

Although the team was leading by two runs, Seido's 7th Batter and Third Baseman, Masuko Toru, still dared not relax in the slightest; in baseball, it was all too common for a leading team to be overturned in the ninth inning.

"Pudding-senpai, get another run!" Sawamura shouted loudly while leaning on the railing.

Masuko Toru, who had just stepped into the Batter's Box, stiffened; he didn't like this nickname.

"Little brother Sawamura! I'll deal with you after the game ends."

Masuko Toru decided that once he returned to school, he would definitely let that idiot Sawamura know what the dignity of a senior was.

At the Catcher position, Harada Masatoshi had a heavy expression; a two-run gap seemed small, but it was like a chasm lying in front of Inashiro. Not to mention whether they could score off Huangqian Yangyi in the final half-inning to turn the situation around, if they continued to give up runs now against Seido's lineup, it would truly be irredeemable.

The members of Inashiro, already with one foot on the edge of a cliff, looked at the game on the field nervously.

"Mei! Do your best!"

"Don't lose to them!"

"Hold on! Strike him out!"

"You can do it, Mei!"

After a brief silence, Inashiro's fans erupted into waves of cheers; even though the team was trailing in score, even though the hope was slim, they hoped to become a solid backing for the team at this moment, and some of Narumiya Mei's loyal female fans were already starting to sob.

On the Pitcher's Mound, Narumiya Mei was not as fragile as these fans; the game wasn't over yet. Pulling himself together, Narumiya Mei struck out Masuko Toru in three pitches, and subsequently, Shirasu Kenjiro and Kadota Masakado also failed to get on base.

Top of the ninth, Seido went three-up, three-down and failed to expand their lead, and now, it had finally reached the bottom of the ninth, which would decide the outcome.

"Seido, enter Koshien again!"

"Three outs left!"

"Shut out Inashiro!!"

"Overlord Huangqian!"

"King Seido!"

A two-run difference, three outs left, and the batters were still Inashiro's 7th, 8th, and 9th bottom-of-the-order hitters.

The fans' massive, roaring cheers resounded throughout the stadium, as if they had already begun celebrating the victory in advance.

In the Seido Dugout, Huangqian Yangyi, sitting on a chair, put down his water cup and calmly glanced at the teammates around him.

Everyone's gaze was simultaneously fixed on their ace, and every person's face carried a faint smile.

Huangqian Yangyi stood up and put on his pitcher's glove.

"Then, let's go."

"Oh oh oh!!!!"

Amidst the shouts, Huangqian Yangyi followed the music of the Wind Instrument Department, nodding his head slightly as he walked onto the Pitcher's Mound.

Bottom of the ninth, start!

"The Summer National High School Baseball Tournament, West Tokyo Regional Qualifier final; after intense confrontation between both sides, it has finally reached the final inning of the game. The current score is 2:0, Seido leads!"

"In this final half-inning of confrontation, will we watch Seido High School win the game cleanly and decisively in one go, or will Inashiro Industrial achieve a miraculous comeback?"

"And in this final moment, standing on the Pitcher's Mound is still the one trusted by everyone at Seido, the one who represents the highest level of high school pitching in all of Japan, the one known as the Overlord—Huangqian Yangyi!"

The passionate and stirring commentary spread across the world through television, radio, and all major media; the two teams, having battled fiercely until now, had presented everyone with a brilliant game in this short amount of time.

In the stands, the First Year members of the Seido Baseball Club, the Second String, all the other members, and several Managers were all holding high the flags representing Seido, waving them and cheering; as members of the Seido Baseball Club, they felt a sense of shared honor at this moment.

"Huangqian-san! Strike them out!"

"We're counting on you, Ace!"

"Take the game!"

Various cheers gathered, and countless expectant gazes were cast toward the Pitcher's Mound in the center of the field.

In the Inashiro Dugout, the Batters about to take the field were also startled by the atmosphere of the entire stadium, and the hands gripping their bats were trembling unconsciously.

Manager Kunitomo walked behind Hirai Tsubasa, pressed his large hand on his shoulder, and said to the three about to take the field: "Go, do not hesitate; you have all stood here after countless arduous trainings; at this moment, you represent Inashiro, and you are taking the field as the team's Batters, nothing more."

Those three people had confusion in their eyes; although they did not understand the meaning behind Manager Kunitomo's words, they inexplicably felt it was impressive.

"Yes, Manager!!" the three shouted in unison.

"Very good, go, give it your all and fight with everything you have!" Manager Kunitomo said.

The situation had now completely tilted toward Seido, and Manager Kunitomo knew that at this time, any tactics or strategies were just fleeting clouds; in this bottom of the ninth inning, it all depended on one's spirit!