Without realizing it, Carlos had placed his trust in his teammate, something that he had not done since the end of elementary school. However, he was too embroiled in the moment to understand the monumental change that had overcome him.
Shinji's attention turned to Carlos who was kneeling by the side.
'I just need to get on base…'
Yuta was starting to feel the pressure of the moment as the stakes were rising. He knew that letting Carlos up to the plate would be dangerous, so he wanted to end things now before it got to that point.
'Let's just take it easy for now.' Yuta thought.
He called for a ball on the outside, wanting to try and bait a swing and get an easy strike on the board.
Ken nodded and began his wind up. He had used the rosin bag earlier to ensure that he wouldn't repeat the same mistakes as last time.
The ball came out just as he expected with no issues, however his face changed in the next moment as the batters form changed.
'Bunt!?'
DING
He didn't have much time to think as the ball went to the ground and rolled along the foul line towards third base. Makoto managed to get to the ball first, only to watch it begin to roll into the foul zone.
However, by some turn of fate, the ball rolled back into play, stunning both him and Ken. As if in sync, they both looked at the umpire in question.
"Fair ball!"
The Shuei players in the dugout and on the field screamed and cheered, filling the atmosphere with their cries. They had clawed tooth and nail in order to get onto base, sacrificing whatever was needed to get the job done.
Coach Goto was among the cheers as he pumped his fists in triumph and elation. None of his players knew that his voice could reach such a volume, but they were too caught up in the moment to care.
Makoto quickly picked up the ball and was about to throw it to first base, however Hiroki was already signaling not to throw the ball.
Ken's face fell. Just what the hell was his luck right now?
First a walk, then a pitching mistake and now a bunt with 2 outs that had teetered on the foul line.
Now that he thought about it, could it be that the system had been pulling the strings from afar? Ensuring that Carlos had another chance to bat so that he could complete the urgent mission?
The prospect was far too terrifying for him to consider at this stage, yet it would explain the situation he was currently in.
However, this was not the worst outcome for him.
As long as he could strike out Carlos, he'd be able to complete the urgent mission, retain his pitching grade and make it to nationals. This was honestly the best outcome he could have hoped for.
Of course now the stakes were a lot higher. If Carlos hit a big one, it would force extra innings, dragging out the game that should have been in the bag already.
With Kazuhiro's improved pitching form, he knew just how hard it was to get any more runs on the board.
"I guess it's all or nothing." He mumbled, reaching down to grab the ball.
BA BUMP
BA BUMP
Carlos felt his heart thumping out of his chest, bringing with it a dose of adrenaline that filled his body. He looked up into the sky, thanking whichever god had gotten him into this scenario.
If this were a movie, it would be the ending scene right before the credits.
He made his way up to the batters box and let out a deep breath before turning his attention to the mound. With his hands gripped firmly on the bat, his brown eyes radiated his will to fight.
Ken too stared down at the wild beast ahead of him, his gaze burning brightly. He put the last 3 at-bats to the back of his mind, they were irrelevant at this point in time. There was only the man in front of him that he now needed to beat.
Yuta placed his glove out, calling for a ball high on the inside. As long as the ball was popped up, then they could secure the last out and clinch the game.
However, Ken merely shook his head.
'Huh?'
Yuta was confused. Ken had followed his lead the whole game, so why was he now refusing. He placed the glove in the middle of strike zone, almost as a joke, yet in the next moment a grin formed on Ken's face as he nodded.
'W-What the hell!?'
But he didn't have enough time to suggest anything else as Ken was about to begin his wind up.
The moment he lifted his left leg, Ken felt as if time had come to a crawl. His Crunch Time skill activated, filling his body with strength and confidence.
With the help of this skill and his Fine Motor Control, he was able to pour all of his strength into his pitching motion, exponentially increasing the speed and power of his pitch.
As the ball rolled off his fingers, time returned to normal.
Like a bolt of lightning, the ball was sent straight for the open glove of Yuta, kicking up the dirt in its wake.
WHOOOOSH
Carlos's eyes widened as he saw the ball leave Ken's hand. Before it even came into range he instinctively knew that this was one of the fastest ball he'd ever faced in his life.
His bat which usually seemed light to him, suddenly felt weighed down. There was surprise in his mind from this feeling, but a large part of him felt that it wasn't all that bad.
PAH
"Strike!"
Instead of being frustrated, Carlos was puzzled. He looked at his bat, turning it over in his hands, as if seeing it for the first time in his life.
'What is this?'
He turned his gaze to the coach in the dugout, only to see his proud and expectant expression. It wasn't just him who looked like this, every one of his teammates gazed upon him with hope.
As if to confirm it, he turned to the field and saw his 3 teammates on base.
A look of understanding appeared on his features, like the missing piece of the puzzle had just fallen into place.
'So this is what it's like to carry the weight of the team in your bat.'
At this realization, an imperceptible smile crept onto his lips.