"Batting 4th, 1st Base, Hiroki."
As Hiroki made his way into the batters box, he noticed a shift in the Shinjuku players. When Makoto had hit the home run, they seemed dejected and on their last legs, yet now they were completely different.
Not only did they look invigorated, there was also a kind of savagery behind their eyes.
The tall delinquent upon the mound looked especially intimidating as he took his position. The soft smile that was on his face during the past 7 innings was nowhere to be seen, now replaced with grim determination.
Hiroki couldn't help but feel tense in that atmosphere, yet his expression hardened in the next moment.
Shinjuku weren't the only team that had gone through hell to be here right now. Just remembering the devilish training overseen by their very own Training Demon was enough to make a grown man cry.
Yet they survived it, coming out the other side of the gauntlet having improved drastically.
'I won't leave them any room to come back.' Hiroki thought, tightening the grip on his bat.
The baseball match had turned into more than just a game to decide who was better. It had turned into a clash of wills with neither side willing to yield or compromise.
"Hup!"
The first pitch was like lightening as it streaked its way through the air towards the strike zone. It was comparable to the first pitches he'd thrown in the game despite the fact they were in the 9th innings already.
"Hmph."
Hiroki let out a harrumph as he saw the ball blitz towards him.
'I've seen this pitch too many times to let it go.'
DONG!
The ball sailed into the air, well outside the foul zone on the right side of the field. Despite hitting it late, the ball still carried past the foul post.
"Foul."
"Tch, I swung a little late." Hiroki murmured.
Kenta felt a cold sweat form on his back from the pressure. If Kei hadn't kept his speed up, that ball would have been hit for another home run, essentially putting an end to their rally.
"Nice pitch Kei! Keep it up."
"Strike him out!"
The rest of the Shinjuku team called out words of encouragement. They didn't care that the ball had almost been hit for a homer, putting their confidence in their Ace.
Kei received the ball from Kenta and went for another fastball, this time on the inside.
WHOOOSH
DONG
This time Hiroki struck true, sending a line drive straight back to Kei on the mound.
Kei's eyes widened as he saw the ball coming directly for his face. Time seemed to slow down as the ball approached, yet he found it difficult to move, as if the clash was inevitable.
THUD
Everyone saw the tall figure fall to the ground emphatically, causing screams and shouts of terror from the crowd.
Even the Yokohama dugout cringed in worry at the sight before them.
"K-KEI!"
Tatsuo called out in shock and horror before quickly running towards his friend on the mound. He was filled with anxiety as he arrived, not knowing what to expect.
However, he soon breathed out a sigh of relief as Kei sat up on his own. He looked around, as if he was searching for someone in particular.
Then with a grin, he showed the ball which was nestled in his glove to the umpire who had come to check on him.
The umpire's eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting the sudden situation.
"O-Out!"
"W-WHOA!"
The crowd erupted into cheers at the sudden turn of events. For a moment they had thought there was a severe injury, yet it turned out the pitcher had managed to catch the ball.
Hiroki couldn't do much but make his way back to the dugout. Of course he was relieved that the pitcher wasn't hurt, but he was still a little disappointed he couldn't get onto base.
Tatsuo still seemed shaken despite seeing that his friend was okay. His nerves were shot at the near miss.
It was only when Kei stood up and placed his large hand atop his head that he finally calmed down.
"Let's keep going." He said with a grin.
Tatsuo was silent, but he still nodded before wiping his eyes with his arm. He then turned around to go back to his position, his face filled with determination.
"We can do this… As long as we have Kei."
His words were drowned out by the announcement of the next batter.
"Batting 5th, Pitcher, Ken."
Everyone's attention moved towards the opposing Ace and clean up batter. He had been responsible for 4 of the 5 runs for Yokohama and thus was their biggest threat.
Ken could feel all eyes upon him as he got into position in the batters box. He narrowed his eyes towards Kei on the mound who had his head lowered and was staring at the ground.
"Is your pitcher okay?" He asked Kenta, sounding a little concerned.
Kenta scowled, "He's fine. You should be worried about yourself."
Ken could only shake his head. Since they were embroiled in such a match, he couldn't blame the catcher for his words.
It was then that Kei raised his head, staring directly at Ken.
His eyes seemed to be sparkling in the shade of his cap, invoking a feeling of unrest within him. Ken gripped his bat tightly, preparing himself for the onslaught which was on its way.
Kei performed his sweeping motion and planted his foot, sending the ball towards the strike zone.
Ken's eyes widened in shock as he saw the ball coming towards him. His face was full of confusion.
'S-So slow…'
The ball didn't make it halfway to home plate before it landed on the ground and rolled towards him.
"B-Balk."
However, Ken didn't register the umpires words as he was too busy staring at the sight in front of him.
"KEI!"
The tall delinquent had fallen onto the field and was not moving. The entire infield rushed over to check on him, but not before Tatsuo arrived. His eyes were full of tears as he tried to shake him awake.