Chapter 190: The Game Ends

"That was truly magnificent, Goro-kun! I never expected to find another pitcher at Koshien who, like you, refuses to give in and never backs down! You didn't throw a single breaking ball—not even one pitch outside the zone. Every single pitch was a head-on duel with nothing but fastballs. That was absolutely exhilarating!"

Sato Toshiya breathed heavily, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he stared at Kitamura Kou on the pitcher's mound.

At that moment, he had completely forgotten his original objective. All that remained in his mind was the fierce battle unfolding between himself and Kitamura Kou.

"This guy really lives up to his reputation!"

Almost every swing, he perfectly timed the ideal moment to attack.

Haha! It's been a long time since I've had a duel that made my blood race like this! I hope you can keep pitching like this... so I can enjoy this feeling a little longer!

Kitamura Kou locked eyes with Sato Toshiya in the batter's box.

It was obvious that he, too, was thoroughly enjoying this breathtaking showdown.

"Heh... my old habit is acting up again."

Kou shook his head firmly, forcing himself to cast aside the distracting excitement.

He took a deep breath before slowly exhaling, calming his racing heart and regaining his focus.

"The game has only just begun. I can't afford to get carried away."

"Although this battle isn't over yet... there will be more opportunities later."

"For now... let's end this exchange."

"The next pitch... I'll strike you out!"

With that thought, Kou inhaled once more.

His sharp eyes locked onto the batter standing at home plate—the opponent who had set every nerve in his body on edge.

Without holding anything back, he unleashed his fighting spirit.

He raised both hands above his head.

His left leg lifted high before driving powerfully toward the plate.

His body rotated smoothly, every movement flowing naturally into the next.

Then—

His right arm whipped forward like a cracking whip.

As every ounce of strength flowed through his body and gathered at the fingertips gripping the baseball—

BOOM!!

The baseball exploded from Kou's fingertips like a brilliant white streak of light.

It screamed through the air toward home plate with overwhelming speed and explosive force.

"Come on!"

"No matter how many pitches it takes, I'll see this duel through to the very end!"

Sato Toshiya tightened his grip on the bat, fully prepared for the next pitch.

The instant the ball entered the zone he had predicted—

Whoosh!!

The bat cut through the air with absolute confidence.

"Huh?"

A hint of surprise flashed across Toshiya's face.

Before the ball even reached the plate, his sharp instincts and years of experience told him something was different about this pitch.

The veins bulging across his hands became even more pronounced.

He squeezed every last ounce of strength from his exhausted body, forcing it into his swing.

I have to catch up!

His eyes never left the blazing white baseball charging toward him.

However—

THUD!!

The baseball arrived just a fraction of a second sooner.

The bat barely grazed it before the ball crashed violently into Akaishi Osamu's mitt with a thunderous roar.

"Strike three! Batter out! Three outs! Change sides!"

The home plate umpire finally snapped out of his daze and loudly announced the result.

Even his voice trembled slightly with excitement.

"So this is the pitch Kusano was talking about..."

Sato Toshiya stared quietly at Kitamura Kou on the mound, who seemed to be standing beneath a radiant golden halo.

"It really is incredible."

"Looks like I'm going to have a headache trying to figure out how to hit it."

Only Kusano, who had experienced that pitch firsthand, could truly understand the shock Toshiya was feeling.

A moment later, he gently shook his head.

A bright smile returned to his face as he muttered softly enough that only he could hear.

"I'm looking forward to our next showdown."

"Next time..."

"I won't lose."

The atmosphere inside the stadium reached a fever pitch.

The spectators rose to their feet, their excitement impossible to contain. Thunderous applause and deafening cheers echoed throughout the ballpark as everyone paid their highest respect to the spectacular duel they had just witnessed.

"Ohhh! He really did it! He struck out all three batters from the powerhouse Kaidou High School!"

"Hahaha! Kitamura didn't disappoint us at all. From the regional qualifiers to Koshien, this has to be the first time Kaidou High School has ever had three consecutive batters strike out!"

"But even though they went down in order, Kaidou definitely lived up to its reputation as the defending champions. Every batter put up an incredible fight."

"Exactly! Especially Sato. He gave everyone a huge surprise. I don't think I've ever seen anyone perform that well against Kitamura in their very first matchup. He nearly blasted one out of the park!"

"Waaah! I can't wait for their next showdown!"

Yakushi High School's Dugout

Bang!

Todoroki Raizo dropped heavily into the bench as though every ounce of strength had left his body.

He let out a long sigh before raising his slightly trembling right hand to wipe the thin layer of cold sweat from his forehead.

"Hoo... Being a coach really isn't a job meant for humans."

"It makes you go bald, and it's terrible for your heart."

"If this keeps up, I'm going to collapse in this dugout sooner or later."

Looking out at his players on the field, their youthful faces glowing with bright smiles, Raizo couldn't help but sigh enviously.

"Damn it... I wish I could run around out there with these kids, sweating through my youth again."

Kitamura Kou's dominant pitching had undoubtedly lifted the spirits of everyone in Yakushi's dugout.

However, the blow dealt to Kaidou High School wasn't nearly as devastating as many had expected.

Watching Sato Toshiya return to the dugout with a smile still on his face, several teammates immediately gathered around him. As they helped him put on his catcher's gear, they couldn't resist teasing him.

"Heh, that pitcher is something else. I never thought I'd see even Sato get struck out."

"When you nearly hit that first pitch out of the park, I thought we'd already seized the momentum. Who would've guessed it'd end like that?"

"So? What's your verdict?"

Now fully geared up, Sato stood and flashed his trademark confident smile.

"I'll save my thoughts until after we've won this game."

He adjusted his catcher's mask before looking toward the field.

"It's our turn to defend."

"Let's shut them down."

The first inning came to an end.

Yakushi High School held a narrow 1–0 lead over Kaidou High School.