A figure ran up from the dugout, replacing Furuya, who had been surrounded in the middle.
"Furuya, thanks for holding on until the seventh inning. Leave it to me now." Seeing the sweat on Furuya's face, Kōshū could not help frowning. Unable to adapt to Tokyo's summer, with so little experience in official games... it was incredible that he'd pitched this well.
Then it was time to face reality.
"No outs, bases loaded. What do you think, Kōshū? Can you handle it?" Miyuki's expression was incomparably serious as he fixed his eyes on Kōshū. At this stage of the game, aside from the pitcher, Miyuki was probably the most exhausted. That single run hung over his head like the Sword of Damocles.
"Hah. Isn't this exactly my mission? No matter how many runs ahead we are, I just have to hold the line." The flow of the game was like interlocking gears. Pitchers, fielders, the strong and the weak, all meshed and spun frantically within their respective systems. The result of their struggle was the number on the scoreboard.
What Kōshū had to do was become a stubborn rock wedged into the massive gear of the entire situation, freezing time at the point where they held the advantage.
"How reliable. But don't shoulder all the responsibility yourself." Senior Kominato chopped him lightly on the head.
"Don't put yourself under pressure. There are still three innings left. Believe in our bats." Yuki Captain was, as always, a source of positive energy.
"Hey, something's been off with you today. When I saw you in the dugout, your hands were shaking. Are you really okay?" Bold but careful Kuramochi had been holding that question in all morning, and he finally had the chance to ask it.
"Haha, don't worry. If anything, my urge