Chapter Summaries

Miyuki guided Furuya through a tense inning against Yakushi, while Eijun and Todoroki Raichi struck up an unexpected connection. In the top of the sixth, Miyuki chose to have Furuya face Raichi instead of walking him, and Raichi began adjusting to Furuya’s pitches.

• Miyuki encouraged Furuya to strike out Yakushi’s next batter after Eijun gave up his bullpen spot to the ace.
• Eijun and Todoroki Raichi silently agreed to exchange LINE contact information after the game.
• Furuya struck out Yakushi’s seventh batter with three fastballs, ending the inning.
• In the top of the sixth, Mishima hit Furuya’s high pitch and reached base, bringing Todoroki Raichi to the plate with one out.
• Miyuki signaled for Furuya to challenge Raichi rather than walk him, and Raichi fouled off two pitches while adapting to Furuya’s speed.

Seido escaped a dangerous inning when Furuya got Todoroki Raichi out, then seized its chance against Sanada in the bottom of the sixth. Maezono bunted to bring Haruichi home, giving Seido a 2:0 lead.

• Miyuki called for an inside pitch, and Furuya used a Changeup to induce Raichi into a grounder that Lang Zhi fielded for the second out.
• Miyuki set the infield in against Sanada, and Seido retired Yakushi without allowing another run.
• Haruichi and Miyuki hit consecutive singles in the bottom of the sixth, putting runners on first and third with one out.
• Maezono bunted Sanada's Changeup toward first base, allowing Haruichi to score as Seido took a 2:0 lead.

Seido held a two-run lead over Yakushi in the top of the seventh as Furuya used his remaining strength to finish the inning. Kataoka announced that Sawamura would pitch next and named Kōshū as a pinch hitter, leaving Furuya stunned.

• Sawamura cheered for Seido's fielders, then watched Miyuki and Furuya face Yakushi's lineup in the top of the seventh.
• Furuya struck out Yakushi's sixth batter and forced the next two batters into a groundout, ending the inning with Seido still ahead by two runs.
• Furuya's all-out pitching exhausted him, and Kataoka looked toward the bullpen as Sawamura eagerly waited to enter.
• Kataoka announced that Sawamura would pitch the next inning.
• Kataoka then named Kōshū as a pinch hitter, surprising the team and enraging Furuya.

Kōshū entered as a pinch hitter and reached base after Lang Zhi singled, then drew a walk by patiently tracking Sanada’s pitches. Seido advanced the runners and scored twice, extending its lead to 3–0.

• Lang Zhi overcame his nerves, hit Sanada’s pitch for a single, and pointed toward Kōshū as he reached first base.
• Kōshū took his place at the plate, hoping to prove himself and earn a chance to play defense.
• Kōshū watched Sanada’s pitches and refused to swing, drawing a four-ball walk.
• Asou laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing the runners to second and third with one out.
• Kuramochi hit a fly ball, and both runners scored to give Seido a 3–0 lead.

In the top of the eighth, Yakushi trailed Seido by three runs as Eijun replaced Kōshū in left field and took the mound. Kōshū reconsidered his resentment toward Eijun and found new meaning in Senior Nozawa’s advice about an ace, while Eijun began his brief appearance with two strikeouts against Yakushi’s ninth batter.

• Coach Todoroki urged Yakushi to get runners on base so Raichi could try to erase the deficit with a grand slam.
• Seido substituted Sawamura for Kōshū in the field, and Kōshū moved to left while Sawamura took the mound.
• Kōshū realized he had misread Eijun’s straightforward words as a challenge to his position and recalled Senior Nozawa’s advice that an ace needed an even mind.
• Kōshū cheered for Eijun as the game resumed, and Eijun entered the zone determined to make an impression in his limited time on the mound.
• Eijun struck out Yakushi’s ninth batter with two pitches, leaving the batter and dugout struggling to adjust to his pitches.

Seido held a 3–0 lead over Yakushi in the top of the ninth, but Todoroki Raichi hit a home run off Eijun. Kōshū helped Eijun recover from fearing the coach’s disappointment, and Seido finished the game with its lead intact before Eijun and Kōshū argued over Kōshū’s bag.

• Akiha and the next Yakushi batter struck out quickly against Seido’s pitcher, while Sanada rallied Yakushi before allowing Seido only one run in the bottom of the eighth.
• Todoroki Raichi hit Eijun’s pitch for a home run, cutting Seido’s lead to 3–1.
• Eijun thought the coach was replacing him, but Kōshū reassured him that Kataoka had left him in and helped him regain his composure.
• Eijun returned to the mound, and Seido finished the top of the ninth without surrendering its lead.
• After the teams exchanged bows, Eijun and Kōshū argued over who would carry Kōshū’s bag until Kōshū took it himself.

On the ride back to Seido, Miyuki questioned his relationship with Kōshū as Seido prepared to face Ichidai Third in the final. Narumiya Mei and Ichidai Third’s coaches studied Seido’s win, while Amakuhisa trained with renewed determination.

• Eijun realized he had forgotten to add Yakushi’s cleanup hitter on LINE, while Lang Zhi teased him about his excited expression.
• Kuramochi challenged Miyuki about whether Kōshū liked being his battery partner, prompting Miyuki to reflect on how he treated people.
• Narumiya Mei watched Seido’s game and worried that Kōshū and Seido’s pitchers would grow stronger while he had no major tournaments to play.
• Ichidai Third’s scouting team returned with footage of Seido’s victory, and the coaches discussed how Seido had preserved its ace and contained Yakushi.
• Amakuhisa, having returned to Ichidai Third’s baseball club, refused to stop practicing and said he could keep throwing.

After Kōshū was cleared to start Seido’s Autumn Tournament final, Miyuki asked Chris how a catcher could earn pitchers’ trust. Chris explained that Miyuki’s role was to understand each pitcher and draw out their strengths in service of the team, leaving Miyuki clear about the catcher and captain he needed to be.

• Kataoka announced that Kōshū’s foot had healed and that he would start the final against Ichidai Third.
• Kōshū reassured Furuya and Eijun, then Miyuki admitted that partnering with Kōshū felt best to him.
• After Kōshū pointed out that Miyuki valued him for helping execute pitching strategy, Miyuki wondered what kind of catcher pitchers liked.
• Miyuki met Chris and asked how a catcher could make pitchers like him.
• Chris told Miyuki to understand each pitcher’s strengths and weaknesses and draw out their abilities to lead Seido to victory, and Miyuki realized what kind of catcher and captain he needed to be.

Kōshū started the Tokyo Autumn Tournament final as Seido’s pitcher and dominated Ichidai Third’s first inning with precise fastballs. In the bottom of the first, he studied Amakuhisa’s extraordinary Slider at bat, and the chapter ended with Amakuhisa choosing to challenge him with it despite the open first base.

• Kōshū practiced fastballs with Miyuki, rebuilding his accuracy and spin before the final.
• Kōshū struck out Ichidai Third’s leadoff batter with three pitches placed along the Strike Zone’s edges.
• Amakuhisa struggled with his control, and Kuramochi hit a high fastball into the infield as Seido scored a run.
• Amakuhisa threw his signature Slider to Kōshū, who tracked its startling trajectory and hoped to learn from it.
• Kōshū fouled off pitches while waiting for the Slider, and Amakuhisa rejected the safer option of an intentional walk and prepared to throw it again.

Kōshū struck out Kousei Amakuhisa, then shut down Ichidai Third’s lineup with powerful pitching. Seidō scored another run in the bottom of the second, leaving Amakuhisa to regroup after his team fell further behind.

• Amakuhisa struck out Kōshū with a Slider after Kōshū tried to study the pitch.
• Kōshū returned to the mound and retired Ichidai Third’s batters, including the sixth batter on a Two-Seam Fastball.
• Amakuhisa admired Kōshū’s fastball and decided he would ask for his LINE later.
• Toujou singled off Amakuhisa, and Lang Zhi followed with a hit to put runners on first and second.
• Kuramochi advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, and Shirazu drove in another run for Seidō.
• Amakuhisa regained his composure, then struck out Haruichi to end the inning.

Seido and Ichidai Third settled into a pitching duel after Amakuhisa regained his form, while Kōshū managed Ichidai Third’s lineup and worried about his own batting. Seido’s offense stalled after its early two-run lead, and Maezono’s flyout ended another scoring chance.

• Kōshū and Miyuki used fastballs and Two-Seam Fastballs to retire Ichidai Third’s lower lineup, including Amakuhisa, who struck out while admiring Kōshū’s pitching as “Violent Aesthetics.”
• Amakuhisa insisted he could pitch through the tenth inning, while his teammates recalled that he had recently been pulled for exhaustion.
• After collecting six hits and scoring two runs in the first two innings, Seido’s offense struggled to connect against Amakuhisa from the third inning onward.
• Kōshū kept Ichidai Third scoreless while giving up two hits, and he resolved to move his contact point forward to improve his batting.
• Maezono hit a fly ball that the center fielder caught, stranding Kominato and Miyuki on base and ending Seido’s inning.
• Ochiai Coach privately questioned Kataoka Manager’s decision to keep Maezono in the fifth spot.

In the top of the sixth, Kōshū faced Ichidai Third’s ace Amakuhisa and threw an unusually sharp inside Slider. Amakuhisa recognized the pitch as his own signature Slider and responded with sudden intensity.

• Kōshū struck out Ichidai Third’s eighth batter with a Changeup before Amakuhisa came to bat.
• Amakuhisa chatted with Miyuki and admired Kōshū’s precise fastball, while Kōshū grew irritated by his attention.
• Kōshū chose to throw an inside Slider, and Miyuki agreed to the pitch call.
• Kōshū recalled the sensation of first throwing the Slider and released a pitch that appeared to aim at Amakuhisa before breaking into the Strike Zone.
• Amakuhisa dodged the pitch, then recognized it as his signature Slider and fixed Kōshū with a frightening stare.

Kōshū struck out Amakuhisa with an inside pitch after unexpectedly bringing back his Slider, and his confident turn toward the fielders left the batter eager to befriend him. Kōshū prepared to face the next batter while Miyuki wondered whether he had deliberately shown off.

• Kōshū successfully threw a Slider he had not managed to use in ages, though he knew the pitch was still unstable.
• Kōshū and Amakuhisa became fired up for a serious showdown, and Miyuki called for a low, inside pitch.
• Kōshū threw inside, and Amakuhisa swung and missed as Kōshū turned toward the fielders before the umpire called the strikeout.
• Amakuhisa admitted that Kōshū's confident back looked cool and decided to ask for his LINE after the game.
• Kōshū planned to strike out the next batter with fastballs inside and outside, while Miyuki suspected that Kōshū had turned around to show off.

Kōshū faced Ichidai Third’s ace Amakuhisa in the bottom of the sixth and entered a slow-motion state that let him read the pitch. He hit Amakuhisa’s Slider into the far right-field corner and reached second base safely.

• Ichidai Third failed to score in the top of the sixth, leaving Seido’s Kōshū with just one hit allowed after six innings.
• Narumiya Mei bristled when Hayakawa denied laughing at him, then fell silent as the game resumed.
• Kōshū stepped into the Batter’s Box and focused on Amakuhisa, determined to start a new contest between them.
• Amakuhisa’s catcher signaled for a Slider, despite worrying that Kōshū had already seen many of them.
• Kōshū tracked the Slider in a slow-motion state, struck it into the far right-field corner, and reached second base safely.

Kōshū experienced a fleeting glimpse of elite batting before Lang Zhi struck out against Amakuhisa’s Slider, ending the inning. Seido’s players rallied around their disappointed ace and sent him back onto the field, while Furuya and two first-year pitchers quietly reflected on wanting to become the ace; the chapter then noted grim layoff announcements and anxious messages from working people.

• Kōshū became absorbed in batting and briefly felt he had surpassed his limits, then mourned as the sensation faded.
• Amakuhisa struck out Lang Zhi with his Slider, and the inning ended with two outs followed by the third out.
• Kōshū returned to himself as he passed Ichidai Third’s players, and Kataoka Manager said nothing about his disappointment.
• Lang Zhi apologized, while Tōjō, Kuramochi, Eijun, and Miyuki tried to reassure Kōshū before Seido took the field.
• Furuya echoed Miyuki’s call of “ACE,” and two substitute first-year pitchers watched Kōshū enter the field and wanted to become the ace.
• Layoff targets were announced as people in chat groups shared complaints, worries, curses, and exhausted messages.

Eijun refused to give up on getting a chance to pitch and headed to the Bullpen with Furuya, with Kanemaru joining them to catch. On the field, Kōshū gave up a hit to Ichidai Third’s cleanup hitter but retired the side, while Amakuhisa felt the pressure of Seido’s ace.

• Eijun asked Kanemaru to catch for him, then invited Furuya to practice together when Kanemaru said neither pitcher would get a turn.
• Furuya joined Eijun, and Kanemaru followed them to the Bullpen to help catch.
• Kōshū threw an inside fastball that Ichidai Third’s cleanup hitter drove between first and second for a hit.
• Kōshū fooled Ichidai Third’s fifth batter with a Changeup, then jammed him with a Two-Seam Fastball for an out at second.
• Kōshū retired the side, and Amakuhisa acknowledged the pressure Seido’s ace placed on Ichidai Third.

Amakuhisa’s stamina faltered in the seventh inning, and Ichidai Third’s dugout gave him food and a sports drink before he returned to the field. Seido noticed his exhaustion, while Kuramochi reflected on his past as he went to bat and was quickly put out.

• Amakuhisa felt his body aching and his stomach growling, and Ichidai Third’s coach realized he had not eaten enough before the game.
• Ichidai Third gave Amakuhisa an energy bar and a sports drink, leading Seido’s players to suspect that he was running out of stamina.
• Eijun brought Kōshū a sports drink, and Miyuki teased that Eijun had gained another little brother.
• Kuramochi reflected on his past friendships and compared himself with Kōshū before facing Amakuhisa’s first pitch.
• Amakuhisa struck Kuramochi out, and Kuramochi returned to the dugout muttering that his on-base percentage had fallen to twenty-five percent.

Kōshū reflected on how his experiences had softened him as Seido struggled to turn its many hits into runs. With two outs and a runner on first, Miyuki drew a walk against a tiring Amakuhisa, leaving Ichidai Third’s pitcher in trouble.

• Senior Nozawa teased Kōshū and helped him feel his knot of anxiety loosen as Kōshū reflected on the experiences that had shaped him.
• Seido continued to draw loud cheers, but despite ten hits, the team had scored only two runs.
• Amakuhisa entered a vicious cycle of fatigue as Seido’s faster pitching tempo left him less time to rest.
• Amakuhisa threw two setup balls to Miyuki, then missed the strike zone again and fell behind three balls, no strikes.
• Amakuhisa’s Slider slipped off his fingers as a wild pitch, giving Miyuki ball four and putting another runner on base.

In the bottom of the seventh, Maezono broke through Amakuhisa’s pitching with a hard hit to right field, bringing Kominato to third and Miyuki to second. Ichidai Third rallied around Amakuhisa for the final out, while Kōshū stepped up to face him with two outs and runners on the corners.

• Miyuki ran to first and Kominato reached second, leaving Ichidai Third with two outs and runners on first and second.
• Maezono followed his coach’s advice, waited for Amakuhisa’s pitch, and drove it into the right-field corner.
• Kominato rounded third and charged home, but Ichidai Third’s right fielder held the runners, leaving them on second and third.
• Ichidai Third’s coach prepared a reliever for the next inning but gave Amakuhisa the chance to finish the seventh.
• Amakuhisa rallied his fielders by signaling two outs, and Kōshū came to bat with runners on first and third.
• Ichidai Third’s catcher called for Amakuhisa’s Slider as the ace prepared to pitch to Kōshū.

Kōshū used exhausting Dynamic Vision to judge Amakuhisa’s pitch and settled into a focused state with runners on second and third. He swung at the next pitch, leaving the result unresolved.

• Kōshū entered a concentrated state that reminded Miyuki of Captain Tetsu, while Amakuhisa steadied himself on the mound.
• Maezono stole second as Amakuhisa pitched, and Kōshū judged the ball outside and held his swing.
• Ichidai Third’s catcher avoided throwing to second, and Maezono reached safely, leaving runners on second and third with two outs.
• The catcher signaled for an outside pitch, but Amakuhisa chose to face Kōshū rather than walk him.
• Kōshū shut out distractions, tracked the incoming ball, and swung, sending the bat through a smooth arc.