Chapter Summaries

After Furuya’s leg pain returned, Seidou’s coaches debated whether he should keep pitching, and Sendou proposed conditions that would let him stay on the mound while reducing his burden. Seidou resumed play with Sendou at third base and Tojo replacing Kanemaru, but Ogawa continued to stifle their offense.

• Furuya’s swing produced an out, but stepping on the base made his leg pain flare, and the team took him off the field for treatment.
• The doctor found no serious injury, but Coach Kataoka hesitated to let Furuya keep pitching because of the risk to his future.
• Sendou argued that Furuya should remain on the mound with restrictions and volunteered to move to third base to lessen the defensive burden.
• Coach Kataoka accepted Sendou’s plan on the condition that he would end it if either player became a liability, and the team returned to the field.
• Seidou substituted Tojo for Kanemaru and moved Sendou to third base, but Ogawa held both batters hitless and Seidou’s game resumed.

Furuya held Seikou to one run in the sixth inning with help from Shirazu and Sendou, but his exhaustion showed. Seidou loaded the bases in the bottom half, leaving Maezono to face Ogawa with the game’s momentum at stake.

• Furuya retired Seikou’s leadoff batter, while Kuramochi and Sendou combined on a close play to keep Masu Shinichiro at first.
• Seikou mounted a two-out rally, scored a run on Osada’s deep hit, and had its momentum halted when Sendou stopped Tamaki’s hard grounder.
• Kuramochi singled and stole second, then advanced to third on Shirazu’s grounder as Tamaki made a diving stop for an out.
• Kominato struck out, and Seikou intentionally walked Sendou and Miyuki, loading the bases for Maezono.
• Maezono stepped up with Seidou needing a run to prevent Seikou from taking control of the game.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Sendou scored on Maezono’s infield hit by making a risky dash home, giving Seidou two runs. Seikou answered with back-to-back doubles in the seventh, leaving Seidou ahead 6–3 as Furuya appeared close to his limit.

• Maezono fought through a tense at-bat and hit a ground ball that took an irregular bounce past Tamaki.
• Sendou charged home from third and was called safe after colliding with Masu Shinichiro, putting Seidou ahead by two runs in the inning.
• Sendou concealed injuries to his right ankle and left hand from the opposing team, while Fumino watched him with concern.
• After Furuya was retired, Nishijima and Ogawa hit consecutive doubles, bringing Seikou within three runs at 6–3.
• Oota worried that Furuya was nearing his limit, while Kataoka watched to see how he would respond.

Furuya pushed through his exhaustion to retire Seikou’s batters, stopping a line drive with his body before being replaced. Sawamura prepared to take the mound, while Sendou hid his injury and steeled himself to keep playing.

• After being hit, Furuya calmed himself by looking to his fielders, and Sendou recognized how much he had come to trust the defense.
• Furuya struck out one batter and retired another on a ground ball as Sawamura prepared to relieve him.
• Masu Shinichiro hit a line drive back at Furuya, who blocked it with his body and threw to first for the final out of the inning.
• Sendou embraced Furuya and encouraged him before the stands welcomed the exhausted pitcher back to the dugout.
• Coach Kataoka replaced Furuya and told Sawamura he would pitch next, while Sendou secretly went to the changing room to tend to his painful hand.

Sawamura replaced Furuya on the mound in the bottom of the seventh, trying to stop Seikou’s growing momentum with Seidou still leading 6–3. Seikou put runners on first and second with no outs, but Sawamura got Osada to swing through the first pitch.

• Ogawa retired Seidou in order, and the team brought in Sawamura to replace Furuya.
• Sawamura took the mound and told the fielders he would make Seikou hit the ball.
• Yamashita pulled Sawamura’s first pitch through the infield and reached first as Seikou started the inning with a runner aboard.
• Miyuki called a series of pitches that put Kojima in a two-strike count, but Kojima stayed on Sawamura’s Changeup and drove it into the outfield.
• Kojima’s hit left Seikou with runners on first and second and no outs, and Osada swung through Sawamura’s first pitch for a strike.

After Seikou tied the game with a three-run home run, Sawamura fought through his fear while Sendou played through his injuries. Sawamura regained control and picked off Tamaki, ending Seikou’s attempt to build on its momentum.

• Osada hit a game-tying three-run home run, and Sawamura panicked as he faced Tamaki with no outs.
• Sendou encouraged Sawamura, then stopped Tamaki’s hard-hit ball but injured himself further and threw inaccurately, letting the runner reach first.
• Sawamura reassured Sendou, who steeled himself to keep playing despite the pain in his right foot and left hand.
• Sawamura settled down against Nishijima, keeping his first pitch low and throwing an inside Fast Changeup for a ball.
• Tamaki took a larger lead from first, but Sawamura stepped toward the base and caught him off guard, and Maezono tagged him out.

Sawamura recovered from his earlier mistake and helped Seidou escape the top of the eighth, while Ogawa continued to pitch effectively. Despite his injury, Sendou adapted his swing and singled to put a runner on base with two outs in a tied game.

• Sawamura picked off a Naruko runner, struck out a batter, and helped Sendou complete a diving catch to end the top of the eighth.
• Miyuki told Coach Kataoka that Sawamura's pitching had strengthened after the pickoff, then assessed Sendou as still capable despite performing below his usual level.
• Ogawa retired Shirazu and Kominato in the bottom of the eighth as Seidou failed to score.
• Sendou adjusted his stance to protect his injured leg and left hand while Masu tested him with outside pitches.
• Sendou barely hit Ogawa's pitch through the infield for a single and reached first base with a headfirst slide, giving Seidou a runner with two outs.

Seidou and Seikou entered the tied game’s final inning, where Sawamura made a diving catch and then faced a tense battle against Masu Shinichiro. Seikou put runners on first and second, but Sendou and Kuramochi turned Yamashita’s hit into a double play, leaving the decisive inning unresolved.

• Miyuki struck out with Sendou on base, and Seidou ended its eighth-inning attack without scoring.
• Sawamura began the ninth inning by allowing Ikuta to reach on a single, then caught Shirota’s failed sacrifice bunt while diving.
• Masu Shinichiro fouled off several pitches and reached base on a hit that advanced Ikuta to second, with Aso limiting the runners to first and second.
• Sawamura struck out Yamashita, then Sendou caught Yamashita’s hit and threw to Kuramochi, who completed the double play.

The narrator experienced a stronger reaction to the shot, spending much of the day groggy before discovering severe pain in the injected arm. They ended the day unsure whether the pain was making their right hand shake.

• The narrator spent more than half the day feeling groggy.
• The narrator noticed that the muscles in their left arm, where they had received the shot, were sore.
• The narrator tried to move and found the pain so severe that they could not move their left arm.
• The narrator's right hand shook as they held their phone, and they wondered whether the pain caused it.

With the score tied at six, Seidou failed to score in the bottom of the ninth and the game went to extra innings. Sawamura retired Kojima to open the tenth before Kataoka replaced him with Kawakami to face Seikou’s dangerous lineup.

• Sendou’s double play stopped Seikou’s ninth-inning rally and gave Seidou a chance to win in the bottom half.
• Maezono grounded out, Sawamura was thrown out trying to bunt, and Tojo’s hit was caught by Tamaki, sending the game into extra innings.
• Kataoka told Sawamura to face Seikou’s leadoff hitters and Osada, then ordered a pitching change after the cleanup hitter’s at-bat.
• Miyuki called pitches that helped Sawamura strike out Kojima’s timing and get him out on a fly to Asou in left field.
• Kataoka replaced Sawamura with Kawakami, and Sawamura handed the ball over with words of encouragement.

Kawakami took the mound in the top of the tenth and struck out Osada with a deceptive inside slider after Miyuki set him up with a string of outside pitches. He then fielded Tamaki’s grounder and raced to first, but Tamaki was called safe, leaving Seidou with two outs and a runner aboard.

• Seidou replaced Sawamura with Kawakami, while Ogawa offered to pitch but was told to save himself for the deciding game.
• Miyuki instructed Kawakami to watch Osada’s timing, and Kawakami opened the at-bat with an outside pitch that Osada swung through.
• Miyuki used a sequence of outside pitches to draw Osada forward, then called for an inside slider that caught him looking for strike three.
• Kawakami celebrated Osada’s strikeout as Seidou’s supporters cheered, and Miyuki signaled that there were two outs.
• Tamaki hit Kawakami’s inside slider toward first, but despite Maezono’s throw and Kawakami’s race to the bag, Tamaki was called safe.

Seidou and Seikou remained locked in a tense extra-inning stalemate as both teams relied on defense and nerve. Ogawa reached base in the eleventh, but Sendou stopped a bunt; Shirota then hit toward Sendou at third, leaving the play unresolved.

• Kawakami struck out Nishijima to end Seikou’s scoreless top of the tenth, and Miyuki praised his pitching.
• Asou struck out and Kuramochi grounded out before Ogawa helped retire Shirazu, keeping Seidou from scoring in the bottom of the tenth.
• Ogawa led off Seikou’s eleventh with a hit off Kawakami and reached first base.
• Ikuta’s sacrifice bunt failed when Sendou charged in and caught the ball for an out.
• Shirota hit a ball toward third after Seikou attempted a hit-and-run, and Sendou prepared to handle it despite his injury.

Seikou threatened to score with two outs, but Masu Shinichiro’s hit sent Ogawa charging for home plate. Miyuki blocked the plate and held onto the ball through Ogawa’s reckless collision, recording the out and leaving Seidou’s defense intact.

• Miyuki and Kawakami faced Masu with Ogawa on second and two outs, and Seidou’s fielders positioned themselves to defend against a hit.
• Masu fouled off Kawakami’s sliders before driving another pitch through the infield, sending Ogawa toward home.
• Masuko threw home as Ogawa rounded third, and Miyuki chose to block the plate rather than attempt a tag.
• Ogawa slammed into Miyuki with a reckless tackle, sending the catcher several meters away from home plate.
• Miyuki kept the ball in his glove, and the umpire called Ogawa out as Seidou stopped Seikou from scoring.

Seidou and Seikou remained tied at six in the bottom of the eleventh, where Haruichi grounded out and Sendou came up to bat despite his injuries. Sendou readied himself to target an inside pitch as the at-bat continued.

• Ogawa recklessly collided with Miyuki at home plate, and the umpire warned him after Seidou left the field.
• Masu Shinichiro scolded Ogawa, then reminded him that both teams were fighting desperately to win; Ogawa bowed toward Seidou’s bench.
• Miyuki concealed his injury and encouraged Sendou and Haruichi before Seidou began its eleventh-inning attack.
• Haruichi took two outside pitches for balls, then grounded out on an inside-corner pitch.
• Sendou took two balls and an outside-edge strike, then focused on targeting an inside pitch because his injured hand limited his swing.

In the bottom of the eleventh inning, injured Sendou hit a walk-off home run off Ogawa to give Seidou a victory over Seikou and send the team to the Autumn Tournament final. The teams exchanged salutes as Seidou celebrated its dramatic win and prepared for tomorrow’s final.

• Masu Shinichiro had Ogawa wear Sendou down with repeated outside pitches before calling for a low inside screwball.
• Sendou swung one-handed through the pain in his left hand and sent the ball high toward center field.
• The ball carried over the center fielder and struck the scoreboard for a walk-off home run.
• Seidou’s players rushed onto the field while Ogawa crouched on the mound and wept.
• Seidou and Seikou lined up to salute each other, and the broadcast confirmed Seidou had advanced to the final.

Seidou celebrated Sendou’s walk-off home run and advanced to the final, while Ogawa and Masu struggled with their loss to Seidou. The chapter ended with Seidou preparing to watch Yakushi face Ichidai San and Miyuki sending Furuya to have his injuries checked.

• Amakusa asked Sasaki about Sendou Akira as Seikou’s players encouraged Ogawa after the defeat.
• Masu admitted he had underestimated Sendou and challenged Ogawa to train harder, while Kumakiri Coach urged Tsunematsu to treat the loss as a new beginning.
• Sanada, Raichi, Mishima, and Akiba congratulated Seidou on reaching the final and revealed Yakushi’s summer winning streak had reached thirty-three games.
• Amakusa questioned Ogawa about losing to his own pitch, leaving Ogawa angrier and more frustrated.
• Miyuki told Furuya to go with Head Manager Oota to have his ankle and wrist checked, then joined his teammates to watch the next game.
• Sendou told the third-year seniors that he had anticipated an inside pitch for his home run, while Kuramochi and Miyuki challenged his claim that his injury no longer hurt.

Seidou celebrated reaching the final while worrying that Furuya’s earlier ligament injury might keep him from pitching. As they watched Ichidai San face Yakushi in the second semifinal, Raichi hit a home run off Amakusa, leaving the pitcher eager to face Sendou and Seidou in the future.

• Miyuki praised Sendou’s contribution, and Sendou said his sprained foot would not stop him from playing normally the next day.
• Miyuki told the team that Furuya might not be able to pitch in the final, depending on the doctor’s assessment of his previous ligament injury.
• Ichidai San and Yakushi began their semifinal, and Amakusa struck out Akiba, Mishima, and the next batter with his unusual pitches.
• Akiba’s quick, varied pitching and Raichi’s defense helped Yakushi prevent Ichidai San from scoring in the first inning.
• Raichi hit Amakusa’s fastball into the scoreboard for a home run, and Amakusa became eager to see Sendou’s batting and face Seidou next year.

Amakusa recovered from giving up Raichi’s home run and grew stronger, turning the game between Ichidai San and Yakushi into a pitchers’ duel. As Sanada replaced Mishima on the mound, Sendou decided he wanted to face Ichidai San and recognized that Amakusa’s genius came with a weakness.

• Amakusa struck out two batters after Raichi’s home run, and Ichidai San’s lineup answered with hits that gave the team the lead.
• Sasaki hit a double to drive in a run, and Sendou praised his childhood friend’s strength and hard work.
• Raizo Todoroki moved Mishima to the mound, where Mishima recorded two outs before Sasaki advanced to third.
• Amakusa’s pitching continued to improve, so Raizo Todoroki brought in Sanada to pitch and moved Mishima to first base.
• Sendou argued that Yakushi’s other batters were dangerous too, then told Miyuki that he wanted to face Ichidai San and that Amakusa had the weaknesses common to geniuses.

Yakushi and Ichidai San traded chances in a tense pitcher’s duel, while Sanada revealed a new dropping pitch and Amakusa became increasingly focused on Raichi. Sendou predicted Yakushi was likely to win, and the chapter ended as Mishima came to bat with a runner on second and Sendou watching with a knowing smile.

• Raichi reached base with an infield hit against Amakusa, but ignored the third-base coach’s stop signal and was tagged out at home after Sanada’s hit.
• Sanada used a new Two-Seam Fastball to induce a double play and end Ichidai San’s inning, then Amakusa struck out three Yakushi batters in a row.
• Ichidai San got more hits but left runners stranded, while Yakushi’s defense held and Raichi continued to produce hits.
• Sendou told the Seidou group that Yakushi would probably win unless Ichidai San got lucky, but he refused to explain what he had noticed.
• Akiba hit Amakusa’s fastball for a single, and a successful bunt moved him to second before Mishima stepped up to bat.

Yakushi High School defeated Ichidai San High School in extra innings after Amakusa’s arrogance cost his team the lead. As Seidou prepared to face Yakushi in the final, Sendou left the stadium before the game officially ended, convinced Sasaki’s home run would not change the result.

• Mishima was hit by Amakusa’s pitch and reached first, prompting Coach Tawara to order Amakusa to face Raichi rather than walk him.
• Amakusa struck out Raichi, then ignored his catcher and threw Sanada a Fastball; Sanada hit it, sending both runners home and exposing Amakusa’s unraveling state.
• Misaki replaced Amakusa, but Ichidai San could not score in the eighth, and Sasaki hit a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
• Sendou left the stadium, predicting that Sanada would not be shaken and that Ichidai San’s pitchers could not stop Yakushi’s top lineup again.
• Yakushi scored heavily against Misaki in the top of the tenth, then Sanada shut down Ichidai San to secure the win.
• Seidou’s players discussed the upcoming final against Yakushi, while Sendou wondered whether a miracle had failed to happen.