Chapters 110-119

Chapter 110

Chapter 111

The chapter opens with a flashback of Toudou’s conversation with Takasu-senpai, who reveals that Hanaki had alumni members from Houya Senior League who were particularly fixated on the Kiyomine-Kaname battery.

Kaname grumbles about meeting more ex-teammates from Houya that he doesn’t recognize, wondering if they might harbor a grudge against him. Teruya reassures him that Kaname was held in esteem by him and Taki, prompting Kaname to shed a happy tear. Taki adds that Kaname shouldn’t worry, as he’s sure there were members who adored them both. Hearing that, Kaname feels reassured.

Toudou cautions them not to underestimate this team considering that they had the skills to beat Seimei. Kaname agrees with him and looks forward to the match, while internally, he just hopes that his stamina will be able to keep up.

On the day of the match, someone calls Kaname’s name from behind. When he turns, he’s greeted by a long-haired boy with a very scary and intimidating face. The person is holding two effigy dolls: an almost life-sized doll named “Kaname Kei” with multiple pins stuck to it, and a smaller doll with “Kiyo” written on it, pinned with three.

Kaname is visibly disturbed by the size difference between the two dolls and has no recollection of the stranger. He hopes the stranger won’t ask if he remembers him. However, the boy asks Kaname if he remembers him, prompting Kaname to freak out internally due to the stranger’s intimidating expression. Kaname silently begs the General for help, but the General simply responds, “Who is this guy?”

Eventually, some teammates catch up to the boy, calling out “Watanabe.” Kaname picks up on this and addresses him as “Watanabe.” Unaware that Kaname had overheard his name, Watanabe’s expression changes from intimidating to normal, and he appears happy that Kaname “remembered” him. Teruya comments that he remembered a “Watanabe” from back then, but notes that the person before them is completely different. Taki adds that the “Watanabe” they knew was also known as “Angel Watanabe” because he was such a nice person, unlike the person standing before them. Moreover, he used to be fatter.

A flashback sequence follows, showing Watanabe during his senior league years. He appears short and portly, with a typical baseball kid buzz haircut. He goes around offering to help pick up balls and run errands for the senior members, who praise him for his attitude.

One day, Watanabe approaches Kaname and expresses his admiration for Kaname’s intelligence and baseball skills. He reveals his dream of becoming a pitcher like Kiyomine and having Kaname catch for him. Watanabe asks Kaname for advice on how to achieve this goal and is eager to hear anything.

Kaname responds candidly, telling Watanabe that he should start by losing weight. He notes that Watanabe does not possess an athletic build like Kiyomine, making it an unrealistic goal. Kaname suggests that Watanabe focus on his left-handedness as an advantage and consider becoming a side-thrower to build control. Kaname still had more to say but Watanabe is overwhelmed and interrupts Kaname to stop him.

Back in the present, Watanabe concludes his account of the conversation with Kaname. Toudou, Yamada, and Chihaya comment that Kaname’s advice was perhaps too harsh, despite being true. Meanwhile, Kaname scolds the General for being too harsh in his words.

Yamada thinks to himself that providing guidance is essential when giving advice, but it also comes with a risk. Some people, as demonstrated by Watanabe’s case, can take things in a different way. Watanabe had initially sought to praise Kaname in the hopes of having it returned in favour. However, when Kaname’s words didn’t meet his expectations, Watanabe became so angry that he really lost weight.

Watanabe continues, revealing his frustration with being referred to as “Angel Watanabe”. He explains that as someone who paid attention to details, he was simply being proactive and considerate by offering help, but it ended up with him being seen as a “convenient person” and he hated that.

Watanabe acknowledges that it’s the way of the world that “the strong are great” and “the strong can get away with whatever they do”. He decides to take revenge on everyone who looked down at him, and since most of these people were from Houya Senior, he chooses to get his revenge through baseball. As a result, he practiced intensely, and eventually discovers that he did have talent and it had blossomed. Beating the prestigious Seimei Academy further solidifies his conviction that he is indeed talented.

Hearing how Watanabe laughed at Seimei’s players who were crying at their defeat, Toudou tells him that Watanabe has no idea the true meaning of “strength”. Watanabe responds with a fierce expression, screaming “What?!” and freaking out Toudou. It seems that with his comment, Toudou has moved up to the second spot (tied with Kiyomine) of his “I won’t forgive him” ranking list, with Kaname at the top. On the reverse side of Kiyomine’s effigy doll, Toudou’s name is now written.

The conversation is interrupted by Kinjou, whom Watanabe addresses as “Kinjou-san”, joining them. Kinjou greets Kaname by name, saying that he knows Kaname doesn’t remember him. He introduces himself as a catcher the same age as Kaname, and someone who has never been able to take the main catcher position from Kaname.

After that, both Watanabe and Kinjou take their leave, promising to have a “good game” later.

Chapter 112

The Kotesashi versus Hanaki match begins, with Hanaki on defense. Chihaya steps up to the plate as the leadoff batter.

Watanabe winds up and throws his first pitch, a ball. From the on-deck circle, Yamada notes that he didn’t expect such an over-the-top form from him, while Toudou comments from the dugout that despite appearances, Watanabe seems to be a power pitcher.

The next pitch is a strike, which Chihaya doesn’t swing at. As he stands there, we see a flashback to a conversation he had with Coach Sako in the previous year. Sako had asked him to try something new, and after some initial resistance, Chihaya eventually agreed.

Back in the match, Chihaya makes a swing – the form looks different – which sends the ball flying to the right but eventually ends up in foul territory. The announcer comments that that was some powerful hitting. Kinjou then comments to Chihaya, “I thought you don’t go for long hits?” Chihaya replies that he’s trying out something based on some information he’s received.

In the dugout, Coach Sako comments, “Kotesashi’s greatest revamp plan is now in motion.”

As Watanabe winds up, he comments to himself, “A certain major leaguer once said that ‘There is gold buried under the mount’ and to ‘Swing your arm down as if to dig up this gold’. But my mount is different. It is buried with all the resentment I have for others (in particular, Kaname Kei). And I swing my arm as if to drive a stake into them.”

Chihaya strikes out on the next pitch. Yamada also gets strikeout after.

Kaname is now up. As he steps into the batter box, he wonders if Watanabe will show that scary face again, but when he takes a look, Watanabe seems normal.

The first pitch is a strike. Kaname comments to himself that despite his tendency to curse people, Watanabe does throw some really good pitches. And that he must have practiced really hard for this. Kaname then remembers that Watanabe had said he wanted to be praised by Kaname back then, so he tells Watanabe out loud, “You have really good pitches.”

Watanabe’s countenance suddenly changes into the scary face, and he starts throwing a tantrum(?) on the mound. Kaname immediately shouts back, “I’m sorry! Please ignore what I said!”

Watanabe thinks to himself, “Could it be that Kaname Kei doesn’t remember why I came to pitch in this way?” He then concludes that Kaname must be looking down on him and is seriously upset now.

The next pitch is a vertical slider that happened so fast, it seemed to Kaname as if darts were aimed at him. As Watanabe describes his amazing pitch to Kaname, the ball suddenly slams into his glove. A really angry Kinjou tells him to not to ignore his pitching calls. Watanabe immediately apologizes to him.

Kaname is struck out after that. As he’s about to head back to the dugout, Kinjou tells him that, “[Watanabe] can be difficult to handle because his emotions are occasionally unstable. He’s pretty tame right now, but certainly not as much as Kiyomine. How did you manage to make him so attached to you? I’m so jealous. He’s like the ultimate game piece.” Kaname tried to interject, but Kinjou continues, “That’s right, everyone’s just game pieces to you in order to gain your victory. Including your teammates, and even the surroundings.”

Kaname continues trying to get in a word here but Kinjou persists, “I totally understand. After all, we are the same [type]. Even when I tried to get a girl, I got dumped. [She’d say] that I’m a liar and my smile is too untrustworthy, and cold.”

“Does that sound familiar to you?”

The General has that very cold smile on his face, even as he turns to Kaname and says, “Master, since you’ve never had a girl, you wouldn’t know.” Kaname quips back that “That’s you too! 💢”

Chapter 113

The chapter begins with Kiyomine on the mound getting ready to pitch. A couple of girls (going forward, they will be known as “Kiyomine’s fangirls”) engage in a conversation about his unexpected return as the starting pitcher, despite having thrown a full match in the first round. Their discussion is interrupted by an older lady (going forward, she will be known as “Baseball Aunty”) who acknowledges the validity of their concerns but emphasizes the importance of balancing the use of both the ace and reserve pitcher in a single-elimination tournament. Rather than holding back and regretting the action later, the presence of the “ace” helps boosts the team’s confidence.

Kiyomine’s first pitch, a strike, is impressive and reassures his fans. His next pitch is also a strike. Suddenly, Hanaki’s batter makes a surprising change of pace, adopting the “cut batting stance” (カット打法), which attempts to foul balls instead of hitting them fair. Coach Sako remarks that it’s still no easy feat, considering the speed of Kiyomine’s fastballs. Kinjou, however, reveals that their team has been intentionally training with this method, using a pitching machine to throw fastballs at 150km/h.

Toudou, observing this, wonders if Tsuda received the same treatment in Seimei’s match.

Kaname calls for a slider next which the batter swung at, successfully taking him out.

The scene then shifts to Tsuda’s home, where Takasu has arrived for a surprise visit carrying bags of junk food. He gets Tsuda out from his bed and, against his will, forces him to watch the match on TV alongside him.

The next batter, Sakamoto, is also fouling Kiyomine’s pitches, making his fans very upset. In Hanaki’s dugout, Kinjou quizzes Ikeda, the first batter, about his decision to swing at the slider. Ikeda explains that he thought it was going to be in. However, Kinjou reminds him that he was not to swing at the sliders.

The scene then cuts back to the game, where Sakamoto is not swinging at the sliders at all and Kaname is frustrated at their actions. The General comments that, technically, Hanaki is doing nothing wrong in their pursuit of winning.

After some time, Kaname finally manages to get Sakamoto out, and Watanabe steps up to the plate. Kaname confronts him, saying, “Is this how you guys usually fight? It’s quite contemptuous.” Watanabe responds that they are only using these tactics against Kiyomine and that they won their match against Seimei fair and square.

Watanabe then fouls off several pitches, and Kaname eventually gets a strike in. To himself, Kaname comments that Kiyomine has already thrown 21 pitches in this match so far. In the Kotesashi dugout, Coach Sako notes that “This is going to take a while.”

Meanwhile, back at Tsuda’s home, Takasu remarks, “Toudou, you’d better be careful. Hanaki is the real deal.”

Chapter 114

The chapter opens with Toudou at the plate, and Kiyomine waiting behind him.

Kaname, standing in the dugout, cheers on Toudou when the General suddenly interrupts the moment to announce that it’s study time. The General has been having Kaname practice predicting the opponent’s catcher’s pitch calls during practice matches and TV broadcasts.

Kaname is obviously not thrilled about this. Moreover, he is worried of the mental fatigue as they’ve never attempted to do this during an official tournament match before. The General explains that real experience can only be gained during official matches, and as a catcher, it’s crucial to predict pitch calls and develop countermeasures. He adds that this isn’t an opponent that they can win if Kaname holds back here. Hearing this, Kaname has no choice but to agree.

Looking at Kinjou, Kaname surmises that based on appearance and behaviour, he looks pretty competent as he has decent muscles and his fielding looks good. The General replies that first impression and the general aura that the player emits typically does provide a decent amount of information. For a newbie like Kaname, he continues, that reading of his gets a passing score.

Kaname then asks the General if he remembers Kinjou. The General replies that, of course, he remembers him as they both vied for the same catcher position. He continues that Kinjou was a good catcher, and that they got along well on the surface.

Meanwhile, Suzuki and Tsuchiya, standing beside Kaname, whisper to each other about Kaname’s frequent mumbling to himself.

The General then asks Kaname what he thinks Kinjou would call for a first pitch. Kaname, contemplating how Toudou’s an agressive batter who swings at a first pitch, he would not ask for an easy hit. This means every throw will need to be a serious pitch – to the inside. The first pitch indeed turns out to be a slider, breaking inside. Toudou swings hard but misses. The General praises Watanabe’s courage in throwing inside and notes the pitch’s good speed.

At Tsuda’s home, Takasu comments on Toudou’s intimidating swing, prompting Tsuda to remark that as a pitcher, he wouldn’t want to face him.

Back in the match, Watanabe looks rattled by Toudou’s powerful swing. Kaname wonders if they might have won the at-bat, given Watanabe’s inexperience and potential intimidation. However, the General points out Kinjou’s calm smile, which reassures Watanabe. The General then asks Kaname, “Assuming Watanabe’s ball control isn’t affected, what do you think the next pitch will be?”

Kaname considers and responds, “Given that Toudou has now seen an inside pitch, the next pitch should be an outside pitch. Since it would be scary if it floated too high, [Kinjou will] likely ask for a low fastball…” The General confirms Kaname’s assessment, but notes that Toudou’s earlier swing indicated he was expecting an outside pitch. Kaname reconsiders, saying an outside pitch might not be the best idea after all, jokingly adding, “How about down-the-middle?” The General chides him for the suggestion.

The General continues, “Honestly, I’m not comfortable with instinctual type of players like Toudou. Since it’s the top of the second inning with no runs, I’d likely try to hook him with a pitch to the outside that he is expecting and let him hit a single.” Kaname is taken aback by his choice and wonders if it’s too high-risk, considering Kiyomine comes after Toudou.

Back in the game, Toudou hits the pitch. As the ball flies, the crowd wonders if it might drop between the right and center. However, Kinjou’s calm smile belies the tension, and he narrates, “Baseball isn’t a game where you win because there were no hits, but one where you get the most runs. There’s a cost involved in trying to hold back the fourth batter. Increasing your pitch count just to get three outs isn’t correct.” The General concurs, “Rather, having a runner on base, then stopping Haruka will make sure they don’t score.”

Back in the game, the crowd is exclaiming that the ball is still in the air. Eventually it hits the fence and bounces back. With that hit, Toudou makes it safely to second base. The General adds, “That’s probably not what Kinjou expected, the ball going further than it did, making it a double. Even though he’s on our side, to be able to carry an outside pitch to the fence is scary. Toudou has improved so much after all his training during the winter time – the strength of his lower body, the speed of his swing, and his skill at connecting with the ball.”

“This double hit was no coincidence. With his own strength, Toudou made it an inevitable result.”

In the dugout, Coach Sako praises Toudou, commenting that he’s starting to act like a cleanup batter. At Tsuda’s place, Takasu is also cheering for Toudou.

Meanwhile, Kaname comments to himself, “This Kinjou guy… he knows more ‘baseball’ than I do and how to make calculated plays. He’s quite a shrewd guy.”

Kinjou, however, is thinking that he had underestimated Toudou’s strength and tells himself that he’ll have to adjust his calculations the next time around.

As Kiyomine steps up to plate, Kinjou’s narration continues, “Kiyomine Haruka. A genius you only see once every ten years. Having a strong arm, he’s a pitcher who can also bat long. A top-class star player even at the national level.”

“His partner was always Kaname Kei. I don’t think I lose to him in terms of pitch calling, fielding, or batting prowess. However, I was always the reserve catcher.”

“I really wanted to catch for Kiyomine.”

Chapter 115

The chapter opens with Kinjou narrating: “I’m a catcher not by choice, but by process of elimination. Why? Because in current Japan, being a catcher has no advantages – it’s an unrewarding position with no perks.”

“If you win, the spotlight’s on the pitcher. If you lose, it’s the catcher’s fault. That’s what a ‘battery’ is in Japan.”

“If you ask the question, ‘If you were reborn, would you play the same position again?’, a pitcher would respond with a ‘yes’, and a catcher, 100% ’no’. Who the hell would do this again?! Of course, this is just my own research.”

“Compiling the opponent’s batter’s tendencies, revising based on actual batter movements, memorizing pitch distributions in games. Letting a ball pass, and you get shouted at. Having to cover first and third base. Not to mention, I’m expected to bat well. The only saving grace from this hellish position is…”

In the match, Watanabe throws a strike which Kiyomine was unable to swing at.

Kinjou continues, “… being paired with a promising pitcher. In general, catchers are usually in the background, but if the pitcher is a star player, there’s a chance for the spotlight to shine on the catcher too.”

We see a flashback of Kiyomine and Kaname in their senior league days, being interviewed by reporters. Kiyomine says, “I leave all the pitch calls to Kei, so it’s thanks to him that we won.” Kaname smiles, smacks Kiyomine’s chest so as to chide him, and says, “Haruka pitched very well. He threw everything exactly where I had indicated.” The reporters laugh, saying, “You’re an excellent battery! And childhood friends to boot!”

Kinjou watches this interaction, his narration continuing, “For that one reason, I wanted to be paired with Kiyomine.”

We see another flashback, this time Kinjou is in the practice bullpen, catching for Kiyomine. He catches one pitch, thinking, “Good, that made a solid sound. And I stopped it without the mitt moving. Looks like the catching is going well.” Out loud, he tells Kiyomine to throw another five. However, after catching another two, Kiyomine stops throwing. Kinjou asks him what’s wrong, and Kiyomine replies, “Somehow, something seems off. I think I’ll get Kei to catch.” He proceeds to go find Kei, who was practicing his batting, and tells him he’ll wait until he’s done.

Kinjou is furious at Kiyomine’s attitude, thinking, “What the heck? I’m catching properly, right?! You’re just being ridiculously picky!!”

He continues his narration, “Pitch calling, batting, fielding – I don’t think I lose to Kaname Kei in any way. Of course, this is my own objective judgment.”

Back in the game, Kiyomine hits a fly out to center and is now out. Kinjou greets Kiyomine as he walks away, but Kiyomine doesn’t recognize him and is irritated at being spoken to. The General comments that Kinjou did a really good job getting an out from Kiyomine.

Kinjou’s narration continue, “If there’s one thing, that would be our difference in luck. That the two of them would be childhood friends. That they happened to be born and grew up in the same neighbourhood. That that unfriendly Kiyomine was able to get along with him. That the coaches would let him have his way because he is that promising a player. So when it came down to the two of us having similar skills, Kaname was the obvious choice. How lucky for him.”

“But without warning… they both suddenly quit Houya Senior. The team was in an uproar.”

We see a flashback to Houya Senior, where a group of players are in discussion about their sudden disappearance, and Kinjou is eavesdropping. One of them mentions that the two of them had rejected all offers from the prestigious teams. His friend asks if it was because they were injured, but he responds that they looked fine. Another player continues that he heard they even received an offer from Osaka’s Youmei, and that his dad had heard from one of the coaches that Kaname Kei was Kiyomine Haruka’s barter.

Kinjou’s narration continues, “Yes, there was that rumor. Now suppose that it was true or had some basis to their departure, I couldn’t help but wonder what made the battery quit. In the end, I had to settle on my guess that Kaname felt hurt that he couldn’t match up to Kiyomine and so he quit baseball. Being that faithful dumb dog that he is, Kiyomine followed him. But if this is really true… then that’s just too spoiled of him!!”

“Who cares if you’re the barter. There was no need to be offended when it’s Youmei we’re talking about. The fact that they made an exception for you when you’re less than 180cm is already exceptional! And you, the barter, brushing aside your special S recommendation. In this world where regular players are easily replaceable, who do you think you are?! I cannot forgive you for squandering such a great opportunity that you had reaped from being with Kiyomine!!”

Back in the match, the score is still 0-0, and they change sides.

Kaname is sitting down in the dugout, eating grape candy while the first years help him put on his catching gear before he heads back out. As Kinjou steps up to the plate, he narrates, “I will crush you two!!”

Chapter 116

The chapter opens with Kinjou at the plate, fouling seven pitches. Kiyomine’s fans in the stands shout and complain about it. Finally, the umpire calls out a strike, and Kaname is relieved to hear that. As Kinjou heads back to the dugout, he compliments Kaname on his framing.

After that, Hanaki continues with fouling the ball. Meanwhile, the umpire is complimenting on their batting skills when he finally asks one of the players to please hit it forward. The batter apologizes and, after a quick glance at Kinjou, tells the umpire that he was not doing it on purpose.

To himself, Kinjou says, “That’s right… there’s no way you can judge them to be doing it in bad faith, especially since this is just a regional tournament and not Koshien. It’s considered a grey zone as long as we don’t stir up a storm of criticism. Let’s keep pushing this as far as we can.”

In Kotesashi’s dugout, Coach Sako tells Taki to start warming up his shoulder in the next inning.

As the game reaches the bottom of the second inning, Kiyomine has already thrown 43 pitches. By the time the third inning arrives, the count has risen to 81. By the fourth inning, both teams remain scoreless. Watanabe steps up to the plate, and Kiyomine continues to pitch, the count slowly creeping towards 100.

The moment his count reached 100, Kinjou is elated, because no matter who the pitcher is, once they hit 100 pitches, their speed and control begin to falter. Watanabe, fouling the 101st pitch, remarks to himself, “As a pitcher myself, I totally understand. Your arm starts to feel as heavy as lead.” Both Watanabe and Kinjou are now smiling, while Kiyomine’s fans in the stands are worried for Kiyomine as well as harbouring dark thoughts towards Hanaki.

Meanwhile, on the mount, Kiyomine applies more rosin on his hand as he rotates his arms, and says, “I love summer the most. Because my shoulder feels light.”. He then throws a blazing fast and heavy pitch which takes Watanabe out.

Watanabe is stunned, thinking, “How is this possible?! I couldn’t even swing. How could his pitching improve even more at this point?!” Kinjou, now at the plate, looks worried, thinking to himself, “Can’t be helped. Maybe I’ll try to add ten more,” and adopts the cut batting stance.

As Kiyomine winds up and unleashes a pitch, Kinjou manages to make contact, but the force of the throw pushes his bat backward. He’s surprised to find that simply trying to hit the ball has become unexpectedly challenging. Now he’s wondering if Kiyomine has been conserving his energy all along… is that even possible?

Kiyomine remarks, “This isn’t even it.” We see pictures of each of Teitoku’s batters. “A real battle is far more exhausting. Even if you all try to foul my pitches like bothersome tiny flies, it’s annoying but it doesn’t tire me.” The next pitch is a strike.

Kinjou continues thinking, “He was completely exhausted at the Teitoku match. He should have run out of his stamina by now.” Coach Sako comments, “That match must have been frustrating. It’s been a year since… and to ensure it never happened again, he’s increased his stamina and learned how to properly pace his pitching.”

Kinjou strikes out on the next pitch. Coach Sako continues, “He is no longer the Kiyomine-kun from last year.” The crowd erupts in cheers, praising Kiyomine while shouting at Hanaki to stop their nonsense. Kinjou realizes that this is as far as they can go with this.

However, the General comments, “It wasn’t Kiyomine Haruka who broke at 100 pitches. It was Kaname Kei.”

We see Kaname bent over the ground, sweating and panting, and looking very exhausted. He says to the General, “Sorry, General. It just hit me suddenly. I don’t think I can continue anymore… but if we switch to you, it might just work…?!”

Chapter 117

The chapter opens with Kaname kneeling, his hands on the ground, and panting heavily. He tells the General that around the 100th pitch, his mind started to blank out and his body became unresponsive. However, the General seems fine, so Kaname suggests he take over.

The General is hesitant, especially since it’s an official tournament match. Yet, considering Kaname’s evident exhaustion, he accepts the proposal and they switch roles.

From the dugout, Coach Sako notices Kaname still crouched in the catcher’s box and mentions it to Yamada, who offers to check on him. However, just as he’s about to do so, the General stands up and walks to the dugout, greeting them with a “Sorry for keeping you guys waiting.” The usual four immediately recognize this as the General.

The General explains that the main personality has reached his limit, and they’ve switched places. Toudou remarks that it was unexpected for Kaname to be exhausted before Kiyomine, to which Kiyomine retorts that he is not exhausted at all. Chihaya asks if the presence of two personalities might be taking a toll on Kaname, adding to the mental fatigue and pressures of the official tournament match. The General confirms this.

Coach Sako asks the General if his stamina has returned, and the General affirms it, though he doesn’t think it’s a full recovery. Kinoshita, the first-year reserve catcher, expresses his concern about taking over in this match as he is feeling unsure about his abilities. The General reassures him, saying there’s no need to worry, and advises him to watch and learn from him. He tells Kinoshita that he has a good sense for catching but lacks experience in terms of pitch calling, and suggests he deliberate over the purpose of each pitch called. The General concludes by telling Kinoshita he has high expectations for him, leaving Kinoshita smitten.

Coach Sako notes that while the General has better skills, he personally dislikes changing pitchers mid-match. This is because the catcher is familiar with each batter’s countenance and condition on that day, has a feel for how the umpire is judging pitches, and knows how to handle batters as the rounds continue. The coach emphasizes that these bits of information are hard to transfer to the next person, making the catcher’s accumulated knowledge irreplaceable.

The General agrees with Coach Sako’s view and tells him that he plans to take responsibility and continue playing. The coach responds that if things go badly for him, he will immediately replace him. The General agrees.

Inside the dugout, the General hands a cup of water to Kiyomine and asks him to take a drink. Kiyomine takes the drink and asks, “Kei, are you going to catch, even though it’s a tournament match? That’s a first!” The General responds, “‘Kei’ usually catches, right? So just act like normal. Else it’ll affect your performance.” Kiyomine looks uncomfortable, while Toudou and Yamada observe the awkward moment between them in silence.

It’s the bottom of the fifth inning with Kotesashi at bat. The General shouts instructions to Suzuki, telling him there’ll be another opportunity even if he’s not able to hit this time, so he should properly observe the slider’s path. Suzuki lines out to the pitcher. Sarukawa strikes out next, followed by Tsuchiya, who hits a fly out to third base.

Kinjou notes that the lower batting order has started to make contact with Watanabe’s pitches. Although Kotesashi wasn’t able to advance through the bases, the team’s morale is high as the inning ends because they have started to make contact with the pitches.

As Kiyomine’s fans eagerly await his return to the mound, to their disappointment, Kotesashi announces a player change. The baseball aunty explains that this decision was likely difficult for the coach to make because relief pitching for high school players can be complicated as they are still both mentally and technically unstable. A slight misstep in timing could lead to a disastrous outcome. Not to mention, Kiyomine’s probably in good form after throwing over 100 pitches and could possibly still go for another 2 or 3 innings. Nevertheless, the coach has decided to conserve his strength for later.

The Kotesashi players beam with renewed confidence as they recall Coach Sako’s words about being responsible for team decisions. However, in reality, Coach Sako’s knees are trembling under the weight of responsibility. Suddenly, Kiyomine, in demon mode, appears behind him, insisting he wants to continue pitching. He eventually throws a tantrum, lifting the coach above his shoulders. However, the General instructs him to “quietly put Coach Sako back down on the floor,” which he does. He then tells Kiyomine to be quiet, leaving him stunned.

After the General puts on his catcher’s gear, he calls out to Taki, saying, “You know you’re gonna be completely underestimated, right?” Taki responds affirmatively. The General continues, “How does it feel, being judged by Kinjou as being easy to score off, now that Kiyomine has been taken care of?”

Taki replies, “To be honest, I don’t care what Kinjou-san thinks of me. I will evaluate myself for myself.” Toudou and Chihaya chuckle at this, and the General responds, “Looks like we have nothing to worry about then.”

He continues, “You’re a good pitcher,” as he fist-bumps Taki on the chest.

“So just trust in my mitt and throw, and we will prove it to them.”

Taki is completely fired up, shouting, “Yes, sir! Let’s have a good game!”

Meanwhile, Kiyomine is stuck in left field, looking completely zoned out. After Kaname puts on his catcher’s helmet, he reveals his exhaustion, commenting to himself, “That ‘master’ [leaving it to me]. I think this might actually be tough for me too. I think my stamina’s at about 40%. Will I be able to hold out for another five innings? Taki, you better do your best!!”

The chapter ends with Taki on the mound, preparing to pitch.

Chapter 118

The chapter begins with Kaname floating, unconscious. The General calls out to him, but realizes he’s not responding and is still sleeping. The General remarks that it can’t be helped, he has to catch as he’s the only one who can move right now.

He then looks up at the sky, lost in thought. “I haven’t been in a tournament match since junior high,” he thinks to himself, his expression somewhat sad.

Meanwhile, Hikawa’s dugout buzzes with excitement as they notice Kiyomine is no longer pitching. Coach Sako on Kotesashi’s side looks apprehensive, while the audience is left wondering who the new pitcher is. They are surprised that to see that Kotesashi had a relief pitcher and a first-year student at that.

As Taki stands on the mound, he thinks to himself, “So, Kinjou has thoroughly researched me? It’s futile. Because my past self is already a discarded shell. I’m a man who is ever-changing – even in this moment, my change is accelerating.”

“Even the me that is a second ahead is not guaranteed.”

Yamada, standing off to the side, comments to himself that Taki seems to be saying something weird again.

The Hanaki batter watches Taki, who is shaking his wrist and rolling his neck on the mound. Kinjou had instructed him to abandon the fouling strategy, so he plans to make a hit here. Yet, scrutinizing Taki’s motion, he wonders if Taki is being a little lackadaisical despite having to pitch after Kiyomine.

As Taki winds up, the Hanaki batter observes that his movements are exactly like the video recording made by Watanabe, who had secretly recorded Kotesashi’s practices - that is, Taki being a “smokey” pitcher.

As the Hanaki batter swings, he comments to himself, “He’s totally way slower than Kiyomine, and this looks like a meatball.” He makes contact, but realizes he pulled the hit too much, and the ball flies into foul territory. The crowd erupts in frustration, and Kinjou looks angry. However, the Hanaki batter is visibly agitated, thinking, “You guys are wrong! I was really trying to hit here! Give me a break!”.

Taki pitches again, and the Hanaki batter fouls off the ball once more. The same happens on the next pitch, and the crowd is now in an uproar, shouting at him to stop fouling. Kinjou senses that the batter is “being made to hit” and wonders if it’s a diversion tactic. Taki, however, simply remarks, “An eye for an eye, a foul for a foul. You look down at me, I look down at you. That’s all.”

Kaname smiles and tells the batter, “You’ll be out with the next pitch.” The batter, thinks to himself, “Are you underestimating me?!”.

As Taki winds up, he says, “You think just by hitting all those pitches, you think to disgrace Kiyomine-senpai?” He then delivers a sharp slider to the inside. The General commends him on that pitch, while Kiyomine looks disinterested in the left field.

In the Hanaki dugout, Watanabe is making a fuss about his slider being better. The batter who just returned asks Kinjou if they’ll be able to get any hits off Taki. Kinjou replies that it’s definitely possible, as Taki’s top speed is 130km/h at most. Pitch calling and strategy can only get you so far unless paired with a talented pitcher. Now that Kiyomine is out of the way, their chances of winning are much higher.

The conversation is interrupted by the sound of a bat connecting. The next Hanaki batter manages to hit a grounder to the right fielder. Seeing this, the previous batter feels relieved.

The General gestures to Taki to not worry, and Taki responds with a plain face. Coach Sako beams, commenting that Taki is really an excellent relief pitcher. He delivers a strike on the next pitch.

The General then gestures for a slider as close as possible to the batter’s feet, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a short hop. Taki nods, thinking, “That’s right, we should show them an inside pitch as soon as possible.”

As he winds up and throws, he’s thinking, “But will this be okay?!” As the pitch hurtles towards Kaname, who places his mitt out to catch it close to the batter’s knees, Taki is worried that he might have delivered it too far out. In Hanaki’s dugout, Kinjou shouts, “If it’s a passed ball, run!”

The General suddenly drops his knees down and reaches out to catch the ball. The crowd cheers for him, with both Chihaya and Toudou praising him for the brilliant catch.

However, the General deftly lifts himself from the ground, does a quick-about turn until he stands directly behind the batter, hiding himself from the runner on first base’s view. The first base runner was still mesmerized by that catch when he suddenly notices the General appearing from behind the batter and about to throw the ball to first base. He tries to run back but gets tagged out by Yamada, though not expecting it, he did manage to catch it. The crowd erupts in cheers for the General.

Coach Sako commends the General on managing to execute such a tricky play in a quick moment with just one look at the situation. The General gestures to Taki that it’s now two outs. Taki is mesmerized by the General’s flexibility to adapt to the situation and possessing the training to execute the move. As he winds up for the next pitch, he feels very impressed by the absolute sense of piece of mind and creativity that the General exudes. The batter gets outed with a slow ball.

As Taki stands on the mount, he remarks, “Somehow, he keeps asking for pitches that I want to throw. Is he reading my mind? This is the first time I’ve ever been able to throw this well!”

Kinjou’s expression has now turned dark.

The General looks at his arm, thinking to himself, “It seems that I’m better at using this body than the master.”

“Please hurry up and surpass me. Otherwise I can’t disappear.”

The top of the sixth inning is about to start, with Chihaya as leadoff batter.

Chapter 119

The chapter opens with the General narrating, “I’ll be playing ‘baseball’ instead of the main personality. This is my role. To attain ‘victory’. For the sake of Kiyomine Haruka’s future.”

It’s the bottom of the 6th. Chihaya hits a liner to center, and Yamada hits a single that slips past the second baseman. The General steps up to the plate, passing Toudou and whispering something to him as he walks to the batter’s box.

Watching the General at the plate, Tsuchiya comments that this is the first time they’ve seen “Kei-sama” bat in an official match. For some reason, he looks cooler than usual.

On the mound, Watanabe wants to throw a fastball, but Kinjou shakes his head, cautioning not to get worked up as they just threw a fastball during Yamada’s at-bat and it was hit. Kinjou signals for a slider breaking outside, but the pitch veers off the strike zone. Kinjou tells him to calm down while gesturing to let him know that he’ll take responsibility if he gets hit. Watanabe still looks a little rattled.

The General assumes a bunting stance, but when the pitch is thrown, he pulls back his bat, resulting in a ball being called. He continues to foul off the next few pitches, ending with another ball being called. Kinjou asks him amicably if he’s planning to engage in a fouling game with them. The General smiles and responds, “Who knows?”

He swings at the next pitch and sends a liner into the right outfield, but it lands in foul territory. The crowd stirs with excitement, with someone exclaiming that they thought it was going to be a home run. Even Toudou is impressed by the hit. As he looks at Kinjou, the General flashes a cold smirk and says, “But I do know I don’t suck so bad that I’d be booed by the crowd.”

Kinjou’s expression darkens, but he maintains a charming smile. He mutters to himself, “Huh… Did his aura suddenly shift? But this sensation feels familiar, and my anger is boiling over.”

On the mount, Watanabe is breathing hard as he tries to process the intimidation he feels from Kaname Kei. As he winds up, he tells himself, “I don’t want to lose to him, no matter what—!!”

The pitch is a ball, and the General gets a base on balls. As he walks to first base, he remarks to himself, “I’m really not on my best. My body moves correctly, but my mind feels exhausted, and I can’t focus. If things were normal, I would’ve hit a double. And that hit of mine earlier was three meters off.”

“I was right to leave things to Toudou.”

Toudou steps up to the plate, bumping his fist on his heart and saying aloud, “[Your] feelings” in reference to his two seniors, Takasu and Tsuda. To himself, he remarks, “Making a hit by chance just makes you a hitter. A true 4th batter is different.”

A flashback shows the moment when the General spoke to him previously, saying, “It’ll probably fall into your hands.” (lit. “Your turn will probably come to pass.”)

Toudou continues, “One out, runners on first and second base. Bring it on.”