Chapters 160-169

Chapter 160

The chapter opens with the General and Kirishima in conversation:

General: “What are you doing all by yourself here?”
Kirishima: “Just having a walk. It’s been awhile, Kaname-kun. Your aura seems a little different from the usual today?”
General: “Oh? It’s probably just pre-match jitters.”
Kirishima: “You don’t seem the nervous wreck at all. This feels more like a different personality.”
General: “People often say that.”
Kirishima: “Like the General Kaname Kei.”
General: “Thanks for the compliment. I am trying my best to achieve to that.”
Kirishima: “But maybe you shouldn’t overdo it? Isn’t it tiring to live like that? Isn’t the silly version more suitable for you?”

The General pauses for a moment.

General: I don’t think I’m someone who has the tendency to “not try too hard”.

“After all, I’m not living to have fun, I’m living in order to ‘win’.”

Kirishima: “Hmm… I totally feel the same! Kaname-kun, you really are the best!”
General: “You flatter me.”

Meanwhile, a little aways from them, two other players, Tsuchiya from Kotesashi and Ube from Hikawa, are hiding behind a pillar, one on each side. Tsuchiya is totally admiring the General and praising him, while Ube is feeling the same admiration towards Kirishima. For them, this meeting between the General and Kirishima is like the “Big Bang” of coolness! As they grow excited about it, their backs meet and they finally noticed each other’s presence.

Tsuchiya is feeling very intimidated by Ube because of his looming height and the fact that he is wrapped all over in bandages. Tsuchiya assumes that he must be severely injured when Ube tells him that the bandages are a fashion statement. Something clicks for Tsuchiya and he timidly asks, “A-Ayanami…?”. Ube is shocked, and they both share a “Rukawa-Sakuragi high five” moment from Slam Dunk. This is the meeting of the two otakus.

The conversation between Kirishima and the General continues:

Kirishima: “An easy life aside, you could at least have some fun living… Kaname-kun, you hate baseball, don’t you?”
General (smiling): “Oh no, I do like it. The game mechanics is pretty interesting…”
Kirishima: “I’m not talking about the superficial stuff. But the essence of baseball. You hate it to the core, don’t you? I can tell.”
Kirishima: “But I love baseball, and since we have to compete today, what about we have fun at it? ❤️ Unless you have some particular reason to not want to? Like perhaps something to do with Kiyomine-kun…”

The General, his countenance dark, interrupts Kirishima and tells him to stop there.

General: “Like you are the one to talk. At least I’m not someone who cannot have fun playing baseball that he had to come to Tokyo just to get away from his younger brother.”
Kirishima: “Ahh… that’s right. Things can get complex, you know, when it involves family and being close … almost similar with ‘childhood friends’ too, y’know.”
Kirishima: “It looks like I’ve overstepped the line.”
General: “This has been a diversion, right? How about we stop here? You’re the type who would probably try to upset me [lit. shake my mentality] even for that 1% chance of hope that it would affect my gameplay. But I’m also the same.”

Kirishima jokingly replies, “Oh dear! You saw through me! The General truly is scary!”. He then continues, “We think too much alike that it’s too hard to keep playing this game with you. But that’s also probably why I’m drawn to you.”

Kirishima: “I wished I could have played on the same team with you.”
General: “You flatter me.”
Kirishima: “But the one to win will be Hikawa.”

Kirishima takes his leave after. The General looks back and calls out, “Tsuchiya-san, let’s go.” Tsuchiya is caught by surprise that the General knew he was there. Ube, similarly, was also called out by Kirishima.

Tsuchiya tells Ube that it’s a pity that they have to fight each other, when they seem very similar and would have gotten along well. They tell each other that they will do their best and win the match. As they shake hands in parting, Tsuchiya notes the size of Ube’s hand, his strong grip which is also covered with callouses. He concludes that Ube must be a really strong batter.

As Tsuchiya catches up to Kaname from behind, he narrates, “Even so, I want to win this match. Just how will today’s match turn out to be….”

Chapter 161

The chapter opens with Kusuda and Mitarai at the entrance of the Meiji Jingu Stadium. They’re both wearing a homemade t-shirt bearing the Kotesashi team’s jersey logo. Kusuda’s complaining about how busy and crowded the stadium is. As they make their way into the stadium, they overhear a conversation of someone who came all the way from the Chiba prefecture because they wanted to be there for the “legendary” moment when a public school makes it to Koshien. Meanwhile, someone mentions that a famous social influencer named “Roujin-san” who has 3 million followers has been pimping Kiyomine, saying that he’ll definitely go pro.

Hearing this, Kusuda comments that the team has gotten famous. Mitarai replies that it was inevitable, given their victory over Teitoku. Kusuta insists the credit belongs to his coaching, when he bursts out in happy(?) tears for them. Mitarai quips that he should have just been honest from the start, instead of trying to sound cool. We also see Kinjou and Watanabe from Hanaki at the stadium, as well as Toudou’s two sisters, Kei’s mother and Kiyomine’s brother.

The scene switches to the Hikawa dugout. We are introduced to their head coach, Coach Kojima, as he rallies his players. He tells them that this year’s Hikawa is the strongest team ever, starting with their left-handed and right-handed pitchers, Kirishima and Makita. There’s also Kurita (who was first named in the anime), who has experienced great growth and is now a starting member for second base. Then there are the two first years who are already proving their worth as starting members, Maihara (catcher) and Ube (first baseman). Finally, there are the three third-years who have also grown: Kyuujou (shortstop), Terakado (center fielder) and Numata (third baseman).

Terakado hangs on to the two pitchers’ shoulders and tells them that Kotesashi is really strong team and being a public school, the game atmosphere and cheering will be favouring them as everyone is here to witness history in the making. However, Makita responds, “So what? I can’t read the room anyway. Who cares.” Terakado erupts into laughter, glad that Makita is not feeling the pressure. Coach Kojima continues that what the audience want to see, the plot, the drama that unfolds and how the media drives the narrative can affect how the game’s trajectory. However, true ability cannot be beat and their team’s strength is real so they just have to win.

Hikawa’s warm-up practice commences. Reporter Sako who is among the audience, comments that although he has been focused on Kotesashi as Reira, his daughter, is manager of the team, the current Hikawa team is no slouch. We see a flashback to Hikawa’s second match, against Akita-dai, where Maihara and Ube, as the first and second batter, displayed explosive batting prowess in major leaguer style. Then there is Kirishima, batting third, and hitting when he needs to, followed by Makita, who with his natural physique and strong batting sense, has now matured and bats as cleanup.

The team’s improved batting prowess, coupled with their formidable pitching duo, has made this team Hikawa’s strongest ever. Reporter Sako’s monologue is then interrupted by the “I love Hikawa” uncle (he’s also in last year’s finals game) who quips that the current Hikawa team is the one most suitable to be at Koshien.

On the field, Kotesashi will be playing defense first. The General bumps his mitt on Kiyomine’s chest and says, “This is the final battle with Koshien on the line. Are you nervous?” Kiyomine, with a deadpan expression, replies, “No.” However, in his mind, he is thinking, “I’m not nervous, but I want to apologize to Kei about that day… but I have a feeling that this is not the right moment!!”.

As Kiyomine is lost in his thought, the General is trying to get his attention. However, Kiyomine continues thinking, “Hang on .. why did I think that this isn’t the right moment? I better think this through. But I’m not good at this, so let me imagine what the others would say.”

He starts with “Imaginary Kei”, who tells him, “Absolutely not. No way.” Kiyomine internally apologizes to Imaginary Kei, who continues, “We’re about to start the finals match, right? Besides, the General probably does not remember anyway. He’ll have no idea what you are saying if you suddenly apologize.” Kiyomine, to himself, comments, “Yeah, sounds right. Kei is always right. That was close.”

He then tries with “Imaginary Toudou”. Imaginary Toudou says, “Are you an idiot?” to which Kiyomine replies (to himself), “Wow.” Imaginary Toudou continues, “Are you guys kids or what.” Kiyomine comments that Imaginary Toudou is pissing him off and replies (to himself) that Toudou’s the idiot here. However, he remembers that Toudou once said something important to Kaname and tries to remember what it was. His vague recollection has Toudou saying “If you apologize, the match is already over at that point.” Kiyomine is slightly puzzled.

“Imaginary Yamada” pops up here to interject, “You got it completely wrong, Kiyomine-kun. You’re mixing it up with Anzai-sensei. The correct one is “Don’t apologize. That’s just to make you feel better. The results won’t change. So don’t apologize because it’s meaningless.”

We then have “Imaginary Saitou” who tells Kiyomine that “There is a proper timing to have an important conversation with someone.” After this, we have “Imaginary Chihaya” who shouts “This is Hip Pop yo!” with a pose.

Kiyomine is suddenly shaken out of his day-dreaming by the General calling his name loudly. It seems he has been day-dreaming for five seconds. He apologizes to the General and tells himself, “That mistake I made in the past, that sin, that indiscretion … I just want to erase it immediately … I just want to apologize so badly … but like before, I wasn’t thinking about Kei (or how Kei may be feeling)”. Recalling Toudou’s words, he comments, “Come to think of it, that Toudou, he can be pretty mature…”

Kiyomine pauses then and looks up at the sky: “Right now, what should I be doing?”.

Maihara has stepped up to the plate. Behind his mask, the General’s eyes are cast down, his expression sad(?). Then he looks straight ahead, with a serious and concentrated look, holding out his mitt. On the mount, Kiyomine turns his gaze from the sky and closes his eyes for a moment. When he opens it, he is in a serious and concentrated mode. As he winds up, he responds, “To win.”

Chapter 162

The chapter opens with a narration by Yamada:

“We’ll watch over the backs of these guys who had once caused us to quit–”

“To us, during our senior days, Kiyomine Haruka and Kaname Kei were the battery of our nightmares.”

“And now, this battery takes the field, here at the finals, with Koshien on the line. How will this match unfold, with General Kaname Kei orchestrating the pitches?”

In the left field, Sarukawa is feeling a little worried because this is the “cool version Kaname-san”. Unfamiliar with the specifics of Kaname’s condition, he’s concerned for their first official match together, especially with formidable Hikawa as their opponent.

The first batter, Maihara, lowers his hips. Terakado remarks that if he were to adopt the same stance and drop his hips that low, his swing would be late. However, Kirishima comments that Maihara compensates for the speed by leveraging the power amassed in his lower body. In fact, Maihara has belted three homers in this tournament so far.

Makita chuckles about how amazing it is that Maihara is able to make long hits even though he is short. Kurita’s thinking to himself that maybe that was why Chihaya altered his form and trying out different things. Makita suddenly remembers about Chihaya but pretends to be not concerned about him. Kurita wonders to himself if perhaps Makita is trying to avoid talking about Chihaya so as to not jinx things. After all, he knows that Makita has been very excited to have another match-up against Chihaya.

Ube awaits on deck, and the third-years engage in a discussion. Kyuujou admits to disliking Ube due to his otakudom. However, Ube’s height lends him the ability to make long drives. We see a flashback where he hits a homerun that slams onto the scoreboard. Kirishima wonders how Kotesashi’s battery intends to counter their first-year threats.

Kiyomine winds up, with the audience watching in excitement, and hurls a pitch faster than Maihara can follow, let alone swing. Just with one pitch, an odd atmosphere settles onto the stadium. The next pitch is also a strike which Maihara could not swing in time either. The third and final pitch, Maihara swings but misses.

The Kotesashi first-years are left in awe and exhilaration, while Hinomoto and Taki are reminded of a familiar sensation from their senior days. Meanwhile, Yamada exhales, unaware that he had been holding his breath.

Kirishima comments that the tensed air in the stadium was caused by the catching sound. Yes, the speed of Kiyomine’s pitches contributed, but the resonating sound produced by the General’s catching technique amplified the atmosphere. The entire atmosphere, including the sound to incite the batter, is a spectacle directed by the General Kaname Kei.

Inwardly, the General commands the crowd’s attention—to Kiyomine Haruka, the monster whom he had raised.

Yamada’s narration continues: “The thunderous roar ignites our hearts. Once more, we can’t help but be glad that they are on our side, for this is the moment of the revival of the battery of our nightmares.”

Chapter 163

The chapter opens with the audience erupting in cheers. Ube steps up, remarking to himself that it was a surprise to him that Maihara could be so easily taken out with only three pitches. He can’t help but be aware of Kiyomine Haruka’s presence. Despite his feelings, Ube is determined not to lose here.

Kiyomine pitches and Ube does not swing because he felt the pitch is outside the strike zone. However, the umpire calls out a strike. Ube remarks that Kiyomine is really in his groove, able to pitch with such precision. The next pitch, Ube doesn’t swing again for the same reason, but the umpire also calls out a strike.

In the end, it’s three consecutive pitches in the strike zone. Ube looks in shock at the General, who smiles and comments, “You’re good at hitting outside pitches, so I wouldn’t have given you those.” Ube is taken aback, realizing the General had read his intentions. When he returns to the dugout in dejection, he tells Maihara what the General said about not sending outside pitches his way. Maihara responds that he shouldn’t blindly accept the General’s words as it’s a bluff! Ube insists that no one would lie like that. Maihara counters that Kirishima would do it, and Ube realizes his mistake.

Makita laughs at Ube’s naivety, but Kurita thinks to himself that Makita’s not the one to point fingers here. Ube continues that, in truth, he was unable to swing because the ball was too fast. He ends by saying, “It seems I must remove my seals [ie. the bandages] for the next at-bat.” Maihara exclaims that he’s never seen him without the bandages, while Makita (who does not understand otakus) comments that Ube is a gross person.

Next up is Kirishima, and the crowd erupts in cheers. Kirishima praises the General for his bold pitching strategy and says that calling such “tricky” and high-risk leads are effective only at the start of the game. The General replies that it all depends on Kiyomine’s condition, and the results are what matter. The fact that Kiyomine is able to pitch in the strike zone is what makes him the true monster here. Kirishima smiles and replies that he loves a humble catcher.

Kiyomine winds up and makes his first pitch, a strike, to which Kirishima was unable to even swing. Internally, Kirishima praises the General for persisting with such an aggressive lead. The next pitch, Kirishima was able to foul it. Kaname comments to himself that he can tell Kirishima will be able to make contact here and thinks that Kirishima is a very balanced player, much like himself when it comes to batting.

As Kiyomine pitches, Kirishima’s monologue continues, “Well, regardless of whether I can read Kaname-kun’s thoughts … when you’re thrown the best pitch with such sick precision, there’s no way I can swing at it.”

“I can’t help but be reminded of the feeling … of being pushed down by force”. We see a picture of Kirishima Natsuhiko winding up on the mount.

A flashback shows Kirishima as a young boy, looking down at his left hand.

“My left hand. I’d thought being a southpaw (left-handed) was something special. However, when I started playing baseball, I realized it was fairly common. But above that …”

“There was my younger brother, Natsuhiko.”

Chapter 164

The chapter opens with Kirishima playing catchball with his father in the yard. Kirishima’s father praises him for being left-handed, but Kirishima thinks it’s nothing special. His father, however, is enthusiastic, telling him that being a left-handed batter is actually an advantage in baseball. Kirishima finds his father’s excitement annoying as they play catchball. In the background, Kirishima’s younger brother, Natsuhiko, is playing video games on a handheld console. He eventually takes a peek at them, marking the beginning of Kirishima’s introduction to baseball.

To Kirishima, his younger brother is as his namesake, “a summer boy”. As children, Kirishima would tease Natsuhiko, but his younger brother’s reactions were always violent, rude, and loud. One time, Kirishima pushed Natsuhiko aside, and Natsuhiko retaliated by biting Kirishima’s arm and throwing a tantrum. Their mother attributed Natsuhiko’s outbursts to their great-grandfather’s similar personality.

Kirishima’s mother advised him to redirect his teasing to their father, but Kirishima found it too much trouble and stopped teasing Natsuhiko. Natsuhiko seemed like a child who is never motivated but is unable to remain still. He would call Kirishima by his name, not by the respectful “aniki” (elder brother).

After being praised by his father, Kirishima joined a boy’s league in his third grade. When his father found out Kirishima was playing pitcher at a practice match, he immediately packed his entire family into the car and drove them to the match. Natsuhiko was miserable about being dragged along, as he finds playing catchball super boring and decided that baseball must be equally uninteresting.

However, Kirishima tells him that “Baseball is not just catchball.” Natsuhiko seemed subdued by that statement.

When the match begins, Natsuhiko was asleep on the bench. However, when Kirishima pitches, the loud catching sound of the mitt woke him up. After that, Natsuhiko seemed mesmerized by his brother’s pitching. He then asked, “Why is Shuuto standing in the middle?”. Their mother corrected him to use the respectful “onii-chan,” but their father explained, “That’s because he’s a pitcher.” Natsuhiko didn’t understand why Kirishima was throwing the ball, but he never took his eyes off him.

After the match, their parents are complimenting Kirishima for his excellent pitching. As they walked to their car, Natsuhiko suddenly called out, “Onii-chan. That thing just now was pretty good.” His entire family seemed frozen in shock at his words.

Their father overreacted, but Kirishima was shaken and asked, “Do you also want to play baseball?”.

Natsuhiko replied, “If you say so, I’ll do it.” Kirishima clarified that he wasn’t pressuring him.

Kirishima then reflects, “That was the one and only moment I thought Natsuhiko was cute.”

We see an image of Kirishima opening a door to Natsuhiko, who was standing in the dark room.

”I was the one who pulled him in."

“That was the one and only time he has ever addressed me as ‘onii-chan’.”

Chapter 165

Kirishima sits on a train from Osaka to Tokyo. As he finishes the last bento lunch which his mother packed with all his favorite foods, it finally sinks in how much he loves his hometown.

However, as he stares at his left hand, he thinks, “But the one thing I loved the most…”

The scene shifts back to his childhood. His coaches are shocked by Natsuhiko’s pitching. His pitch is so fast that it caused the catcher to cry. Right away, Kirishima recognized that his younger brother was meant to be a “pitcher”. When the head coach approaches Natsuhiko to ask if he’d like to be a pitcher, Natsuhiko is turned off by his bad breath and tells him so.

Although Kirishima is unsure if the coach was offended by those words or if he was being mindful of Kirishima, for the next half year, Natsuhiko is forced to run around the field and is not allowed on the mound. Kirishima advises him to apologize, but Natsuhiko refuses, claiming that he will definitely disobey and defy all adults. Shortly after that, the coach asks Natsuhiko to pick up the balls. Although he makes really bad faces at the coach and continually insults him, he becomes subdued and somewhat mesmerized when he watches Kirishima pitch.

Kirishima is surprised that Natsuhiko obediently picks up the balls for that half year. However, after that, Natsuhiko is permitted on the mound. His performance is so good that the coach gives up trying to keep him away from pitching.

Kirishima continues his narration, “My brother pitches with a similar form as me, but his pitches are faster than mine.”

“I’ve made my peace. I’ve made my peace knowing ’that day’ would come.”

As if his brain wants to prepare him for when “that day” would happen and be able to endure it when it does, almost nightly, he sees the same dream where Natsuhiko says to him, “The greatest one’s gotta be the ace. And that’s me! If you don’t go to another team, you’ll never become the ace.”

And then the day comes when Natsuhiko grew taller than his brother, he suddenly changed his form. It is at that moment Kirishima concludes that Natsuhiko has reached his best. Although the coach complains about his new form and insists he return to his old one, Natsuhiko refuses. Kirishima also feels the same. Even though his motions may seem exaggerated, the new form matches Natsuhiko’s personality and really heats up the moment. His new form is a natural progression matching his current physique.

In the next dream, Natsuhiko says to Kirishima, “How long you’re gonna keep playing pitcher when you’re weaker than me. I’m the ace.” That night, Kirishima tells himself, “Farewell to all these dreams. It has lasted longer than I had expected.” As he stretches out his left hand, he tells himself, “Good job, me. You’ve done well.”

However, during the junior high championship competition that year, Natsuhiko is the starting pitcher. He wears the jersey number 11. Kirishima, now in his final year of junior high, wears the jersey number 1. In the end, “that day” never came to pass.

Their team wins the championship. As the coach congratulates their team members, mentioning how Kirishima did a great job keeping the team’s spirit high as the ace of the team, Natsuhiko cuts in and tells him that the one who managed to shutout the other team was him and not his brother. The coach continues to gloss over his achievement, telling him that he should give some respect to his brother, when Natsuhiko cuts him off again.

Natsuhiko tells him bluntly that he does not understand this seniority business, and that what matters is skill, and isn’t that why he was made the starting pitcher? When the coach tries to say something, Natsuhiko grabs him by his shirt and says, “I know you hate me. Well, it’s mutual. You wanted the win, so you were the one who used me. Have you no shame? Lame. Well, at least you know how the world works. If as a coach, you can’t even justly evaluate your players, then why should I give you the respect?”

At this point, Kirishima tells Natsuhiko to stop and that he has gone too far with his words. Natsuhiko then asks his brother, “So what is an ‘ace’ (number one)?” Kirishima is caught by surprise by the question and unable to answer him. Natsuhiko then tells him to forget about it and walks away, saying, “I hate all this. Everything’s just lame and boring.”

Kirishima narrates, “Everything the dreams prepared me for was useless. In the end, I could not answer him. And I disappointed him.”

The next day, Natsuhiko, in his second year of junior high, receives a call from Osaka Youmei. Kirishima, on the other hand, never heard from any of the schools that he had considered. He wasn’t particularly interested in any of them, anyway.

One evening, his mother receives a call from his coach who wants to introduce Kirishima to someone - the coach of Hikawa High School. It’s a school Kirishima has never heard of.

And this was how he came to play baseball in Tokyo.

The chapter ends with Kirishima on the mound in the present time, ready to pitch to Chihaya.

Chapter 166

The crowd cheers for Chihaya as he stands in the right batter’s box waiting for Kirishima’s pitch. We are interrupted by a baseball uncle who takes the opportunity to explain that Chihaya is batting right-handed because left-handed pitchers make it harder for left-handed batters to track the ball’s release point.

Chihaya studies Kirishima from the box, musing that Kirishima’s a pitcher who enjoys throwing unpredictable pitches. For this first at-bat, he plans to track the ball’s movement but adds to himself that he’ll swing if he sees something hittable.

The first pitch is a surprise—a fastball right over the plate for a strike. Chihaya quickly recalibrates, assuming the next pitch will be a breaking ball. But it’s another fastball. From the on-deck circle, Yamada observes that Chihaya is now in a tough spot. Expecting a breaking ball again, Chihaya prepares, only to face yet another fastball. Three consecutive strikes end his turn at the plate.

In right field, Makita vents about Chihaya’s exaggerated swing, accusing him of aiming for a showy hit. Meanwhile, Chihaya feels that Kirishima’s bold decision to rely on fastballs against someone skilled at making contact shows just how crafty and unconventional he is.

Yamada steps up to bat, suspecting Kirishima might stick to fastballs. Instead, he gets taken out with a series of consecutive breaking balls.

Now it’s the General’s turn. As he steps into the batter’s box, he reflects on Kirishima’s patterns with the previous hitters. Two fastballs have come his way so far. In the dugout, Yamada and Chihaya speculate about the next pitch, both guessing it’ll be a breaking ball—maybe a curve or slider.

The General, however, reasons differently. He notes that throwing a breaking ball here would logically disrupt his timing, but Kirishima thrives on defying expectations. He predicts a fastball, one designed to make a statement, and braces himself to exploit it.

Suddenly, Kirishima announces his plan to throw a fastball straight down the middle. He claims that he’s not one for tricks so he’s announcing it in advance. As he winds up, the General watches closely, waiting for any subtle signal that this might be a bluff. But nothing suggests deception. It has to be a fastball.

As Kirishima’s about to release his pitch, a flashback interrupts the moment. In it, he’s leaving Osaka, heading toward the train station. Natsuhiko follows him, shouting, “Hey! Are you running away?” He continues to say something more but Kirishima does not look back.

In the present, Kirishima wonders, “How would I answer him now…?” before unleashing a blistering pitch. It’s faster than the General anticipated, and he misses. In the dugout, Yamada notes how surprising it is that Kaname struck out despite knowing the pitch. Chihaya agrees, realizing the fastball exceeded even the General’s expectations.

Meanwhile, the Hikawa first-years erupt in excitement over Kirishima’s performance. Coach Kojima observes with satisfaction that Kirishima’s growth has not only met but exceeded his expectations.

The General sits quietly, reflecting. “Kirishima, you have such a gift for breaking balls. Why are you chasing higher pitch velocity? You just find out your limits for such little gain. It’s such a waste of time. You’ll never become like Haruka or surpass your younger brother.”

Watching Kirishima smiling and interacting with his teammates, the General mutters, “I don’t like that style.”

Chapter 167

It’s the top of the second inning, with the score still at 0-0. Both aces hold their ground.

Makita steps up to the plate, and the crowd goes wild for what would be a power battle matchup. He launches a wide swing at Kiyomine’s first pitch, fouling it. The next pitch veers outside for a ball. The General signs for a slider, which Makita clips into foul territory. The crowd erupts in stunned excitement. The General notes to himself that Makita has really matured into a true cleanup hitter, evidenced by his ability to connect with that slider.

As the crowd murmurs on what to expect next, the General signals for a slow curve, banking on the timing disruption after the high-speed slider. Yet Makita connects for another foul ball. The General marvels at his persistence, crediting it to Makita’s fortified lower body strength as a pitcher. His rigorous muscle training has amplified his swing speed, enabling him to connect with any pitch, that you could say his batting technique did improve, Makita-style. Even Kirishima acknowledges that Makita really grew into his cleanup role this year.

The General calls for a fastball, and the stark speed difference proves decisive - Makita swings late and strikes out. Meanwhile, Coach Sako is trembling with excitement at the high level battle while Reira comments that “Kaname’s” leads are amazing and is reassuring to watch.

As he waits for the next batter, the General suddenly realizes that he never once considered asking for the splitter. He contemplates whether he deemed it unnecessary, wanted to keep it hidden in the first inning, or aimed to conserve Kiyomine’s energy. These thoughts dissolve into the recognition that he subconsciously doubts his ability to catch it. Kyuujou’s bat tap against the ground snaps him back to the present.

The Kiyomine-Kaname battery strikes out both Kyuujou and Numata, closing the half inning. As they head back to the dugout, the General compliments Kiyomine on his pitching but cautions him to not push too hard and exhausting himself before the second half of the match. Kiyomine tells him that he’s fine, and besides, there is Taki. Hearing this, the General freezes in his tracks.

Taki, within earshot, is touched to hear that Kiyomine holds him with such esteem. Kiyomine states that Taki is a good pitcher, further moving Taki. Coach Sako beams at Kiyomine’s development, while Saitou gapes at Kiyomine praising another pitcher. Coach Sako’s exuberance irks Kiyomine, who hoists him overhead in frustration as Reira shouts for the General to save him.

As the rest of the team head towards the dugout, chatting about how no one but Kaname will be able to stop Kiyomine right now, we see the General still rooted in the same spot. He is pictured in his junior high uniform, as if still trapped in the past.

Chapter 168

The chapter opens with Toudou swinging at a breaking ball, having anticipated a fastball. The next pitch, however, was the fastball but it was faster than he had expected and he was unable to swing.

Maihara grins, noting to himself that Toudou’s judgment wavered due to the breaking balls, and that any hesitation renders Kirishima’s fastballs unhittable.

Kirishima tells Toudou that, “The moment you rely on ‘instinct’ is when you stop thinking. Despite appearances, Toudou-kun, you are quite the intellectual shortstop.”

Toudou returns to the dugout, apologizing for getting struck out. He, however, sports an uncharacteristically huge grin on his face from the compliment, prompting Chihaya to tell him to wipe “that stupid and vulgar smile” from his face.

Kiyomine steps into the batter’s box, whom Kirishima calls the “Basball cyborg who reacts by reflex”. Toudou chimes in, “And that’s the world’s no. 1 idiot, Kiyomine-kun!!” mimicking Kirishima’s accent.

Chihaya and the General brace for Kirishima’s first pitch, which is a fastball. Yamada ponders if breaking balls will follow, but Chihaya interjects, “Theoretically, yes, however…”. The General continues the thought, “No, Kirishima will take him out with three fastballs.”

“So, hit it, Haruka.”

Standing in the box, Kiyomine reflects, “I wanted to forget that day. And I did until now. Or rather, I didn’t realize it. That my actions had ‘insulted’ Kei was not something I would have grasped back then. And Kei returned to his normal expression immediately after that so I just felt relieved that it wasn’t something serious after all.”

“How odd. That so much time has passed since, and I would come to play baseball with all these unrelated people…”

Memories flash of the Kotesashi team members and pivotal moments.

"… and realize how stupid my past self has been."

He makes a huge swing but misses. Maihara is slightly unnerved by Kiyomine’s power, commenting that while Kiyomine may be a great pitcher, he can also be a monster batter. Maihara signals to Kirishima (possibly for a breaking ball), but receives a head shake in response. Maihara is surprised but decides to trust in Kirishima. Kiyomine declares, “I will hit the next one”.

Kirishima unleashes his pitch. Kiyomine swings with force but connects with air. The crowd reacts to Kirishima’s third consecutive fastball, questioning this departure from his typical style. The General notes the difference lies not in pitch type but its velocity. Kirishima maintained an identical pitching form yet with some adjustment, was able to increase the speed of that last fastball.

Kiyomine addresses Kirishima by his full name, saying that he never had much regard for his pitching until now. Kirishima responds, “I did it so that you won’t ever forget it again.” Teruya strikes out next, ending the inning.

Approaching the mound, determination burns in Kiyomine’s eyes. He narrates, “Kirishima’s far improved from last year. I want to fight him with my full strength! I want to throw my splitter! We need the splitter to win!” As he calls out to Kei, memory surfaces of the General’s words: “Just focus on your pitching during the match. Don’t think about anything else. Leave that to me.” Back then, he complied without question.

Now in the present, he is shocked. The General inquires, “What’s up?” as Kiyomine narrates, “Th… this is the first time I have an opinion in the middle of the match, and towards Kei.”

Chapter 169

The General asks Kiyomine, “What’s up, Haruka?”. Kiyomine responds, “Ah … nothing.” Internally, Kiyomine comments, “Once again, I … am thinking about silly things. Everything that comes up in my mind, Kei has already thought it through. Even everything that I’m thinking right now, he is already well aware of it."

Aloud, he responds to the General, “Sorry. It’s nothing. I just plan to throw my best pitches towards your mitt.” The General responds, “Good, I’m betting on it.”

They successfully out the first batter. To himself though, the General comments that Kiyomine really overestimates him.

Next up is the eighth batter and center fielder, Terakado. He manages to foul Kiyomine’s pitches several times before eventually getting struck out. In the audience, Watanabe fumes and wonders if they are going with the fouling strategy (you know, the one their team did to Kiyomine), but Kinjou responds that these batters are hitting with intent. Unlike their team, Hikawa’s lower batting lineup is simply good and is able to connect with Kiyomine’s pitches.

Kurita, the next batter, drives a liner to shortstop. Kinjou then comments, “You better start showing that splitter from the Teitoku match before this comes to bite you in the ass, Kaname.”

In the bottom of the third, Kotesashi is held scoreless as well and the match score remains at 0-0.

Finally, in the top of the fourth, Maihara hits a single to center. Terakado compliments Maihara for managing that hit in his second at-bat. Makita comments that it’s probably because Maihara is accustomed to his super fast pitches.

Meanwhile, the General remarks to himself that they finally let through a runner on base. He contemplates what he should do as he won’t be able to catch Kiyomine’s splitter if he requests it, and questions what he can do against the top of the batting order without using the splitter. As he considers, Ube gets jammed by the next pitch. The General feels relief seeing that it worked but unfortunately, the ball flies just past the infield, and Ube safely makes it to first base. Hikawa now has runners on first and second, with no outs—an excellent position for scoring—as Kirishima steps up to the plate.

It’s a situation where there cannot be any passed balls and unlike Kaname, the General perceives the risk as too high to ask for a pitch that he has never seen before. Even so, it certainly would be ideal if he could at least show it once so that pitch calling afterward would be easier. He then talks himself out of it citing the risks, and decides to proceed with his usual well-calculated moves.

Just then, he looks up to see Kiyomine looking straight back at him with unwavering confidence. The General appears surprised and remarks, “You always just look straight at Kaname Kei with no hesitation…” He then looks up at the sky with resignation before continuing with conviction, “Dammit. I’ll catch it!! I’m THE ‘General’ Kaname Kei!! I will catch it!!”

“’DEFINITELY’”

Kiyomine pitches and Kirishima makes a swinging miss. However, the ball bounces past the General. Kiyomine looks shocked but Kaname manages to quickly grab it before it goes too far. Kirishima comments to himself that they have finally revealed the splitter, and the way the ball dropped was really sick.

The General feels relief that he managed to catch it and then comments that Kirishima’s now aware of the splitter so the job’s done. They successfully take him out with three swinging misses. In the dugout, Saitou becomes excited to see Kiyomine’s splitter but Coach Sako smartly observes that the current General may not share the same catching abilities as Kaname.

The General comments to himself, “Finally, our first out. Haruka, you get it now after that, right? I’m sorry but I can’t catch your splitter.” However, Kiyomine continues to look straight at him. The General continues, “Stop it with that face.”

“One out. Runners on first and second. The batter is the cleanup Makita. Haruka’s in tip-top condition … what should I do?”

“Dammit!! At a time like this, that “makyu” would be perfect!! But right now, my eye’s just able to keep up with it. The only one who is able to catch that right now … is just you (he is referring to Kaname)!! Wake up, you idiot!! You want to win right?! Would you already—!!”

His eyes suddenly widens with a realization. “You’re sleeping right? I can’t feel your presence … but there were days like this when [we] were so exhausted … even so … isn’t this a little …“

“… too quiet…?”

His heart races a little, and he continues, “No … it can’t be. That’s just not possible. I have to focus on the match right now!”

He imagines Kaname here saying to him, “You’re just overthinking~” and the General quips back, “You’re the one not thinking enough.” Kaname continues, “I’m telling you it’ll be fine!” as he makes a victory sign.

The General continues to himself, “That’s because I’m the one making it work…!! You’re always making those annoying moves.”

We see a flashback of the scene in chapter 30 where Kaname declares, “I will defeat the General Kaname Kei. I will surpass myself.”

Back in the present, Makita grins at the General saying, “Yo, Kaname Kei. Throw me that splitter!”.

The General continues to himself, “Don’t mess with me. Everyone and their mother, just underestimating me. I’m THE ‘General’, Kaname Kei, you know!”

Aloud, he responds to Makita, “Sure. Try to hit it if you can.”

He ends his monologue with, “If I can’t catch it, I’ll keep doing it until I can.”