Because the next player stepping up to bat is nad Lin Guanglai.
"High school career ho runs totaling 100, the first and only in history; Sumr Koshien, four ho runs in a single ga, eight in a single tournant, 15 in total, the first and only in history; spring and sumr combined ho runs, scores, batting average triple crown winner—in terms of both statistics and influence on the gas, Lin Guanglai is undoubtedly the strongest hitter in high school baseball in the past 94 years!"
For many who follow Takayama, they only know that Lin Guanglai is very talented and strong, but they don’t have a clear concept of how strong.
When the comntator lists Lin Guanglai’s achievents and titles over the past three years, many spectators realize what kind of extraordinary presence this player about to take the field truly is.
Every one of these achievents is sothing that 99% of high school baseball players can’t achieve in their lifeti, yet Lin Guanglai has collected these honors one by one.
During the ti Lin Guanglai walks from the waiting area to ho plate, Fujinami Jintaro on the pitcher’s mound becos serious.
The first ti he heard the na "Lin Guanglai" was the sumr he had just entered Osaka Tsubaki.
That sumr, the breakout star Lin Guanglai faced Nihon University Three in the regional finals without a hit and hit four ho runs at Koshien Stadium, making every baseball fan in Japan rember him—at that ti, Fujinami Jintaro had just been selected for the team roster as a backup, and his team was eliminated in the local tournant’s third round.
When he truly saw him in reality, Lin Guanglai had just won the Senbatsu High School Baseball Tournant and was treated as a Koshien superstar wherever he went; anwhile, he himself hadn’t even been to Koshien once.
Even after leading the team to defeat Waseda Jitsugyo this spring and eventually winning the Senbatsu, Fujinami Jintaro still did not consider himself victorious over his rival—because in the semi-finals, which was labeled as a classic match, he gave up a ho run in the first at-bat, sothing he still couldn’t let go.
Fujinami Jintaro considers Lin Guanglai his rival, but he’s not sure if the opponent sees him as an equal—you see, for Fujinami Jintaro, none of that matters now.
Now, Fujinami only knows one thing: If Osaka Tsubaki wants to push the ga into extra innings, and if he wants to defeat Lin Guanglai head-on in this confrontation, then at least in this upcoming at-bat, this pinnacle of high school baseball is his target to conquer.
"Lin, in the next at-bat, I will definitely strike you out," Fujinami Jintaro mutters to himself.
The distance between the waiting area and ho plate isn’t far or near; Lin Guanglai walks at a steady pace, and the cara follows him forward—in an ani, this journey alone would take four or five episodes to cover all of Lin Guanglai’s ntal journeys.
But for Lin Guanglai himself, for so reason, his mind is very clear at this mont, with no chaotic thoughts, only one determination:
"In the next at-bat, I must hit the baseball out of the park!"
Bottom of the ninth inning, two outs. The final showdown between the two best talents of this generation in their last ga of high school is here—in terms of drama, discussion, and fate, this Sumr Koshien final has reached its peak.
No spectator in the stands can sit quietly; to ensure they don’t miss any exciting mont, they stand from their seats—first there’s one, then two, three, ten, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand...
The various broadcasters airing the ga experience a spike in viewership. The already high ratings due to the hyped-up showdown hit a new peak.
At this mont, almost all of Japan’s attention is focused on this 13,000 square ter field, centered on these two young n standing between the pitcher’s mound and the batter’s box.
"Play Ball!" The chief umpire points toward the pitcher’s area, officially starting the thrilling showdown.
On the pitcher’s mound, Fujinami Jintaro closes his glove, takes a deep breath, and swiftly throws the ball—in such monts, hesitation is the enemy; having already discussed the pitching strategy with the catcher, Fujinami Jintaro throws the baseball decisively.
"Thud!!!"
The baseball is struck by Lin Guanglai’s swing, soaring high into the sky, finally sailing past the foul pole into the right-field stands, sending the audience into an uproar.
Only after visually confirming that the ball indeed made it into the stands does Fujinami Jintaro relax: Was there a pitching error? Yes, but the deviation was no more than one ball position—yet it was this tiny mistake that almost allowed Lin Guanglai to blast it out of the park.
In the batter’s box, Lin Guanglai feels regret for not keeping the ball fair: He had decided to swing at the first good pitch before the at-bat started, and the last pitch was in his favored hitting zone—missing that chance, who knows if there will be another scoring opportunity?
Quickly, Fujinami Jintaro throws a second pitch, a beautiful breaking ball targeting the inside corner of a left-hander—for Lin Guanglai, it’s not hard to hit a single off such a pitch, but a ho run would require imnse luck. Choosing not to gamble on probability, he lets the pitch go.
"Strike!" The chief umpire raises his right hand, making the call; simultaneous with the cheers and chants arising from Osaka Tsubaki’s field, the bench, and the stands.
With two pitches thrown, the count is 0 balls, 2 strikes, and Lin Guanglai has been pushed to the edge of a cliff. Every subsequent pitch is life or death.
It’s important to know that Waseda Jitsugyo and Osaka Tsubaki’s biggest difference lies in the depth of their lineups: Even if the starting nine can barely compete evenly with Osaka Tsubaki, the players sitting on Osaka Tsubaki’s bench are much stronger than Waseda Jitsugyo’s. As the ga drags on, if it reaches extra innings, Waseda Jitsugyo will definitely be at a disadvantage.
Clearly, Lin Guanglai does not want the ga to go into overti.
On the third pitch, Fujinami’s control falters, the fastball drifting to the upper right corner of the strike zone, a ball.
The fourth pitch, a slider aid outside, Lin Guanglai swings and fouls it off.
The fifth pitch, sixth, seventh, eighth... In the fierce exchange, Fujinami Jintaro’s 3 strikes advantage is entirely eaten away by Lin Guanglai.
The count stands at 3 balls, 2 strikes, a full count.
Regulating his rapid breathing and reconfirming the pitch signal, Fujinami Jintaro nods heavily towards Mori Yuuya crouching in the catcher’s box, then raises his leg, builds up power, twists, and hurls his arm—
His full attention focused on the baseball, facing this must-hit fastball, Lin Guanglai responds in kind:
Loading the bat, building strength, twisting, swinging with full force!
"Thud——!!!"
At the mont the baseball is struck, Koshien Stadium erupts into a festive atmosphere: For those spectators who have watched countless baseball gas, there’s probably no one who understands better what the crisp sound just now signifies.
Towards right field, covering this area is Mizuhara Gakuto, still chasing the ball, knowing the hope is slim, but his steps don’t stop—"What if? What if a miracle happens? What if heaven favors our Osaka Tsubaki?"
In the infield, the tall and handso teenager is sprinting wildly, his swift strides leaving the Pacific Ocean breezes behind.
When the baseball lands in the stands, all Waseda Jitsugyo players instantly rush out from the dugout—surrounding their captain, who has just returned to ho plate, they unanimously lift him high into the sky.
"A new sumr, a brand-new legend!"
"The 94th National Championships, final ga, Lin Guanglai’s walk-off ho run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth!!!"
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