A Thrilling Baseball Showdown

The sun cast its golden rays over the baseball field, creating a perfect setting for the thrilling duel that was about to unfold. Neo looked toward the bleachers and saw Saya watching. He felt both embarrassed and pressured to play well and not disappoint her.

Hoshi's field shone in bright green, its white lines marking the battlefield. The protagonists of this contest were the Brave Falcons and the Lightning Vortex, two determined teams vying for a spot in the prestigious Diamond Clash championship.

"So Neo actually showed up in the end. What happened to make him change his mind?" Pietro asked curiously.

"I can't tell you," Neo replied as he glanced at Shike, who seemed quite nervous as he warmed up.

"Is everything okay?" Neo inquired, worried about Shike.

Shike then pointed to a player from the opposing team who was standing among them. This guy seemed charismatic, as everyone on his team looked up to him with admiration.

"Their leader and pitcher. Jake the Iron Arm. He's really good," Shike explained.

"Iron Arm?" Maeda asked intrigued.

"Yes, he has a reputation for throwing powerful pitches," Shike clarified.

While Neo and Shike were talking, their gaze shifted to a player from the opposing team who was standing in the middle of the group.

Neo frowned, curious. "And who's that over there?" he asked, attracting Shike's attention.

"I don't know him," Shike replied, watching the brown-haired player with the tuft of hair staring at Neo.

"Never heard of him either," Pietro added.

"Seems his name is Kensuke Miyamoto. Probably brought in to complete the team," Takeshi explained after checking the roster.

"Miyamoto... that name sounds familiar," Neo commented intrigued.

The games began. The first innings were dominated by the pitchers. Two batters stood out - Kensuke and Neo were the only ones who managed to hit and advance to a base. However, advancing to only one base wasn't enough to score points, as you need two more.

Meanwhile, the other players struggled to make contact with the ball. Apolo had a really hard time connecting and eventually struck out on three pitches and was retired. The game remained deadlocked at 0-0.

It wasn't until the top of the fourth inning that things really got interesting. The batters started to hit successfully.

Next to bat was Neo; his heart was pounding. He looked at Saya, who was watching excitedly. He had to give her a present. And it had to be now.

When Jake threw his best pitch, Neo managed to hit a fastball. The sound of the bat hitting the ball was like thunder as it sailed over the fence for a solo home run. The crowd erupted in celebration, and the scoreboard now read 1-0.

The Lightning Vortex team had finally tied the game.

But the Brave Falcons' response was swift. In the bottom of the fourth inning, they strung together a series of hits.

Kensuke managed to hit the ball deep into the field, driving in a run and tying the game at 1-1.

The game stretched into the sixth inning. Once again, the Lightning Vortex saw an opportunity with two runners, Takeshi and Pietro, on base due to defensive errors by the Brave Falcons.

Both runners were fast, so a well-placed hit was all that was needed. Tadashi delivered a line drive to the outfield, allowing Takeshi and Maeda to score two runs.

The score was now 3-1 in favor of the Lightning Vortex. But the Brave Falcons weren't ready to give up.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, they loaded the bases after a series of hits and walks. Kensuke stepped up to the plate, visibly angry. The closer he got to losing, the more miraculous plays he seemed to make.

Kensuke followed with a timely hit that brought two runners home. The game was tied again, now at 3-3.

Time was running out and both teams were determined to break the tie. In the top of the ninth, Lightning Vortex turned to Lenner.

Maeda was on third base and Neo was on second. Lenner just had to hit a ball that would give Maeda enough time to run and score, and since Maeda was the best runner they had, he had to make it happen.

When Jake pitched, his mind raced, and that's when he knew what to do. He executed a deep sacrifice fly that allowed Maeda to cross the plate.

Lightning Vortex was back in the lead, now 4 to 3.

The Brave Falcons entered the bottom of the ninth inning with one last chance to tie or win the game.

After a couple of hits, they had a runner on third and another on second. Kensuke could use the same strategy as Lenner.

Shike made the pitch, the runners advanced and Pietro yelled to warn them. Kensuke finally made a mistake and the ball fell into the hands of Nagoya, who struck out one of the runners before they could score.

With one out and a runner on third, Shike was under pressure. The opposing team had two outs and Kensuke had one strike. If Shike could get another strike, he would win the game.

Kensuke had a determined look on his face. Nagoya signaled to throw an outside ball to test if he'd fall for the bluff.

Shike prepared and threw the ball as requested. Kensuke was too concentrated and didn't even flinch, he didn't even blink.

Suddenly, doubt crept into Shike's mind. This boy had shown that the closer he was to losing, the more he performed miracles. And in this situation, he was dangerously close to losing; one mistake and it would be over.

An unbeatable rival. A truly amazing person.

Shike was about to give up when Neo's words echoed in his mind.

"It'll be okay, you guys are incredible. There's no way you can lose."

"Without you, I don't think we can," Shike replied.

"You're wrong. The whole team is incredible - Takeshi, Tadashi, Nagoya, Pietro, Maeda. I've never seen Lenner play, but I think he's good, and you're the best pitcher I've ever seen. Don't ever say you're not capable."

Shike looked back, searching for Neo, who responded by clenching his fist tightly - a clear sign to fight with determination.

Then the boy locked eyes with Kensuke again; this time, it was different. This time, he wanted to defeat him. He threw a curveball with both speed and movement. Kensuke swung - did he connect?

No! He missed by a hair's breadth. The ball landed in Nagoya's hands.

STRIKE 3! OUT!

Shike had secured the win, 4 to 3, for Lightning Vortex!

Maeda was the first to run toward him, and the others followed. The once little boy was buried under the entire team in celebration.

All the players lined up and exchanged greetings, thanking each other for the game. It was an exciting game, full of turnarounds and crucial moments. Both teams gave it their all, but in the end, Lightning Vortex prevailed.

Afterwards, Neo rushed over to Saya.

"SAYA! WE WON!!"

"Congratulations!!"

She embraced him impulsively, and he held her tightly, spinning her around in his arms in joy. Their faces were so close.

Neo set her down and they both moved away, embarrassed.

The rest of the baseball team appeared, along with a boy who was not on the team.

"Saya?" he asked curiously.

It took her a moment to recognize him. But up close, it was obvious who he was. "Kensuke?"

"Yes." She waved from a distance.

"I've been looking for you everywhere, it's been so long!" he exclaimed as he tried to hug the girl. She pulled away, leaving him hanging.

"You two know each other?" Maeda asked curiously.

"Yes, for a long time. We're childhood friends," Saya explained, looking to the side and looking a little uncomfortable.

"I have so much to tell you, but I'm busy right now. I came to talk to all of you on the team."

The baseball team looked at Kensuke with curiosity and listened to what he had to say.

"You are formidable opponents. I'm sorry that baseball is not my main sport, but I invite you to face me in a kendo match one day. Especially the little one and that one," he said, pointing at Shike and Neo.

He turned around and left.

Takeshi and Tadashi held back, but as soon as he was at a safe distance, they burst into laughter.

"Kendo match? We are playing baseball. Can't he accept defeat? What a joke," Tadashi said.

Saya was a little worried, and Neo didn't care, but maybe he should have, because he had no idea what this encounter would bring in the coming weeks.

Later, the entire baseball team celebrated by eating ramen at Uncle's restaurant. Both Uncle and Ryu were incredibly excited. Even Lenner was there, which was quite unusual.

Apolo told everyone that he enjoyed playing despite his lack of experience. It had been a lot of fun, and he would attend training from now on to correct his mistakes from the game.

Everyone was happy, especially Shike, since Neo's involvement had helped them win. Without his words, Shike might have given up and lost the match.

Monday. Neo was still recovering from the exhaustion of the game. He dragged himself to school as slowly as he could. To make matters worse, the first class was English. It couldn't have been more boring.

Neo thought about resting his head on the desk and taking a short nap.

The lesson was interrupted by Karine who came to announce that a student was being transferred.

The entire class was curious about this development and conversations and questions filled the air.

"In the middle of the year?"

"Who could it be?"