Beneath the blazing sun and amidst the roaring crowd, the atmosphere at Koshien Stadium burned with an intense, breathless fervor. Every passing second ticked away like the ruthless turning of the wheel of fate, heavy with endless variables and unknown possibilities.
At this heart-pounding moment, a player from Daikin High School stood frozen as if struck by a paralysis spell, staring blankly at the baseball hurtling toward him. It should have been an easy catch, but at the critical instant, his hands suddenly seemed to lose all strength, becoming terribly clumsy. The small white ball flashed past his trembling fingertips like a streak of lightning, instantly shattering the calm of the field.
The player's eyes widened in horror, his eyeballs nearly popping out of their sockets. His face was etched with sheer disbelief, as if he refused to accept that what was happening before him was real. Immediately afterward, remorse washed over him like a tidal wave, entirely engulfing him. He remained rooted to the spot, his body stiff as a statue, mercilessly frozen by time in that moment of utter disgrace.
Chapter 1682