Episode 18: "XB vs. Sui: Part 3"

The match continued on, the battle between the Trash Tribe and Sui quickly entering its finale.
The circumstances hadn't changed in the least.
Yo's team were being overwhelmed consistently by Sui's fastballs, unable to get in a single hit.
Meanwhile, Sui's team steadily racked up runs.
By the close of the seventh inning, the score was 0-9.
Given the massive gap in score, it seemed nearly impossible for the Trash Tribe to make a comeback; it looked to be a hopeless endeavor.
Despite that, they hadn't yet given up hope.

Tsuki Iroha
"Just keep fighting off the pitch!"

Tsuruko Semba
"And choke up the bat, too!"

Yutaka Gotanda
"It doesn't need to be a direct hit, either! Just focus on grazing the ball!"

Each passing inning had the team getting more and more fired up, despite being down by nine runs.
After all, they weren't aiming to score—their goal was burn through Sui's energy by making him throw as many pitches as possible.

＊＊

Kazuki Aoyama
"All right, guys. When you're up to bat, keep your focus on hitting foul balls, so Sui has to keep pitching."

That was the idea Kazuki had proposed to ensure Sui's defeat.

Kazuki Aoyama
"With that mask on, the speed of those fastballs is going to get more intense, but he'll probably just pitch them straight on. If you choke up the bat and bunt instead, you should be able to hit a foul ball.
That's what they call fighting off the pitch."

Yutaka Gotanda
"Burning through an ace pitcher's stamina is definitely a valid XB strategy, however...
Do you truly believe that Mr. Yakumo will tire himself out that way?"

Kazuki Aoyama
"If Sui really had an inexhaustible energy supply, he would have worn that mask from the start of the match.
Given how he seems to believe that power equates to justice, he wouldn't have hesitated to use a power-up item.
So I'm of the firm belief that mask must have some sort of major drawback."

Tsuruko Semba
"And you think that drawback is that is consumes a great deal of energy?"

Kazuki Aoyama
"Yes, that's right. There wouldn't be any reason to refrain from using it otherwise. It's plausible to think that Sui is using it as an eleventh hour trump card.
But he made a grave mistake. Yo and Tsuki's words chipped away at his composure, leading him to use the mask sooner than he needed to.
We have to take advantage of the situation at hand. Using his secret weapon so hastily is going to backfire on him and be his undoing."

As Kazuki spoke, a grin spread across his lips.

Kazuki Aoyama
"They say a crafty schemer will drown in their own schemes, but in this case? He's going to drown in his own power.
Not a single thing can be accomplished with one person's power alone... But he's lost sight of that in the time he's had on his own."

Kazuki's assessment had been right on the money.
Even though Yo's team hadn't scored a single run, the strength of Sui's pitches consistently declined as the innings passed.

Sui Yakumo
"Tch... Using cheap tricks like that..."

Sui clicked his tongue in irritation as the realization of the Trash Tribe's tactics dawned on him.

Kazuki Aoyama
"Cheap tricks? I don't think so. The beauty of XB is that it's a game that can't be won with strength alone. Isn't that part of what you liked about XB too, Sui?"

Sui Yakumo
"Am I supposed to care about the beauty of a dying sport?
I'm gonna crush all of you with my power!"

Though it seemed he'd caught on to their strategy, Sui made no attempt to adapt in the slightest.
He continued to pitch his fastballs straight down the center.
Doing so caused his technique to waver with each passing throw, and then, suddenly...

(Clang!)

The moment they'd eagerly awaited came to pass as Tsuki made direct contact with the ball.
The satisfying sound of the bat hitting its target rang out as the ball flew deep into the outfield.

Tsuki Iroha
"Taaaake that!"

Tsuki sprinted at full speed, releasing her pent-up frustrations until she stopped at third base.

Tsuki Iroha
"All right, let's get this comeback started!"

Yo Kuronaka
"Gotta capitalize on Tsuki's momentum... We can't waste this opportunity!"

Though it was just a single hit, the entire team was now brimming with hope.
Tsuki's hit was just the start; one after the other, Yo's team kept scoring runs.

(Clang!) (Clang!) (Clang!) (Clang!) (Clang!)

As they switched gears and moved away from the intentional fouls, the Trash Tribe began to rack up hits on their first pitches while giving Sui no time to retaliate.
The point gap quickly closed, leaving the board with a score of 8-9.
They had managed to bring it to a one run difference.

Sui Yakumo
"Haa... haa... haa... haa... haaa... You low-ranked losers... gettin' way too cocky!"

Exhaustion gripped Sui as he stood atop the pitcher's mound.
Through his mask, he glared intensely at Yo's team, his breaths heavy and labored.
Seeing the state Sui was in, Santaro and the Four Children ran over to him.

Santaro Mita
"Sui, you've hit your limit. Time to get off the mound."

Sui Yakumo
"Wha? You're tellin' me to back off?"

Santaro Mita
"Yep. We gotta switch out pitchers. You rest up and I'll take it from here.
And I just wanna make it clear: I don't plan on throwin' the game, so you don't gotta worry about that.
The Minato Tribe's rep is on the line here, so we're gonna protect the lead we—gwuuuh?!"

Sui punched Santaro with his full strength, sending him backward in something of a parabolic curve.

Sui Yakumo
"You think you can defy me, you low-ranked trash?!"

Ichiro
"...Micchan?!"

Jiro
"Hurry, we have to tend to his wounds!"

The Four Children left the scene quickly, following the direction Santaro had been flung to.

Tsuki Iroha
"Wh-What are you even doing?! You punched your own teammate!"

Yo Kuronaka
"The hell's your problem, Sui?!"

Even if Santaro and the Four Children were currently acting as members of Sui's team, they were still friends. It would've been remiss of them to gloss over what had just transpired.
The members of the Trash Tribe made their way to the pitcher's mound and surrounded Sui as they denounced his actions.

Tsuki Iroha
"I don't care if you ARE brainwashed, that's taking it too far!
Hurting others, attacking your own teammates... Why do you keep doing such horrible stuff?!"

Sui Yakumo
"Shut up! You have no right to lecture me!
Who the hell do you think you are? We're all in the same boat here!
Every single one of us are murderers!"

Koishi Kohinata
"M-Murderers?! We've never killed anyone, though..."

Koishi began to tremble in response to Sui's accusation.

Sui Yakumo
"Hey, come on, now! Don't go actin' all innocent!
You climbed the rankings usin' the governing rules, too.
If someone goes up, then someone else has gotta go down. You understand that much, don't ya?"

Tsuruko Semba
"But...!"

Tsuki Iroha
"Those are the rules we're forced to play by, though. We had no other choice, if we were gonna come to this city and save you..."

Tsuki averted her gaze anxiously, overcome with distress.

Sui Yakumo
"Now you're just makin' excuses! You're really gonna say that killin' someone's okay as long as it's to save someone else?
Murder is murder! You're all villains, just like me!"

Yo Kuronaka
"No, that's where you're wrong. When this is all over, we'll face the crimes we've committed head-on and do what we must to atone for them.
We're prepared to confront our pasts, not run away from them. You've run away from yours, so you don't have the conviction to face it!"

Yo kept his eyes fixed on Sui's mask as he disputed those claims.
Someone who took on a new persona, running from their face and their past, had no right to call them villains.

Sui Yakumo
"You're just lying to yourselves! Do you really think you'll just be forgiven if you face it head-on?!
You really think you can just repent?! Will that bring back anyone who died?!"

For every retort Sui made, Yo began to further boil over with anger.

Yo Kuronaka
"Treating us like murderers is just as much of a lie!
The only reason we've done any of this is because of the rules YOU created!
Our crimes don't carry the same weight when you're the one who's killed people firsthand!"

Sui Yakumo
"Oh, yeah? Then just who the hell killed Kazuma in Shinagawa City?!"

The moment Sui said that, an image flashed through Yo's mind.
It was that of Kazuma's head being severed during his execution.

Tsuruko Semba
"Well, there's some truth to what you're saying, but..."

Yutaka Gotanda
"It... was not something we desired to do. It was a necessity carried out in order to save Shinagawa City."

The members of the Trash Tribe looked down at the ground, trembling a bit.
They couldn't help but recall Kazuma's execution.
It was a horrific sight, one that could not easily be compartmentalized and forgotten.

Sui Yakumo
"Your argument's fallin' apart at the seams! What, finally realizing you're all just filthy murderers?! Hahahahaha!"

Tsuki Iroha
"..."

Koishi Kohinata
"..."

The weight of their guilt was beginning to overwhelm them, leaving them on the verge of tears.
Sui looked down on all of them, his laughter cutting through them with its mocking tone.
Why did they have to be reminded of this?
They were all just desperately trying to save the city.

Sui Yakumo
"HAHAHAHA!"

As he listened to Sui's loud, piercing laughter, Yo could feel his own anger intensifying.
(Snap...)
Inside his own head, he could hear the sound of something shattering.

Yo Kuronaka
"...We killed Kazuma? So what? That guy deserved to die. We did nothing wrong by taking him out."

Yo retorted boldly.
His mouth moved before he could even consider his words.

Yutaka Gotanda
"Huh? Mr. Kuronaka?"

Tsuruko Semba
"D-Do you... really mean that?"

His teammates watched on in utter shock as Yo responded, his tone cold.

Yo Kuronaka
"It's not like what I'm saying is wrong, is it? Kazuma's death saved a lot of people—that's an indisputable fact.
We should be proud of how many people we were able to save with just one person's death.
Our actions were justified, so there's nothing to be ashamed of."

Koishi Kohinata
"Sure, it may have been justified, but..."

Kazuki Aoyama
"..."

Tsuki Iroha
"Are you okay, Yo?"

What Yo said didn't seem to resonate with his teammates, which in turn left him bewildered.
Why couldn't they understand such simple logic?
He found that rather mysterious.

Sui Yakumo
"Ha... haha... hahaha! There we go, now you're starting to sound like Yo!
But you're not all the way there yet! If it were me? I'd kick those damn losers waitin' to be saved straight to the curb!
I don't give give a damn how many of 'em die!"

Yo Kuronaka
"No way! You still need to make the distinction between who deserves to die and who doesn't!"

Yo's frustration was beginning to mount.
In this world, there were those who deserved to die, and those who needed protection.
It wasn't a crime to kill those who deserved to die, but those who needed protection deserved the full might of their ability to do so.
The concept was very simple, really.

Tsuruko Semba
"Wh-What are you trying to say...?"

Sui Yakumo
"So you take all that pride in savin' a bunch of people you don't know... but you were fine with watchin' me and Tsuki die in 24 City!
Even though we were your friends and we came to save you!"

Yo Kuronaka
"Cut the crap with these strawman arguments! Did I ever ask for you two to come save me?
You made that choice all on your own. You're so weak... but yet you thought you could save me."

His response came, just as cold as the last had been.
Being weak WAS the crime, after all. The idea of blaming others for one's own weakness didn't sit well with him.

Tsuki Iroha
"Just stop it already! This... All of this is so wrong!
Why are the two of you even fighting?! Why... Why did it have to come to this?"

Sui Yakumo
"Ha... You're wonderin' why it ended up like this, Tsuki? Fine, I'll tell you, then.
All of this happened because you and I went to save Yo. We were the weak ones, because we couldn't leave this guy behind. The one who'd forgotten everything.
If we hadn't done that, we never would've died. And none of this would've happened to Minato City either, ya hear me?!"

Sui continued spouting a bunch of nonsensical things that Yo could only consider to be worthless blame-shifting.

Tsuki Iroha
"Th-That's not true at all! Saying that everything went wrong because we saved Yo is just..."

Yutaka Gotanda
"She's correct! There's no denying that Shinagawa was saved due to Mr. Kuronaka's actions."

Kazuki Aoyama
"...There's a lot I'd like to say, but I agree in that Tsuki's assessment isn't wrong."

Sui Yakumo
"Oho, so now you're all covering for each other? Well... doesn't matter what any of you say! Saving Yo is still what caused all of this!"

Yo Kuronaka
"No. We did the right thing. And I'm gonna make you understand that, too."

Yo nimbly stretched as he stepped into the batter's box.
He gripped his bat and fixed his gaze on Sui.

Yo Kuronaka
"Bring it, Sui. Let's settle this with XB."

Sui Yakumo
"Haha. So you're up to bat next, huh? Fine with me! I'll take you up on that challenge.
If you can hit my pitch, your team wins."

Sui readily accepted Yo's challenge.

Yo Kuronaka
"You're gonna regret saying that."

Tsuki Iroha
"Wait! Hold on, we need to talk this out..."

Kazuki Aoyama
"We should just leave the rest to them, Tsuki. This isn't our place to get involved."

Tsuki Iroha
"But..."

Kazuki Aoyama
"There's no getting through to either of them right now. They're just gonna have to settle this through the match. It's up to you now, Yo!"

Kazuki called out to him, but Yo offered no response; his gaze was firmly fixed on Sui.
The rest of the team left the field, ensuring Tsuki came along.
At that point, only Yo and Sui remained inside the diamond.

Sui Yakumo
"..."

Yo Kuronaka
"..."

The two exchanged silent stares. That silence hung heavy in the air as their final showdown began.
Sui didn't fly into the air this time; he kept his feet planted on the ground as he extended his arms.
He then raised his leg high in the air—and his technique was nothing short of splendid!

(Fwooooosh!)

The ball roared toward Yo's chest.
Sui's pitching stamina had recovered—so much so that he threw his fastest pitch of the entire day.
It was almost as if it was a cannonball hurling through the air at the speed of sound.
But for Yo, it seemed as if the ball was moving in slow motion.
Nothing about it was threatening; Yo was completely in the zone. He was in complete control of the situation and could hit the ball as he desired with ease.
He swung, the ball connecting square with his bat.

(Claaaaang!)

The sound reverberated in the air.
Another sound soon followed.

(Crash!)

The sound of a shattering plate echoed through the crossing.

Sui Yakumo
"G-Gggghk?!"

Yo's hit struck Sui straight-on, shattering the mask that had been covering his face.
The momentum from the ball didn't slow, continuing to soar right out of the field of play in a remarkable home run.

Yo Kuronaka
"That seals our win."

Even though the score was now evened out to 9-9, Yo and Sui had changed the terms of the match; which meant that final pitch had settled the entire game.
Their XB match had come to a close.
The Trash Tribe had emerged victorious.