Here goes my "Let's Draw Nomo" Song!
Two balls came flying in.
Small balls came flying in, too.
But hold on, here's one more.
Just barely scrape the surface for a fine play.
Cross one, two, and three mountains.
The sign for "victory" is V! V! V!
Then we have ourselves another V! V! V!
And surprise! We're done!
That's game, set, and Nomo's done!
That was a good night's rest.
That sounds promising.
Not to mention that today is the day of the important game that will decide the fate of the Prefab squad.
It's not like I'm suddenly going to get better at baseball after a night's sleep, you know.
I'll come root for you guys with Momiji later.
You'd better come early if you want to see him pitch.
Huh?
We're going to be switching pitchers as soon as he starts giving up hits.
After all, we do have an awesome pitcher waiting in relief.
The awesome pitcher?
Yup.
I bet he's nervous.
This is the first time he's pitching in a must win game.
Like I said before,
you guys are alike.
You and Ko.
Ko!
Get out of bed already!
You have a game today, remember?
A game?
Oh yeah.
Geez, this is nerve-racking.
Mom, breakfast!
Coming right up!
Mitsuru Adachi
（Serialized in Shogakukan's 「Weekly Shonen Sunday」）
Created by
Toshihiro Nakazawa
Nobumasa Sawabe
Planning
Masato Hayashi
Rei Anami (TV TOKYO)
Shin'ichirou Tsuzuki
Planning Assistance
Toshisato Okuno Shin Omura Takenori Ichihara
Masato Hayashi
Supervisors
Original Planning Assistance
Michihiro Tsuchiya
Series Composition
Yuji Kondo
Main Character Design
Maho Takahashi
Tomoyuki Matsumoto
Koichi Imano
Art Design
Subcharacter Design
Prop Design
Kayoko Ono
Miki Tsubouchi
Hiromi Komine
Yutaka Kuramoto
Art Director
Color Design
Photography Director
Editing
Nobuhide Tanaka Toshiyuki Kuroiwa
Kotaro Nakagawa
Takeshi Takadera
HALF H・P STUDIO
Music Producer
Music
Sound Director
Sound Production
「Summer Rain」
Lyrics／Composition: Kentaro Kobuchi
Arrangement: Kobukuro
Kobukuro
（Warner Music Japan）
Opening Theme
Shogakukan Music & Digital Entertainment
TV-TOKYO Music
Warner Music Japan
Music Assistance
Ryosuke Sakurai
Animation Producer
Animation Production
Shunji Aoki Naohiko Furuchi
Producers
Osamu Sekita
Director
Shogakukan Shueisha Production
Production Studio
SUBTITLED BY ANBU
There's barely anyone here.
There's no need to let the few students who are still here during summer break
know about a game like this.
You idiot.
Did you really think I'd stake my job over a game like this?
Even if the unthinkable were to happen,
that acting principal can't possibly fire me.
How much money do you think he's spent to bring me here?
There are other things that may turn out problematic for us;
but I intend to sweep such problems under the rug in three years.
However, the most problematic issue that's come to light now is that acting principal of ours.
You're an adult
and a smart one, as you should be.
I'll overlook what you did this time around.
But remember this well:
there won't be a next time.
Azuma, the clean-up hitter, is sidelined with an injury?
Man, are we lucky or what?
Miki, who had the most at-bats on the team, isn't on the roster either.
We got lucky with that, too!
Their first to third batters are all ninth-graders.
Is that supposed to be lucky for us?
Are you sure those three are actually in ninth grade?
I'll see you later, Momiji.
Okay.
Aren't you going to come watch?
Yeah, I still have a few rounds to make.
I'll swing by the café again at night.
See you guys.
He came all the way here just to drop us off even though he's busy.
He's really nice, isn't he?
Gas prices aren't cheap these days, either.
He's always cheerful and tells funny stories,
plus he looks pretty tough when he's quiet.
Why don't you go watch a movie with him next time or something?
Is that all he asked you to say?
Huh?
Oh my.
Why is there five dollars here?
The first-string team's batting first?
Yeah.
They'll be trying to crush our will to fight by running up the score first, I bet.
Then I guess we'll just have to show them
the skill that's lost us those six practice games.
Indeed.
Could I confirm one thing, Acting Principal?
Hm?
You didn't actually approve of that "bet," did you?
The one about whichever coach loses the game having to quit?
That's just something that old man's wishful thinking came up with.
I don't even remember giving him an answer.
Play ball!
What are you doing, Ko?!
We suddenly have the bases loaded with nobody out.
How do you like those middle schoolers, Azuma?
I'd say at least one of their at-bats was—
Is this seat taken?
We can't have you keep intruding without permission, old man.
Unauthorized personnel are not—
M-Mr. Chairman!
Strike three!
Oh my.
Looks like the offense sputtered all of a sudden.
Three strikeouts after giving up three hits in a row?
Are those three ninth-graders really that good?
Nope.
Our ace just doesn't know how to start a game properly.
What on earth are you doing, giving up three hits to middle schoolers?!
Well, it's just that...
My head and my body both picked up a strange habit.
I heard that
whichever coach loses this game has to resign?
Who told you such a thing?
I heard the coach over there talking about it.
That was just Coach Maeno's wishful thinking.
It hasn't been approved by anyone.
I approved it.
Come on, bring it!
Huh?
Strike three!
And that's how an ace should start a game.
Will that be a problem?
I approved that whichever coach loses this game has to resign.
No.
That won't be a problem at all.
They lost all six of their practice games.
I should definitely be held liable
if we were to lose against such a team.
Let's shut them out!
Is your grandpa all right?
He just said something to the vice principal over at that bench.
Did he?
That's quite an attitude he's got there.
Who is he exactly?
He's the chairman of Seishu Academy's Executive Board.
He shouldn't be doing that, even if he's the chairman...
Did you say chairman?
Man, Ko gave up another hit.
Thanks to that, our "awesome relief pitcher" is glaring at him with menacing eyes.
No worries.
So the bases are loaded with no outs again.
And we have the three ninth-graders up for the second time.
Just when we were gifting them with an out, they made an error.
They sure like to keep themselves reserved, don't they?
No wonder they lost all six of their practice games.
Are you aware, Coach?
On who those six opponents, that the Prefab squad played against, are?
How should I know that?
Right.
Strike three!
Three strikeouts again, huh?
You punk!
Ow!
You're doing it on purpose, aren't you?
I'm not doing anything on purpose today.
I can't just skillfully choose what pitch I throw like you do.
Huh?
Looks like your body's programmed itself after those six practice games you pitched;
it's programmed itself to get serious when you're up against the wall.
Listen, Ko, pitch like we're in the second half of the game starting the next inning,
and then as if we're playing extra innings, okay?
The second half... and extra innings, huh?
All right, I'll do that.
Hold on here.
My my, this is turning out to be quite a pitching duel.
I never would have guessed that old man was the chairman, though.
But this is good news for us.
No matter if we win or lose, we can just ask him to—
He won't do it.
My grandpa's pretty stubborn when it comes to things like that,
so he'll always keep a promise even if it's a promise made to a bad person.
But never fear: Justice always prevails!
Y-Yeah.
Out!
All right, Ko. We're in extra innings mode.
Your mindset has to be that it'll be over if you give up a even single run.
Got it.
Who were those six teams that they played, Azuma?
Shotoku, Ishigami Commercial, Sen Daisan;
Seihoku, Kicchouji and Kinjo.
They're all teams that ranked in the top eight in the Summer Qualifiers.
You're out!
On top of that,
he was pitching as if it was fielding practice until the middle of each game,
and let his opponents get hits off him.
To prove that,
he's only give up one run in the seventh, eight, and ninth innings
in all of the six games put together.
Strike three!
D-Daimon!
Please stay seated.
The game's still 0-0.
Out!
Our ace has still not allowed a single runner on base!
You're out!
Perfect.
But even their bottom of the order hitters are starting to hit his pitches now.
Out!
Strike!
Strike two!
Looks like they changed their strategy.
That kind of a breaking ball isn't anything we can't handle!
Yes.
Ball.
If only he didn't have that fastball.
Strike three!
Strike!
Strike two!
Strike three!
Exactly what are they aiming for?
It's the seventh inning;
Kamikawa's breaking balls should be losing their edge now,
plus they're back at the top of their batting order.
My my.
There goes his perfect game and his no hitter.
All right!
Do you want us to send her home?
No.
Huh?
Safe!
Did you want us to steal bases?
No...
Huh?
Safe!
I only asked Senda to keep the ball rolling...
We won't even be able to signal for a squeeze if she keeps this up.
At least get it to the outfield if you're going to hit it in the air.
That's too close.
It might be, but...
Throw it home!
Safe!
We did it!
Nice run!
I would have brought you home comfortably even if you hadn't gone all out like that.
You have let me down many times in the past, you know.
That's because you don't usually expect anything from me.
Huh?
See?
You let me down again.
Vice Principal,
or perhaps I should call you Acting Principal?
O-Oh no, feel free to call me whatever you want.
I've never said anything about the school's affairs in the past few years.
I was thoroughly satisfied, enjoying a slow life of retirement,
drinking every day in full-confidence that the school was in good hands
under the currently-hospitalized Principal Kato.
But some data concerning the school's accounting was delivered to me recently.
From what I've heard,
the data was from a teacher that has fallen into disfavor with you,
so I figured that it was perhaps just someone trying to get back at you.
T-That's right!
It couldn't be anything but nonsense!
The currently-hospitalized Principal Kato trusts you very much.
Even now.
I-I'm honored.
I won't be checking to see if that report is indeed true...
if you win this game, that is.
Damn it!
Look, Kitamura!
That run just now was made as a product of my and Tsukishima's love!
Protect it with your life!
W-Whoa.
Huh?
Don't strain yourself.
I'll be happy to sub in for you any time.
You idiot.
This is where I start showing my true skill.
Ball four!
Come on!
Strike three!
I want a batter who can stir things up.
Like Miki.
You've brought together too many half-assed sluggers in this team.
Strike three!
I don't think these guys are really trying to win.
Why don't you tell them...
exactly what will happen if they lose this game.
Be quiet!
You're out!
Safe!
All right!
We tallied another run with the bottom of our batting order!
This is a big one for us!
Justice always prevails.
Vice Principal?
I beg your pardon.
Acting Principal?
Y-Yes?
Perhaps we'll get to see how much of the devil's luck you have with you.
D-Daimon!
Strike three!
How can this be...
Strike three!
... possible?
Let's admit it.
He's a totally different pitcher from the one we saw in the send-off game.
He's, without a doubt, better
than any other pitcher this year.
Game over!
All right!
What's that proud smile supposed to mean?
Ao!
Yay!
Waka,
that guy... won.
So that coach quit, huh?
What happened to the guys on the first-string team, then?
They all changed schools, except for one.
Come on, Azuma.
Thanks to you, we have more spectators watching us now.
It's not just because of me.
Aoba's going on a date?
I wonder what kind of guy she said okay to.
Next time, on Cross Game Episode Seventeen:
How exhausting.
That's a strange way to eat.
Did you watch my "How to Draw Nomo" song?
Send in your own versions, too!
We'll be sending wonderful presents to the lucky winners!