Kyousuke hasn't
even left his room in days.
I don't know what happened...
But...
Just wait, Kyousuke...
I'm going to start the Little Busters again!
If I can bring everyone to Kyousuke,
I'm sure that will make him smile.
Just like back then.
You'll get Kengo to join us next, right?
Yeah... Kengo.
He'll be tough.
I can't imagine him joining us.
What's your plan?
How did Kyousuke get Kengo to join?
Do you remember how it happened?
Kyousuke challenged Kengo's family dojo.
Challenged his dojo?
One day, Kyousuke heard a rumor
Miyazawa Kengo-kun Wins
that a grade school kid
from our town had won some national kendo tournament.
Our Town's Own Young Swordsman
And that was Kengo?
Miyazawa
He became the local hero...
And since his family owned a dojo,
Kyousuke decided to go and challenge them.
"I request an audience!" he said.
He took on Kengo's dad.
His dad? Why?
Who knows?
But his dad was an instructor, so he was really strong.
After Kyousuke won, Kengo joined us.
Hey, Kengo...
What?
Remember when Kyousuke challenged your dojo?
Why did he fight your father
instead of fighting you?
Riki, I'll warn you now...
It's pointless.
I won't join the Little Busters!
Don't take it any further.
Kengo has already figured out
what I'm trying to do.
Kyousuke, I'm coming in.
Oh, you're awake?
Has something happened?
I want to tell him how powerless I feel.
But Kyousuke's hurt about something.
I have to get stronger.
I just wanted to see you.
You don't want to get sick, so be sure to eat, okay?
See you later.
Kengo is
lying about one thing.
What did you just say?!
Oh? Kyousuke said that?
He told me there's something Kengo's lying about...
That he's actually a twin, and they switch places a lot?
That he's actually sixty years old, and wears full dentures!
Kengo, you were about to use your right hand, weren't you?
But since we were watching, you switched to your left.
Last time, too...
You started to use your right hand, but stopped.
Isn't your injury healed already?
Or maybe...
You weren't ever really injured at all?
What if I wasn't?
Why would you lie about that?
You even dropped out of your kendo match.
Could it be that you didn't want to participate in the match?
If I answer that question,
will you stop trying to gather members for the Little Busters?
You know the secret that I don't, right?
What happened?! Tell me!
Why did our group fall apart?
Very well, I'll tell you
where you'll end up if you keep up what you're doing.
All that will await you is darkness.
What do you mean?
You don't need to know anything...
Just play around and have fun.
I can't do that.
Not if no one smiles anymore, and Kyousuke isn't himself anymore...
I can't have fun like that!
I want to make everyone smile again,
like Kyousuke did for us back then!
I see.
Then I'll be...
leaving you.
What do I do?
Surpass me, Riki...
Become stronger.
I promised him.
Sometime, somewhere,
that I'd be a strong enough leader to surpass him...
So? What are you going to do, Riki?
I won't give up on the Little Busters.
Then Kengo will leave us.
I won't let him.
Is it possible to have both at once?
I'll make it possible.
No matter what I have to do!
If we beat him with strength, he'll join us.
You think Kengo is that simple?
He might be even more simple than I am.
After all, he's really an idiot.
But can I even defeat Kengo?
Since he was a kid, he's never lost a match.
I've never even picked up a bamboo sword.
Riki!
Baseball...
We'll challenge him at baseball!
But I only started playing catch recently.
It might be a pretty good match.
Masato...
You never know who'll win a match until you try it!
You're right.
With that settled, let's get practicing!
Yeah!
Kengo, I've been looking for you...
You were here?
I won't give up.
I challenge you to a baseball match.
We'll compete for real.
If I win, you join the Little Busters...
You'll agree to that, right?
After school tomorrow, I'll be waiting on the field.
Riki, you don't know this world's secret.
The same things have repeated over and over.
You've forgotten everything...
Let's play baseball.
Riki challenged me to a baseball match.
I pity him...
He's forgotten the match we had before!
The partner pitches the ball.
The first team to hit it out of the park three times is the winner.
To protect Rin and Riki, I faced off against you.
Here I go, Kengo.
I can do this!
Koushiki?!
Why are you here now?!
Don't play around...
These are cheap tricks!
Kyousuke!
This game is called.
That was foul play.
You used the workings of this world that Riki doesn't know about to trick me.
You even violated morals
to see your personal plan through.
And what happened?
It failed!
You pushed Riki and Rin into darkness.
Because your plan ended in miserable failure,
you became a coward and blamed yourself!
You got what you deserved.
Yeah, you're right.
Riki and Rin are weak.
They're children who can do nothing but run away.
We have to protect them!
They won't be children forever.
Everyone grows up...
Even in a closed-off world like this?!
I will win.
I'll win, and I'll tell Riki...
That we're protecting him, and all he needs to do is have fun.
Riki...
Once I take care of this match,
I'll protect you and Rin with all the strength I have.
For as long as I can remain in this world.
One-on-one...
We'll each hit the other's pitches.
The first to hit a home run wins.
Heads or tails?
Tails.
Tails it is.
Then I'll go second.
I'll be the umpire and catcher.
It doesn't matter how many balls you throw,
but three strikes, and the batter's out.
This is the only time I'll appear as a threat.
Once this contest ends, I'll be on your side.
You'll see how dependable I am...
Play ball!
...with this pitch!
Strike!
Riki, you can't hit it unless you swing.
Right!
This isn't even a contest.
Nothing will take victory from me!
Here it comes!
Strike!
If you want, you can quit now.
Not a chance!
In that case...
Swing and a miss! You're out!
He nicked it... That's a foul ball.
Nice job making contact.
I can't let this end yet.
Regardless, that's two strikes.
With this pitch...
It's over!
Foul!
Another foul.
Ow...
Riki...
I'm okay...
Why?
Why won't you give up?!
Riki,
why do you persist?
You don't have to stand against me...
Just let me
keep protecting you!
I'm going to make you one of us.
I'm going to make us all one!
Right now, I'm the Little Busters'...
...leader!
It can't be.
You did it! You did it! You did it!
Does this mean it isn't possible to reset everything, after all?
It isn't over!
If I hit one, it's a tie!
You okay, Riki?
Yeah.
You've already spent all your strength...
No, I can keep going.
Time out.
Pitcher change!
We're changing pitchers.
H-Huh?
The ace shows up when you need them most.
Rin...
This is a serious match between Riki and me!
I'm serious, too.
Riki stood against you for real.
I'll do the same.
Kengo, I want to work hard alongside Rin!
Maybe you two really are connected...
Even now, somewhere.
Then, I'll just have to show you both.
Fine.
Thanks, Kengo.
In that case...
Riki, you're the catcher.
Resume the game!
Here I go.
Bring it on!
Your lack of control isn't worth a comment.
Don't worry about it, Rin... Relax your shoulders.
My shoulders...
Like this?
What?
Foul.
There was no reason to swing at a ball.
All right, Rin... That's the way!
Ball.
But that time, it was close to the strike zone!
They're getting better and better!
I'll try hard.
Like Riki!
Foul...
That one would've been a strike!
A strike? And that was a perfect pitch, a bit high.
Why couldn't I hit a home run?
That's two strikes... Just one more pitch!
One more pitch?
Is my back against the wall?
I actually feel pressure?
Is their zeal pushing me back?
I've dedicated my entire life to winning.
I've trained both body and mind to be strong...
Victory will be mine this time, too!
I like the way the sky looks from here.
I've seen this sky somewhere before.
Rin-chan!
Rin-kun, if your pitches get hit, we'll back you up from behind.
That's right!
Throw that sucker!
Believe in us... Your friends!
Don't be afraid!
Rin, the one thing you can do now is to throw as hard as you can!
Right!
Right down the middle!
You're mine!
A rising meow fastball, huh?
Strike... Batter out.
That's the game!
Impossible... I lost?
I was supposed to be invincible and win here.
Then what was it for?
That whole life I dedicated to winning...
How was that? I defeated your dad.
Now no one can make you play just to win or lose.
Didn't you really want to be another idiot, and have fun playing with us?
You got that right.
I'm Natsume Kyousuke.
Starting today, we're friends.
Kengo, come with me!
Yeah... Take me with you.
Kyousuke...
Why are you crying?
They're tears of regret...
I wanted...
I wanted to play more...
With all of you!
Want to continue baseball a little longer?
Winning and losing don't matter anymore...
Let's play, Kengo.
Let's have fun like idiots!
Let's play.
Wait...
Let me cry...
Just a little longer...
Episode 9 A Friend's Tears
The end of the world is drawing near.
Episode 10 And Now, I Repeat It All
Next time...
And Now, I Repeat It All.