Chapter 88

Short Summary
In the second match against the Eagles, Tokuchi’s starters, Muruwaka and Sugadarai, get five outs between them. Oikawa finally understands the ‘mistake’ Saikawa says Tokuchi has made.

Long Summary
Tokuchi has chosen batters Murukawa and Sugadaira to start the second game against the Eagles. Under the new contract Tokuchi now has the chance to take rest days between pitching. At the Owner’s office, Oikawa calculates that Tokuchi won’t be in the red unless the batters get six outs, which is unlikely since they’re at the bottom of the lineup. Saikawa isn’t concerned.

Muruwaka and Sugadaira both get put out on their first goes. Saikawa laughs that they’ll never score an RBI and Oikawa insists they’re just nervous and will adjust soon. But the Owner says it doesn’t matter and alludes again to the ‘mistake’ he has supposedly found in the new contract. Muruwaka and Sugadaira get put out another time each. The Owner says Tokuchi’s loss is imminent which confuses Oikawa since Tokuchi losing today would only cancel out yesterday’s winnings. He can’t figure out what the mistake might be.

The two batters are replaced in the 7th inning. At the bottom of the eighth, the Lycaons pitcher has runners on first and third with no outs, so Tokuchi volunteers to replace him. He gets three strike outs. The Owner is still unconcerned saying Tokuchi can’t erase the losses from the batters’ outs. Oikawa finally asks him what the lethal loophole is. Saikawa reminds him of what Tokuchi’s words before they’d signed the contract- except for the starting member penalty, everything else about the contract would remain exactly the same. In the game, Tokuchi gets three strike outs in the final inning and the game finishes. The Lycaons have won.

After Saikawa tells him to go look at the old contract for himself, Oikawa finally realises the Owner still has the ability to change the rates of the contract as he pleases. When Tokuchi had told him earlier that day his starters were Sugadaira and Muruwaka, the Owner had set the rate to x20. With today’s 4 outs from the batters, Tokuchi has lost 36.73 million, but multiplied by twenty it's now 733.4 million. Saikawa laughs and says Tokuchi will fall into debt in no time at all. To prevent losing he’ll have to pitch in every match himself and eventually he’ll tire out.

Characters

 * Tokuchi Toua
 * Saikawa: Owner of the Lycaons
 * Oikawa
 * Muruwaka
 * Sugadaira