With Takashima Rei urging everyone to focus—and after learning that the beauty earlier was indeed Kanzaki Ryou's older sister—all the players who had been gossiping instantly lost interest. Whether jealous or simply frustrated, they could only drop the topic and get back to preparing for the game.
Meanwhile, inside Inashiro Industrial's locker room…
Little Blondie, Narumiya Mei, was also warming up. A wide, uncontrollable grin was plastered on his face, and he would occasionally let out delighted chuckles for no apparent reason.
"Mei! Did you memorize all the intel about Seidou High School's batting lineup that I asked you to review yesterday?"
Harada Masatoshi walked over, his tone strict and heavy with responsibility.
For today's game, the coaches had already decided that Narumiya Mei would pitch. Harada knew that facing Seidou—especially in a final—was not something they could take lightly. Even a genius freshman couldn't afford to be careless.
"Relax, relax. Leave it to me. Victory is guaranteed." Mei flashed a bright, confident grin.
Though the Capital Tournament championship didn't carry much prestige, and both Inashiro and Seidou had already secured spots in the Kanto Tournament… the real problem was pride.
The West Tokyo Big Three had been rivals for years. Their grudges alone could fill volumes.
Meeting in the finals meant only one thing:
Losing was unacceptable.
Especially for Seidou, who had lost more often than they'd won in the past two years—today was their chance for revenge.
Harada frowned, unsatisfied with Mei's carefree attitude. The kid had talent, yes. Strength too. But personality-wise?
A walking problem.
Still… everything would be decided on the field.
As time passed, the stadium gradually filled. Even though this wasn't the Summer Tournament, a matchup like Seidou vs. Inashiro was enough to ignite immense interest.
Half an hour before the game, every seat was already full.
Seidou's brass band, cheer team, and lines of students were shouting excitedly, watching the players warm up on the field.
Eventually, the warm-ups ended.
The atmosphere grew electric.
"Azuma!"
"Let's do it."
Coach Kataoka's voice halted the players just as they were about to take the field. Every Seidou player froze mid-step, then turned back with sudden excitement burning in their eyes.
"Yes!!"
Azuma Kiyokuni straightened his posture.
"Gather up!"
All the first-string players rushed out of the dugout. Even Kanzaki Ryou and Miyuki Kazuya were dragged into the circle by their seniors.
They already knew what was coming.
It was time.
"It's happening!"
"Quiet!"
"I'm so fired up!!"
The Seidou fans who recognized the formation trembled with excitement.
Even Inashiro's players paused, watching solemnly—they'd seen this before.
In the center, Azuma bent down, placing a hand over his chest. Everyone followed.
Ryou's heart pounded wildly.
His blood boiled.
This was Seidou's soul.
Azuma inhaled deeply—
And roared:
"WHO ARE WE?!"
"KING SEIDOU!!"
"WHO SWEATS THE MOST?!"
"SEIDOU!!"
"WHO CRIES THE MOST?!"
"SEIDOU!!"
"ARE YOU READY TO FIGHT?!"
"YEESS!!!!"
"BEARING THE HONOR OF THE ENTIRE SCHOOL, WE HAVE ONLY ONE GOAL—TO DOMINATE THE NATION!!"
"LET'S DO THIS!!!"
"OHHHHHH!!!!"
A thousand fingers pointed skyward.
The crowd erupted.
"THAT'S SEIDOU!!!"
"I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!"
"This is what it means to be a powerhouse!"
A few Seidou alumni shed emotional tears.
Even Inashiro players felt it.
"So cool…"
Narumiya Mei's eyes sparkled like a kid in a candy store.
Harada gave him a look. "What? Regretting not joining Seidou?"
Instantly, all the seniors glared daggers at Mei.
"No! No no no!" Mei waved his hands frantically. "I just thought… maybe we could have a slogan too? It'd be really cool!"
His sudden suggestion actually made a few Inashiro players pause.
Having their own slogan… didn't sound bad.
They all glanced toward Coach Kunitomo, who remained expressionless.
(Not a bad idea… but later. After the game.)
"Spring Tokyo Tournament Finals!"
"Seidou High School vs. Inashiro Industrial—BEGIN!"
Without loud televised commentary, the stadium relied on raw energy alone.
But that energy was overwhelming.
Brass bands clashed, fans screamed, and the very air vibrated with tension.
In the A-section behind third base, Kanzaki Mamiko sat in the front row, adjusting her tripod and focusing her camera. Her first live baseball experience filled her with excitement—everything was fascinating.
On the field, Seidou's starters took their defensive positions.
Top of the first inning—Inashiro attacks, Seidou defends.
As the starting pitcher, Nanjo Taishi felt intense pressure.
Inashiro's batting lineup was stronger than Ichidai Third's by far.
He exhaled, steadied himself, locked onto Tanaka-senpai's glove—
—and pitched.
The moment the ball left his hand, he felt it—
That's a good one.
Snap!
"Niceball!"
Nanjo smirked.
He could feel it—today, he was in excellent condition.
"Niceball!"
"Niceball!"
Three pitches.
Three strikes.
Inashiro's leadoff batter went down easily.
The sudden appearance of the cutter ball caught Inashiro completely off guard. Their scouting reports had zero record of Nanjo ever throwing one.
"Isn't it a bit early to use the cutter ball…?"
Ota whispered nervously in the dugout.
Shouldn't a new pitch be saved for emergencies?
Wouldn't revealing it this early allow Inashiro to adapt later?
Coach Kataoka calmly answered:
"Nanjo's cutter ball isn't as stable as his high-speed slider. Once his stamina drops, its quality will fall sharply."
"By showing it early, we force Inashiro to stay wary from the very first pitch. With that impression planted, Tanaka's pitch-calling options will increase greatly."
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