"Sigh~"
Takagi, Coach of Seika Academy's Baseball Club, had lost count of how many times he had sighed today. In over ten years of coaching, this was the first time his team had reached Koshien. Their school had erupted in celebration for half a month straight, from the faculty to the students.
When the tournament draw revealed they received a first-round bye, their entire school felt they were blessed by Lady Luck herself.
But then… their second-round opponent was Seidou.
Takagi's heart shattered on the spot.
How could they possibly win? No matter how he analyzed it, they were inferior in every aspect. Their only slight advantage might be that Seidou had less information on them.
"Everyone, don't let their reputation shake your spirit!" Coach Takagi shouted, gathering the team. "Don't forget—we fought through round after round to stand here. We are not weaker than anyone! Imagine it! If we defeat Seidou here, how shocked will all those people online be?"
"Remember—Seidou are high school students. And you are also high school students. Why can they win, but you can't?!"
His words lit a fire inside the Seika players.
"Kazashima, we're counting on you!"
"Eita, it's all up to you!"
One after another, they placed their hopes on their Ace, Kazashima Eita.
Kazashima scratched his cheek with a helpless smile. He wasn't arrogant enough to think he could shut down Seidou's lineup entirely. But for his teammates and seniors, he would give it everything he had.
"Also…"
Coach Takagi held up a scouting report on Seidou's Ace.
"Seidou's Kanzaki Ryou was injured during the West Tokyo finals. His injury shouldn't be fully healed yet. Seidou definitely won't let him pitch today."
The room stirred.
"So victory is not impossible! We've reached the second round—there's no turning back! Even if the opponent is a powerhouse, we must tear a chunk of flesh from them!"
"Ohhhhh!!!"
August 9th, Day 3 of Summer Koshien
The first-round games had concluded.
In the afternoon, Seidou's bus rolled into Koshien Stadium.
Despite missing Koshien for several years, Seidou's nationwide popularity had never diminished. Their fiery return—defeating two national-level powerhouses in the West Tokyo tournament—made them one of the favorites to win it all.
Over a thousand Seidou students filled the stands, carrying drums, banners, and instruments. The cheer squad and wind ensemble were out in full force.
"Seidou!! Seidou!! Go Seidou!!"
Compared to this overwhelming presence, Seika Academy's smaller cheering section looked tiny.
"This is what a powerhouse looks like… even their support squad is insane."
"Heh… imagine their faces if we win!"
"Quit staring, the warm-up is starting!"
As soon as Seidou stepped onto the field, deafening cheers erupted.
"Kanzaki, how's your condition today?"
Coach Kataoka's sudden question froze the dugout.
No way—was he going to let Kanzaki Ryou pitch today?
Kanzaki blinked in surprise, then nodded.
"I'm good. My back doesn't hurt anymore."
"Good. Start warming up in the bullpen midway through the game," Coach Kataoka said.
The dugout erupted silently.
This was psychological warfare.
Seika Academy definitely believed Kanzaki wouldn't play. Seeing him warm up would throw them into chaos.
"Heh… Coach is surprisingly sly," Miyuki whispered.
"What do you know? That's called a strategy," Azuma Kiyokuni snorted.
Soon, both teams began warm-ups. The precision and speed shown by two Koshien-level teams drew admiration from the crowd.
"It's Kanzaki!"
"He's warming up?!"
"Did his injury heal that fast?"
A new wave of excitement surged through the spectators.
On the other side, Coach Takagi stiffened.
Impossible…
Warm-ups ended, teams shook hands, and Seika Academy was chosen to bat first.
"Azuma," Coach Kataoka said suddenly, smiling. "Since this is our first game at Koshien… want to do it?"
Everyone froze—then grinned.
"Yes!"
This was Koshien. There was no way they'd skip it.
It was time for Seidou's battle roar.
Players stepped out, forming a huge circle.
The entire stadium held its breath.
"This is—!?"
"It's starting!"
"The King's Roar!"
"Who are we?!"
"King Seidou!!"
"Who sweats the most?!"
"Seidou!!"
"Who cries the most?!"
"Seidou!!"
"Are you ready to fight?!"
"OHHHH!!!"
"Carrying the honor of our entire school, we have only one goal—to dominate the nation!!"
"Awoooooooooh!!!"
The stadium exploded in cheers. Even the TV broadcast replayed the scene nationwide.
"Awesome!"
"That gave me chills!"
"I'm a Seidou fan now!"
"Summer Koshien—Second Round, Third Game:
West Tokyo Representative Seidou High School vs. Fukushima Representative Seika Academy—begins!"**
Seidou's starting lineup:
Shida Shota – SS
Kominato Ryosuke – 2B
Yuki Tetsuya – 1B
Azuma Kiyokuni – 3B
Tanaka Wataru – C
Isashiki Jun – CF
Araki Keita – RF
Yoshikawa Junpei – LF
Nanjo Taishi – P