By the time Kawaji's left fielder picked up the baseball, Isashiki was already only a few meters away from home plate.
In the end, Isashiki Jun successfully scored Seidou's first run, Araki Keita advanced safely to second base, and Yoshikawa Junpei made it to first.
"Jun-san! You ran surprisingly fast."
"Haha, that's nothing. I can do that easily," Isashiki Jun said proudly as he returned to the dugout.
"If Yoshikawa hadn't fooled Kawaji's defense, you would've been a goner," Tanaka Wataru teased.
"If things hadn't turned out like that, I wouldn't have run like that," Isashiki shot back.
Everyone laughed, then turned their attention back to the field. Nanjo Taishi stepped into the batter's box. He managed to hit safely and reach first base, but Araki was forced out, and even Yoshikawa came dangerously close to being tagged.
On the mound, Aomi Rin twisted his neck and exhaled sharply. Since the start of the second inning, Seidou had been placing runners on base nonstop. Even though he expected to give up runs eventually, the constant pressure was grating on his nerves. His tension never eased for a single moment.
"Shida! Drive him in!"
"Score another one!"
"Make it 2–0!"
Even though Seidou finally scored, the fans wanted more. Two innings had passed with runners on base every time, yet only one run had crossed the plate. The frustration was building in the stands.
But baseball wasn't that simple.
Shida Shota struck out swinging, and Seidou once again failed to widen the gap. The top of the second inning ended with the score still 1–0.
Nanjo handled Kawaji's cleanup hitter beautifully but gave up a single to the fifth batter. Even so, he kept the rest of the lineup in check. Kawaji's runner stayed stranded.
Seidou began their offense again.
Kominato Ryosuke reached base.
Yuki blasted a long hit to right field, sending him to second.
Then Azuma Kiyokuni stepped up and hammered a high Forkball straight into the stands.
A three-run home run.
4–0.
Aomi Rin froze on the mound.
He had spent the entire game pinning his pitches low, knowing his speed wasn't enough against Seidou's lineup. But the one pitch he mislocated…
Azuma sent it flying.
"Was he a monster…?" Aomi Rin muttered through clenched teeth.
He knew the answer.
"Azuma-senpai, that was insane!" Kanzaki Ryou laughed.
Kanzaki Ryou snickered and patted Azuma's firm stomach.
"All that muscle paid off."
Whack!
Azuma slapped his hand away.
"Your comments are still as annoying as ever!"
Then he grinned and patted Kanzaki Ryou, Seidou's first-year power hitter.
"Your batting is amazing too, kid. Too bad you didn't play last game, and you've only got two innings today. Otherwise, I'd compete with you—see who hits more home runs."
Ryou crossed his arms.
"My job is to pitch. Batting will happen when it happens."
"That's true," Azuma laughed. "If you weren't pitching, we wouldn't even be at Koshien to begin with."
Everyone nodded.
Seidou's hopes for the championship relied heavily on Kanzaki Ryou's arm.
Back on the Field
Aomi Rin, burning with frustration but refusing to collapse, struck out Tanaka Wataru and Isashiki Jun in quick succession. Kawaji's fans roared — but their joy didn't last long.
Araki Keita smacked a clean single, reigniting Seidou's fire.
But Yoshikawa struck out, ending the inning.
By the sixth inning, the score reached 8–0.
Coach Kataoka stepped out of the dugout and signaled for a substitution. Nanjo Taishi left the mound, and Tanba Koichiro took over.
With his solid performance in the previous game, Tanba had his confidence back. But Seidou's defense once again had to work, as Kawaji's lineup played a steady, contact-oriented style that resembled Seika's.
After two innings, Tanba allowed one run and was replaced. Meanwhile, Seidou added two more runs, bringing the score to 10–1.
And then—
Coach Kataoka raised his hand to the umpire.
The crowd reacted instantly.
A wave of cheers rolled through Koshien. The brass band blared, the cheer squad moved in perfect rhythm, and the entire stadium trembled.
Because—
Kanzaki Ryou
Seidou's first-year ace.
The pitcher hailed as the strongest combination of power and precision.
The player everyone in Japan was waiting to see.
was finally entering the game.
The media pointed every lens toward the dugout.
Kanzaki Ryou and Miyuki Kazuya stepped out together. They bumped fists and smiled.
"Let's go, partner."
"Yeah. Our first Koshien battle."
As the eighth inning began, Ryou and Miyuki walked onto the field. The stadium erupted with the loudest cheers of the day.
Kanzaki Ryou stood on the mound and slowly swept his gaze over the massive stadium.
So this is Koshien…?
It felt completely different from watching from the bench.
He raised his head toward the scorching sun, closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and let the air of Koshien fill his lungs.
Then—
He lifted his right arm.
A brief, silent pause.
And then he dropped it.
The entire stadium…
fell silent at once.
Every eye was fixed on Seidou's Invincible Ace.