Chapter 267: Crushing Victory!
"Whoa!!!"
"That was an amazing hit!!"
The Seidou dugout erupted with cheers and excitement.
Unknowingly, the opening game at Koshien had already reached the bottom of the 8th inning. Barring any surprises, this would be Seidou's final turn at bat.
And yet, the team hadn't let up for even a moment.
Kuramochi sprinted stylishly across home plate, but no one paid him much attention. All eyes were instead on the first-year pinch-hitter who had just stepped onto the field—Haruichi Kominato.
He had come in to bat for his older brother, and on his very first appearance, delivered a clean base hit that brought in another run for Seidou.
That single run may have only been one of Seidou's fifteen total, but for a freshman in his first-ever Koshien game, it was an achievement to be proud of.
The Seidou bench was more than satisfied, and the crowd was equally amazed.
"That kid's a first-year too?"
"Of course! He's one of three first-years out there. He's the younger brother of Kominato Ryousuke, Seidou's second batter. It's rare to see a pair of brothers on the Koshien stage."
A Seidou fan eagerly explained to those around him, his voice rising with excitement.
"A freshman, huh? That's incredible!!"
Their monster first-year ace, Furuya, had hit a home run and driven in multiple runs—five in total, the most in the tournament so far.
That record might stand for a while.
Another first-year, Sawamura, had replaced Furuya on the mound and held his own. While he hadn't scored at bat, he pitched solidly and kept a clean sheet during his time on the mound.
By the time he stepped down, Seidou was up 10–0.
Now, yet another freshman had stepped in and smacked a clean hit, bringing in their 15th run.
The scoreboard now read 15–2.
Unexpectedly, Ichizen High had managed to score two runs—back in the seventh inning.
Seidou had been dominating until that point, with both first-year pitchers giving up nothing. Fans had even begun to believe Ichizen wouldn't score at all.
It wasn't just Seidou fans being cocky—it was the vibe in the entire stadium.
But reality has a way of turning things upside down.
After Seidou's original ace, Tanba, took the mound, he struggled to get into rhythm and gave up two quick runs.
That moment reminded everyone—players and fans alike—that Seidou was facing a national powerhouse.
They might've looked helpless earlier in the game, but that didn't mean they lacked skill.
Aside from Furuya, none of Seidou's pitchers could confidently guarantee they'd shut down the opponent.
Sawamura may not have allowed any runs, but that didn't mean he hadn't allowed hits.
And Tanba, with just one small mistake, gave up two runs.
Fortunately, Seidou quickly regrouped.
After adjusting their mindset, the players came back looking like a different team entirely.
As the reigning champions of the Kanto tournament and the current kings of West Tokyo, Seidou's strength didn't rely solely on their ace.
They had depth at every position.
Not only did they hold the line defensively, but they also answered with runs of their own—four of them—bringing their lead to 15–2.
While Coach Kataoka wasn't one to stifle his players' competitive drive, once the score reached that point, he gave the signal to ease up.
That was enough.
Their opponent had collapsed mentally—scoring again would be easy.
But continuing to pile on runs relentlessly would be excessive.
Koshien rules required that all nine innings be played, and while more runs would look great on the scoreboard, they would also cost precious stamina—something Seidou would need in the games ahead.
Considering the matches still to come, it was clear that pressing any further would've been unwise.
The bottom of the eighth ended with the score locked at 15–2.
And just like that, the game entered the ninth inning.
To their credit, Ichizen High's players and coaching staff knew when to accept reality. Though they were filled with frustration and unwillingness, they didn't stubbornly cling to false hopes.
Adding to their troubles, Tanba—Seidou's former ace—had rediscovered his rhythm, mixing in curveballs with sharp vertical drop.
Once Tanba truly began to show his form, getting a hit off him became nearly impossible.
"Pop!"
"Out!"
With Yuuki catching the final ball, the game reached its conclusion.
"Game over! Final score: 15–2! After nine hard-fought innings, the victory goes to Seidou High School!"
The moment the announcer's voice faded, the Koshien stands erupted like a tidal wave.
Seidou's fans, joined even by some neutrals, all stood up to applaud.
Through this, they gave their highest respect to the players who took part in the match.
Looking at the score alone, it might seem like a complete blowout—one of those matches that often lack drama.
But the fans in the stands didn't feel that way at all.
Right from the start, Furuya's blazing fastballs lit up the crowd. That alone made this game worth the price of admission.
And that was just the beginning—Seidou's other players followed up with performances that were just as impressive.
Especially the first-years.
This year's freshman class at Seidou wasn't just a successful recruitment—it was a jackpot.
An overwhelming haul of talent.
Had they not witnessed it firsthand, no one would've believed that a single team could recruit so many outstanding players in one year.
Of course, there were differences among them—some were simply strong, others stood out as elite, and a few… were downright terrifying.
But without exception, every one of them was a true baseball prodigy.
"You guys were amazing!"
"Good luck! I'll definitely come watch your next game too!"
"Same here!"
"Furuya-kun, that pitching was incredible!"
Even after the game ended, the compliments from the stands didn't stop.
Seidou's teammates responded immediately.
They lined up and bowed deeply in gratitude toward the stands.
After that came the school anthem.
The team had been preparing for this moment since before the match.
Even Furuya had learned the lyrics and joined in the singing.
"Thanks for the game!"
"Thank you very much!"
As the players said their goodbyes to Ichizen's team, their ace pitcher Wada came over to Furuya with a cheerful grin.
"You were incredible out there!"
He reached out for a handshake so enthusiastically that Furuya felt a little uncomfortable.
For most high school ballplayers, simply making it to Koshien and stepping on the mound was considered a success.
But for Ichizen—an elite powerhouse and local titan in their region—just reaching Koshien wasn't enough.
They came here with bigger dreams and greater expectations.
And now they'd lost, badly.
Even if Wada had a good attitude and wasn't sobbing like some of his teammates, Was it really necessary to be this cheerful?
Out of politeness, Furuya didn't immediately pull his hand away.
Then Wada leaned in and said something that made Furuya blink.
"I've borrowed your good luck for today. Next time we meet, we won't lose."
…Huh?
Seidou's teammates all looked at Wada like he'd just escaped from a mental hospital.
What is this guy even saying?
Ichizen's beautiful coach looked absolutely mortified.
Their ace might've looked smart most of the time, but he had a habit of doing inexplicably dumb things—and there was nothing she could do about it.
"I sincerely apologize," she said, bowing to Coach Kataoka.
"No worries. I'm looking forward to our next match as well," Kataoka replied, serious-faced but polite.
"We'll be at Spring Koshien. You can count on it," the Ichizen coach replied with determined eyes.
"It's a promise."
A rematch had been set.
Though Seidou had completely dominated this match, Furuya and his two fellow first-years still had a long journey ahead on the team.
But come next spring… would Seidou still be this strong?
That much was unclear.
Ichizen's coach clearly understood that.
While Seidou's trio of first-years had stolen the spotlight, it was still the third-years—the seniors—who were the backbone of this powerhouse squad.
Once they graduated, Seidou's strength would inevitably change.
And Ichizen's coach believed that when that happened, they'd get their shot.
After the match ended, the usual celebrations began—but this time, there was also a special post-game press conference.
The players returned to the locker room, still unable to contain their excitement.
"We really won?"
"Guess playing at Koshien isn't as hard as we imagined."
"That was a breeze…"
"Maybe we can actually win the national title."
"What do you mean maybe? We will win it!"
"No doubt about it!!!"
Their confidence was sky-high as they chatted.
Before actually stepping into Koshien, facing powerhouse teams from all over the country, the Seidou players had felt some pressure.
They had no idea how strong their opponents from other regions might be.
In their minds, they'd imagined the opposition to be unbelievably tough.
But when they finally took the field—especially against a nationally known powerhouse—they realized something:
Their opponents… weren't all that scary.
Compared to the teams they faced in the Kanto Tournament, or even in the West Tokyo qualifiers,
Koshien didn't seem that much more difficult.
Chris, watching his teammates gloat, felt a twinge of unease.
The team clearly hadn't realized something important.
After going through the Kanto tournament and the grueling Tokyo qualifiers, their own team had grown immensely stronger.
Forget comparing themselves to Ichizen.
Compared to their own past selves, Seidou was on a whole different level now.
That was why this win had felt so easy.
The game didn't seem difficult because they'd gotten better—not because Koshien was simple.
But was Koshien really this easy?
Not at all.
Because teams that make it to Koshien come from vastly different backgrounds.
Some regions are stacked with talent; others, less so.
So in the early rounds, it's possible to face weaker opponents.
But the deeper you go in the tournament, the tougher the competition becomes.
Take Ichizen, for instance.
Their region wasn't especially competitive, and they were the dominant team there.
That dominance helped earn them the "powerhouse" label, especially after stringing together wins at Koshien in the past.
But in the eyes of true baseball insiders, they weren't quite on the level of Japan's elite programs.
"Which is exactly why Koshien gets harder the further you go."
"You might draw a weaker team in the first round, but by the time you hit the quarterfinals or semifinals… that's when the real challenge begins."
Chris really wanted to remind everyone.
But the mood in the locker room was so good—he didn't want to ruin it.
He smiled wryly to himself.
Maybe I'm just overthinking it. Surely the guys know all this deep down. They're just letting off steam while they can…
While the team was still celebrating, Ota burst into the room.
"Miyuki, Furuya-kun, Captain Yuuki, and Sawamura—you four, come with me."
Post-game interviews were a tradition after big games like this.
And with the match broadcast live on TV, it was a perfect opportunity.
As the opening-game winners, Seidou had earned the spotlight.
But only a few players would be chosen for the interview segment.
In that sense, it was no surprise that team captain Yuuki, ace Furuya, and field general Miyuki were selected.
They were Seidou's "Big Three."
But what no one saw coming was the last name called: Sawamura.
Why him?
Practically everyone in the room turned to look at Sawamura.
Especially his roommate Kuramochi, who was eyeing him suspiciously.
Even Sawamura himself looked stunned.
"Me?"
Sure, he always bragged about being a genius and tried to challenge Furuya.
But deep down, he didn't really think he was on the same level yet.
"Yes, you,"
Ota replied firmly.
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