The members of the Seidou High School baseball team hadn't even made it to Koshien yet when they suddenly heard a series of wild howls and roars coming from the Koshien stadium.
One could imagine that something truly jaw-dropping must have just occurred there.
Something that would stir the audience and fans to their core.
"What's going on?"
The members of the Seidou High School baseball team exchanged puzzled glances.
They couldn't understand what had happened.
Could it be that a monumental battle had just taken place on this field?
Even when they had played their games, they didn't think such a spectacle had occurred, did they?
But this was the Seidou High School baseball team, and they were overly humble.
When Seidou High School played, if they were outside the Koshien stadium watching their own game…
They could actually feel the entire stadium shaking.
Other teams' games might not be a big deal, but Seidou High School's matches were no joke. If things went wrong, the 50,000 spectators in the stands could go completely mad.
And the entire Koshien stadium would be affected.
However, the members of the Seidou High School baseball team didn't know about this at the time because they were all inside the stadium.
When they were inside the Koshien stadium, it was impossible for them to see how the whole venue had changed.
In fact, when Seidou High School played, the atmosphere was even more intense.
But now, the commotion in the stadium wasn't small either. Even if it didn't match the grandeur of Seidou High School's game, it was only a hair's breadth away.
Strangely enough, the members of the Seidou High School baseball team felt a heavy cloud hanging over their hearts, preventing them from shaking off their unease.
"Let's go take a look."
Miyuki led the way, rushing out.
Right behind him, another figure followed closely.
"Follow the rules, and don't stray on your own."
The vice-captain, Maezono, immediately said.
However, his words came a little too late. By the time he spoke, everyone who needed to rush out had already gone.
The members of the Seidou High School baseball team climbed up to the stands of Koshien and saw the teams that were currently playing.
One of these teams was the biggest rival they had in their group.
Seijitsu High School.
This was a team that even the Seidou High School baseball team didn't dare to underestimate.
Their strength was formidable. While it was difficult for them to fight for the championship, with a bit of luck, they could still aim for a top-four finish.
Could there be a powerful figure emerging from Seijitsu?
The members of the Seidou High School baseball team felt a heavy sense of foreboding.
This was their instinctive thought and the most logical one at that. As a regular contender in Koshien and a prestigious private school, Seijitsu was the top school in their region. Naturally, the best players from the same region gathered there.
Hadn't they already produced a formidable batter before?
That batter was from the same class as Sawamura and the others. He looked a bit silly and not too sharp, but his hitting instincts were exceptional. He caused a sensation at Koshien, second only to Raichi.
A legitimate top star.
Having someone like that was already a significant threat to the Seidou High School baseball team. If another outstanding player emerged from Seijitsu, the upcoming matches would likely become even more troublesome.
The Seidou High School baseball team wasn't worried about not being able to win, but rather that they might have to exert too much energy and stamina in a single match.
After the top eight, there would be no easy matches.
The Seidou High School baseball team's situation was looking rather not easy looking.
At this critical juncture, when they were about to become legends, encountering such a troublesome issue was truly frustrating.
"Let's face whatever comes. We'll deal with it."
Miyuki, full of passion, was preparing to give one of his usual pep talks.
However, before he could speak, Miyuki suddenly noticed someone beside him with their mouth wide open, staring in astonishment.
"What the…!"
The one who spoke was Sawamura, someone who was least likely to show surprise.
Miyuki refocused his attention on the field, looking at the two teams, searching for whatever could have caused Sawamura's surprise.
The players in the dugouts couldn't yet tell.
But on the field, Miyuki didn't see anything particularly noteworthy.
Miyuki couldn't figure out what could possibly make Sawamura take notice.
"Look at the score!"
Just as he was about to ask, Sawamura pointed at the scoreboard.
2:0!
The game had entered the eighth inning and was nearing its end.
Seijitsu, a powerhouse team, was only leading by a small margin.
For a team of their caliber, it seemed unbelievable that they were only ahead by such a narrow score.
"Seijitsu's strength isn't as strong as we imagined."
Kuramochi, who had just rushed up to the stands, glanced at the score and blurted out.
Miyuki, in front of him, rolled his eyes in response.
"Idiot, open your eyes and take a good look. Who's actually ahead?"
When they saw the score was 2:0, the Seidou High School baseball team instinctively thought that Seijitsu was leading.
In the eighth inning, the team leading was...
Kanetsu-Norin High School!!!
The players of the Seidou High School baseball team were all stunned.
A team that could pose a threat to Seidou High School's baseball team was, unbelievably, mercilessly beaten by a traditional weakling in the first round of the Koshien.
Kanetsu-Norin, a school whose history they wouldn't even know unless they dug deep on the internet.
A public school.
Yet, in this Koshien stadium, they had Seijitsu, a traditional powerhouse, completely on the back foot.
According to the data displayed on the big screen, until now, Seijitsu hadn't even made a single hit.
A shutout!
That is, no hits, no runs.
At least so far, that's the situation the two teams have shown.
Although they hadn't seen Kanetsu-Norin's pitcher throw yet, just this data was enough to make the Seidou High School baseball team's teammates wary.
"These guys... are they really this strong?"
Kuramochi Youichi said with a bitter face.
Seidou High School's baseball team, on the verge of becoming legendary, faced their last Koshien as third-year students.
And they ran into this dark horse?
Kuramochi didn't even know how to describe his feelings right now.
It was complicated.
"Doesn't Seijitsu have the monster, Houken? That guy can even compete with Raichi."
With such a batter existing, Seijitsu still couldn't handle their opponent.
They hadn't even made a hit...
This signal was not a good one.
"That guy is probably all show. When compared to Raichi, he's still far behind." Said Sawamura.
Hearing the Demon King's words, the Seidou High School baseball team teammates couldn't help but smile.
It made sense.
Houken might show off in front of others, but against the Demon King, he could only bow out.
Of course, not everyone was so easily fooled.
Miyuki, after hearing Sawamura's words, looked quite surprised.
'Sawamura... is actually serious!'
In the past, no matter how unexpected their opponents were, Sawamura always kept a confident and optimistic attitude.
It was as if he had confidence in his own strength and could easily suppress his opponents.
This made him rethink the opponent in front of them.
Kanetsu-Norin!
Was there something that even Sawamura was paying attention to?
Miyuki quickly realized something.
Because in the bottom of the 8th inning, the two most eye-catching players from both teams were about to face off.
Kanetsu-Norin's Ace pitcher, the super monster who had shut out the powerhouse Seijitsu.
Was about to face Seijitsu's cleanup hitter, Houken.
"A monster versus a monster!"
"Strike him out!!"
"You're the best."
"Finish him off without giving him a chance."
There were sparse cheers from the stands.
From the cheer, the Seidou High School team could vaguely judge the current situation.
And the past matchups.
In the previous two encounters, once a strikeout, once a catch.
Houken, the so-called monster, had been completely suppressed by the opponent, having no chance to fight back.
This result was very unexpected for the Seidou High School teammates.
They hadn't thought that the Ace pitcher in front of them could be this strong.
But they hadn't expected the opponent's power to be this overwhelming.
Over 80% of the cheers were for the dark horse, Kanetsu-Norin.
Even though Seijitsu had the backing of a prestigious school and numerous fans.
Only about 20% of their supporters were left at this moment.
Though these 20% were shouting with all their might, they still seemed weak compared to the larger crowd on the other side.
"Are the elite supporters outnumbered by the public school?"
By observing such a small detail, one could see a lot of interesting things.
For example, the Seidou High School baseball team teammates keenly noticed that Kanetsu-Norin's advantage was not just reflected in the score but also in the momentum of the game.
If they hadn't built such confidence in the audience with their performance, the atmosphere would not be this way.
Roaaar!
Then they saw a player named Hoshitaru throw the ball with all his might.
The game was nearing its end, and even now, when they saw him throw, they could still feel his unyielding will and power.
"What?"
"This fast?"
This wasn't a mere illusion. After witnessing his pitch, everyone could feel his strength.
The little baseball seemed unstoppable, ready to destroy anything in its path.
Houken, the monster in the Batter's Box, saw this ball and was filled with hatred.
Seijitsu had come to Koshien with huge ambitions.
They were determined to defeat Seidou High School's baseball team and dethrone them.
They absolutely could not let the legend slip away.
With such determination, Houken had originally planned to face Sawamura head-on.
After the groupings were decided, the reporters asked them how they felt about being placed in the same group as the top seed, the king of high school baseball.
"No matter how strong our opponent is, in the end, we will win."
At that time, Seijitsu's captain confidently declared.
His words showed Seijitsu's resolve.
Their goal was set on the Seidou High School baseball team.
They had to bring down the king and then ascend to the top.
"Haha, let Sawamura get ready!"
Houken made such bold statements.
If anyone else had said that, they would've been questioned.
Did they really think the Demon King was a pushover, ready to be taken down?
But when Houken said it, nobody was surprised.
One reason was that Houken was one of the top hitters in the high school. It made perfect sense for him to set his sights on Sawamura Eijun.
For someone like that, no one took his grandiose words too seriously.
But just because people didn't care didn't mean Houken didn't.
He meant every word he said, and he was responsible for it.
Now, his big talk was out there, and all the fans knew he was going to challenge the Demon King.
And yet, he had been defeated by this unknown kid, blocking him before he even faced the Demon King.
This was unacceptable!
He refused to become the laughingstock of the entire Japan.
Losing to the Demon King, Sawamura Eijun, was fine—after all, many had challenged the Demon King before, but how many succeeded?
Losing to a nobody like this was a different story.
Not even seeing the Demon King and already being stopped by this dark horse.
This could not stand!
Thinking of all this, Houken was determined to hit the ball.
Watching the incoming baseball, he swung the bat without hesitation.
Although Houken's swing wasn't very sharp, his strength was undeniable.
His swing was at a national level, and even just a light hit could send the ball flying far.
But time after time, his swings missed.
The bat and the ball were separated by just a few centimeters, never connecting.
"STRIKE!"
"STRIKE!!"
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"
The nation's top hitter, Houken, was struck out by the same player twice.
The audience watching this was in an uproar.
The stands at Koshien turned into a sea of joy.
Seeing the powerhouse fall, the crowd's evil genes were unleashed.
They looked at Seijitsu with ill intentions, eagerly waiting for their humiliating exit.
The Seidou High School baseball team was also shocked.
Though Sawamura had reassured them, and they didn't let Houken's performance shake their confidence, the numbers on the big screen still deeply shocked them.
151 Km/h!!!
...
T/N: As always, Thank you all for reading!!
See you Tomorrow!
Until then, take care!
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