The Inashiro Industrial High School baseball team players, having just won a match, were relaxing and discussing their recent victory.
In that game, their first-year rookie pitcher, Akamatsu, had made significant contributions to the team.
This performance addressed a major weakness that had plagued Inashiro Industrial's baseball team.
Previously, aside from their Ace pitcher, Narumiya Mei, the substitute pitchers were not particularly reliable.
With the intense schedule of the high school tournament, if Inashiro Industrial wanted to go all the way, relying solely on Narumiya Mei was simply not feasible.
But now, this shortcoming had been addressed.
This gave the team great confidence in their upcoming match against Seidou High School.
Even while resting three core players, they had easily defeated their opponents in a 7-inning game.
With such a result, the players seemed quite satisfied.
"Seidou High School's game also ended—a 5-inning called game."
A teammate responsible for gathering intel on Seidou made a phone call, reporting the details of Seidou's match.
Upon hearing this news, the previously cheerful Inashiro players' expressions darkened.
Originally, they had felt confident that this summer tournament would be their chance to exact revenge on Seidou.
Although Seidou's momentum was at an all-time high, Inashiro believed their training had been more thorough.
Judging from the performances of both teams in their respective matches, it even seemed like Inashiro had a slight edge over Seidou.
This belief further boosted their confidence.
Over the past year, Seidou High School's baseball team has achieved dazzling success. They had essentially won every major championship they participated in.
Some media outlets even boldly proclaimed this era to be "Seidou's Era."
Under such circumstances, how could Seidou's players not get carried away?
Perhaps casual fans didn't mind such claims. Some might even believe Seidou deserved such a title.
But for their rivals, players competing in the same era, this was absolutely unacceptable.
"Who was the pitcher?"
Narumiya asked.
"It was the first year, Nishiyama."
This answer was like a dagger stabbing into the hearts of all Inashiro players.
It wasn't the "Demon King" Sawamura Eijun.
It wasn't the "Monster" Furuya Satoru.
It wasn't even the experienced Kawakami.
Seidou had ended the game in five innings with just a first-year pitcher.
And this was the Round of 16—the opponent was one of West Tokyo's top 16 teams.
The players asked themselves honestly, and their expressions grew complex.
They had to admit that if they were in Seidou's position, they might not have been able to pull that off.
"In the end, Seidou is still Seidou," Shirakawa murmured.
Narumiya, however, had regained his composure. He now seemed more relaxed.
"This isn't necessarily a bad thing. If Seidou High School's baseball team was so easily eliminated..."
Narumiya's lips curled into a cold smirk.
"Then it wouldn't be interesting!"
The Seidou he wanted to defeat was the one in its peak form.
Not a weakened, hollow shell.
Kazuya... Eijun...
You two better be ready!
Looking at Narumiya's determination, the Inashiro players felt their fighting spirit surge.
No matter who their opponent was—
No matter how strong their opponent was—
For Inashiro Industrial's baseball team, none of that mattered.
Their goal had never changed—it had always been the same.
Defeat Seidou! Represent West Tokyo! Conquer the Koshien!!!
At Seidou High School's baseball club...
The team was also discussing Inashiro.
Their scout, Watanabe, had returned. The team's key members had gathered in the meeting room to review footage of Inashiro's game.
During the tournament, Seidou's players had given up endless extra training sessions.
The roster was set. Now, their focus was on preparing for matches.
Overtraining at this stage could affect their condition or lead to injury, which would be a disaster.
Training had already been completed before the tournament. Now, they just needed to maintain their form.
This freed up more time for other things.
Sawamura, Kuramochi, Miyuki, Ono, Maezono, Shiratsu, Asou, Kominato, Kanemaru, and Toujou.
These core players, along with Watanabe, watched the footage together.
When it ended, they had much to reflect on.
Analysts had previously stated that this current Inashiro team was merely unfortunate to be born in the same era as Seidou.
At a different time, this team could have dominated the scene and created a legendary achievement.
However, competing alongside Seidou inevitably overshadowed their achievements.
This was the only team the media considered to be on par with Seidou in overall strength.
Even though Inashiro's Ace Narumiya, key slugger Carlos, and main shortstop Shirakawa had all sat out the match—
The other players still crushed their opponents with overwhelming dominance.
Tadano Itsuki, a rising star, had secured three hits and two RBIs in that game.
His performance was dazzling.
Sawamura and the others knew that their match against Inashiro would be a fierce battle.
It was the most uncertain matchup for Seidou in the West Tokyo Tournament.
To make matters worse, after facing Inashiro, they would still have to battle the winner between Yakushi and Sankou.
Sawamura felt a headache coming on.
Although he remained confident that he could lead his teammates to victory through all these tough matchups...
The road ahead would not be smooth.
His teammates were equally silent, their thoughts consumed by Inashiro's intimidating display.
Just then, the meeting room door burst open.
A woman wearing business attire entered.
"Rei-chan!"
Miyuki greeted briefly.
Takashima Rei adjusted her glasses, assuming her professional demeanor.
She glanced at the players before turning off the footage and setting the machine aside.
"Everyone, this isn't the time to focus on Inashiro. We should be thinking about our next opponent."
She placed another projector on the table.
The screen displayed Seidou's next opponent.
According to the West Tokyo Tournament bracket:
Inashiro Industrial vs. Sousei High
Ichidaisan High vs. Seiko high school
Yakushi High vs. Sensen Academy
Seidou High vs. the only dark horse in the quarterfinals, Yura Sougou
Initially, Seidou's players had only considered Yura Sougou a minor obstacle—until now.
Judging by Takashima's expression, things were not so simple.
Could their next opponent be hiding some secrets?
"Their team is strong. They've also ended their matches early. Most importantly, their Ace hasn't even pitched a full game yet."
This caught everyone's attention.
Reading between the lines, it was clear their opponent was no pushover.
"But that's not the main issue."
Takashima paused, scanning the players.
"Just say it already!" Miyuki grumbled.
Takashima smirked and clicked the remote.
A middle-aged man's image appeared on the screen.
Many players found him familiar, though they couldn't place him.
"This is Sakaki Eijiro-san. He's a Seidou alumnus and was once the Head Coach. He led Seidou to multiple Koshien appearances and mentored our current Coach, Kataoka-san."
The room fell into stunned silence.
Their next opponent was...
Their coach's coach.
The great founder?!
Coach Sakaki!
To Seidou High School's baseball team, he is an extremely important figure.
Even though he left his position seven years ago, his influence on the team still lingers.
Firstly, the current head coach of Seidou High, Kataoka, is Sakaki's prized student.
It is no exaggeration to say that Kataoka was personally groomed by Sakaki.
Moreover, Sakaki witnessed Kataoka's entire growth process.
His understanding of Kataoka is akin to how a parent or teacher knows their child.
Beyond that, the entire training system of Seidou High School's baseball team today—while not 100% inherited from Sakaki—at least 60 to 70% of it originates from him.
Many of the methods were even his own unique creations…
Frankly speaking, the current Seidou baseball team is filled with traces of Sakaki everywhere.
Even though he is no longer physically present, and not many of the current players know him personally, his influence on Seidou is still present.
Calling him the "founder" of Seidou would not be an exaggeration.
And now, Seidou's next opponent is none other than Sakaki and the team he leads.
This creates an intriguing dynamic—just thinking about it brings endless excitement.
A direct showdown between Kataoka and his mentor.
Will the old master's wisdom prevail, or will the young successor surpass his teacher?
Just this storyline alone is enough for sports journalists to weave countless narratives.
The mere thought of such a story is thrilling.
For the players on-site, the pressure is equally immense.
Sakaki's glorious past needs no elaboration.
But simply knowing that 60 to 70% of their current training system was inherited from Sakaki is enough to make the players uneasy.
Why is Seidou High's baseball team so strong?
The addition of star players like Sawamura is certainly a major factor.
But that is not the fundamental reason.
Long before Sawamura and his peers joined, Seidou already had national-level strength.
The reason they hadn't reached Koshien before was not due to a lack of ability but rather bad luck and unfortunate groupings.
In terms of raw strength, they were undoubtedly qualified for Koshien.
This is the true foundation of Seidou's strength.
And how was this foundation built?
Without a doubt, it stemmed from Seidou's rigorous training system.
Would Sakaki not be aware of this?
No way.
As the former head coach of Seidou, how could Sakaki not know?
Not only does he know, but many elements of this system were his original creations.
As the creator of this system, wouldn't Sakaki know its weaknesses?
Of course he would!
If there is anyone in the world, aside from Kataoka, who can dismantle Seidou's formidable system through tactics, it is undoubtedly Sakaki.
Whether he can actually achieve it is another matter, but he will certainly know how to go about it.
He will surely conceive a strategy to defeat Seidou.
Whether that strategy ultimately succeeds will depend on the players' abilities and Kataoka's countermeasures.
"We'll need to be extra careful in this next match,"
Sawamura said with a headache.
He had just remembered Yura Sougou, it was his first match as the team's Ace in his rookie days, and it was a disastrous performance.
Enough for him to be taken off the game.
It annoyed Sawamura endlessly at that time.
And now he realized he had somewhat underestimated high school baseball—the surprises just kept coming.
The first two rounds had already pitted them against opponents with at least the strength of West Tokyo's top 16.
Though those teams did not ultimately pose a substantial threat to Seidou, the unsettling discomfort they caused was still bothersome.
Initially, Sawamura thought that after getting through these two matches, the quarterfinals would be relatively easier.
After all, Seidou had already faced some challenges, so the players and coaching staff would be more vigilant moving forward.
He had planned to focus entirely on preparing for Inashiro.
Even with his strength, Sawamura never dared underestimate that old rival.
While he was confident he could outpitch Narumiya, baseball is a team sport—a stronger Ace doesn't guarantee victory.
That matchup would be tough and required meticulous preparation.
But now, a wild card had suddenly appeared.
Sakaki and his team, Yura Sougou, completely disrupted Sawamura's plans.
Before facing Inashiro, they first had to defeat this formidable opponent.
And the scariest part?
This opponent was not one they could easily brush aside.
Their strength was considerable. Even if their overall ability was not quite on par with Seidou, Sakaki's presence made them a legitimate threat.
In Sawamura's view, if Seidou did not give their all and stay focused, an upset was entirely possible.
Night fell—and the sky was moonless.
The world was shrouded in darkness.
Amid this darkness, a room's light was still on.
The light shone through the glass, casting a faint glow over the baseball field.
Under this hazy light, a group of players was practicing their swings.
Sweating profusely, they seemed tireless.
During the tournament, players with first-team responsibilities are generally forbidden from such practices.
Their primary task is to maintain their condition—neither Kataoka nor the coaching staff expected sudden breakthroughs during this short period.
The hard work had already been done before the tournament began.
Now, they intended to crush their opponents with their superior strength.
That's the way of a champion!
Betting on last-minute improvements and hoping for miracles?
That's unrealistic in modern baseball.
It is also not the style of a championship-caliber team.
From the room, Coach Kataoka looked down at the sweating players with a satisfied smile.
After this tournament, the third-year players would retire.
Currently, half of the first team consists of third-years.
When they leave, the first-team lineup will inevitably undergo a major reshuffle—a potentially catastrophic transition for any team.
But this is unavoidable; such is the nature of high school baseball.
Unlike most coaches, Kataoka remained optimistic.
Because at Seidou, there is never a shortage of players eager to rise.
With three grades training together and healthy competition driving everyone forward…
For those who truly love baseball, Seidou is the place where their dreams can take flight!
It must be said—the man who created this system was a genius.
Ding ding ding… ring ring!
A pleasant ringtone echoed from the desk.
Kataoka shifted his gaze and walked over to pick up his phone.
"Hello, this is Kataoka speaking!"
His voice was firm and full of authority.
"Oh? You've become quite polite now, huh? As expected from a Koshien champion coach!"
The familiar and friendly voice from the other end made Kataoka's usually stern face reveal a rare smile.
"Hello! The match is just around the corner. Shouldn't you be preparing instead of calling me?" Kataoka responded, showing concern for his opponent.
However, the person on the other end did not appreciate the gesture.
"You sound so confident. Let me tell you—I may have officially taken over the team this spring, but I've been advising them since last fall. If you're not careful, we won't hesitate to pull the champion off their throne."
The voice on the other side carried a hint of laughter.
Whether it was a joke or a serious warning was unclear.
"I've watched your matches—all four of them. Your team has performed well. But your players must be tired, right?"
Kataoka shot back.
The other person fell momentarily silent.
They knew each other too well. Kataoka understood Sakaki just as well as Sakaki knew him.
"Haha! You really know everything. We've played four consecutive games over the past two weeks. Meanwhile, you've only played two—you're well-rested. I do miss the perks of being a seeded team!"
Seeded status is crucial for any team's success.
Yura Sougou had played four games and likely exhausted several strategies, whereas Seidou had barely revealed any cards.
Additionally, Seidou's Ace, Sawamura, had only pitched one inning in the first match and had not played since.
His stamina was completely intact.
"We'll see tomorrow. Good luck."
The call ended with mutual anticipation.
This match was vital not only for Seidou but also for Kataoka personally.
As a Coach and as a mentor, his ultimate goal had always been to surpass Sakaki.
The long-awaited showdown was finally here.
…
T/N: With this, the second game has ended! And the next game is up!
Thank you all for reading!!
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