<80> The Thunder of Drums, the Roar of Firecrackers, and a Sea of People!

Chapter 80: The Thunder of Drums, the Roar of Firecrackers, and a Sea of People!

On the day of the Kanto Tournament finals.

In the stands, the thunder of drums echoed, firecrackers exploded, and the place was packed with people...

In short, it was incredibly lively.

A chubby media reporter had just arrived at the stadium, only to realize he might have been late.

The stadium, with a capacity of 12,500 spectators, appeared to be completely packed.

The reporter instinctively glanced at his expensive wristwatch.

9:10 AM.

"My goodness, there's still 20 minutes until the game starts?"

The stadium was already this crowded?

If someone didn't know better, they might mistake this for the final match at Koshien! Even professional games aren't usually this lively.

Today's commentator was a calm man with gold-rimmed glasses. Though he looked reserved, his personality changed entirely when commentating.

He had already loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.

Even though the game hadn't started yet, the commentator had already switched to an intense mode.

"Dear baseball fans, what you're about to witness is the famous West Tokyo Derby! Both teams hail from West Tokyo and have fought their way to the Kanto Tournament finals. On one side, we have the powerhouse Inashiro Industrial High School, which has made it to Koshien 16 times in the past 15 years. On the other side, the once-glorious Seidou High School baseball team, which has been impressing everyone this tournament!"

The commentator's passionate voice electrified the crowd.

The fans in the stands, perhaps stirred by his excitement, erupted into cheers even though the players hadn't even stepped onto the field yet.

"Seidou! Seidou!!"

"Inashiro! Inashiro!!"

The chubby reporter, along with the others around him, was left dumbfounded.

Such intense rivalry… as experienced reporters, they had definitely seen this before.

Whether it was a clash of professional teams or the final showdown at Koshien, such fierce fan enthusiasm was not unusual.

Fan passion never disappoints.

But this kind of rivalry usually ignites after the players take to the field.

Yet here, neither Inashiro nor Seidou had even stepped onto the field, and the crowd was already this wild?

Even those who originally weren't that interested in the match were now craning their necks in anticipation.

The reporters' eyes were shining red with excitement.

What a scoop! If they couldn't write a brilliant article from this, they might as well hang up their careers!

While the reporters buzzed with enthusiasm, so did the crowd.

Meanwhile, both the Seidou and Inashiro players had already arrived at the venue, but they had yet to appear on the field.

They were still in the locker rooms, changing into their uniforms.

The players who had already changed sat quietly on the benches, conserving their energy.

For Seidou's players, Inashiro had become something of a curse over the past few years.

If they wanted to reach Koshien, if they wanted to defeat Inashiro when they met in the summer tournament, they couldn't back down from this game.

They had to break tradition, to shatter the preconceived notions in everyone's minds.

They needed to show the world that the mighty Inashiro was not unbeatable.

With such a heavy burden on their shoulders, the players knew they had to adjust their mindset.

Only in this state would they be able to take the field and defeat their opponents decisively.

Only then could they prove to everyone that Seidou High was not to be taken lightly.

They had returned as kings!

But while they were focusing on their mental preparation, the stands had already exploded into a frenzy.

The teammates could never have imagined that such an unbelievable scene would unfold on the field.

"Our supporters seem like they can't wait any longer, haha..."

Always one to enjoy a spectacle and eager to be in the spotlight, Kuramochi was the first to get excited.

To be honest, he loved this kind of atmosphere.

Just thinking about how they were about to defeat Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team in such an intense setting made his heart race.

The other members of Seidou High School's baseball team, although not as outwardly expressive as Kuramochi, shared the exact same feelings.

They were just as eager to get out onto the field.

When Ota, saw this scene, it was as if his eyes were gleaming with excitement.

This was rare!

Ever since Furuya had joined the team, the overall spirit of the team seemed to have completely transformed.

The players had become more confident.

They were also more eager to go up against powerful opponents in official matches.

Before, Seidou High School's players also had a desire to face off against strong teams. However, with a previous weakness in their ace pitcher, it had been difficult for them to truly enjoy the game.

You have to understand, any team that Seidou considered a formidable rival would naturally be a well-rounded team with few weak points. Such teams don't have obvious weaknesses.

With Seidou having a weak spot themselves, it's no surprise that the players were anxious whenever they faced a tough opponent.

But now, things were different.

With the addition of a strong pitcher, Seidou High School finally had the confidence to go head-to-head with their rivals.

Every time he thought about this, Ota felt proud.

It's no wonder he always considered himself lucky, with a good eye for talent.

This was something he could brag about for the rest of his life.

Feeling the enthusiasm of the fans outside, Seidou's captain, Yuuki, suddenly opened his eyes.

"Let's head out!"

Though there were still a good ten minutes before the game was set to begin, the captain clearly had no intention of waiting any longer.

He didn't want to keep the fans waiting.

"Let's go!"

Led by Captain Yuuki, the members of Seidou gathered at the entrance to the dugout.

"Bang!"

As the door opened, the cheers from the stands grew even louder.

On the other side, Inashiro Industrial's players pushed open their door almost simultaneously with Seidou.

It was clear they were also raring to go.

"The Kanto Tournament Finals—Seidou High School from West Tokyo versus Inashiro Industrial High School from West Tokyo—are now officially starting!"

With the commentator's passionate voice filling the stadium, the Kanto Tournament Finals were officially underway.

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