Chapter 40: Firing Fireworks!

"Won!"

The Seidou's players raised their hands in excitement, celebrating their victory. They embraced each other, clearly thrilled.

Their exuberance was well-earned. The win was hard-fought, with Ugumori coming incredibly close to overturning the game.

Seidou's players were naturally elated to defeat such a formidable opponent. This joy was as intense as their previous victory over Teito High School.

In that match against Teito, Seidou also won, but that victory was largely due to Sawamura's outstanding performance and his duel with Mukai Taiyou. The other players had little opportunity to shine.

This game was different. Every player showcased their abilities and strengths. There was nothing more satisfying than a great game and a win.

In sharp contrast was the Ugumori rest area. It was filled with gloom, and many players had tears in their eyes.

The commentator's voice was full of passion.

"I must praise Ugumori's players for their spirited chase for victory in the final stages. Unfortunately, this chase was brutally suppressed by Seidou's Ace, Sawamura."

"Sawamura!"

"Sawamura!!!"

The stands erupted with cheers from all directions, creating a unified rhythm. The roar of tens of thousands shook the entire stadium.

Kuramochi frowned. "He's only played one and a half innings, and it feels like he won the game by himself."

Miyuki wasn't bothered. "If you can get five outs in one and a half innings without allowing any batters on base and hit a home run at the same time, your fame would probably be close to Sawamura's."

Kuramochi rolled his eyes. 'No one wants to compete with that monster.'

Coach Ochiai, stroking his goatee, looked displeased with the announcer. 'In a short time, the announcer had only mentioned Sawamura's name and not the rest of the team. Was he a fan? If so, he was being rather unfair. Why praise Sawamura only? Such flattery should wait until the end of the competition.'

Sawamura was already a major focus for Seidou's opponents. With his rising fame, the scrutiny would only intensify. Maintaining such performance would be challenging.

In the stands, Fujio Mine and Owada Akiko stood up.

"The result was exactly as expected," Akiko said with a smile.

As a Seidou fan, Akiko was thrilled with their strong performance. With Sawamura and Miyuki leading the team, she believed that Seidou could win this Tournament.

Fujio had a more mature perspective. "This game showcased the new team's strength. Even after the third-years retired, Seidou still retained significant power."

Akiko nodded in agreement, enjoying the praise of Seidou, and feeling a sense of delight.

"But…" Fujio's tone changed, indicating a concern.

The moment Akiko heard this word, she knew he would talk about a weakness in the current team.

Akiko guessed correctly. Fujio raised concerns about Seidou's potential weaknesses. "The opponents were unexpectedly strong. Except for Ace pitcher Sawamura, who preserved his stamina, the rest of the team had a grueling fight. With Inashiro next, they have an advantage and can rest while waiting to face a fatigued Seidou."

Seidou's players might face physical challenges in their next game.

After the game, in the hallway of the field, the Ugumori players were dejected and silent.

"I still feel very frustrated," one player said. "We performed so well, just a bit short of victory."

"Don't be so naive!" Umemiya said with a bitter smile. "The final result shows our fundamental difference from our opponents."

"But!" another player argued, "We were working hard too."

"Our strength isn't too different. We almost caught up with the Koshien champions!"

"The final score difference was only two points."

The players were searching for excuses to boost their spirits. "It may look like a small gap, but it could be much more."

Umemiya sighed. He knew his teammates didn't fully understand Seidou's power, which was far beyond their reach. Umemiya could clearly feel the gap between himself and Sawamura.

"Then we must improve the entire team's strength!" Inubushi declared angrily with his usual fierce expression.

"Yes, let's do it!"

"We can't just give up!"

"We can do it!"

"We'll keep climbing!"

After a while, they boosted their morale. This team had the potential to create miracles in the future. Defeated by compromise or after a fierce battle, the outcome and gains were different.

Ugumori was evolving.

At that moment, Matsubara Nao, pushing his wheelchair, arrived.

"It seems you're all mentally prepared for the summer competition. I'll train you thoroughly."

"What do you mean by 'thoroughly'?" a player asked.

"To improve your strength, thorough training is essential," Matsubara replied.

Thus, Seidou ultimately defeated Ugumori 7-5. Their rivalry wasn't over; they might face each other again.

At the same time that Seidou High School defeated Ugumori High School, another game also ended.

This match was between Inashiro Industrial High School and Nanamori High School.

Although Nanamori is not a top team, they are a traditionally strong team, especially their Coach, who is on the younger side and still full of ambition.

When the match was grouped into the "death group," he was quite desperate. However, despair doesn't solve problems; one must face the game positively. After winning the first game, Nanamori High School prepared thoroughly for the second game against Inashiro Industrial.

"The opponent is a top team. Although they just lost to Seidou High School in the summer, Inashiro Industrial has been the most dominant team in the Tokyo area in recent years. When playing against them, we must remain calm. Do what we can, and then look for opportunities to attack."

Before the game, Nanamori's Coach talked a lot. Although his tactical arrangements were not bad, one must consider if the tactics were appropriate for the opponent.

When Inashiro Industrial's leadoff batter Carlos took the field, he was baffled. Nanamori High School showed no intention of advancing their defense. Despite his usual disdain for bunting, this level of carelessness was quite insulting.

"Do you think I can't run?"

Ping!

Carlos bunted and, like a lightning bolt, reached first base.

Nanamori's players were helpless. Then Shirakawa hit a single, and Carlos advanced to home plate, scoring a run.

The score was 1:0.

The next batter, the third in the lineup, followed up with consecutive singles, putting runners on first and third with no Outs. The fourth batter, Yamaoka, hit a home run, extending the lead to four runs.

The fifth and sixth batters, Narumiya and Todano, also hit singles, increasing the score to five runs.

This was not the end. In the next two innings, with the opponents demoralized, Inashiro Industrial aggressively scored another five runs. Two runs in the fourth inning and three in the fifth.

During this time, Carlos achieved two timely hits, including a magnificent in-field home run, and other batters also performed impressively.

Inashiro's Ace Narumiya was substituted when the score reached eight runs, with a substitute pitcher handling the remaining innings. Narumiya needed to save his strength for the next day's game against Seidou High School.

Despite being substituted early, Narumiya was quite dissatisfied, arguing with the Coach. However, it was futile.

The final score was 16:0.

Such scores are not unheard of in Tokyo matches due to the vast disparity between top teams and ordinary ones. But in the Fall Tournament, reaching this stage means a team has successfully navigated a tough group stage, and Nanamori High School has proven their strength.

Inashiro Industrial, rebounding from their loss to Seidou in the summer, showed their dominance with a resounding victory. Seidou, the team that once brought them tears, was their next target.

As Seidou's game against Ugumori ended, so did this match. Despite being only five innings, Inashiro scored a massive 16 runs, making the game lengthy primarily due to their offense.

"Did Seidou win?"

After the game, Narumiya casually asked his teammate, who was checking for information.

"It's over! Seidou won."

The teammate's face showed a mix of disbelief and concern.

"Wasn't that expected? Ugumori might be in the Tokyo 16, but they probably couldn't threaten Seidou."

Shirakawa muttered, not surprised by Seidou's victory. Conversely, if Seidou had lost, he would have fired up some celebratory fireworks.

Though unable to avenge their summer defeat personally, Shirakawa found it acceptable not to face Seidou directly.

If Inashiro had lost, Seidou's players would likely have been very pleased.

"What's with your expression? Did something interesting happen in the game?"

Narumiya noticed his teammate's odd reaction.

If nothing noteworthy occurred, the teammate wouldn't be so unusual.

"What's the score?"

"7:5!"

Inashiro's players were shocked.

…