Chapter 44: Attention!

"Seidou High School has arrived!"

Someone in the crowd shouted this out.

Reporters lurking outside Hachioji Stadium rushed from all directions towards the Seidou bus, attempting to get a word or two.

Despite previous experiences showing that Seidou High School would never agree to interviews, the possibility lingered. What if, just this once, Seidou's players decided to grant interviews? As on-site reporters, failing to secure first-hand information would be a problem for them to explain to their editors—potentially leading to their dismissal.

Journalism, especially in such a competitive field, has fierce rivalries. Even a slight chance is enough for reporters to pursue relentlessly.

"People from Inajitsu High School are here too!"

The shout came immediately after.

These reporters, initially focused on Seidou's bus, barely paid attention to the announcement about Inajitsu's arrival.

Firstly, Inajitsu's appeal was slightly less compared to Seidou. Secondly, the seasoned reporters were well aware of such distractions. They knew this was merely an attempt to divert their attention.

Unsurprisingly, President Ota, stepped in to block the way.

"Sorry everyone, but we're not accepting interviews before the match! We hope you understand!"

Ota and several coaches formed a barrier between the reporters and the players.

At this moment, the Seidou High School bus doors opened, and players began to disembark.

Each player's appearance was met with cheers from the crowd. Even the newly promoted first-string players attracted a following. Every player who had appeared on the first team had fans shouting their names.

Few teams in the nation enjoy such treatment, and Seidou High School was one of them.

The reporters, realizing they couldn't get anything from Seidou, turned their attention elsewhere. Initially, they persisted despite Seidou's resistance, but after Coach Kataoka's decisive actions, overly disruptive reporters were blacklisted.

This incident alone fueled the reporters' resentment towards Seidou. They would have preferred not to cover Seidou at all, given how uncooperative they were.

Usually, other teams treated reporters like VIPs. Seidou's refusal was a stark contrast.

Yet, the situation forced them to endure and speak favorably about Coach Kataoka, who was considered a responsible coach.

Seeing Seidou's firm stance on interviews, the reporters shifted focus to Inajitsu's bus.

The shout had been accurate: Inajitsu's team had indeed arrived. They disembarked almost simultaneously with Seidou's team.

Inajitsu, like Seidou, adopted a strict no-interview policy before the match. Coach Kunitomo ensured that no interviews were granted.

Inajitsu's baseball team members, along with their manager and coaches, formed a protective wall as they disembarked.

Thus, the two buses parked less than ten meters apart. Players from both teams emerged one after another.

Cheers for both teams echoed from all directions, creating an intense atmosphere even before the game began.

Inajitsu's players walked with heads held high, showing confidence in their upcoming match against Seidou. They appeared unbothered by Seidou's past victories, projecting strong self-assurance.

Among the last to disembark were Sawamura and Miyuki. This was not due to them being big names but because they preferred sitting at the back of the bus, where it was quiet and allowed them to mentally prepare.

Both were ready and focused on their battle against Inajitsu.

Meanwhile, Inajitsu's Ace, Narumiya, had also gotten off the bus. He eyed Miyuki and Sawamura with a challenging gaze.

Miyuki was momentarily taken aback by Narumiya's behavior.

The former Prince of Tokyo exuded majesty, as if defeating Seidou was a matter of course for him.

"looks like this guy is more eager than I thought," Miyuki noted, sensing Narumiya's growing intensity, like a sword still sheathed but hinting at its sharpness.

"Interesting!"

Mei's confidence piqued Eijun's curiosity. The guy who texted him like a jealous girlfriend had grown silent recently, and seeing him now Sawamura sensed that Narumiya Mei had undergone remarkable development recently, enough to face Seidou's lineup with assurance.

Sawamura was eager to see Narumiya's progress firsthand.

Both Narumiya and Sawamura had improved significantly. In addition to mastering new breaking balls, Sawamura had also made strides in hitting. He needed a challenging opponent to fully test his new skills.

The confrontation continued like this until the two teams were greeting each other in the field.

Not only the Aces but also players in similar positions from both teams exchanged glances as if magnified by an anime-like focus.

No words were spoken, but the silence was charged with intense emotion.

"Tokyo Fall Tournament, Round 3, Seidou High School from West Tokyo faces Inajitsu High School from West Tokyo. The game begins now!"

"Bow"

"PLEASED TO PLAY WITH YOU!!"

"PLEASED TO PLAY WITH YOU!!"

At 12:30 PM, the stands at Hachioji Stadium were packed, with not a single empty seat. Even the surrounding corridors were filled with people.

The stadium's seating capacity was under twenty thousand, yet the number of fans far exceeded this number, highlighting the match's immense appeal.

"Sawamura!"

"Sawamura!!!"

"Demon King!!"

"Inashiro, you must win!!!"

"Mei!"

"King Seidou!!!"

Even before the game officially began, the fans of the two teams were already competing.

In the previous game, Sawamura had little opportunity to shine, pitching only one and a half innings. This left his fans unsatisfied.

This time, as long as Seidou's coaching staff heeded the wishes of the fans, Sawamura Eijun was expected to pitch the entire game.

Under the leadership of Miyamoto, Obayashi, and Kobayashi, the fan club members were very enthusiastic, especially with the large drum, which was particularly prominent.

Hachioji Stadium was buzzing with excitement. Though the stadium had been around for some time, it had rarely hosted such a fervent atmosphere. It might well be the most crowded it has ever been.

The corners of the stands were filled with cameras—some from the media, some brought by fans, and others from scouts sent by rival teams.

"Those people don't look like they're from our Tokyo teams," someone observed, noting the presence of people in school uniforms.

Seihou High School!

Komadai Fujimaki High School!

Yamamori High School!

Konan High School!

Hakuryu High School!

Osaka Kiryuu High School!

National powerhouses are there as much as the fans.

These were the ones who had apparently come in their school uniforms. There were even more who had come in casual clothes.

"Seidou High School's games didn't seem this popular before, did they?" Owada Akiko wondered.

"If I remember correctly when Seidou High played against Teito High School, the enthusiasm wasn't this high," she said.

Fujio replied, "At that time, the Fall Tournament had just started, and no one was prepared. They probably didn't expect Seidou to face a powerhouse like Teito in the first round! But now, it's different. This game has been heavily promoted by TV Tokyo."

Though Fujio spoke calmly, he was quite unsettled.

'For Seidou High to attract such vigilance from other top teams in the third round of the Fall Tournament was remarkable. Sawamura Eijun's influence was indeed intimidating.'

In Inashiro's rest area.

"So many annoying people!"

Shirakawa muttered, watching the familiar faces in the stands.

Unlike Seidou High, which struggled to find suitable practice opponents, Inashiro had become highly sought after. After other powerhouses formed new teams, they lined up to play against Inashiro.

In the past month, Inashiro has been very busy. Coach Kunitomo had taken them on a national practice tour. Though not many matches, all opponents were teams recently returned from Koshien.

Seeing the rival team's uniforms in the stands, Shirakawa complained.

"What they really want to see is Seidou High School. After all, Inashiro wasn't present in previous games."

"It's indeed lively!" Coach Kunitomo said, stretching his neck with a creak.

The situation Seidou High was facing was familiar to him. In the past, Inashiro had enjoyed this kind of attention—being the target of everyone.

Seidou High, after claiming the national title and retaining nearly half their key players, had become a major target. To dominate the country, other top teams had to overcome Seidou.

'After a grueling summer, Seidou was at its weakest, and with other teams deliberately targeting them, it seemed hard for Seidou to make it to the end of the Fall Tournament.'

Inashiro had faced a similar situation last year. They won the West Tokyo championship and reached the top eight in Koshien. But by autumn, the team became fatigued and was deliberately targeted, leading to their early elimination.

Seidou's current situation was very similar to Inashiro's past.

'The only difference was the presence of Sawamura Eijun. Even a weakened Seidou still maintained strong competitiveness, a player who, in his middle school years, led a team to the peak on his own, with extensive crisis management experience.'

'Defeating him might be harder than expected,' Coach Kunitomo thought.

But no matter how difficult, they had to face it. If they couldn't defeat Sawamura Eijun, they couldn't win the game.

In the top of the first inning, Inashiro was up to bat.

"First Batter, the center fielder, Kamiya-kun!"

In this game, Seidou High's Ace pitcher was, of course, their star, Sawamura Eijun.

He was paired with the main catcher, Miyuki Kazuya. The key fielders were Maezono Kenta at first base, Kominato Haruichi at second base, Kanemaru Shinji at third base, and Kuramochi Youichi at shortstop. In the outfield were Asou Takeru, Toujou Hideaki, and Shiratsu Kenjiro.

With all players ready, Miyuki, the catcher, was still on the mound discussing tactics with Sawamura.

Carlos, the first batter, was already warming up and eager to start.

"Our opponents seem very confident today," Miyuki noted, his tone emotionless.

"Should we intimidate them from the start?" Miyuki asked, his expression as neutral as if discussing dinner plans.

Sawamura considered this and nodded.

Traditionally, he started with sharp breaking balls and focused on striking out the batter to set the tone. This approach had become his style after joining Seidou High.

Miyuki nodded in agreement. Sawamura had experienced minimal fatigue from the previous game and was fully prepared for this match. Using strikeout tactics against Inashiro's batters was entirely feasible.

"But remember, Carlos, Shirakawa, and the others have faced us before," Sawamura noted.

He was aware but remained confident in his ability to handle them.

...

T/N: This game will be a big game!

That's it for now!

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