Chapter 28: Second Semi-finals

"In the first match of the semifinals of the Tokyo Spring Tournament, Seidou High School faced Ichidaisan High School, and the final winner is Seidou!!!!"

The announcer at Jingu Stadium declared the result of the match loudly.

In Seidou High School's dugout, the teammates jumped up and down in excitement.

If they had defeated other opponents, even in a seven-inning game, it wouldn't have brought this level of joy.

But facing their regional rival, Sankou, was different.

They had every reason to celebrate and revel.

The supporters of Seidou High stood in unison, giving their team the warmest applause.

In contrast, Ichidaisan's dugout was filled with gloom.

All the players hung their heads, and a few couldn't hold it and cried out loud.

"Go and stand in line!"

Coach Tahara, true to his reputation, maintained his composure at this moment.

He directed his players to regroup.

He deeply gazed toward Seidou's dugout, recalling every detail of the game.

Their strength was still lacking.

Even though they believed they had worked hard for seven months, the gap between the two teams remained significant.

They needed to work even harder!

If Ichidaisan couldn't take a step further...

In the future, they might not even have the chance to challenge Seidou.

After finishing with the after-game etiquette and with the reporters, all the players of Seidou's first team didn't leave immediately. They enjoyed the bento prepared by the managers and then headed to the stands.

There was another game at Jingu Stadium worth their attention.

In the second match of the spring tournament semifinals, the reigning champions of East Tokyo, Teito High School, are about to face the rising super dark horse from West Tokyo, Yakushi High School, which was rising high in the past six months.

Yakushi High School had reached the national top eight in the previous Spring Koshien!

The clash between these two teams is certainly attracting a lot of attention.

Although there are far fewer fans at Jingu Stadium compared to the previous match, the crowd still numbers in the thousands.

In the stands, all the main players of the Seidou High School baseball team are prominently present. Besides them, almost all the renowned strong schools in the Tokyo area have representatives here to scout the game.

In contrast, the Sankou High School, which recently lost to Seidou, hurried back to their school to lick their wounds and did not appear in the stands.

The Seidou Second and Third-string players who had come to cheer for the main team are now boarding the bus, preparing to leave.

Their most important task now is to hone their skills and keep climbing until they reach the first team.

As for which other strong teams exist in Tokyo, that's not something they should concern themselves with just yet.

In simple terms, they are not yet in a position to worry about that.

The first-year students boarding the bus are naturally unwilling to accept this. Some of their classmates have already made it onto the field to represent the team, and now they wish they could stay behind to observe and study their opponents alongside Senpais like Sawamura and Miyuki.

Instead, they have to leave in a dejected state.

It would be impossible for them to not have any thoughts about this.

"I'm really jealous of those guys!"

Takuma stated frankly.

"Just being jealous won't do any good. If we want to stand with them, we need to climb to the first team as soon as possible," replied the blonde youth, Okumura Koushuu, calmly.

Although his tone was very calm, there was a spark of fighting spirit in his eyes.

"Are you getting restless too?"

Not far from them, Sawamura's two Kohais were also discussing this issue.

"It's really frustrating!" Hirota said.

Matsumoto next to him completely ignored his remark.

"Hey, at least give me some response! Don't pretend to be deep and cool, it's not suitable for you, kid!"

Matsumoto barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes and shot a fierce glance at his friend.

The friendship between him and Hirota is quite peculiar.

Back when Sawamura was still at Akagi Middle School, they constantly competed for attention in front of him, a typical rivalry.

One was Sawamura's partner, while the other was Sawamura's Deshi...

Sometimes, if not for Sawamura keeping them in check, they might have ended up in an all-out brawl.

Even Sawamura couldn't imagine them getting along peacefully, which is why he held a small meeting with them when he left Akagi Middle School's baseball team.

No one expected that after Sawamura left, they would become each other's most reliable teammates...

Though they often have small conflicts during their time together!

That sense of camaraderie has been forged over the years.

While their relationship isn't quite at the level of sharing the same pants, it has certainly built a solid foundation.

"If you're envious, you can climb up too! Our Superintendent doesn't promote based on seniority; if you have the skills, you will definitely be promoted." Matsumoto said plainly.

Hirota's face instantly flushed a deep red.

On the surface, this statement seemed harmless, but it was an arrow directed at his pride.

It meant that he was not selected for the first team simply because he lacked the ability...

Anyone who has the capability to compete for a first-team spot has felt this in some way.

Lee-Hyun, who had been trailing at the back of the group, glanced back at Jingu Stadium just before boarding the bus.

In his eyes, Jingu Stadium looked particularly magnificent!

In the stands of Jingu Stadium, the 20 main players of Seidou High School are sitting confidently.

Now that they have advanced to the finals, they can watch this match with a relaxed mindset.

The two strong rivals currently battling it out must defeat each other; only the final victor will have the chance to face Seidou High School.

In the rest area of Teito High School.

After losing to Seidou, Mukai Taiyou inexplicably decided to change his hairstyle.

All of his hair was slicked back and tied together with a hair tie, revealing his shiny forehead.

He looked up at the Seidou lineup in the stands, a smirk appearing on his face.

"This truly is a high-and-mighty position!"

Recalling the match between Seidou and Sankou High School, instead of fear, a fire ignited in Mukai's heart.

They lost to Seidou last Fall, and for the past few months, they had been biding their time...

Sankou High School had fallen!

What would change for them?

Honestly, the players of Teito High School didn't have much confidence either.

Simply put, in terms of their fourth batter, Teito High School is supposed to outperform Sankou High School.

Sankou's fourth batter, Hoshida Mamoru, has just awakened as a top-tier batter. Teito High School's fourth batter, Kengo Inui, has always been one of the top batters in the nation.

He's a super slugger capable of hitting home runs off Narumiya.

But aside from him, the other batters from Teito High School are quite average.

Compared to Sankou High School, there's a considerable gap!

When Sankou faced Seidou, they only managed to get one hit off Sawamura.

Could Teito High School guarantee that they would do any better than Sankou High School?

It's doubtful anyone would dare to say that.

King Seidou!

In today's match, Sawamura used his overwhelming power to firmly establish Seidou High School's dominance.

Their position is unshakeable.

Even some prestigious teams, when reflecting, couldn't help but shake their heads.

The gap in strength is just too great!

While luck is part of strength in baseball, if the disparity in genuine skill is too vast, luck has little impact on the outcome.

The harsh reality hits the majority of Teito High School's players hard.

Of course, some refuse to accept this.

Take Mukai Taiyou, for example!

Though he doesn't believe that his team's lineup can handle Sawamura.

He has complete confidence in his pitching.

He believes he can compete with Sawamura on the mound!

That's the interesting thing about baseball; as long as they don't allow runs, they won't lose the game.

If the match turns into that kind of affair, the final outcome will depend on both sides' determination, endurance, and physical strength...

Compared to all of this, Mukai has absolute confidence in his teammates.

Even against a lineup as scary as Seidou, the one even Amahisa couldn't endure 7 innings of, he was confident about holding them back.

His attention is almost entirely focused on Seidou High School, and as for their opponents today, Mukai Taiyou hardly pays them any mind.

Before the match, they had carefully studied Yakushi High School.

They once ravaged the Spring Koshien and had a very loud title.

The Most Ferocious Batting Lineup in the Nation!

While this title may not resonate as loudly as Seidou High School's 'King' moniker, the content it implies is still captivating.

The strongest batting lineup in the country!

How many teams can claim to be the best in the nation?

Yakushi High School earning such a title indicates their strength.

But this name can only intimidate the average person; it would be impossible to frighten Mukai Taiyou.

In his eyes, the title of Yakushi High School is almost laughable.

Claiming to be the nation's most ferocious lineup, aside from a few powerful hitters, the rest are quite weak.

In comparison, the lineup of King Seidou High School poses a greater threat.

"Next, let me show you the gap between the commoners and the elite!"

Mukai Taiyou cast a disdainful glance at the players of Yakushi High School.

On the other side, in Yakushi High School's resting area.

Todoroki Raizou is sprawled out on the bench.

Behind him, Sanada is poking his back with his finger.

"What's up?"

Raizou looked at Sanada, confused.

"The principal is coming too!"

Sanada cut straight to the point without any pleasantries.

He knows his Superintendent too well; during moments like these, saying anything irrelevant would just go in one ear and out the other.

Raizou sighed helplessly, then sat up straight.

Gaining fame has its perks, but it also has its downsides.

As more people start paying attention to them, the Principal begins to meddle in the team's affairs.

While he certainly can't offer professional training or guidance, their attitude still matters.

As the Superintendent of a spring Koshien top eight team, what kind of behavior is it to be wandering around like a wild drunkard all day?

Doesn't that tarnish the school's image?

After leading the team to the spring Koshien top eight, the higher-ups at Yakushi High School raised his salary and benefits, while also investing a large sum to improve the school's facilities.

On the flip side, they also raised quality standards for Todoroki Raizou as the team Superintendent.

He must not bring shame to the school, especially in public, such as during matches or media interviews.

Todoroki Raizou internally groaned.

But there's no way out; this is all self-inflicted. For the sake of his beloved son, he has to endure.

"The preparations have all been made, and I've provided all the necessary information. As I've said before, since you're on the field, just enjoy the game."

"YES!!"

Teito High School showed restraint, while Yakushi High School was a different story.

Their players held their heads high, giving the impression that they were ready to pounce.

"Those guys are really irritating!"

One of Teito High School's players vented angrily.

After all, they are the kings of East Tokyo. They were also in the top eight nationwide last summer.

Why do the players from Yakushi High School seem to completely disregard them?

The players of Teito High School's expressions turned fierce.

It felt like they wanted to swallow their opponents whole.

In the top half of the first inning, Yakushi High School launched their offense.

Inui walked up to the plate first, and behind him, the players of Teito High School followed closely like a well-organized army.

'Are you ready?'

Inui, now in the catcher position, gave Mukai Taiyou a signal.

Mukai nodded slightly after receiving the signal.

He was definitely fully prepared.

'Good!'

Inui undoubtedly knew his partner very well.

Since Taiyou said he was ready, he certainly was.

With that in mind, there was no need for delaying it; they could start right away.

The second match of the West Tokyo Spring Tournament semifinals was about to begin.

Teito High School, the kings of East Tokyo, versus Yakushi High School, the super dark horse of West Tokyo.

The first team to launch their offense is Yakushi! And the first to step into the Batter's Box is the catcher, Akiba!

...