Chapter 88: Big News

The media is going crazy!

Inajitsu High School defeated Seihou High School 4-2, securing the last ticket to the finals.

In just two days, on March 30, Seidou High School will battle their long-time rivals, Inashiro Industrial High School.

The ultimate winner will be crowned the champion of Spring Koshien.

As soon as the game ended and the results came in, media outlets nationwide erupted in a frenzy, covering this match extensively.

In today's digital age, there's no need to wait for tomorrow's newspapers; the online buzz is already sensational.

This news even trended on social media, instantly drawing the world's attention to the two teams preparing for the finals.

The overwhelming coverage took everyone by surprise.

"These guys are insane!"

Back in their dormitory, the players eagerly opened their Tablets and phones to find the news breaking.

The headlines were all similar, with Baseball Kingdom magazine prominently featuring the term "The Great Tokyo Era."

This year's Koshien has seen an unprecedented three teams from West Tokyo.

If these teams were just there and they didn't do much, they wouldn't be so enthusiastic.

But that's not the case at all; all three teams have made it to Spring Koshien and they made it big.

Take Yakushi High School, for example. They were the first to be eliminated but still made it to the top eight, and they had a player who impressively hit five home runs in just three games, reminiscing the record held by the great Demon King.

Their performance was nothing short of spectacular.

Had they not faced the powerhouse Seihou High School, who knows how far they could have gone?

The weakest among them made it to the top eight of Spring Koshien.

And the other two teams were even more fantastic.

Seidou High School brawled their opponents with sheer will, eventually crushing their way through, even overcoming the powerful Komadai Fujimaki High School despite their Ace pitcher being injured.

They've advanced to the finals.

The performance of Inajitsu High School was no less stunning.

If there were a misfortune ranking for teams in this Koshien, Inajitsu would undoubtedly take the top spot.

All the teams they fought were powerful powerhouse teams and national tyrants, giving them no break.

Yet, they faced multiple near-disasters, making it to the finals against all odds.

Their misfortune lay in the grouping. Whether in the top eight or final four, no other team faced such a tough draw.

Now, these two teams are set to clash.

Two teams from the same region competing in Spring Koshien is not unusual in the tournament's history.

It's the summer Koshien that usually limits each region to one representative, making a finals matchup between teams from the same area nearly impossible (though not entirely, as both East and West Tokyo are counted as Tokyo).

In the spring tournament, there have been several occurrences!

But never have two teams from the same region met in the finals.

This is unprecedented!

It's the Tokyo Derby!!!

Like people in many countries, residents of the Tokyo metropolitan area possess a natural sense of pride.

With three teams from Tokyo, they've certainly raised the bar. One is a national top eight, and the other two are champion and runner-up contenders!

What's the fuss about a finals that hasn't even been played yet?

It doesn't matter!

After all, both teams in the finals hail from Tokyo. Who wins doesn't change the fact that the championship will remain in Tokyo.

This spring Koshien alone has seen many top teams emerge from the Tokyo area: Seidou, Inajitsu, and Yakushi.

While there may be slight differences in strength, they are undoubtedly among the country's elite teams.

But there's more.

Anyone with a bit of knowledge about high school baseball knows that there are more than just these three top teams in the Tokyo area.

At least two more national giants exist at this level.

For instance, Teito High School in East Tokyo.

And Sankou High School in West Tokyo.

These teams are also top-tier national powerhouses.

In one division, there are five teams with the strength of national giants (Yakushi has this strength but is not classified as a top giant).

This is the bare minimum.

Just thinking about it sends chills down the spine.

The homepage of Baseball Kingdom Magazine highlights the Tokyo Era.

Clicking it reveals that the list of strong teams in Tokyo goes beyond just these five.

Others, like Seikou, Sousei, Koukaidai, and Sensen, can easily add up to over a dozen.

A Great Era is indeed Great; the strongest battle zone is truly full of monsters.

—What the hell is going on in Tokyo!?

—Why there are so many strong teams there, the country is vast you know.

—This a really cruel neighborhood to live in.

—Are you kidding me? This is a Koshien-level tournament right here.

Tokyo's strength is shaking the entire nation.

The media is buzzing, and even Seidou High School's players can't find peace.

We live in an era of the internet, a global village.

News travels from one side of the world to the other in mere seconds.

Let alone within the country.

Almost immediately after returning to their dorms, the players of the Seidou High School baseball team saw reports about themselves flooding the media.

Praise for Seidou High School was so abundant that even their own teammates felt a bit shy.

After Narumiya's injury, everyone believes that the upcoming game will be an intense battle.

Most people doubt Inajitsu High School's chances of taking the championship of Seidou.

This isn't because they underestimate Inajitsu's strength.

The previous matches have made that abundantly clear.

With Sawamura Eijun sidelined, Seidou's backup pitcher, the monster Furuya, has stepped up.

While he may not perfectly fill Eijun's shoes, he has certainly stabilized the situation.

In contrast, we have Inajitsu's backup pitcher, Hirano.

Hirano is not weak; among the 32 teams in this year's Spring Koshien, his performance is at least mid-tier.

He could even rank in the top 20.

To hold his own among Koshien's teams is something Hirano can take pride in.

However, as a backup pitcher, he is not the true Ace.

But when compared to Furuya, a top-tier national talent, the gap is enormous.

That kind of difference can't be bridged by effort alone.

Today's big news isn't just about the unprecedented Tokyo Koshien Derby.

It also highlights the rise of Furuya.

Following Seidou High School's previous five star players, they now have another nationally recognized baseball star.

***

On the eve of the finals, outsiders had already elevated Seidou had a high chance to win.

I have to admit, those who wield the pen are quite impressive. Even Seidou's own players were misled by these articles.

Fortunately, their coaching staff knew the truth and wasn't fooled by the media.

In the eyes of the media, Seidou High School held a significant advantage. Especially with the rise of Furuya, who shone in the semifinals, there was confidence that under his lead, the Seidou baseball team would surely take great strides and ultimately claim the crown of the spring tournament.

If Inajitsu High School's Ace pitcher, Narumiya Mei, had not been injured, the media wouldn't have dared to make such bold claims.

After all, the strengths of both Inajitsu and Seidou were too closely matched. Who is stronger—Tokyo Prince Narumiya or the Great Demon Sawamura?

That has always been an unanswered question.

If both teams were at full strength and in top form, predicting a winner would be incredibly difficult.

But given the current situation, with Narumiya already injured, the outcome seems obvious.

As for Sawamura Eijun, he might also be injured and unable to pitch.

But that's okay!

Seidou High School has a backup pitcher—Furuya, The Monster.

In the previous game, he demonstrated his formidable strength.

In contrast, there are no such monsters on the Inajitsu team.

That alone is a significant disadvantage.

Previously, Furuya successfully suppressed the lineup of Komadai Fujimaki High School, allowing only two runs and just six effective hits.

Now, facing Inajitsu High School, even if he can't maintain that performance, losing just a few runs seems feasible.

Does Inajitsu's backup pitcher, Hirano, have that capability?

Even if Seidou's main players were halved and replaced with substitutes, Hirano probably couldn't keep the score in check.

Although the third-year seniors have retired, the newly formed Seidou baseball team has faced criticism for its lack of offense.

Yet no matter how lacking they may seem, Seidou remains one of the most offensively potent teams in the country.

Their offensive power is something Hirano can't withstand.

The media's rhetoric is quite marketable. Not to mention others, even Seidou's own teammates felt great confidence by such reports.

It seems they would be letting the whole world down if they didn't win this game.

"Ridiculous!"

There are still calm individuals, like Seidou baseball team captain Miyuki Kazuya.

He isn't as optimistic as the media suggests.

Upon seeing the reports, he brushed them aside.

"What's wrong?"

Kuramochi, nearby, was engrossed in his own phone.

Noticing Miyuki's attitude, he asked curiously.

Miyuki forced an uneasy smile.

"Everyone seems very optimistic about us!"

"Isn't that a good thing? At least they have good vision."

Kuramochi didn't care much.

Gaining recognition from the audience has always been something he craved.

"It's not that simple."

Deep down, they know the media's claims are nonsense.

'All their predictions hinge on Furuya being able to maintain the form he showed against Komadai Fujimaki.'

'That's the biggest fallacy.'

How could that be possible?

'Furuya's performance today was extraordinary. Can he keep that up?'

No one knows Furuya better than his teammates.

When he's on fire, he truly possesses the strength of a top pitcher in the nation. Even against Sawamura and Narumiya, he might not lose.

'But who can guarantee he'll have that same form against Inajitsu?'

'If he can maintain his form, then the competition for Seidou's Ace position will truly be exciting.'

Moreover, after the match against Komadai Fujimaki, Furuya was exhausted.

It's hard to say how much strength he can still muster.

After all, his stamina has never been particularly good.

Given this situation, how could the Seidou players put all their hopes on Furuya?

"Our two teams are in the same situation!"

During the evening meeting, Coach Kataoka directly addressed this issue.

In the upcoming match, both Seidou and Inajitsu faced the same challenges.

"It will be a very intense battle! In such a fight, we must adapt our strategies. When we can expand the score, we must not hold back and aim to increase the lead as much as possible."

This was the strategy for the offense.

Clearly, Kataoka had thought deeply about the match against Inajitsu.

He ultimately decided to confront them head-on.

This approach would give Seidou a higher chance of winning.

"Of course, defense is the foundation of victory! Furuya, you'll start the game the day after tomorrow. Kawakami, get ready to come in from the fourth inning. Tomorrow, I want us to win with the strength of our entire team!"

At the end of the meeting, Coach Kataoka said this.

The players at Seidou didn't need to prepare any intel on Inajitsu; they could recite it from their memory.

The same situation applied to Inajitsu regarding Seidou's strengths and weaknesses.

The match in two days is bound to be a fierce contest.

Eijun felt uneasy seeing both Furuya and Kawakami get the opportunity.

In his experience, this situation should have been normal.

But at such a critical moment in the finals, letting someone else take the mound—even a teammate—was hard for him to accept.

Returning to his room, he felt a bit down.

Out of boredom, he opened his phone to find a series of text messages.

Most came from friends in Nagano, telling him they would come to watch him in the finals.

The last message was from a childhood friend.

-Tomorrow, I'll be there to cheer you on!-

Sawamura let out a long sigh, closed his phone, and set it aside.

'Looks like I can't slack off!'

Though he felt a twinge of discomfort, he vowed not to slack off in the upcoming game.

Even as a batter, he would do everything to bring Seidou High School to the top.

Sawamura made this vow to himself!

…