Chapter 43: National Top 16

Seidou High School dominated the prestigious Homei High School with an 8:1 victory, leading the way into the top 16 of the national tournament. (The Senbatsu is five rounds in total, so the second round is the top 16.)

"♫Pure heart alit with hope, the young grass trembles in the wind♫

♫Throw away your doubts and go on this journey with your friends♫

♫Ahh, the path of youth Seidou, ahh, our path♫"

After the game, Seidou High School's school anthem echoed through Koshien Stadium.

Seidou High School, which made a triumphant return last summer, continues on its path of revival as a renowned school.

Their rapid attacking style is the talk of the town.

The commentator on site was so excited that he was practically incoherent.

"Seidou High School advances to the second round!"

In front of the TV.

Because their turn was later, the players of Komadai Fujimaki High School, who had no games on the first day, watched the match from their seats.

"They used precise and targeted attacks to completely conquer Homei High School," Renji, who was wearing glasses, said thoughtfully.

Although the score gap was not particularly large, considering their opponent was Homei, a Famous School, Renji was still deeply impressed.

'Fantastic!'

'While not quite as overwhelming as last summer, the current Seidou High School baseball team is still impressively strong.'

'Even to the point of being more scary.'

For Komadai Fujimaki High School which is aiming to grasp the Championship, Seidou High School is the biggest obstacle in their path.

"Hongou, you start from the first inning tomorrow. Be ready to continue pitching until the end. I don't want any embarrassing play."

After watching Seidou High School's match, Coach Nitta gave no comments but issued a simple order.

Meanwhile, after the game, Seidou High School players attended a press conference.

The questions from reporters were repetitive, mostly variations of a few standard queries.

"How does it feel to appear at Koshien?"

"When did you start playing baseball?"

"How did you get so good?"

These questions were asked over and over with little variation.

Despite this, Sawamura responded with great courtesy.

Even when answering questions he had fielded countless times before, he did so with poise.

"I don't have any special feelings; I just hope to continue playing alongside my teammates."

"My interest in baseball has been with me since I was very little."

"Training a lot and following the guidance of the coaches and Senpais can do wonders."

"Our goal is, of course, to be number one. I believe all players at Koshien share the same goal. No one comes here to settle for second place."

Sawamura had answered these types of questions hundreds of times before.

Now, his responses to these questions were like second nature.

In addition to Sawamura, Miyuki was also very popular.

Many people were chasing him for questions.

On the second day, the media was overflowing with articles about Seidou High School's triumphant return.

About 80% of the coverage focused on Sawamura and Miyuki.

Other reports either centered on them or featured them prominently.

"None!"

"None!!"

Asou went through nearly every newspaper, unable to find his name.

In desperation, he turned to the internet.

The internet is all-powerful, and he did find some information.

There were detailed analyses of Seidou High School's game that mentioned Asou.

It talked about his timely hits and bunts.

"Seidou High School is a team with excellent overall strength. Their lineup is fully blooming, and the players are well-coordinated."

"Tsk!"

Asou frustratingly closed the page.

But inside, he was still a bit thrilled.

'Getting a hit at Koshien.'

Just thinking about it made him happy.

As time passed, the games continued.

Teams highlighted by Seidou High School all secured victories.

First was Hokkaido's Komadai Fujimaki High School, who won 7:0 against Toyoda.

Ace Hongou, who was trolled by his coach and only pitched in the latter half of the game, completely overwhelmed his opponents. Even when the opponent players were sure he was trying to kill them.

He achieved five strikeouts and allowed no hits.

Yakushi High School also advanced to the top 16.

Monster Raichi-kun gained fame.

He hit two home runs!

One game, two home runs.

If there were rankings for the best Koshien debut, Raichi's performance would undoubtedly be the most thrilling.

The audience was captivated.

"What a surprise!"

"There are still such players hidden until now?"

"It's said he lost to the Demon King in an epic battle last summer!"

"Man, what the hell is happening in West Tokyo?"

"It is crazy there, at least he got a chance at Koshien."

"Yeah, that's what makes Senbatsu interesting!"

Because you never know when such a monster will suddenly emerge.

Takashima Rei and Watanabe, who were scouting, had very grim faces.

They were not shocked by Raichi's home runs; the main issue was Yakushi's overall strength.

So powerful!

Surprisingly solid!

In just a few months, Yakushi High School seemed to have transformed entirely. What used to be noticeable flaws in their defense were now completely absent.

They had evidently become a very balanced team.

"Besides Inashiro and Komadai Fujimaki, Yakushi is also a team to watch out for!" Takashima Rei said with emotion.

On the other side, Hakuryu High School also advanced.

Under the leadership of Mima Soichiro, they launched wave after wave of fierce attacks.

In the end, they defeated Nanagamari Tech with a terrifying score of 11:2.

They advanced to the top 16.

Besides Yakushi, other prestigious high schools also demonstrated their undeniable strength.

Meanwhile, Yamamori's Kotari brothers defeated the strong Sarashina Sougou 5:1.

Other strong teams like Seihou and Osaka Seiseisha also advanced.

Under the returning Ace Akashi Seiya's leadership, Seihou High School won their match with a massive score of 10:0.

The most suspenseful part of the first round was the strong confrontation between Inashiro and Nishiura.

Both were top-tier teams in the country, and they played an intense pitching duel.

In the end, Inashiro emerged victorious with a 3:0 win.

But the victory did not come easily.

Ace Narumiya Mei started the game and threw 140 pitches.

Although he did not allow any runs, the physical strain was significant.

Against a formidable opponent like Nishiura, Inashiro dared not use a substitute and had to rely on Narumiya Mei to hold on.

With the top 16 determined, the competition began, and the second round was in full swing.

This time, Seidou High School could sit back and wait for the other strong teams to play first.

They were scheduled for the penultimate game against Nihon Shouno High School.

…

T/N: As always, Thank you all for reading!!

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