Chapter 19: Teammates!

The autumn wind blew across the contestants' faces, wiping away their tears.

The mushroom-headed boy, who had been incredibly stubborn before, now cried like a child.

In sharp contrast, the Seidou High School players were jubilant and celebrated enthusiastically.

The final score of the game was 10-2, after seven effective innings.

Although it wasn't a complete bloodbath, the score clearly indicated a crushing victory.

The score truly reflected the strength gap between the two teams.

To those who hadn't watched the game, this result might suggest an easy win for Seidou High School, and they might think there was no need for excessive celebration.

But those who had seen the game knew otherwise.

Ouya High School had demonstrated their strength with a brilliant performance.

They were evenly matched with the powerful Seidou High School at one point and even took the lead briefly.

Given their overall strength, Ouya really showcased an impressive performance.

At the very least, Seidou High School can have only respect for their opponent.

Even if their point of view is different, their love for the game is all the same.

The fighting spirit, technical skills, and tactical execution displayed by Ouya earned genuine admiration from Seidou's players.

It was precisely because Seidou felt winning this game was hard-earned that they were so excited and happy.

On the other side, the Ouya High School players had every reason to cry.

After all, they had truly put in the effort!

The more effort players put in during training, the more painful the failure feels.

This is human nature.

"There's no need to cry like that," Coach Araki said, maintaining his cheerful demeanor. "Even though we lost this game, it doesn't mean your high school baseball career is over. We still have the big tournament next spring and next summer!"

Coach Araki was always in high spirits.

As he spoke, he glanced at the Seidou players, who were celebrating their victory with great enthusiasm.

'This team had refined itself, completely different from the rough start of the Fall Tournament.'

'In just a month, they had developed into a solid fighting force. It wasn't just the top-line and core batters performing well.'

'Even the lower-ranked batters began to show their strength.'

'With time, their teamwork would become even more cohesive, and their performance would continue to improve.'

Seidou High School!

They retained Sawamura Eijun and Miyuki Kazuya and had excellent alternate players as well.

'By next summer, this team will probably be even tougher to handle!' Coach Araki thought to himself.

Fortunately, he didn't have to worry about this opponent.

After all, Seidou High School was from West Tokyo, while Ouya was from East Tokyo.

Although the Fall and Spring Tournaments must be played together, they wouldn't face each other in the crucial summer Koshien qualifiers.

Even if they did meet, it would be at Koshien.

If they could reach that level, it would be an accomplishment in itself.

Turning back to his tearful players, Coach Araki worked hard to keep a smile on his face. This smile might not offer much, but it provided some comfort.

After all, these kids were just fifteen or sixteen years old.

Along with strict requirements, a coach must show enough patience and care when appropriate.

That's what a school coach should do.

Meanwhile, Seidou High School's players were still celebrating.

"The umpire is getting annoyed go stand in line!" Coach Kataoka suddenly said.

The Seidou High School baseball team snapped back to attention and lined up, walking to the center of the field to bow to the Ouya High School players.

"THANKS FOR THE GOOD GAME!"

"THANKS FOR THE GOOD GAME!"

Even at this point, many Ouya players still had traces of tears.

But they conducted their salute with meticulousness.

"Good job!"

"Well done!!!"

Seidou's players responded politely when shaking hands, embodying their tradition of humility in victory.

They wouldn't be haughty. Since they had won, they had to remain modest.

Though few players could truly embody this spirit in their hearts, at least outwardly, everyone behaved this way.

"You were amazing!"

"We'll cheer for you in the next game. Make sure to make it to the Koshien!"

Even after their loss, Ouya's players showed great sportsmanship and sincerely wished Seidou well.

The mushroom-headed Wakabayashi placed his hand on Miyuki Kazuya's and asked quietly, "Who saw through our flaws?"

This question had troubled Wakabayashi for a while now, and they finally couldn't hold back any longer.

Miyuki pointed towards the stands where the second-string players were seated, vaguely indicating Watanabe's figure.

"Our teammate Watanabe Hisashi." Miyuki sounded a bit proud when he introduced Watanabe.

"Your teammate?"

'Not part of the staff or even the main team?'

Wakabayashi's voice was filled with surprise.

He never expected that a second-string player could discern their flaws.

"That's right! He's our team's secret weapon!" Miyuki smiled brightly.

"Watanabe! I'll remember this!!!"

Wakabayashi left with the result of their defeat in mind.

"The final score of the game between Seidou High School and Ouya High School was 10-2, with Seidou High School winning!!!"

With this, Seidou High School was the first team to advance to the finals.

Meanwhile, the results of the other match were also being finalized.

***

The day after Seidou High School's victory over Ouya High School, media reporters swarmed like sharks catching a scent of blood. Outside the netting at Seidou High School's baseball field, a horde of journalists gathered, waiting for interviews.

"It is spectacular!"

Even for Seidou's own supporters, the scene was incredibly novel. They watched in shock as the number of reporters outside the stadium seemed to have multiplied compared to the earlier rounds. Why was there such a surge of media today?

"Probably because our opponent has been confirmed!" Miyuki said.

Once he mentioned it, everyone understood the situation. The reporters were clearly drawn to the excitement.

The upcoming playoffs would be another classic clash of titans. Seidou High School, having recently dominated the national summer tournament, was set to face Sankou, which had also advanced to the finals.

There were no major surprises in the process. One of Seidou's longtime rivals, Ichidai Sankou, had steadily progressed through the rounds and reached the finals of the playoff.

These two powerhouses were about to face off.

According to Seidou's analyst, Watanabe, Seidou had a very high chance of winning the final.

Sankou was strong, no doubt!

Even though they lost to the dark horse Yakushi High School during the summer, it did not mean that Sankou was weak. On the contrary, their overall strength was closest to Inajitsu and Seidou among all teams.

Compared to other teams in West Tokyo, their strength was notably superior.

Similarly, the prestige of a powerhouse is enduring. Even during Seidou's weaker years, they remained a formidable competitor against Inajitsu and Ichidai.

Sankou was no different. Regardless of their current state, they remained a very strong opponent.

Now, with a new Ace joining their ranks, Sankou was like a fierce warrior given a weapon.

The media and fans were eagerly anticipating the match between these two teams. Even Jingu Stadium made concessions to host the final, ensuring an unprecedented audience.

Given these circumstances, reporters wanted to gather more material in advance to make writing their articles easier.

To the general public, this game was bound to be a high-stakes confrontation.

According to Watanabe's analysis, it was certain that the game would have an impact on Seidou High School. However, the chances of winning were significantly in Seidou's favor.

For a matchup between two giants, such favorable odds were indeed quite remarkable.

"Is there a basis for this?"

Coach Kataoka, who had extensive dealings with Ichidai Sankou, was initially incredulous upon hearing Watanabe's conclusion. He had reviewed Ichidai's game footage and considered them very strong, especially with the new Ace pitcher, which he believed had doubled their strength.

In this scenario, a very close game with a bit of advantage for Seidou High seemed a more reasonable estimate.

The Seidou players gathered around the conference table and focused their attention on Watanabe. His insights were highly valued—especially after the last game—and he had been gathering information on Ichidai Sankou long before the playoffs were finalized. Among the eight playoff teams, Ichidai Sankou was considered their biggest rival.

Under these conditions, it was inevitable that Seidou would prepare in advance.

Watanabe was responsible for this work. If anyone had the most authority, it was undoubtedly him.

"Ichidai Sankou is strong, no doubt about it. However, compared to our team, they have three major weaknesses."

'Weaknesses!'

When the players heard this, they were surprised. The idea of Ichidai Sankou having vulnerabilities, especially three, seemed unlikely.

If it weren't for Watanabe making this statement, the players might have thought it was a big joke.

Facing the curious gazes of his teammates, Watanabe remained calm and composed. Sawamura even saw a hint of Chris's presence.

"Really mature!" he muttered softly.

"What did you say?" Kominato Haruichi asked, puzzled.

Sawamura shook his head, indicating it was nothing.

At this moment, Watanabe spoke with calm assurance.

"Firstly, their offensive strength is impressive, but they haven't fully developed a structured attack, so their overall offensive ability isn't strong. If our Ace, Sawamura, pitches in the final, it's hard to imagine us conceding many runs. Even if we do, it would likely be just one or two. The team has many outstanding players, and all nine of the starting lineup are strong individually, but they haven't fully achieved effective coordination."

"That's the first point!"

"Second, their Ace pitcher was recently replaced. While the new Ace pitcher is very strong individually, he hasn't yet integrated well with the team due to his long hiatus."

"Third!"

Watanabe let out a long breath before continuing.

"Ichidai Sankou lost to Yakushi in the Fall Tournament! From my perspective, Yakushi itself has many flaws, and Ichidai Sankou still lost. This is a significant blow to their team's morale, contrasting sharply with our team's rising momentum. Ichidai Sankou probably hasn't fully recovered."

"These factors are enough to ensure our victory. Ichidai Sankou's previous games relied heavily on the players' personal skills to overwhelm their opponents. From how it looks, they still need more honing."

Watanabe's summary was compelling.

Reflecting on it, Ichidai Sankou faced numerous challenges and changes. Seidou and Inajitsu remained strong largely due to retaining their Ace pitchers and core team members. Ichidai Sankou had only retained two key batters, Hoshida and Sasaki, and their new Ace pitcher still lacked adequate integration with the team.

...

T/N: Now the game with Ouya has ended.

We won't waste time and will start the game with Sankou tomorrow.

As always, Thank you all for reading!!

See you Tomorrow!

Until then, take care!

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