Clap. Clap. Clap.
At Jingu Stadium, tens of thousands of spectators rose to their feet, applause echoing endlessly through the stands.
Seido's fans celebrated.
Koshien—secured once more.
On the other side—
Inashiro's supporters clapped just as hard.
Not for victory—
But for a team that had given everything.
"Line up."
Outside the dugout, Coach Kunitomo stood straight, his expression stern.
Unmoved.
Unaffected.
At least on the surface.
But deep inside—
He sighed.
He had seen this scene countless times in his long coaching career.
Yet every time—
The sight of his players' slumped shoulders, their hidden tears—
Still weighed heavily on him.
I failed to take them to Koshien.
Especially the third-years.
This had been—
Their last chance.
The Inashiro players lowered their heads, caps pulled down to hide their faces, and stepped onto the field.
Each step—
Heavy.
On the other side, Seido had already gathered.
Their celebration was brief.
Disciplined.
They stood in formation—
Waiting.
Just like last year—
They were the victors.
And Inashiro…
Once again, the defeated.
Kanzaki Ryou's gaze fell on Narumiya Mei as he approached.
Red eyes.
Tear-streaked face.
Compared to last year—
This defeat cut deeper.
He's grown.
Not just in skill—
But in heart.
"Line up!"
"Bow!!"
"Thank you for the game!!"
Their voices rang out across the stadium.
Clear.
Loud.
Final.
The Summer Tournament preliminaries—
Had officially ended.
Narumiya looked up.
His eyes were still burning.
"Ryou"
"If you don't win Koshien… I won't forgive you."
Kanzaki met his gaze.
Calm.
Unshaken.
"We'll win."
Narumiya clenched his fists.
"I won't give up."
"I lost this time… and last time…"
"But next time—"
"I'll beat you."
Kanzaki nodded.
"I'll be waiting."
That was all.
No more words.
Inashiro turned—
And walked away.
Silently.
On Seido's side—
Coach Kataoka led the team to face their supporters.
They bowed deeply.
And the stadium—
Erupted once more.
"Koshien again!!"
"Coach Kataoka—bring home the championship!"
"Back-to-back titles!!"
"Kanzaki! Stay undefeated at Koshien!"
"Yuki!! Don't leave regrets behind!"
"Miyuki!!"
"Chris!!"
"Ryosuke!!"
"Isashiki!!"
Names echoed one after another—
Carried by passion and expectation.
Among the players—
The first-years stood stunned.
Koshien…?
They had only joined a few months ago—
And now—
They were heading to the biggest stage in high school baseball.
Arima Kazusa and Kominato Haruichi exchanged glances.
They understood the weight of it.
Unlike Sawamura and Furuya—
Who were simply overwhelmed.
But there was one problem.
Koshien allowed only 18 players.
Seido's first string had 20.
Two would be cut.
A shadow passed through Arima and Haruichi's eyes.
Traditionally—
First-years were kept.
They were essential for the next team after the third-years retired.
But—
Seido had never carried four first-years before.
And with Kanzaki, Tanba, and Kawakami already anchoring the mound—
The odds… aren't in our favor.
They glanced at Sawamura and Furuya.
The two pitchers—
Completely oblivious.
After thanking their fans, Seido returned to pack up.
Outside the stadium—
Kanzaki lingered at the back, phone in hand.
"Let's meet at school later. Too many fans here right now."
"Got it, Ni-chan!" Kumiko's cheerful voice came through.
"We'll come find you!"
From the crowd, she waved energetically.
After one last round of greetings—
The team boarded the bus.
July 31st.
The West Tokyo Finals—
Concluded.
The representatives for the 89th Summer Koshien were decided:
From East Tokyo—
Teito High School.
From West Tokyo—
Seido High School.
In August—
They would head to—
Hanshin Koshien Stadium,
in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture.
The sacred ground of high school baseball.
After the game—
Media coverage exploded nationwide.
Headlines focused on one thing:
The clash between two aces.
Kanzaki Ryou—
Perfect Game.
Complete shutout.
Narumiya Mei—
Brilliant, yet defeated.
Across Japan—
Fans came to a unanimous conclusion.
Kanzaki Ryou.
Was the strongest high school pitcher in the country.
And at the same time—
They couldn't help but feel regret.
For Narumiya Mei.
A pitcher of his level—
Unable to step onto the Koshien mound.
It felt…
Wrong.
Many even said—
"If Inashiro were in another district—"
"They'd definitely make Koshien."
Even—
"In East Tokyo, they'd qualify easily."
A bold claim.
Almost disrespectful.
Yet—
Very few disagreed.
Because everyone knew—
Just how strong Inashiro truly was.
And beyond Tokyo—
This game reminded the entire nation of one thing:
West Tokyo…
Was a battlefield.
A place so brutal—
That even a powerhouse like Inashiro—
Couldn't survive.