At Seido High School, Sawamura Eijun was staring at the newspaper with a resentful expression, letting out strange little noises as if he couldn't accept what he was reading.
Kominato Haruichi glanced at him and said with a hint of exasperation, "If you care that much, then go and see for yourself."
As the most-watched high school tournament in Japan, the Summer Koshien was something even teams that failed to qualify would follow closely during their breaks between training sessions.
At the Inashiro Industrial High School baseball field, the team that had defeated Yakushi High School was also paying close attention. Several second-year key players gathered around their phones, ready to watch and discuss the match as it unfolded.
The first to speak was Kamiya Carlos Toshiki.
"Yakushi High School versus Seihou High School… what an interesting matchup."
Katsuyuki Shirakawa replied in his icy tone, "I heard Kitamura Kou hasn't even played a game at Koshien yet."
Carlos, the young black player, added, "They're facing one of the championship favorites, Seihou High School. They should at least let Kitamura Kou pitch properly."
Riku Yamaoka was especially interested in the duel between pitching and hitting.
"Monster cannon Sano Shuzo hit a huge home run off Osaka Kiryu's pitcher, and that walk-off win boosted their morale tremendously. It won't be easy for Yakushi High School to win."
Shirakawa's voice turned slightly sharper, almost sinister.
"If Yakushi beats this team, Kitamura Kou and Yakushi High School will become the center of attention nationwide overnight."
And that should have been Inashiro Industrial High School's spotlight.
Tadano Itsuki, Narumiya Mei's new partner, exclaimed, "Kitamura Kou versus Sano Shuzo? If this is a chance to test Yakushi High School's strength, I'd love to see it."
At that moment, Narumiya Mei's voice came from the bullpen.
"Itsuki, what are you dawdling over there for? Hurry up and get in here to practice pitching. You can't even catch my pitches at 70%—no, 50% of my power. If this keeps up, how are we supposed to crush Yakushi High School in the Autumn Tournament? Get in here and practice!"
Itsuki clearly wanted to keep watching the match, but he didn't dare disobey Narumiya. He could only walk away reluctantly, glancing back every few steps.
Carlos and the others looked at him with helpless expressions. If they made a sound, they probably wouldn't be able to watch the game in peace either.
Of course, these weren't the only schools paying attention. Ichidaisan High School, Sensen High School, and others were also closely watching the matchup.
Soon, the players from both teams stepped onto the field for warm-ups, and the stadium erupted with cheers that seemed to shake the heavens.
Both sides had their own cheering squads, but compared to Seihou High School, Yakushi's support was clearly at a disadvantage. Still, the Yakushi players were used to it. They had always played under the pressure of overwhelming support for their opponents—and yet, in the end, it was often Yakushi who came out on top.
Todoroki Raizo cleared his throat and gave his final words of encouragement.
"I've already said everything I needed to say. I'll say it once more: on the field, think carefully about what you should do. Once you decide, don't hesitate—act decisively and take responsibility for it. I won't be giving you any signals from the bench. After all, the ones competing on the field are you. Lastly… enjoy this rare moment."
The Yakushi players smiled knowingly and answered in unison.
"Hi!!!"
"Announcement from the tournament organizers: now introducing the starting lineups for both teams—first, Yakushi High School."
"First batter, first baseman, Mishima Yuta."
"Second, left fielder, Akiba Kazuma."
"Third batter, third baseman, Todoroki Raichi."
"Fourth batter, pitcher, Kitamura Kou."
"Fifth batter, catcher, Akaishi Osamu."
"Sixth batter, second baseman, Fukuda Daiki."
"Seventh batter, right fielder, Yamauchi Yutaka."
"Eighth batter, shortstop, Kobayashi Keisuke."
"Ninth batter, center fielder, Ota."
That's right—Todoroki Raizo was at it again. To avoid giving the opponent an easy chance to intentionally walk Todoroki Raichi and Kitamura Kou, he stacked the lineup before them. In addition, Akaishi Osamu's batting ability was actually quite solid, and the four third-year seniors behind him had strong chemistry, which could produce unexpected results.
The game began quickly.
Seihou High School was up first, meaning the one standing on the mound was Kitamura Kou—making his very first appearance in Koshien.
The commentator's voice was filled with excitement.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this highly anticipated match is about to begin! As expected, Yakushi High School has sent out their ace, Kitamura Kou (assigned jersey number 1 during the pre-Koshien number reshuffle). The fastest man of this generation is finally about to show his fangs on the Koshien stage! What kind of pitch will Kitamura-san deliver for his first throw?"
Kitamura Kou held the rosin bag in his right hand, quietly feeling the familiar texture of the pitcher's mound beneath his feet.
Akaishi Osamu's voice pulled him back to reality.
"Kou, first time at Koshien… how are you planning to pitch?"
Kitamura Kou pulled his cap down with his right hand, shadowing his eyes so only the lower half of his face was visible. He smiled with quiet confidence.
"The first pitch? Full power. I want to test how my condition is today. From the second pitch onward, I'll settle at about eighty percent to warm up before facing that monster, Sano Shuzo. I can't afford to miss the strike zone."
Akaishi Osamu didn't object, but still offered his own suggestion.
"In that case, I recommend attacking with fastballs in the first round to pressure them, then mixing in breaking balls in the second. That should work better."
Kitamura Kou lifted his head and looked straight at Akaishi Osamu. His eyes seemed to shine.
"I've always trusted your game-calling, haven't I… partner?"
As he spoke, Kitamura Kou raised his gloved left hand.
Akaishi Osamu smiled and met it with his own glove.
"Then let the whole of Japan witness what we can do… partner!"
He turned and returned behind the plate, crouching down as he set his glove in position and locked his gaze on the pitcher.
Seihou High School's lead-off batter had been waiting impatiently. When Akaishi Osamu finally settled in, he sneered, trying to disrupt his focus.
"If you're that scared of Seihou, you might as well just give up. We'll give you a clean ending. Our goal isn't much—a double-digit win is enough."
Akaishi Osamu shot him a disdainful glance and ignored him completely.
On the mound, Kitamura Kou would soon show him exactly how cruel reality could be.
He didn't keep Osamu waiting long.
He raised both hands, stepped forward, and unleashed his right arm with explosive force.
The baseball tore through the air.
BANG!!!