"Home run!"
"Seidou High School's first-year Ace, Kanzaki Ryou, hits a home run in his first-ever at-bat at Koshien!"
"His talent speaks for itself—this kid is terrifying!"
The ball sailed straight into the stands, sending the stadium roaring back to life. Kanzaki jogged the bases with a calm smile, lifting his hand in acknowledgment as he crossed home plate.
"This guy hit a home run on the first pitch. That's not luck… that's destiny," Shida Shota groaned.
"No, no—he pitches like a monster and hits like one? Why him of all people?!"
"Exactly! Is he trying to make the rest of us look useless?"
"Stop comparing yourself to others or you'll just cry."
In the dugout, Seidou's players sat with exaggerated nonchalance, pretending nothing had happened.
"Hey, hey, aren't you going to congratulate me?" Kanzaki complained loudly. "It's my first Koshien home run!"
"Don't get cocky; it's just one home run," Azuma Kiyokuni snorted.
Kanzaki only smiled. His seniors were teasing him, and he knew it. So he shuffled dramatically toward Mita Yuka.
"Senior, look! They're bullying me. You have to stand up for me."
Mita Yuka covered her mouth with a laugh. "Alright, alright—if they won't congratulate you, I will."
"As expected of Mita-senpai. Unlike these stinkers." Kanzaki shot the boys a smug look.
"You little—get over here!"
While the dugout was filled with chaos and laughter, the game on the field continued. Shida Shota struck out soon after, and the top of the ninth wrapped up quickly, sending the game into its final defensive half.
Kawaji High School's last chance.
Though calling it a chance was generous—they were ten runs behind. Scoring that much against Seidou was a fantasy even they had long abandoned.
After the joking settled down, Kanzaki picked up his glove and walked out with the team, ready to finish the job.
A few minutes later, Kawaji's last three batters fell one after another, swinging without conviction. Their spirit had already been crushed.
"The Koshien Tournament, third round, second game—West Tokyo representative Seidou High School versus Ehime representative Kawaji High School—has concluded.
The score is 11–1!
Seidou High School advances!"
"Congratulations to Seidou High School for making the KOSHEN TOP 8!"
The stadium erupted, but Seidou's players were even louder. Quarterfinals—something they once only dreamed of—was now in their hands.
All those years of shouting "National Domination" as a goal… today, it was closer to reality than ever before.
Just reaching this stage lifted half the pressure off their shoulders.
Everything from here on would be a bonus.
If they reached the finals, or even won the championship—it would be legendary.
As for Kawaji, there were no tears. They were a dark horse to begin with. Reaching the Sweet Sixteen—let alone losing to Seidou—was already a historic achievement.
During handshake lines, they even smiled sincerely, confusing Seidou's players.
"Three more games!"
Back in the locker room, after cleaning up and thanking the fans, Coach Kataoka stood before the team, holding up three fingers.
"In these next three games, we must give everything we have.
To bring honor to our school—our absolute best effort is required."
Right now, Seidou's pitching staff revolved around Kanzaki Ryou, with Nanjo and Tanba Koichiro backing him up. The only concern was Kanzaki's stamina—could he handle multiple high-intensity games in a row?
As for offense, Kataoka believed no pitcher in the tournament could completely shut down Seidou's lineup. Even the strongest contenders—Seibo High School and Osaka Kiryu—would find them difficult to suppress.
As they exited the stadium, a group of reporters swarmed them. Kanzaki sent a desperate look toward Coach Kataoka, who stepped forward protectively.
Eventually, only a single Baseball Kingdom editor remained—a cheerful man with a shiny bald spot.
"Kanzaki, may I ask you a few questions?"
"I don't mind," Kanzaki replied.
The editor quickly pulled out his notebook and recorder.
"As a first-year and the Ace of Seidou, standing on the Koshien mound for the first time—how do you feel?"
"Happy… and a little nervous," Kanzaki answered.
"Nervous? But your first pitch was 157 km/h."
"That was just luck," Kanzaki said with a straight face.
The reporter laughed, then continued.
"Now that Seidou has reached the quarterfinals—what's your goal?"
Kanzaki exchanged a glance with Kataoka, then looked straight at the reporter.
"The championship, of course."
"Oh? That's quite bold."
"Why else would we be here? Sightseeing?"
The reporter beamed—this line alone would explode online.
"Will Kanzaki start in the next game?"
Kataoka replied expressionlessly,
"Kanzaki will play, regardless of the opponent. As for starting—that will be decided after the draw."
After a few more harmless questions, the interview ended.
Back at the Hotel
Once everyone washed up and changed, they gathered in the hotel's conference room, which had been prepared with trays of food—main dishes, desserts, drinks.
They dug in while watching the remaining Koshien games broadcast live.