At Koshien Stadium, the atmosphere shifted dramatically once again—like two completely different worlds colliding.
"Yay! We won! We won! Hahaha!"
The Yakushi High School players erupted in celebration.
They shouted at the top of their lungs, waved their arms wildly, and released all the tension and emotion they had been holding back.
Smiles spread across every face.
The entire bench was filled with noise, laughter, and pure joy.
In stark contrast, the Hakuryu High School players were devastated.
Some collapsed to the ground, unable to hold back their tears.
Others clenched their teeth tightly, trying desperately to suppress their emotions.
The sight was heartbreaking.
A team that had fought so hard… only to fall at the final moment.
The spectators in the stands were deeply moved by the intensity of the match.
Both teams had fought with everything they had, refusing to give up until the very last pitch.
That spirit alone earned thunderous applause.
The cheers rose like a storm—booming across the entire stadium, as if shaking the sky itself.
On the field, Ota Isao, Fukuda Daiki, Yamauchi Yutaka, and Kobayashi Keisuke all stood quietly.
Tears of excitement welled up in their eyes.
This had not been an easy tournament for them.
Up until now, Yakushi's success had largely been driven by its first- and second-year players.
The third-years had often been overshadowed.
But not today.
Today, they had proven their worth.
This victory… was theirs too.
And it had been earned the hard way.
A section of the stands
"Hey, Sato. Got anything useful?"
Sengoku Masato's voice came from behind.
Sato Toshiya rested his chin on his hand, still watching the field.
"Hm… this year's been interesting."
"I'm about 80% confident I can beat Yakushi High School."
A confident smile formed on his face.
"This year's Koshien champion will be ours."
Sengoku raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? That's pretty bold."
"You do know that Yakushi is a dark horse that's taken down several strong teams, right?"
"Don't underestimate them. Or you might end up like the teams they've already crushed."
Despite his words, Sengoku didn't sound serious at all.
If anything, there was amusement in his tone—confidence in his own team's strength.
The lesson they had once learned from Shigeno Goro still hadn't fully sunk in.
Sato's gaze drifted back to the field.
"Kitamura Kou…"
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I wonder… whose fastball is stronger. His or Goro's."
"Sato. Time to go."
Sengoku turned and started walking.
"Our match is next. Yakushi can wait until after we win."
Sato Toshiya finally stood up and followed him, tearing his gaze away from the field.
On the field, both teams lined up.
Together, they bowed.
"Thank you for the match!"
The game had officially ended.
After the match
Mima Soichiro approached Kitamura Kou.
Kou extended his hand first.
"Your performance was incredible," Kou said sincerely.
"Your relentless pursuit of every ball… even when it looked impossible… even when there was risk of injury—you never hesitated."
"That kind of determination is admirable."
Mima shook his hand, a faint bitter smile on his face.
"Congratulations."
"We prepared thoroughly for this game. We studied you, adjusted everything… and still lost."
"We underestimated your seniors' will to win."
He exhaled softly.
"That fighting spirit… it was overwhelming."
A pause.
"I wish I could've faced you more directly on the bases."
"I hope we meet again."
Kou nodded lightly.
"Yeah. I look forward to it."
He didn't linger.
Both players understood.
A loss was still fresh.
Too much conversation would only deepen it.
They exchanged contact information, wished each other well, and parted ways.
Yakushi dugout
Laughter returned as players packed their gear.
The atmosphere was light again—relieved, almost overflowing.
"Quick, clean up everything! Don't leave trash behind!"
Todoroki Raizo called out.
"We're going to watch the next game—Kaido High School vs. Ikuei High School."
"That match will decide our next opponent. Pay attention and gather information!"
"Yes, sir!"
The team responded in unison and moved faster.
However—
Todoroki Raichi remained silent.
He packed his things slowly, head lowered.
Something was clearly off.
This was not good.
Raichi's defense had always been shaky, but his batting was essential.
Without his power hitting, Yakushi would lose a major weapon.
And if future opponents decided to pitch around Kitamura Kou…
They might completely neutralize him.
Without Raichi's support, scoring would become far more difficult.
The teammates noticed his unusual silence.
One by one, they tried to cheer him up.
"Raichi, you love bananas, right? I've got some!"
"Forget bananas—when we get back, I'll treat you to pork cutlet!"
"Let's go swing some bats together later! That'll fix your mood!"
But none of it worked.
Raichi kept his head down, silently packing his gear.
The group slowly gave up and turned to Todoroki Raizo.
Even he seemed slightly helpless.
This was the first time he had seen his son like this.
He scratched his head.
"Kids these days are difficult…"
"In my day, you just went to the field, swung the bat, and sweated it out."
"Problem solved."
He clapped his hands loudly.
"Alright! Enough of that."
"The next game is starting soon."
"We're going to scout our next opponent."
"As for Raichi… let him sort it out himself for now."
He looked toward the field.
"The next match is in two days."
"Hopefully he'll recover by then."
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