"THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD GAME!!"
"THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD GAME!!!"
Under the sunlight, the players of both teams saluted and bowed to each other.
By this point, the semifinals had finally come to a close.
With the semifinals now over, the two winning teams were the mighty Komadai Fujimaki High School, who had decisively defeated Hakuryu, and Seidou, who had triumphed over Osaka Kiryu High School.
Throughout the semifinals, both teams showcased extraordinary potential and strength, leaving everyone in awe.
Now, these two incredibly powerful teams were about to face each other in the finals.
Would it be the legendary Seidou High School baseball team, sweeping through each round and finally securing the victory to cement their place in history?
Or would it be Komadai Fujimaki High School, who, with a well-timed snipe shot, managed to take down Seidou at the last moment?
No one could say for sure.
The only thing people could be certain about now was that this year's Koshien finals would be extremely exciting.
It was a must-see match!
People were flocking to get tickets for this game, eager to witness the showdown.
At the hotel where Seidou High School baseball team was staying, the players, having just won their semifinal match, couldn't even find time to rest. They immediately began studying Komadai Fujimaki High School's data.
As Coach Ochiai had put it, their strength was different.
During previous matches, Seidou's players had encountered opponents with extraordinary power. While such players were few, there had been enough of them to make an impression.
However, even with such opponents, Coach Ochiai had never spoken in such a manner before.
Not even during the match with Inashiro did Ochiai say anything like this.
Though the Seidou players were more inclined to listen to their Head Coach, Kataoka, they knew that Coach Ochiai had the most coaching experience.
Having coached for over 20 years, though not as the Head Coach, he had been part of one of the top teams and held an important coaching position. His abilities and qualities were unquestionable.
In such circumstances, Seidou's players knew that they had to take Coach Ochiai's advice seriously.
Komadai Fujimaki High School was no stranger to the Seidou team. Apart from being from the West Tokyo region, Komadai Fujimaki was one of the most well-known teams across the country.
Almost every player from their starting lineup was someone the Seidou players were familiar with.
After watching the match videos of Komadai Fujimaki High School, Seidou players noticed something very peculiar. It was still the same team, but their strength had completely transformed when compared to before.
What had happened to them? What kind of training had Komadai Fujimaki gone through?
During the Spring Koshien, their strength wasn't this scary!
Seidou had managed to defeat them after a fierce battle, with Furuya leading the way.
But now, after watching the match videos again, the transformation was almost unbelievable.
The team Seidou had faced before was completely different from the one now.
In just a few months, their strength had surged tremendously!
Even a team like Hakuryu, known for its strong mobility and top-level national power, was no match for Komadai Fujimaki High School.
Despite their different styles, Komadai Fujimaki's strength was undeniably top-tier.
In their match against Hakuryu, Komadai Fujimaki crushed them with ease, without even giving them a chance to retaliate.
The players of Seidou High School baseball team were truly shaken.
They had realized, upon seeing Komadai Fujimaki's score, that this new Komadai Fujimaki was not the same as before.
Hakuryu may have been a strong team nationwide, but even they were easily flattened by Komadai Fujimaki. What would that mean for other teams?
After watching the footage, the players of Seidou were speechless.
They had truly grown stronger!
The players of Komadai Fujimaki High School had essentially transformed. Their overall strength had increased by at least 50%, which was a terrifying boost.
At this level, even a 1% improvement would have been frightening, let alone a 50% increase.
This was simply incredible!
When faced with such a powerful opponent, the Seidou players had to admit they weren't entirely confident.
They didn't know how much they would have to do to truly defeat this opponent!
At another hotel, the players of Komadai Fujimaki High School were also looking at each other in silence.
Just like Seidou had begun their preparations early, Komadai Fujimaki had started preparing for their match against Seidou long before they even reached the finals.
Once the semifinals ended and they had officially secured a place in the finals, Komadai Fujimaki immediately began intensifying their study of Seidou's team.
Through their research, they found Seidou to be a truly unique team.
Is Seidou strong?
When asked this question, people would definitely nod.
Seidou was undeniably strong; this was beyond question.
But exactly how were they strong? That wasn't something everyone could easily understand or achieve.
After watching the Seidou match footage, the Komadai Fujimaki players' previously vague impressions suddenly became clear and vivid.
The players of Komadai Fujimaki could sense how formidable Seidou was, and it was truly impressive. Facing such a team would undoubtedly be a challenge.
The night before the final battle, at the hotel where the Seidou High School baseball team was staying.
The atmosphere in the hotel was cheerful, even though the team felt that their opponents in the final were a bit tough.
However, the team members' overall mindset was still relatively good.
Currently, the core players of Seidou High School's baseball team are mostly second- and third-year students.
Although three first-year students had been promoted to the first team, their positions in the starting lineup were more about learning the ropes.
The reason for promoting them was to nurture new talent. If we measured their contributions to the team purely by their abilities, they were not necessarily as reliable as the seasoned third-year players like Shiratsu and the others.
If we measure it from an emotional standpoint, most of the team members would rather have the third-year players join the first team.
After all, this was their last summer; after this, they would no longer have a chance to reach Koshien.
The first-year students were different. They still had a long road ahead, with plenty of opportunities to join the first team in the future.
They would have more chances to challenge Koshien.
But from the perspective of the team's long-term development, bringing in a few first-year students was quite necessary at this point.
What is the saddest thing for a prestigious team?
A lack of successors!
These four words were undoubtedly the saddest.
Enjoying resources and treatment that grassroots teams could only dream of, players from prestigious teams naturally bore their corresponding responsibilities.
As members of such elite school teams, they had to constantly remind themselves of this responsibility.
No matter what the situation was, they could never tarnish the reputation of their team.
To achieve this, they had to sacrifice certain things.
For the future development of the team, some third-year players who had the right to play in Koshien had to make way for the newcomers.
That's the way it is for prestigious teams!
Fortunately, there weren't too many of these newcomers in the first team, so they wouldn't stir up much trouble.
The team was still mainly made up of second- and third-year players who had been together for 1–2 years, forming strong bonds.
The upcoming final had special significance for the members of the Seidou High School baseball team.
Before, they felt like they still had plenty of time to play together and many things to do.
They hadn't yet reached the legendary heights.
But now, they were only one step away from the legend.
Winning tomorrow's game would mean that their dreams had been completely fulfilled.
They would help Seidou High School baseball team reach the legendary status.
But at the same time, a question they had intentionally avoided was now at the forefront.
This question was simple.
After tomorrow's match, the second- and third-year players, who had been playing with their first-year teammates for more than a year, would have to say goodbye!
The second-year players couldn't help but feel reluctant, knowing that tomorrow would be their last game together.
If possible, they wished the team could keep playing forever.
But everything has an end.
Now, Seidou High School's baseball team's journey was coming to a close.
Whether they won or lost tomorrow's game, this would be the last game for the legendary Seidou team before the graduation of players like Miyuki.
It was their final match!
"It feels like just yesterday, when we were still messing around in the second team," said Kanemaru with a grim face.
Despite his carefree exterior, he was more fragile inside than anyone else.
Thinking about saying goodbye to the third-year players made him want to cry.
He started to get the feeling of the defeated Osaka Kiryu.
Speaking of Osaka Kiryu, something interesting had happened after their match.
Coach Matsumoto gritted his teeth and said to Kataoka:
"Congratulations, congratulations. You're really lucky to have a player like Sawamura. Why didn't I have such luck?"
On the surface, Matsumoto's words seemed harmless.
But if you listened carefully, you could immediately sense his malicious intent. He was clearly provoking Kataoka, implying that they only won thanks to Sawamura.
If Osaka Kiryu's baseball team had Sawamura, Matsumoto believed their achievements would have surpassed Seidou's.
As a Japanese language teacher, Kataoka had excellent reading comprehension.
He quickly understood Matsumoto's hidden meaning.
The two teams had a deep connection, being friendship schools. He never expected Matsumoto to say something like that so openly.
Kataoka wasn't one to bite his tongue.
No matter if Matsumoto was the Coach of a friendship school, if he was openly provoking him, Kataoka wasn't going to take it lying down.
"Our luck was always good!"
Kataoka didn't argue. Instead, he directly acknowledged it.
This, of course, infuriated Matsumoto even more.
Their eyes locked in a silent standoff, crackling with tension.
The two coaches were clearly on edge, while the players of both teams, who had practiced together before, remained calm.
"We're no match for them," said the Osaka Kiryu Captain, shrugging with a helpless expression.
He was right. Osaka Kiryu was simply no match for them.
In the course of their encounter, they were quickly overwhelmed.
"You've improved a lot!" said the Seidou players.
Now, Seidou had no reason to hide their respect for Osaka Kiryu.
Before, they wouldn't have considered Osaka Kiryu as a serious threat.
The skill gap was just too wide!
But now, despite Osaka Kiryu not posing a real threat, they did show strength that made Seidou players take notice.
They were not ordinary.
The Osaka Kiryu players could hear the sincerity in Miyuki's voice.
Receiving praise from the nation's top catcher meant they had earned it.
The players of both teams exchanged compliments, their attitudes much more amicable compared to the tense Coach.
Everyone watching thought that the two coaches might start arguing after the match.
However, when it came time for the post-match interviews, both coaches appeared friendly and relaxed.
When discussing their opponents, one said, "Although we won, it wasn't easy at all. Osaka Kiryu is a team that deserves respect."
The other, talking about Seidou High School, expressed admiration.
Talking about Coach Kataoka, they couldn't stop praising him.
"Under 30 and already accomplished such impressive feats... Coach Kataoka really knows how to make old timers like us feel old!"
"I noticed your interaction earlier didn't seem too good. Are the two coaches having some kind of disagreement?"
This peaceful atmosphere was, of course, not what reporters were hoping for.
One journalist, eager to stir up trouble and get a scoop, directly asked about their concerns.
Upon hearing this, Matsumoto shook his head simply, his face was totally relaxed.
"Rumors, these are all rumors! Although he is young, the relationship between our two teams is well-known. I've worked with Coach Kataoka for years. We're not exactly close friends, but we're good partners. How could there be any conflict? These are all rumors!"
He denied it outright.
The players under Matsumoto stared, wide-eyed.
Had they seen a fake coach after the match?
Both Seidou and Osaka Kiryu players showed signs of discomfort at the Coach' sudden change in attitude.
Sawamura Eijun, however, was unfazed.
Commercial back-patting was just too normal.
The coaches of friendship schools might quarrel privately, but when faced with the media, they had to stay nice.
Now, back at the hotel, the atmosphere was relaxed on the surface, but there was an undercurrent of reluctance.
Sawamura could clearly feel this.
He looked toward Miyuki, the team captain, expecting him to say something to lift everyone's spirits.
But Miyuki didn't seem to have any intention of doing so.
At this crucial moment, he seemed unreliable.
With a sigh, Sawamura stood up.
As the team's Ace, it was his duty to step forward when others hesitated.
The bond between teammates was strong, and their reluctance to part ways was natural.
But now was not the time for nostalgia.
They had to focus on the game ahead.
If their emotions ran too deep tonight, they might not be able to focus tomorrow.
"I know we're all sad that after tonight's game, many of us will be saying goodbye to our third-year teammates. But let me wish you all the best in the future."
Heavy words.
Now was not the time for empty comfort.
Instead, Sawamura chose to confront the truth.
Everyone else was quiet, trying to understand why he said what he did.
"There's no banquet that doesn't end. After tomorrow's match, we'll say goodbye to many of our Senpais.
But don't worry, we'll still keep in touch. Just not for long. Eventually, life will pull us in different directions. In a few years, we'll stop contacting each other, maybe just sending a holiday greeting once in a while. It sounds bleak, right? But it's the truth.
We all have to look forward, even if we're reluctant. This is a necessary process, something no one can escape.
But I know one thing, we'll never forget each other! These three legendary years in Seidou High School baseball team are our greatest treasure!"
…