"Watching the previous match footage of Osaka Kiryu High School's baseball team is completely meaningless. What was their strength like before? We all know that very well. Although their team has become more complete and more combat-effective over the past six months, overall, there hasn't been much change. At this point, even if we wanted to come up with strategies, there's nowhere to start."
Takashima spoke eloquently.
Every word she said was reasonable, but it lacked substance.
To put it simply, it was all nonsense.
Everyone from the Seidou High School baseball team present knew exactly what was going on in their hearts.
The reason why Osaka Kiryu High School's baseball team was able to defeat Seihou was mainly because of unexpected players from Osaka Kiryu who caught them off guard.
One side was unprepared, while the other made a surprise attack, catching them off-guard!
It was inevitable that Seihou High School's baseball team would be at a disadvantage.
As of now, no one knew how much of their strength Osaka Kiryu's team had unleashed in the previous game.
This unknown enemy was precisely the most terrifying part.
Because they knew nothing, even though the Seidou High School baseball team wanted to study them, they had no place to begin.
Without researching, they felt there might be danger during the actual game.
But if they tried to research, they had no materials to help them.
This was pretty much the stage they were at.
Without a strategy before the game, they couldn't rest easy.
But they didn't know how to formulate one either.
Although going with their previous strategy wouldn't completely fail, none of the Seidou High School team felt at ease.
Osaka Kiryu had, in a crisis, brought in a first-year pitcher and a second-year batter.
Looking at the situation at the time, the outcome wasn't clear.
Both sides were tied.
To be precise, neither side had scored at that point; everything was still up in the air.
In such a situation, with runners on first and third, any player facing that would definitely hesitate.
This is the normal reaction.
In an unfavorable situation, if given the chance, they would counterattack.
If they weren't sure they could win, they would be especially cautious.
Because their situation didn't allow them to take any more risks.
In this scenario, the fact that Morishita was brought onto the field was quite intriguing.
Just how strong would he have to be to earn such high trust from Takahiro Matsumoto, the Coach, and his teammates?
With no Outs and runners on first and third, and with their opponent having top pitcher like Akashi from Seihou High School, Osaka Kiryu High School's team was facing a life-or-death crisis.
But in the face of this huge crisis, their performance was fearless.
All because they put in a first-year pitcher!
This was something extraordinary, no matter how you looked at it.
That rookie had to be something special.
The Seidou High School baseball team's players suspected that something was off.
It wasn't that they had spotted any specific flaws; it was more that they trusted Akashi's abilities.
During the match between the two teams, Akashi must have noticed something.
And the Seidou High School players believed that Akashi must have already taken action.
He wasn't the type to ignore the opponent's show of strength.
Although these were all speculations from Seidou's team, they were completely convinced of it.
Now they no longer dared to say they understood Osaka Kiryu.
This old friend had grown too quickly, and they already felt unfamiliar with them.
But Akashi, they understood—and they understood him very well.
What would happen tomorrow?
It really cast a shadow over them.
The next day, the Koshien semifinals officially began.
The epic showdown between Hakuryu and Komadai Fujimaki was something everyone had been eagerly anticipating.
But the result was nothing short of shocking.
The score: 9-0!
Hakuryu, the team with the best agility in the nation,
Had no resistance against Komadai Fujimaki High School and was utterly crushed!
At this stage, there was no doubt that they would be the biggest obstacle to Seidou's legendary advancement.
The strength of Komadai Fujimaki had alerted the Seidou High School baseball team.
But at the moment, they couldn't focus all their attention on the final match yet.
Before they could face their final challenge, they had another tough hurdle to overcome.
A brand new old friend was going to be their opponent.
Half an hour before the match started,
The spectators slowly filled the stadium.
Outside the gates, a duo of reporters from Baseball Kingdom Magazine arrived at Koshien.
"So many people?"
Akiko said, incredulously.
"The game hasn't even started yet, and there's still half an hour?"
"It's inevitable. After all, this is the Battle of Kings."
The King—Seidou!
Against one of the most outstanding team at Koshien—Osaka Kiryu.
Though Osaka Kiryu High School hadn't seemed particularly strong these past two years,
Their past achievements were truly impressive!
Established just over thirty years ago, but the brilliance they've created is unmatched by any other team.
Previously, they had won the Summer Koshien Championship four times.
Three times they claimed the Spring Koshien Championship.
And on two occasions, they dominated both the Spring and Summer Koshien consecutively.
Not just in the past thirty years, but even when reflecting on the entire 100-year history of Koshien.
In terms of both the quality and quantity of Koshien championships, they are second to none.
Even those who aren't very familiar with baseball would be amazed upon seeing the records from previous Koshien tournaments.
"This team called Osaka Kiryu is so impressive!"
To be blunt, ever since Osaka Kiryu High School's baseball team began dominating the nation, they have become the embodiment of Koshien champions.
There are countless top-tier teams in the nation, but if one had to be chosen as the best, up until a year ago, even though Seidou High School's baseball team had won the Summer Koshien championship, they still had to settle for second place.
The number one team would undoubtedly be Osaka Kiryu High School.
That was the reputation of Osaka Kiryu High School.
However, in the last two years, after they finished as runners-up in Koshien, their status suddenly plummeted.
It felt as though their talent had dried up.
At least during the strong years of Seidou High School's baseball team, it was impossible to see any opportunity for Osaka Kiryu to make a comeback.
Originally, the team with unmatched results, Osaka Kiryu, saw a drastic change after the Spring Koshien this year.
Seidou High School's baseball team completed the back-to-back championships of both the Summer and Spring Koshien.
At this point, Seidou also claimed five Summer Koshien championships and two Spring Koshien championships.
Quietly, they had matched Osaka Kiryu's terrifying record.
They had also won seven Koshien championships.
In terms of quality, their record even surpasses that of Osaka Kiryu.
Although they are one Spring Koshien championship short, they have one more Summer Koshien title.
Generally speaking, the Summer Koshien championship holds more weight than the Spring Koshien championship.
Without anyone noticing, Seidou High School's baseball team was already on the path to becoming a legendary team.
If Seidou High School could win this year's Summer Koshien championship, it would truly mark the beginning of a brand-new dynasty.
Three consecutive years of dominating Koshien!
Two Summer Koshien titles and one Spring Koshien title.
Such a terrifying record would make every future contender tremble.
Moreover, Seidou, who previously had only won five Koshien championships, now, with their recent three consecutive championships, had pushed their total to eight.
This was a brand-new record.
The team with the most championships in Koshien history.
Compared to Osaka Kiryu's seven, Sankou High's four, Inashiro Industrial High's three, and Teito High's two, their lead was already overwhelming.
Since the establishment of Koshien, Seidou High School's baseball team, having broken two records, would unquestionably be the team with the best performance.
In fact, the media had paid attention to this matter.
But because Seidou High School's baseball team had already achieved so much, people often felt that it was only natural for Seidou to surpass Osaka Kiryu.
Such a feeling couldn't really be blamed on the viewers' narrow perspective.
After all, the two teams were now on completely different paths.
Seidou, which had been quiet for several years, suddenly exploded, continuously claiming national championships and breaking records.
During this process, other top teams and star players encountered Seidou and were crushed instantly, like ants and magots.
They were simply too strong!
…