The crowd wasn't as large as it had been during the qualifiers, but the heat was just as intense.
Rinichi kept his head lowered, exhaling deeply as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
A hint of irritation began to creep in.
There were many things he disliked—and tedious opening ceremonies were high on that list.
Fancy words, a forced sense of ceremony, and unnecessary delays before the real game…
At least, that's how Rinichi saw it.
When the ceremony finally ended, they returned to the inn.
Their first game would be tomorrow.
For the rest of the day, there wasn't much for anyone to do.
Since the inn was in traditional Japanese style and had a small backyard, some of the seniors went out in the evening to take a few swings.
After all, doing nothing would only make them restless—especially since this was their first time stepping into Koshien.
Among them, Rinichi was the outlier.
While others were moving around, he was sitting quietly, reading a literature book.
The seniors were more than a little surprised.
After all, Rinichi wasn't just skilled at baseball—he also had excellent grades, good looks, and it was no wonder so many girls liked him…
It was almost unfair how perfect he seemed.
Though, when it came to personality… he could be very assertive at times.
Still… that probably wasn't a flaw.
Noticing the seniors' curious gazes, Rinichi simply looked back in silence.
The first game of the Summer Koshien pitted Seidou against Issan High.
In truth, Issan was an unremarkable team with no defining strengths.
Rinichi had already prepared himself to completely crush them.
Standing confidently on the pitcher's mound, he showed not the slightest trace of nerves.
Brushing off a bit of rosin powder, he gripped the ball firmly. His right foot slid and planted, his motion fluid as he delivered the pitch.
Issan's leadoff batter froze—then instinctively swung.
The scoreboard flashed his pitch speed—153 km/h.
"He's really a first-year?!"
The second pitch—another strike.
"Strike! Batter's out!"
By the ninth pitch, the top of the first inning ended without suspense.
From the dugout, Issan's players looked at Rinichi like they were staring at a monster.
They had prepared themselves mentally, but actually facing his pitches filled them with a rising, suffocating despair.
Even just swinging in time was nearly impossible.
"Leadoff batter, shortstop, Kuramochi-kun."
The brass band struck up Kuramochi's theme song as he strode to the plate, bat in hand.
Thanks to Rinichi's dominance on the mound, their fielding had been effortless.
If they could put some runs on the board, their ace would have it even easier.
With that thought, Kuramochi swung at the very first pitch—and drove it deep.
A double to start the inning.
"Second batter, second baseman, Kominato-kun."
Because of roster limits—only 18 could go to Koshien—Kominato Haruichi had unfortunately been left out, and so it was his brother, Kominato Ryousuke, in the lineup.
On the third pitch, Ryousuke connected.
Kuramochi advanced to third—runners at the corners, no outs.
This might be the smoothest start we've ever had, Rinichi thought from the bench.
In truth, ever since arriving at Koshien, everyone's performance seemed even sharper than before—while Issan's players were clearly feeling the pressure.
The Seidou cheering section roared; after all, it had been years since they'd been to Koshien, and here they were opening with overwhelming momentum.
Isashiki's grounder to third took a high bounce but landed straight into the fielder's glove.
Even his fierce glare froze for a moment.
Kuramochi broke for home, scoring the first run.
Ryousuke advanced to second.
"Fourth batter, first baseman, Yuki-kun."
When Yuki Tetsuya stepped into the box, the brass band played louder than ever.
From the dugout, Rinichi sat with a towel draped around his neck, eyes fixed on the field.
Yuki's swing showed no hesitation—another double.
Ryousuke scored. One out, two runs in.
"Fifth batter, third baseman, Masuko-kun."
Masuko didn't hit as cleanly—just a single.
Runners on first and third.
Rinichi pulled on his black batting gloves, gripping his bat as he stepped into the on-deck circle.
The moment his gaze met Miyuki's in the batter's box, the catcher made contact—and sent the ball flying high.
Its trajectory promised distance.
Sure enough, it landed well beyond the outfielders' reach.
A double. Another run scored. Runners now on second and third.
"Seventh batter, pitcher, Kamishiro-kun."
Rinichi stepped into the batter's box, gripping the bat with both hands.
He stretched his arms out, exhaled slowly, and settled into his stance, tightening his hold on the bat.
Issan's catcher glanced up at him, sweat already pouring down his forehead.
They had already given up three runs.
Seidou's batting lineup really was—
Once again, the very first pitch was crushed!
Why did these batters swing with absolutely no hesitation?!
The catcher could only watch as Rinichi tossed his bat aside and broke into a run.
In center field, the fielder kept retreating, teeth clenched.
How is it possible for a ball hit this high… to still travel this far?!
The ball sailed over his head and disappeared into the stands.
The roar of the crowd was deafening.
When Rinichi crossed home plate and returned to the dugout, he exchanged high-fives with nearly every senior teammate.
The momentum was now completely on Seidou's side.
For many in the stands, a Seidou team that hadn't been to Koshien in five years suddenly looked like it had strapped on rockets and shot to the top—though in truth, Seidou had always been strong.
Mine Fujio's breath caught.
"Just how many home runs can this Kamishiro hit…?"
"Their pitcher and catcher both have incredible batting power…"
"Once the third-years graduate, they'll probably become the fourth and fifth batters—and they're a pitcher-catcher battery on top of that…"
That kind of pairing felt familiar.
It was just like Inashiro Industrial's fourth and fifth batters—a pitcher-catcher duo.
Only… compared to that duo, Seidou's battery was stronger.
Whether you looked solely at the pitcher, or solely at the catcher, Seidou had the edge. And combined, their power was on another level.
Sure enough, with a true ace pitcher, Seidou's overall strength soared.
Right now, whether it was their batting lineup or their defense, there might not be a single team in the country that could truly match them.
Mine Fujio thought of the other Koshien contenders.
Perhaps only Hokkaido's Komadai.
If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.