The day after the semifinals, Yakushi High School's baseball team trained on their familiar field.
"How was yesterday's game?" Todoroki Raizo asked Kitamura Kou, who was stretching nearby.
"13–9. A beautiful slugfest. Seido High School won," Kitamura Kou replied casually, warming up.
"Well! I didn't expect Seido, who hasn't made it to Koshien in years, to still be this strong," Todoroki said, a hint of worry on his face.
"Yeah," Kitamura analyzed. "Their defense is solid, and that batting lineup? Explosive. Among the best in the country. The only weak point is their pitching—unless a first-year like me suddenly joins."
"As for Ichidaisan High, their overall strength is probably slightly above Seido's. They're quarterfinalists in the Spring Koshien for a reason. Their defense and batting are no joke. Yesterday, they likely lost because their ace, Manaka Kaname, was overworked from the previous Koshien. And Inashiro Industrial, runner-up last summer, is even stronger. West Tokyo really is scary."
"Aaaaah! Isn't there anything good to say?!" Todoroki groaned, frustration clear on his face. Yakushi would need to beat at least two of those three teams—maybe even all three—to make it to Koshien.
"Don't worry too much, Coach. Makes it more interesting, right? That's why I'm here," Kitamura said, a spark of excitement in his eyes. "Alright, warm-up's done. Time to train."
"Aaaaah! Truly reliable, Ace! Lead us to Koshien!" Todoroki called after him, his usual eccentric self returning.
Sanada Shunpei jogged up and fell in step beside Kitamura.
"So, the Big Three… scary, huh, future Ace?" Sanada teased, a grin in his voice.
"Yes, Ace candidate Sanada-senpai. If your physical condition doesn't improve soon, we're in trouble," Kitamura said, rolling his eyes, and accelerated to put some distance between them.
Sanada wasn't fazed, keeping pace.
"Don't be so cold. Let's enjoy the run together."
Kitamura stayed silent, pushing himself a little faster.
"Hahaha," Sanada laughed, finally catching up again.
On the other side of the field…
"Hey, Raichi! How much longer are you hitting? We agreed ten balls each!" Mishima Yuta shouted at Todoroki Raichi, who still dominated the batting machine.
"Exactly! Raichi, get out of the box!" his teammates echoed.
Kahahaha! Not enough! I want more! Kahahaha!!" Raichi ignored them, laughing as he crushed yet another pitch.
The machine fired a 150 km/h fastball.
Clang!
Kahahaha! The ball shot out of the stadium.
The nearby teammates, accustomed to Raichi's antics, still gasped.
"As expected of Raichi, blasting a 150 km/h pitch out of the park!"
"Yeah, his swing is insane!"
Finally, Mishima stepped forward, pushing Raichi aside. Shadow batting was now Raichi's only option.
Mishima gripped the bat. A 150 km/h fastball approached.
Ting!
The ball grazed the edge of his bat, flying foul.
"Damn it!" Mishima muttered. Once a junior high cleanup hitter and a local prodigy, he now faced a new level of competition: Raichi, and Kitamura Kou, whose batting wasn't far behind. Mishima wasn't about to back down.
Whoosh! Clang!
Another foul, slightly better. At least the ball stayed in front of him.
"Go, Mishima! Make it count!" teammates cheered. "150 km/h isn't going to scare you!"
Not everyone can face a 150 km/h fastball and swing for it. Fear is natural.
"Urusai! Shut up! You're ruining my concentration!" Mishima barked, but secretly, he felt alive.
Behind him, Nakanishi whispered to Akaishi Osamu.
"With these guys… maybe we really can make it to Koshien."
"Yeah! Absolutely!" Akaishi said firmly.
Todoroki Raizo watched with satisfaction. His worries had vanished.
Baseball isn't a one-man game. No matter how strong an individual, exhaustion comes eventually.
Teammates share the load—supporting each other when tired, celebrating victories together, sharing the responsibility in defeat.
This. This is what a strong team looks like.