Time passed quickly.
Before long, it was July 27th—the day of the quarterfinal matchup between Yakushi High School and Seido High School.
The weather was clear and breezy. Aside from the rising temperature—which made heatstroke a real concern—it was the perfect day for baseball.
Thanks to Yakushi High School's shocking victory over Ichidaisan High School, the match drew an enormous crowd. Arriving late meant there was a real chance of not finding a seat at all.
Outside the stadium, Azuma Junpei arrived in his truck, giving the three sisters a ride.
"Alright then, goodbye, Momiji."
Azuma clasped Momiji's hand with a cheerful grin.
"Yes!" Momiji nodded enthusiastically.
"Aren't you staying to watch the game?" Ichiyo asked.
"Can't," Azuma replied. "I still have deliveries to make. I'll head over to the café tonight. See you later."
With that, he closed the door and drove off.
"He's really busy, yet he still went out of his way to bring us here," Momiji said with admiration. "He's such a nice guy. It must've cost a lot in gas. He's cheerful and funny, but when he's quiet, he seems really calm."
She tilted her head and smiled.
"Why don't you go see a movie with him next time?"
"…Is this what he told you to say?" Ichiyo asked, giving her a knowing look.
Momiji simply smiled.
Then Ichiyo gently raised Momiji's hand and opened her palm.
A 500-yen coin appeared.
"Huh? That's weird… when did I get this?" Momiji blinked in confusion.
"Ichiyo-nee, Momiji! If you don't hurry, there won't be any seats left!" Aoba called out from ahead, already walking toward the stadium.
As for Wakaba she had already arrived earlier, naturally riding with the Yakushi High School baseball team.
Inside the stadium, the stands were already filling up.
Two reporters from Baseball Kingdom were among the spectators.
"There's quite a turnout," Akiko Owada remarked.
"This match determines the top four in West Tokyo," Fujio Mine explained. "Yakushi High School, the rising star after defeating Ichidaisan, against Seido High School, which is aiming for Koshien after a six-year drought."
He continued with a thoughtful expression.
"From a momentum standpoint, Yakushi has the edge. But if we're looking purely at fundamentals, Seido should have the advantage—unless this turns into another offensive showdown like the Ichidaisan game."
He glanced toward the field.
"And with Tanba still unused, the key will be whether Seido's pitching can suppress Yakushi's explosive lineup."
"Seido is coming out!"
The crowd erupted.
"Yuuki Tetsuya! That presence is incredible!"
"That loud voice… it must be Isashiki Jun!"
"Miyuki Kazuya… Seido's backbone!"
"Furuya Satoru—show us that fastball!"
"Seido, go to Koshien!"
The supporters' cheers filled the stadium as Seido High School took the field for defensive practice.
But Yakushi High School had also attracted plenty of attention.
"Kitamura Kou! Todoroki Raichi! I'm here to see your home runs—blast it out of the park!"
"Yakushi, take down all three powerhouses!"
"Let's go Yakushi!"
Hearing the cheers for the first time in a while, the Yakushi players exchanged glances.
Some of them couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
"Alright, gather up," Todoroki Raizo called out.
He stood at the center, addressing his team.
"As expected, Seido's starting lineup is unchanged. Furuya is on the mound."
"Alright then!" one of the players said, clenching his fist. "We already exposed their weaknesses in the last game. Let's not hold back—crush them!"
"Yeah! We've seen faster and heavier pitches than his!"
The team's energy surged.
Todoroki coughed lightly, regaining control of the room.
"Enough," he said calmly. "We'll stick to our planned strategy."
He looked toward Sanada.
"Sanada, you're starting. Don't worry about anything—just pitch your game. No need to hold back."
He paused.
"I'll bring in Kitamura when the time is right."
Sanada nodded, steadying himself.
With Kitamura on the team, he felt confident—almost invincible.
"…Don't worry, Coach."
Todoroki turned to Kitamura Kou.
"And you—this match is important, but don't show everything just yet."
His tone grew serious.
"We still have weaknesses to cover. Against stronger opponents, we'll need to save some cards to surprise them."
Kitamura simply replied, calm as ever:
"I don't care. As long as the team wins."
Todoroki grinned.
"Good."
He raised his fist high.
"Let's go! Show those so-called powerhouses what Yakushi baseball is about! I'm counting on you to take us to Koshien!"
"OOOOOOH!!!"
The entire team roared in response, fists raised high.
"Let's go Yakushi!"
"Charge!!!"
The decisive battle that would determine the semifinalists in West Tokyo—
Finally began.