Inui drew the number 10.
They had no major opponents in the first two rounds.
"Damn, did the organizers rig the draw?"
"Don't be ridiculous! I understand you wish to gather all the strong teams together, but there are only so many, and it's impossible for them all to be grouped together."
Even though there were no tough opponents in the first two rounds, before the quarterfinals, Teito is likely to face Inashiro!
If the teams are divided into eight regions, this group is the so-called "group of death."
West Tokyo's runner-up will face Koshien's quarter-finals!
"Let all the strong teams go to that group," someone prayed, hoping they'd weaken each other rather than be a threat to others.
"A bloody battle is inevitable!" Miyuki thought about this group.
Sawamura nodded in agreement.
"Ugumori High School!"
"It's your turn!"
Sawamura looked at Ugumori members.
All the teams from different divisions had now been revealed: Yakushi, Inashiro, Teito, Sankou, Sousei, Seiko, Akikawa, and Sensen.
The strong teams were distributed into almost entirely separate areas.
At this moment, Ugumori had a high probability of being placed in a tough bracket with these powerhouse teams.
'Still thinking of pretending to be weak and making your grand dreams come true?'
Sawamura was well aware of Ugumori's strength. If Ugumori truly exploded onto the scene, they might have a chance to overturn the giants. But such upsets have their limits. You might pull off one or two, but can you keep defying expectations indefinitely?
In Tokyo, to stand until the end, strength is crucial.
If Ugumori reveals all their cards from the start, failure is almost a given. Compared to giants like Seidou, Teito, Inashiro, and Sankou, Ugumori still has a significant gap in absolute strength. Surprise tactics work once or twice, but they lose their effectiveness with repetition.
Sawamura has heard about Matsubara. They hadn't known each other personally, but Matsubara Nao was a well-known name to Sawamura— a young Coach comparable to Chris-senpai.
'What a pity…'
Umemiya was not at all surprised by the result. In Tokyo, are there really any easy targets? Moreover, the teams in the official competition were all strong ones that had emerged victorious from the round-robin matches. Their overall strength needed no further comment.
'No matter who you face, they are formidable opponents.' With this mindset, Umemiya remained calm. He drew a lot and held it up high.
Number 11!
When he saw the number on his slip, his expression went blank. He felt an urge to find somewhere to wash his hands to get rid of the bad luck immediately!
'How awful!'
The opponent for the first round didn't matter too much. The opponent was also from the Eastern District, and they had previously assessed their strength. While not weak, they should be beatable.
'The real fear was the second round.'
As team 11, their second-round opponent would be the winner between Team 9 and Team 10. Team 10 was Teito! Even if they were fortunate enough to defeat Teito, they'd face Inashiro in the third round.
'It's over!'
Umemiya rolled his eyes and felt like fainting.
He might as well prepare for Nao-chan's harsh criticism.
Even though Sawamura was enjoying Umemiya's misfortune, his expression was complex seeing such a terrible draw for Umemiya.
'The guy is so unlucky!'
And Teito and Inashiro weren't faring any better. Facing a tough team like Ugumori in the early rounds might lead to a disaster.
"Captain, don't draw No. 9 or I'll make sure you can't take care of yourself within three days," Kuramochi warned ominously.
Number 9!
With more than a dozen teams yet to draw, other teams were avoiding this number like the plague.
It's terrifying!
With Teito, one of the top eight in Koshien, and Inashiro, the West Tokyo runner-up, in the mix, could they still manage?
"If we draw number 9, shouldn't they be the ones crying?" Sawamura said calmly.
Umemiya, who had just returned to his seat, looked at Sawamura in disbelief.
Then he actually started praying…
"Please, not number 9! Anything but number 9!" Umemiya started praying.
Was he really praying for Seidou?
"There are still a dozen positions left. Don't worry," Sawamura reassured him.
As names continued to be called, fewer teams remained. By the end, only five teams were left. The position for number 9 remained unassigned. Seidou High School had yet to be called.
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
Everyone stared at the stage, sensing something big was about to happen.
Kuramochi's hands were trembling.
'Teito! Inashiro! And Ugumori, whom Sawamura feared!'
Could it really be this unlucky?
"Seidou High School!"
Finally, Seidou was called as the second-to-last team.
"It's your turn, Captain!" Sawamura clapped Miyuki on the back.
Miyuki looked at him, stunned.
Sawamura gave Miyuki a look.
'It didn't matter who the opponent was; victory was the only goal!'
'Exactly!'
Miyuki understood Sawamura's meaning and felt a surge of confidence. He stood up with assurance. No matter the opponent, their goal remained the same.
After practice games with the third-year seniors, several main seniors had specifically asked to speak with him and Sawamura.
"I heard there were various issues with the new team formation, but seeing you play, you're quite capable!" Isashiki Jun said.
"Everyone grows from their early years. I believe you'll do even better than we did," Chris added.
"Go for it!"
Being a captain was always straightforward.
"We're very optimistic about you. Don't let Seidou down!"
"Wow!"
As Miyuki walked to the stage, his mind replayed scenes from the new team formation. Faces of teammates—Sawamura, Kuramochi, Shiratsu, Furuya, Kominato, Toujou, Maezono, Kanemaru—flashed vividly before him. Miyuki smiled with a sense of peace.
'No matter the opponent, they were fearless.'
It didn't matter which group they were in.
They had the determination to take that step.
The determination to surpass the seniors!
Miyuki pulled the ball with the number from the box and held it up to the audience without looking.
A single-digit number was written on it.
The room fell silent.
Number 9!
Inui and Mukai from Teito turned pale as if they had eaten something bad. Umemiya beside Sawamura looked resigned.
Even without seeing the number, Miyuki knew what he had drawn.
Just as Sawamura had said.
Look at that—they're all crying!
…