Chapter 66: Three-School Competition
As the two practice games on Saturday came to a close, the agenda for Sunday's games was already set.
Unlike the matches today, the two games tomorrow are more about adjusting their condition, whether facing Shuuhoku or Inashiro Industrial.
Seidou High School isn't planning to go all out in these games.
It's clear from the original story that Shuuhoku High doesn't have the ability to force Seidou to play at full strength.
On the other hand, Inashiro Industrial is a team that Seidou is wary of.
They don't want Inashiro to see too much, especially with the summer tournament approaching.
Some strategies need to be kept secret, particularly from Inashiro's coach, Hiroshige Kunitomo, who is considered one of the top three sharpest strategists in high school baseball nationwide.
Kunitomo is an experienced coach with a unique training style and has built Inashiro into a national powerhouse.
He has often been an obstacle on Seidou's path to the Koshien along with Ichidaisan High, blocking them either through Inashiro or through Ichidaisan in the summer tournaments.
There's also Teito High in the autumn tournaments, adding to the challenge.
Frankly, the position of Seidou High as one of the top four prestigious schools in the Tokyo area is precarious.
Without results, even though they can suppress Ichidaisan, Inashiro, and Teito in some regional matches, failing to win critical games and advance to the Koshien reduces their credibility.
The next day, early in the morning as the first rays of sunlight touched the earth, the area around Seidou High's field was already abuzz with excitement.
After witnessing the remarkable practice games of the previous day, there was strong anticipation for the three-school exchange matches today. Among the schools, one stood out the most—inashiro Industrial.
Inashiro is a team that everyone at Seidou, including the fans, can't ignore. There's one person in particular who stirs up strong emotions—Narumiya Mei, the second-year ace known for both his batting and pitching prowess, who bats fifth in the lineup.
Last summer, with Seidou led by their legendary batter, Tetsuya Yuuki, often claimed to have the best batting lineup in Kanto, they were stopped just one step away from Koshien in the semifinals by Inashiro.
Narumiya, who came in during the latter half of the match, left a deep impression on Seidou. His pitching style and his confident demeanor were unforgettable, as was the sight of him winning with great flair.
When Inashiro arrived at the Seidou grounds, their distinctive uniforms and the appearance of that particular player caused reactions among Seidou's third-year players like Isashiki Jun, Tetsu Yuuki, Masuko Tooru, and Kominato Ryousuke. Isashiki even showed a fierce expression.
"Heh, still the same proud look, that bastard," Isashiki growled.
"This year, it won't be that easy," Kominato laughed with confidence.
"Still as annoying as ever, that guy," Kuramochi remarked while cleaning his ear, looking displeased.
Even Yuuki, usually all smiles, showed a serious expression as he watched the figure in yellow step off the bus, engaging cheerfully with his teammates.
In this moment, Eijun clenched his fists, focusing on that figure—Narumiya Mei, the Kanto's top left-handed pitcher, or perhaps, as Eijun thought, Japan's top high school left-handed pitcher.
In the original series, Narumiya is depicted as one of the most formidable pitchers. For Seidou this year, he represents the greatest challenge they must overcome.
"Narumiya Mei…" Eijun whispered to himself, recognizing that this isn't just Seidou's target but his own rival to surpass, someone he must defeat, for the dignity of left-handed pitchers everywhere.
Eijun is determined that one day he will surpass this ace from Inashiro Industrial. Even in the original series, where Inashiro showed absolute dominance in the second part of the manga, Eijun's resolve remains unwavering.
"Alright, let's get to practice," said Miyuki with a light laugh as he patted the shoulders of Eijun and Furuya. "You both remember your takeaways from yesterday, right? Today is a good time to review them."
"Yes," Eijun nodded and answered earnestly.
"Huh? Not playing today?" Furuya, standing nearby, had a shocked expression, as if Miyuki had said something unbelievable.
This reaction made Miyuki's lips twitch slightly, while Eijun covered his face with a sigh. It was clear that apart from baseball, Furuya didn't care about much else. He probably let yesterday's coach's instructions go in one ear and out the other.
"You don't have a chance to play today, so let's go." Miyuki said, giving Furuya a slightly harder pat on the shoulder.
"Oh... okay..." Furuya nodded, somewhat understanding. Still, the prospect of training with Miyuki seemed to appease him, so he followed along without issue.
Speaking of stubbornness, during yesterday's practice match, even when Furuya's energy had completely dwindled and he was swaying on the pitcher's mound, he was still unwilling to step down. Eijun found it rather amusing.
Furuya is indeed an interesting character in many ways. His control issues and stamina were points the coaching team emphasized. The showdown in the manga against that team was memorable to all Diamond No Ace fans, where they used delay tactics to exhaust Furuya.
Furuya's challenges are not just about control but also about stamina. These problems might not be solvable in the short term, but with his incredible fastball and forkball as his finishing moves, he could probably face tough lineups like Inashiro and Ichidaisan and still get through a round or two. What happens in the second round is left to fate.
As for Eijun himself, he thought: "Outside low pitches, mastering them before summer is essential."
With that, Eijun believed he could hold his own against any lineup.
"Hey, Sawamura, get over here!" called Miyuki from a distance, waving at Eijun who seemed lost in thought.
"Yes, coming right away, Miyuki-senpai!" Eijun replied loudly, snapping back to reality. He then jogged over, and together they headed towards the indoor training facility.
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