Sano Shuzo being struck out dealt a heavy blow to Seihou's players. They hadn't expected that the batter they placed their greatest hopes on would be handled so easily.
"It's only the first inning. Don't worry."
Sano himself didn't seem bothered. A true power hitter wouldn't lose confidence over a single failure—especially not this early in the game. In his mind, as long as he kept observing Kanzaki's pitching, he would eventually find his timing.
The game continued.
After Sano's at-bat, Seihou's fifth and sixth batters were also retired in quick succession.
By the top of the fifth inning, Kanzaki Ryou faced Sano Shuzo once again.
This time—
Sano adjusted.
He managed to follow Kanzaki's circle changeup and drove it for a hit.
It was Seihou High School's first baserunner in several innings.
But—
That was all.
The rest of the lineup failed to continue the momentum. Sano could only remain stranded on first base.
By the end of the fifth inning, the score had already widened to 8:0.
At that point, Kanzaki Ryou was shifted to left field, and Tanba Koichiro took over on the mound.
Tanba's pitching had clearly improved. His mentality was far more stable than before.
But against Seihou's powerful lineup—
By the ninth inning, he had still allowed five runs.
However, Seido's offense was even more explosive.
With Yuuki and Kanzaki Ryou anchoring the lineup, Seido continuously piled on runs.
Final Score: 15:5
Seido High School defeated Seihou decisively—
And advanced to the semifinals.
"Game over!!! After nine innings of intense battle, this clash between powerhouses ends in a dominant victory for Seido High School—15 to 5!"
"That's right—dominant!"
"In this tournament, Seido's Ace, Kanzaki Ryou, made his first pitching appearance and held Seihou scoreless for five full innings! Even their monster batter, Sano Shuzo, failed to score against him!"
"Flawless pitching! This is the overwhelming, violent pitching style of the undefeated overlord!"
"Hahahaha! Semifinals—we made it!"
"Seido is amazing!"
"So strong!"
"King Seido!!"
Thunderous cheers erupted from Seido's stands.
In stark contrast—
Silence filled Seihou's side.
Whether it was the composed third-years or the younger players, the pain of defeat weighed heavily on all of them.
Especially when they saw the scoreboard.
Those five runs…
It almost felt like charity.
A bitter kind of irony.
We lost… again.
Kotaro Kuzuyama lowered his head.
Including last year, this was the second time they had faced Seido at Koshien—
And the second time they had been defeated.
"It's time to line up."
Seihou's coach gently patted Kuzuyama's shoulder. At a moment like this, words of comfort felt meaningless.
"Let's go. Our summer… is over."
Sano Shuzo forced a small smile.
He wasn't satisfied with this game.
Kanzaki Ryou had only pitched five innings—
There had been no chance for a true, extended duel.
That lingering regret stayed with him.
"Thank you for the game!"
"Thank you for the game!"
Red eyes.
Choked voices.
Unsteady steps.
Hunched backs.
Everything about the Seihou players reflected the weight of defeat.
"Honestly… I'm completely convinced. A total defeat."
Sano Shuzo gave a wry smile as he shook hands with Kanzaki Ryou.
"You're already convinced? No way."
Kanzaki smiled lightly.
"Heh… I'll be waiting for you in the professional leagues. We'll settle it there."
Kanzaki nodded.
He had always planned to go pro.
"You'll win, right? All the way to the top?"
"Of course. I'm aiming for three consecutive championships."
"I'll be watching on TV."
"Good."
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
As Seido High School left the stadium, the first game of the day came to an end.
In the stands, aside from most Seihou supporters who had already left, the remaining spectators were still immersed in what they had just witnessed.
Facing one of the nation's top offensive lineups—
Kanzaki Ryou had completely suppressed them.
It was… terrifying.
At least in high school baseball, no one could think of a batting lineup capable of overcoming him.
Perhaps—
Only Kanzaki himself.
With Kanzaki on the mound, what kind of team could possibly defeat Seido?
This question lingered in the minds of many.
Seihou's lineup was already elite.
Yet only Sano Shuzo had posed any real threat.
To truly challenge Seido, a team would need at least three—perhaps even four—batters of Sano's caliber.
Otherwise—
What was the point of getting on base, if no one could bring the runner home?
After changing clothes and packing their belongings in the locker room, Seido did not immediately return to the hotel.
Instead, under the guidance of Takashima Rei and Ota, they headed toward the stands to watch the remaining games.
Today's quarterfinals had another highly anticipated matchup:
Osaka Kiryu—
Versus the tournament's biggest dark horse—
Komadai Fujimaki.
However, the moment they stepped out into the corridor, they were immediately surrounded by reporters.
In the end, Coach Kataoka, Kanzaki Ryou, and Chris stayed behind for interviews, while the rest of the team went ahead.
During the post-game interview, Kanzaki stood calmly amidst the crowd of reporters.
"First of all, congratulations on defeating Seihou High School and becoming the first team today to advance to the semifinals."
"Thank you."
"So, may I ask—what is your current mood?"
"Happy."
A simple answer.
"Before the game, most people predicted Seido would win. And in the first half, you completely suppressed Seihou's lineup. However, after the fifth inning, you were moved to left field."
"Was that because the victory was already secured, and it was done to conserve your stamina?"
The first real question had finally been asked.