After a series of fierce battles, the final four teams of this Summer Koshien were finally decided.
The first team to advance was Yakushi High School, which staged a dramatic comeback against Hakuryu High School.
The second was Kaido High School, which overwhelmed Ikuei High School with a dominant victory.
The third was Seisei Academy, which narrowly defeated Teito High School in a hard-fought battle.
The final spot belonged to Komadai Fujimaki High School.
Their match against Yamamori Academy was the most grueling of the quarterfinals. Neither side could break the deadlock through the regulation nine innings, and the game stretched all the way to the twelfth.
Komadai Fujimaki eventually prevailed 1-0.
By rotating four pitchers, they successfully exhausted Yamamori's ace. In the twelfth inning, Enjou Renji delivered the decisive hit that sent Komadai Fujimaki into the semifinals.
However, the biggest talking point of the game wasn't the winning hit.
It was a first-year pitcher.
In the tenth inning, Komadai Fujimaki sent first-year rookie Hongo Masamune to the mound.
At such a critical stage of the game, where a single run could decide victory or defeat, Coach Nitta's decision shocked everyone.
Yet Hongo Masamune immediately justified that trust.
His very first pitch exceeded 150 km/h.
The stadium erupted.
This made him only the second pitcher in the tournament capable of reaching that terrifying speed.
More importantly, he maintained that velocity throughout his appearance.
Every pitch consistently hovered around 150 km/h.
It wasn't a lucky throw.
It wasn't a momentary burst of strength.
It was simply his normal level.
Overnight, Hongo Masamune became one of the biggest names in Koshien.
Countless fans began anticipating a future showdown between Hongo Masamune and Kitamura Kou—a clash of monsters that promised to shake the entire tournament.
Unfortunately, that dream would have to wait.
The semifinal matchups were:
Yakushi High School vs. Kaido High School.
Komadai Fujimaki High School vs. Seisei Academy.
Whether Kitamura Kou and Hongo Masamune could meet in the finals remained uncertain.
Soon, Akaishi Osamu arrived wearing full protective gear, a bat tucked under one arm.
"Kou, what exactly are you planning?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
Kitamura pointed toward home plate.
"Just catch normally."
Then he shoved the bat directly into Raichi's hands.
"Raichi. Let's have a proper showdown."
Akaishi's face changed immediately.
"Kou, are you crazy? Coach specifically forbade this during the tournament!"
The strongest pitcher and strongest batter on the same team rarely faced each other seriously during important tournaments.
If someone got injured, it would be disastrous.
If one side was completely crushed mentally, the consequences could be just as severe.
Either outcome could destroy Yakushi's championship hopes.
"It's fine."
Kitamura's expression remained calm.
"Raichi's current condition is worse than any risk this showdown might bring."
His eyes narrowed.
"Sometimes the only way to cure poison is with stronger poison."
Seeing that Kitamura had already made up his mind, Akaishi could only sigh and crouch behind home plate.
Raichi stood in the batter's box in a daze.
The showdown began.
Kitamura slowly stepped onto the mound.
The moment he raised his head, the atmosphere changed.
A terrifying pressure surged from his body.
Raichi's unfocused eyes instantly sharpened.
His body reacted before his mind could.
His hands tightened around the bat.
His feet settled naturally into a batting stance.
In his eyes, Kitamura no longer looked like a teammate.
He looked like an overwhelming giant standing between heaven and earth.
Danger.
Pure danger.
Every instinct in Raichi's body screamed at him.
A smile appeared on Kitamura's lips.
Good.
There was finally a reaction.
He stepped forward.
BOOM!
The ground seemed to tremble beneath his stride.
His arm whipped forward.
The baseball exploded from his fingertips like a shell fired from a cannon.
The air shrieked.
The white ball became a blur.
Raichi's body moved instinctively.
He swung.
THUD!
The baseball smashed violently into Akaishi's glove.
The impact nearly knocked the catcher backward.
Silence followed.
Then—
For the first time in days, a faint light returned to Todoroki Raichi's eyes.