In the second team, Kuramochi, Shirasu, and Kawakami, three first-years, also got the chance to play.
It was worth mentioning that Kuramochi performed exceptionally well in the recent practice games, especially with his left-handed hitting.
Whether it was a long hit or a bunt—if he missed, fine, but if he connected, he would definitely get on base.
Kawakami's performance was also acceptable.
Coach Kataoka intentionally sent him to the mound during difficult moments to test his ability under pressure.
Although he ultimately failed to hold the line and gave up runs, at least he did not panic. Facing a strong opposing lineup, he didn't resort to wild pitches or high floaters due to fear.
His performance could be described as standard—neither good nor bad.
That afternoon, the Seidou High School Baseball Club welcomed a team in black uniforms.
Kokushikan High School, a strong team from East Tokyo.
"Yahoo, so this is Seidou?"
From the bus, the last one to get off was a blonde teenager with a cap.
"Zaizen, stop looking around and hurry up."
"Yeah, yeah~"
Zaizen responded lazily and walked forward—only to immediately spot the Seidou players training on the field.
His gaze continued sweeping across the field until it stopped on a very familiar figure near the dugout.
Led by Kokushikan's Coach, the visiting group entered Seidou's facility.
Coach Kataoka and President Ota stepped forward to greet them.
After a round of polite greetings, the practice game preparations began.
"Chris!"
Zaizen walked straight toward him.
"Zaizen."
Chris closed his notebook and stood, emotion flickering in his eyes.
They were a pitcher-catcher duo back in middle school.
But after entering high school, fate split them—one joined Kokushikan, the other Seidou.
Now, their situations couldn't be more different.
Zaizen was thriving on the field, while Chris was temporarily stuck behind the scenes due to injury.
"Long time no see. You playing today?" Zaizen asked.
Chris shook his head. "I can't."
"What do you mean? You injured or something?" Zaizen frowned.
Chris nodded. "It's not serious… but it'll take about a year."
"A year!?"
Shock flashed across Zaizen's face, followed by frustration and worry.
High school baseball only lasted two and a half years.
A year off meant practically cutting his career in half.
"Chris, you better come back." Zaizen extended his hand.
Chris smiled and shook it. "I will. And when I return, I won't go easy on you."
"Heh, don't forget how good I am!" Zaizen snorted.
"I know. Now go warm up—you've got a game to play." Chris pushed him toward the field.
The Kokushikan players were already warming up.
Chris watched Zaizen carefully. "At least ten minutes. No less!"
"Why are you giving me orders? You're not even on our team!" Zaizen whined.
"This is my turf."
"Tch…"
Seeing Zaizen obey instantly stunned Kokushikan's staff and players alike.
No way—why was he so obedient!?
Their proud, fiery ace—acting like a scolded child in front of Chris?
Even Coach Sekiguchi was confused.
On Seidou's side, Ryou chuckled and nudged Miyuki.
"You know that Zaizen, right?"
Miyuki nodded. "Yeah. I met him in middle school. His battery with Chris-senpai was pretty terrifying."
"It shows. Their bond is tight," Ryou said.
He also recalled that Zaizen had suffered a severe injury later in the timeline—one notoriously difficult to recover from.
"I wonder if the second team can beat Kokushikan," Miyuki asked.
"This'll be tough. The second team doesn't have someone as strong as Zaizen," Ryou replied.
"You can't say that. Baseball is a team sport," Miyuki countered.
Today's game was arranged specifically by Takashima Rei to evaluate the second team's level against a well-matched opponent.
Once both sides finished warm-ups, the practice game commenced.
The Kokushikan side felt disrespected that Seidou sent out their second team, believing they were underestimated.
Especially Zaizen.
Fueled by irritation, he opened the game by striking out three batters in a row.
"What a vicious fast forkball!"
"His control's amazing… and he's got fire."
"Fire? More like he's pissed off," Ryou muttered.
By the fourth inning, the score was tied 1–1.
But as the game progressed, Kokushikan's lack of bench depth became evident.
Seidou's rhythm gradually took control.
Even with Zaizen's excellent pitching, he couldn't maintain peak performance forever under constant pressure.
In the sixth inning, he gave up two consecutive runs.
From there, Seidou's second team dominated.
Coach Kataoka seized the opportunity to sub in Kuramochi, Shirasu, and Kawakami—three eager first-years.
"What the hell? Are you mocking us!?" Zaizen roared, seeing a first-year pitcher take the mound.
"Zaizen!"
Coach Sekiguchi grabbed him.
"This is a practice game. It's normal to let the younger players build experience."
Zaizen sat back down with a cold snort.
Coach Sekiguchi sighed—his ace had talent, but his temper was far too explosive.
"Alright, Asayama. You pitch next."
"Yes, sir."
The late innings became a battlefield for first-years.
Both Coach prioritized experience over victory.
When the game ended, both Coach were satisfied.
Only Zaizen, dark-faced from losing, approached Chris.
"Chris… I'll see you at Koshien."
Chris gave a small smile. "See you at Koshien. Next year."
"Hmph! Hurry up and heal—I won't wait forever!"
After Kokushikan left, Seidou immediately gathered their second team for postgame review.
Meanwhile, Kanzaki Ryou headed to the gym for strength training.
Unless something unexpected happened…
Coach Kataoka would be announcing the final 20-man roster for the Summer Tournament tomorrow.
And somewhere on the field, quietly watching everything unfold—
Kanzaki Ryou tightened his grip on his glove.
Tomorrow would decide everything.
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