Watching Miyuki deliberately tease the two freshmen, Kanzaki Ryou shook his head inwardly.
The current first-string simply had no room for them yet. At least for now, Seidou's pitching staff was more than sufficient. Kanzaki Ryou estimated that after the Spring Metropolitan Tournament, Coach Kataoka would promote Sawamura Eijun and Furuya Satoru to the second-string, letting them gain experience through practice games. As for whether they would earn a place in the summer—that would depend entirely on their own growth.
After sending the two away, Miyuki and Kanzaki Ryou walked for nearly half an hour to digest their dinner before heading to the indoor training ground.
At Seidou, self-training after dinner was almost a tradition. Under the streetlights and along the paths, players could be seen everywhere, swinging bats again and again, sweat soaking into their uniforms.
"This bat really feels good," Miyuki said with a grin, giving it a few test swings. "It's perfect for improving bat speed."
After learning that Kanzaki Ryou had custom-ordered a bat nearly twice the normal weight, Miyuki had immediately followed suit. His bat had arrived just a day later than Kanzaki Ryou's.
"Heh." Kanzaki Ryou snorted.
This guy still hadn't fixed his tendency to go silent at the plate when there were no runners on base. His batting skill was solid—no doubt about that—but Kanzaki Ryou suspected the problem was more psychological than technical.
Catching Kanzaki Ryou's look, Miyuki quickly laughed and said, "Don't worry. I promise I'll break into the upper batting order this summer!"
"You'd better," Kanzaki Ryou replied flatly.
In his opinion, if Miyuki hit sixth in the current lineup, Seidou's offense would become even more terrifying. After all, Kanzaki Ryou himself batted fifth, and his on-base ability hardly needed explanation. With him on base, Miyuki's value would skyrocket.
As for Masuko Tōru—his power was undeniable, but his contact rate was inconsistent. Batting seventh suited him just fine.
After each of them completed a hundred swings, they prepared to start pitching practice. That was when Kanzaki Ryou noticed two heads peeking in and out from the entrance of the indoor training ground.
"Look over there," Kanzaki Ryou whispered.
Miyuki followed his gaze and chuckled. "Those two juniors are really eager."
"Ignore them," Kanzaki Ryou said calmly.
Coach Kataoka already had his own plans for Sawamura and Furuya. As Seidou's twin stars of the future, they were the absolute core of the team's long-term vision. There was no way Coach Kataoka would let them waste Kanzaki Ryou and Miyuki's training time at this stage.
Ignoring the two figures outside, Miyuki put on his catcher's gear and squatted down. Kanzaki Ryou stood opposite him, baseball in hand.
"Start with two fastballs," Miyuki said, patting his mitt.
"Catch them properly," Kanzaki Ryou replied.
Taking a deep breath, he released his aura completely.
In an instant, the pressure rolling out from him overwhelmed the two freshmen outside the door.
From a distance on the field, it hadn't felt this intense—but now, clinging to either side of the doorway, Sawamura and Furuya were utterly captivated.
Swoosh!
The baseball exploded out of Kanzaki Ryou's hand and slammed into Miyuki's glove.
Bang!!
The sharp sound echoed throughout the indoor facility.
"So fast…!"
Sawamura's eyes were wide open, his mouth slightly agape.
Furuya Satoru's pupils dilated, his breathing unconsciously quickening.
Faster than me…!
If Senior Miyuki can catch a pitch like this so easily, then he can definitely catch my ball too!
Furuya's hands trembled faintly.
Back in middle school, his pitches had been so fast that no one wanted to catch for him. Teammates avoided him, and baseball had slowly become a lonely sport. It was only after seeing Seidou's games on television—after learning about Miyuki's existence—that he had found hope.
He studied desperately just to pass the entrance exam.
What he never expected was that Takashima Rei, the vice-director of Seidou's baseball club, would personally visit his home and invite him.
Later, he learned the truth.
It was Seidou's Ace who had recommended him.
Now, watching Kanzaki Ryou fire pitch after pitch, that terrifying velocity felt like a glimpse into his own future.
Beside him, Sawamura's sharp, cat-like eyes burned with envy. He wanted nothing more than to be standing on the mound instead.
Unfortunately, freshman training focused almost entirely on fundamentals. Pitching freely was still a distant dream.
Inside the training hall, after a few fastballs, Kanzaki Ryou moved on to his breaking pitches.
First came the cutter-slider—different locations, different trajectories, sharp angles. He could place the ball almost anywhere Miyuki asked.
Next was the Forkball.
After months of refinement through practice and actual games, the pitch had reached an astonishing level of completion. From the batter's perspective, it looked like a hittable high ball—only to vanish abruptly just before the plate, inducing helpless swings.
Finally—
The Changeup.
Kanzaki Ryou's lifeline.
"Ono, bring the speed gun," Kanzaki Ryou called out.
Ono Hiroshi, who had just finished pitching practice with Kawakami Norifumi, hurried over with the device.
"You're good to go," Ono said, standing off to the side.
"Wait! I want to hit!"
Kuramochi Yoichi jogged over from batting practice, grinning widely.
"Kanzaki, watch me smash your Changeup out of the park," Kuramochi declared.
Kanzaki Ryou was speechless.
The Changeup was meant to disrupt timing by pairing it with a fastball. Knowing it was coming and still stepping in—this guy really had no shame.
"Go ahead," Kanzaki Ryou said coolly. "But if you can't hit it, I'm laughing at you."
Kuramochi burst out laughing. "Relax! I've got this!"
"Then try," Kanzaki Ryou replied, gripping the ball.
Whoosh!
The pitch left his hand.
Kuramochi locked onto the trajectory. Since he knew it was a Changeup, he deliberately delayed his swing.
Now!
Swing!
Kuramochi cut hard—
…Huh?
Why is it so slow?!
His bat finished its arc, and only then did the baseball finally reach home plate.
"Hey—hey! Has your Changeup evolved again?!" Kuramochi stared at Kanzaki Ryou in disbelief.
Back during the Autumn and Jingu Tournaments, the Changeup had hovered below 120 km/h.
Now—
It was even slower.
Even knowing it was coming, Kuramochi had swung too early.
If this pitch were paired with Omae Yoichi's blistering fastball in an actual game… any batter would be driven insane.