A week passed in the blink of an eye, and the Spring Tokyo Tournament officially began.
As a seeded team, Seido High School did not need to play until the third round.
It was worth noting that with over two hundred schools participating in Tokyo, a team starting from the first round would need to survive eight or even nine matches to reach the finals.
Entering directly in the third round allowed Seido to rest, adjust their condition, and gather intelligence on potential opponents—one of the privileges of a powerhouse team.
The tournament bracket was divided into Groups A through H, and Seido was placed in Group D as its seeded team.
Their long-time rivals—Inashiro Industrial and Ichidai Third High—were also seeded, meaning Seido wouldn't encounter them until at least the semifinals or finals.
After studying the bracket, many teammates noticed that Group D didn't seem to contain any particularly threatening opponents.
The excitement they had initially felt slowly turned into boredom.
"Everyone," Yuki Tetsuya said seriously to the first-string players, "no team comes here expecting to lose. Don't underestimate anyone."
"Yuki's right," Isashiki Jun added with a grin. "If we trip over some unknown team, Inashiro and Ichidai Third will laugh at us for the rest of our lives."
"Exactly," Kanzaki Ryou chimed in calmly.
"Only someone who takes every opponent seriously can hope to defeat stronger ones later."
Hearing the three of them speak, the rest of the team quickly nodded in agreement.
The past two days of training had been relatively relaxed.
The first-string focused mainly on maintaining condition, while Kanzaki Ryou had already switched to the bat engraved with his sister's name and resumed batting practice.
According to Coach Kataoka, during the Spring Tournament, Kanzaki Ryou would not step onto the pitcher's mound before the semifinals, unless the team was placed in real danger.
One reason was to preserve stamina.
The other—more important—was that Kanzaki Ryou's pitching speed placed an enormous burden on his arm and fingers.
Considering his long-term baseball future, Coach Kataoka intended to limit his usage as much as possible.
That night, Kanzaki Ryou was once again summoned to Takashima Rei's office.
Unlike before, there was an extra person present.
Ochiai Hiromitsu.
Seeing the familiar small mustache, Kanzaki Ryou immediately understood—the Director intended for Seido's ace to formally meet the new technical coach.
"Kanzaki," Takashima Rei said, "this is Ochiai Hiromitsu, the technical advisor and head coach hired by Seido High School Baseball Club."
Kanzaki Ryou nodded politely.
"Nice to meet you, Coach Ochiai. I'm Kanzaki Ryou."
To Kanzaki's surprise, Ochiai Hiromitsu actually stood up and shook his hand.
That gesture alone showed a high level of respect.
"Kanzaki, I know you," Ochiai said, stroking his mustache.
"Last year, my team couldn't score a single run off you. I still remember it clearly."
Kanzaki Ryou smiled faintly.
"It was just a game. Winning and losing are both part of baseball."
Ochiai's small eyes flickered with interest before he turned toward Coach Kataoka.
"Kanzaki," Coach Kataoka said seriously, "if you encounter any technical issues in training, you can consult Coach Ochiai."
"Understood," Kanzaki Ryou replied.
Before Kanzaki could speak further, Ochiai smiled and said,
"I haven't closely observed your pitching yet, but your batting—that I've watched carefully."
"You have sufficient strength, excellent leg muscles, and beautiful timing," Ochiai continued.
"But when you swing and exert force… do you ever feel like the power isn't fully connected? Like it cuts off for just a moment?"
Kanzaki Ryou's expression changed.
He had been hit squarely.
Since last Summer Koshien, his physical strength had improved greatly.
Yet during the Jingu Tournament, despite outstanding results, he always felt something wasn't quite right during his swing.
At the time, he had brushed it off.
Now, hearing Ochiai say it so clearly—
This wasn't an illusion.
"Judging by your reaction," Ochiai said confidently, "I'm correct."
Coach Kataoka frowned slightly.
"Is there a solution?"
Ochiai nodded.
"It's not a major problem. You just need to strengthen your core muscles."
"…That's it?" Kanzaki asked, slightly surprised.
"Sometimes," Ochiai replied, "a small adjustment creates the biggest change. Your batting is exactly that case."
Kanzaki Ryou nodded slowly.
"Understood. Thank you, Coach Ochiai."
With just a few words, Ochiai Hiromitsu had gained trust—from the Coach, the Manager, and Seido's ace.
After leaving the office, Kanzaki Ryou subconsciously twisted his waist as he walked.
So it was his core.
On a dimly lit path, he noticed a small figure practicing alone behind a large tree—swinging a bat repeatedly.
Pink hair.
Kanzaki immediately recognized him.
Kominato Haruichi.
"Oy, young man!"
The sudden voice made Haruichi's bat tremble violently mid-swing.
"Still training this late? That's some dedication," Kanzaki said with a smile.
Haruichi turned around, startled—then quickly bowed when he recognized him.
"G-Good evening, Kanzaki-senpai!"
Kanzaki walked over and extended his hand.
"Let me see your bat."
Haruichi hurriedly handed it over.
After a few test swings, Kanzaki nodded approvingly.
"Good feel. Keep it up."
He returned the bat and added gently,
"Don't rush too much. I know all of you want to enter the first string as soon as possible, but your body comes first."
"It's late. Go back and rest."
"Training without recovery only works against you."
Haruichi bowed deeply.
"…Yes, Kanzaki-senpai!"
Watching the first-year jog off into the darkness, Kanzaki Ryou smiled faintly.
Seido's future—
was growing steadily, one swing at a time.