A week after the Sannoh game, Thea laid a new, shimmering data-slate on their common room table. It didn't show a single bracket. It displayed a complex, rotating schedule under the heading: THE CITY — OPEN CONFERENCE (YEAR 1).
"Welcome to the big leagues," she said, a hint of awe in her voice.
The schedule was a mosaic of possibilities. It was no longer a linear path. It was a web.
vs. Ryonan (Away)
vs. Seirin (Home)
VORPAL SWORDS EXHIBITION -
vs. Kaijō (Away)
vs. Iron Tide (Home)
vs. Shutoku (Home)
...Teikō Cup (Knockout Tournament)...
Renz whistled. "We're playing everyone? Again?"
"Not just playing," Drei said, his eyes scanning the fixture list like a tactician. "It's a round-robin within the conference. Win-loss record matters. This is a proper season."
Bornok grinned. "So we get another shot at that Sendoh guy? I owe him one."
Riki looked at the slate, feeling the scale of it. This was no longer about surviving a bracket. This was about building a legacy, game by game, season by season. The rhythm was no longer for a single match; it was for the long haul.