After the opening ceremony, Seidou, Inashiro Industrial, Ichidai Third High… the seeded teams—including the three West Tokyo powerhouses—naturally scattered to move around freely.
Whether they wanted to watch games or just wander around, none of them had matches on the first day, so the atmosphere was relatively relaxed.
"Hey! Little Blondie!"
As Narumiya Mei walked out of the venue, an all-too-familiar and incredibly irritating voice called out.
"Chestnut-Hair Monster, you baka!"
Narumiya Mei turned, finding Kanzaki Ryou waving at him from a short distance. Immediately, his entire body felt uncomfortable.
This bastard had even sent him a message a few days ago saying he had good news.
Narumiya actually thought it was something worth hearing… until he opened the photo.
Kanzaki Ryou, wearing the Ace number on his back.
Walking up with his usual crab-like gait, Narumiya Mei grabbed Kanzaki's shoulder and flipped him around.
Sure enough—there it was.
A big, bold No. 1.
I'm so mad… SO MAD!
This baka actually became an Ace before him!
"Yo, Little Blondie. Jealous?" Kanzaki grinned.
"Go to hell, go to hell, go to hell! I'm not talking to you!" Narumiya turned on his heel.
Smack!
His nape was suddenly flicked, forcing him to turn around, face dark.
"What's the rush? Wanna go buy milk tea together?"
"I don't want to go with you!"
"Miyuki is there too."
"I WANT TO GO!"
Without even reporting back to his Coach, Narumiya Mei was instantly kidnapped by Kanzaki Ryou.
Leading the blond pitcher along, Kanzaki soon found Miyuki waiting in line at the milk tea shop entrance.
"Hi, Kazuyaaa~!" Narumiya immediately clung to him like a koala.
"Huh? Mei?" Miyuki blinked in confusion. "Why are you here?"
Narumiya puffed up proudly. "Chestnut-Hair Monster dragged me."
"Chestnut-Hair Monster? Oh—Ryou. Where is he?" Miyuki looked around, only to see the spot beside him empty.
That guy told him to queue, yet vanished himself.
"Hmph! He went to buy water manju," Narumiya muttered.
"Water manju? The Anshindo limited edition ones?" Miyuki's eyes instantly gleamed.
Those were scarce—limited daily by time and quantity. Could Ryou really get them?
Narumiya huffed indignantly. "He said he has connections. Hmph. He even uses backdoors just to buy manju. So despicable."
"You're not eating?"
"EAT! I'll eat him out of house and home!"
Before long, Kanzaki returned with two full bags of limited-edition water manju.
"Kazuya! Come eat," Kanzaki said, handing a green one to Miyuki.
Miyuki took a bite, his eyes brightening. "Mm—this is good!"
"I know, right?" Kanzaki laughed.
Narumiya stared.
What was with these two?
Ignoring him??
Unable to bear it, Narumiya punched Kanzaki's arm.
"Huh? Little Blondie is still here."
"Go to hell!!"
"Hahaha." Kanzaki laughed, pulling out another water manju and stuffing it into Narumiya's mouth.
The three of them strolled around the venue, attracting a ridiculous amount of attention, before eventually returning to their respective teams.
After watching two games, Seidou left the venue and took the bus back to school.
As champions of the Spring Metropolitan Tournament, they were seeded and would not play until the third round, giving them several days to rest and prepare.
Unfortunately… during the bracket draw, the three West Tokyo powerhouses—Seidou and Inashiro Industrial included—ended up in the same half.
Meaning they would inevitably face each other by the semifinals.
And whoever survived would likely encounter Ichidai Third High in the finals.
It must be said… Ota, who represented Seidou in the draw, had terrible luck.
He absolutely must have picked his feet before doing the draw.
A Few Days Later — Third Round Begins
Nitta Stadium, West Tokyo.
When the Seidou first-team bus arrived, they happened to run into their opponent, Omori Gakuen.
This team had once entered Koshien years ago and was considered a traditional powerhouse, though their strength had declined in recent years due to internal issues—rumored to be related to uneven profit distribution.
Seidou had already watched their footage many times.
They were upper-middle class in West Tokyo. Their Ace, Amano Yamato, was not to be underestimated.
"West Tokyo Tournament, Third Round, Game 2:
Seidou High School vs. Omori High, officially begins."
As the announcement echoed, the third-base stands erupted with thunderous cheers.
The student fan club waved banners, blew horns, and cheered with overwhelming passion.
The managers in the front row raised their megaphones.
"SEIDOU! SEIDOU!"
Nearly a thousand supporters—students, cheerleaders, the school orchestra, alumni, families—all shouted in unison.
"Everyone, let's go!" Kanzaki Ryou stepped forward and shouted.
"UOOOOOH!!!"
Behind the team, Azuma Kiyokuni's face darkened. Wasn't he the Captain?
Why was Kanzaki doing his job??
Seidou's Starting Lineup
Shida Shota – SS
Kominato Ryosuke – 2B
Yuki Tetsuya – 1B
Azuma Kiyokuni – 3B
Tanaka Wataru – C
Isashiki Jun – CF
Araki Keita – RF
Yoshikawa Junpei – LF
Kanzaki Ryou – P
Only one change stood out: Kominato Ryosuke replacing Yanagiya Ikki as the second baseman.
But what really puzzled the crowd—and even the opposing team—was Kanzaki Ryou.
A first-year Ace with terrifying batting skills… placed in the 9th spot.
Why?
Was Coach Kataoka bullying him?
Some spectators even suspected a conspiracy, but immediately reconsidered.
If anything, Kanzaki becoming an Ace in his first year clearly showed Coach Kataoka valued him greatly.
What they didn't know was…
It was Kanzaki himself who requested to bat 9th.
The "91 Connection"—the bond between the Ace and the leadoff hitter—was Kanzaki Ryou's idea.
In traditional baseball, the 9th batter was usually weak, but…
Kanzaki had his own plan.
And that plan was about to shake the entire stadium.
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