At the end of March, on the eve of the new school term, the sun shone brightly as a gentle spring breeze swept across Seido High School.
Inside the baseball club's office, Coach Kataoka sat quietly, his eyes fixed on the replay playing on the screen—the final match of the Spring Koshien Invitational Tournament.
After claiming the Summer Koshien championship the previous year, Seido High School Baseball Club had officially stepped into a new era.
The journey of the rebuilt team had not been entirely smooth. There were setbacks and growing pains along the way, but under the steady leadership of Yuki Tetsuya and Ace Kanzaki Ryou, Seido pushed forward relentlessly. One after another, they captured the Autumn Tournament and Meiji Jingu Tournament championships, firmly establishing themselves as the undisputed kings of high school baseball.
Following the winter break, the team plunged straight into intense training in preparation for the Spring Koshien. Weeks of grueling practice sharpened their bodies and spirits alike, and by mid-March, every member was eager to step onto the sacred field once again.
When the Spring Koshien finally began, the competition was fiercer than ever. Powerhouse teams fell unexpectedly, and even Seido's advance was far from smooth, as they struggled their way into the semifinals.
One notable point was Inashiro Industrial High School.
As the runner-up of the West Tokyo Autumn Tournament, Inashiro gained an additional Spring Koshien berth for Tokyo after Seido won both the Autumn and Meiji Jingu tournaments. Fate had a sense of irony—Inashiro and Seido met again in the semifinals, reigniting their long-standing rivalry in a thrilling showdown.
In the end, Seido narrowly defeated Inashiro once more, proving their strength beyond doubt.
The loss left Narumiya Mei seething. After the game, he stormed up to Kanzaki Ryou, grabbed his hair like an angry puppy, and tugged on it for quite some time before being dragged away.
With Kanzaki Ryou leading the charge on the mound, Seido went on to edge out their final opponent 4–3, successfully claiming the Spring Koshien championship.
Winning both the Summer and Spring Koshien consecutively brought Seido unprecedented attention since the school's founding.
And at the center of it all stood Kanzaki Ryou.
As Seido's Ace—and the championship pitcher of both Koshien tournaments—he became the focus of nationwide attention. His performances forced even seasoned observers to reevaluate his true strength.
Since entering Seido, every piece of his game data had been meticulously compiled.
His pitching arsenal was overwhelming.
His maximum velocity reached an astonishing 158 km/h, with an average fastball speed of 155 km/h. On top of that, he had mastered a wide variety of pitches: Four-seam fastball, Two-seam fastball, fast forkball, cutter slider, and circle changeup.
A true power pitcher.
With an undefeated record throughout the year and an oppressive presence on the mound, Kanzaki Ryou earned a new title after the Spring Koshien—
"Overlord."
"Overlord, huh…"
Coach Kataoka murmured as he watched the replay, Kanzaki Ryou's commanding figure on the pitcher's mound flashing across the screen. The title fit him perfectly.
Before long, Coach Kataoka turned off the video.
"Our offensive power… is still lacking."
His gaze fell on the first-string lineup sheet. Compared to last year, Seido's batting remained somewhat unstable.
Spring Koshien Starting Lineup:
Kuramochi Yoichi — Shortstop
Kominato Ryosuke — Second Baseman
Isashiki Jun — Center Fielder
Yuki Tetsuya — First Baseman
Omae Yoichi — Pitcher
Masuko Toru — Third Baseman
Sakai Ichiro — Left Fielder
Miyuki Kazuya — Catcher
Shirazu Kenjiro — Right Fielder
Isashiki, whose batting performance last year had been unremarkable, showed clear improvement after the Autumn Tournament. Masuko possessed formidable power, though his pitch selection—especially against outside balls—still needed work.
As for Miyuki and Shirazu, the former remained a clutch hitter with runners on base, while the latter continued to perform steadily, rarely exceeding or falling short of expectations.
At that moment, there was a knock on the office door.
"Coach," Takashima Rei said as she entered, placing a document on the desk.
Coach Kataoka opened it and glanced through the contents. It was the list of freshmen who had already confirmed their entry into Seido's baseball club and reported early. After the school term officially began, more applicants would follow.
After skimming through the pages, he closed the file.
"The new recruits will arrive tonight," Coach Kataoka said. "Are their accommodations arranged?"
"Yes, everything is settled," Takashima Rei replied with a nod.
Special consideration had been given to one person in particular—Kanzaki Ryou.
Outgoing? Taciturn?
Either was fine, but those with bad tempers or troublesome personalities were absolutely out of the question. No one was allowed to affect the Ace's condition.
Sawamura was too noisy.
Furuya Satoru was too quiet.
Neither would do.
That evening, at Seido High School's main gate—
With the Spring Koshien ending right before the new term, the baseball club had no extended break. Coach Kataoka only allowed everyone two days of rest on campus.
Still, there were exceptions.
Kanzaki Ryou couldn't return home, but his younger sister used the opportunity to visit Tokyo.
"Ni-chan, hurry back inside. Don't worry about us," Kumiko said, dragging two large suitcases filled with clothes Kanzaki Ryou had bought for her.
"Ryou, relax. I'll take good care of Kumiko," Kosaka Reina added, carrying two suitcases of her own. Standing side by side, the two looked more like tourists on a shopping trip.
Kanzaki Ryou nodded.
In his hands were clothes the two girls had picked out for him—paid for, of course, by himself.
Back at the dormitory, Kanzaki Ryou retrieved a newly delivered baseball bat.
Unlike his usual game bats, this one was made from a different material and weighed nearly twice as much. It was specifically designed for swing training.
…Heavy.
He gave it a few light swings.
This thing would definitely help improve his swing speed.
Just then, Chris returned from outside. Seeing the bat in Kanzaki Ryou's hands, he raised an eyebrow.
"New bat?"
"Yeah. Custom-made," Kanzaki Ryou replied with a smile, handing it over. "Want to try it, senpai?"
Chris took it—and immediately felt the difference.
"A weighted bat?" he said, surprised.
"That's right," Kanzaki Ryou nodded calmly.
"I want to strengthen my batting."