Early morning.
Seido Baseball Club training grounds.
After completing a five-kilometer run alongside Kanzaki Ryou, Yui Kaoru was already breathing heavily.
"Alright, Yui."
Kanzaki stopped and glanced at him.
"Go rest for a bit. Don't let this affect your performance during the freshman evaluations later."
Yui was reluctant.
He still wanted to continue running with Kanzaki.
But after meeting the Ace's unquestionable gaze, he immediately surrendered.
"Understood, Senpai."
As soon as Yui moved to the side to cool down—
"I'm here!!"
"Aniki! Wait for me!!"
A loud voice suddenly echoed across the field.
Yui turned around in surprise.
A familiar figure was charging toward them.
Sawamura Eijun.
What shocked Yui even more was the fact that Sawamura had three tires tied around his waist and was dragging them behind him while running.
"This guy..."
Yui couldn't help but smile.
"He's interesting."
He checked the time.
5:00 A.M.
And yet someone was already training this hard.
A hard worker, huh...
Looking at Sawamura's passionate expression, Yui felt his own fighting spirit ignite.
If my seniors are working this hard, how can I slack off?
Without hesitation, he picked up a bat and began taking practice swings.
Soon, more and more players arrived.
As six o'clock approached, the training field gradually became crowded.
"Wow, someone's already running."
A first-year looked toward Kanzaki.
"That's Kanzaki-senpai."
"He looks incredible."
"Heh."
A nearby upperclassman chuckled.
"That's nothing."
"Kanzaki gets up at this hour every single day."
"Rain or shine."
"Even during winter training when it was snowing, he still ran like this."
The first-years stared in amazement.
"Seriously?"
"Learn from him, rookies."
"That's why he's the Ace."
The freshmen immediately looked at Kanzaki with even greater admiration.
At six o'clock sharp, morning practice officially began.
No one was late.
Coach Kataoka nodded with satisfaction.
Standing before the assembled players, he looked toward the group of new first-years.
As always, his expression was stern.
"Are all the freshmen here?"
Beside him, Takashima Rei adjusted her glasses.
"One is absent."
Coach Kataoka raised an eyebrow.
"Reason?"
"He requested leave."
She paused briefly.
"Broken leg."
The entire coaching staff fell silent.
Even Coach Kataoka looked momentarily stunned.
How does someone break a leg before school even starts?
"Very well."
He chose not to dwell on it.
"Let's begin the introductions."
His gaze landed on the first student in line.
"Start."
"My name is—"
"I graduated from—"
"My position is—"
One introduction followed another.
Soon, a tall and powerfully built student stepped forward.
"My name is Yuuki Masashi!"
"I'm from Akadou Middle School!"
"My position is all positions!"
The freshmen blinked.
All positions?
Yuuki ignored their reactions and continued loudly.
"I want to challenge my limits!"
"For me, high school baseball is a necessary step toward my future!"
"I want to become an outstanding player and eventually enter Major League Baseball!"
His booming declaration echoed throughout the field.
"..."
A moment of silence followed.
Then—
"Pfft."
Miyuki Kazuya couldn't hold back his laughter.
Standing among the upperclassmen, he shook his head.
"Yuki's little brother is hilarious."
"I heard Tetsu-san introduced himself exactly the same way."
"Seriously?"
"As expected of brothers."
"The Yuuki family genes are terrifying."
"Unique."
The upperclassmen whispered among themselves.
Meanwhile, the freshmen stared at Yuuki in astonishment.
Major League Baseball?
This guy really dared to say it out loud.
The introductions continued.
Eventually, it became Okumura Koushuu's turn.
Beside the lineup of upperclassmen, Miyuki suddenly frowned.
"Ryou."
"Hm?"
"That kid is glaring at me."
Kanzaki glanced over.
"Is he?"
A smile appeared on his face.
"Maybe you're imagining things."
"No."
Miyuki pointed discreetly.
"He's definitely glaring at me."
His expression looked genuinely aggrieved.
"He's scary."
Kanzaki almost laughed.
"What happened?"
"Didn't get along last night?"
Miyuki sighed.
"The first thing he said after entering the room was that he wanted to challenge me."
"Hahaha!"
Kuramochi immediately kicked Miyuki from behind.
"Then the next six months should be entertaining."
At that moment, another voice rang out.
"The only position I want to play is catcher!"
"I have no interest in any other position!"
Everyone turned toward the speaker.
It was Yui Kaoru.
Kanzaki's lips curved upward.
After hearing Okumura declare his determination, Yui had clearly become competitive as well.
Unlike Okumura's cold confidence, Yui's declaration was straightforward and passionate.
A small commotion immediately spread among the players.
After all, this wasn't just any freshman.
Yui Kaoru.
Captain of the World Series champions.
Starting catcher of Mamiya Little League.
A player with an impressive reputation.
Miyuki glanced at Kanzaki.
"That's the kid from your dorm, right?"
"Yep."
Kanzaki nodded.
"Pretty cute, isn't he?"
Miyuki's mouth twitched.
"They're both catchers."
He looked toward Yui and Okumura.
"Just like Sawamura and Furuya."
"Looks like there's going to be another fierce battle for the starting catcher position."
Kanzaki shrugged.
"Not our problem."
"We'll be graduated by then."
"Good point."
The two quietly continued listening.
"My name is Seto Takuma!"
"I'm from Daikyo Junior Baseball!"
"I hope to play second base!"
"And I'm very confident in my speed!"
Unlike the serious Okumura, Seto's introduction was energetic and cheerful.
The contrast between the two friends couldn't have been greater.
Once all the introductions were complete, Coach Kataoka remained silent for a few moments.
Then he stepped forward.
"I am the head coach of Seido Baseball Club."
"Kataoka Tesshin."
Beside him, Ochiai immediately followed.
"I am Assistant Coach Ochiai Hiromitsu."
While Coach Kataoka focused on the team as a whole, Ochiai had already begun evaluating the newcomers.
Based on their introductions alone, he had already formed several preliminary assessments.
There were definitely some promising talents among this group.
Coach Kataoka continued.
"As all of you know, Seido High School has won four consecutive Koshien championships."
"Two Summer Koshien titles."
"Two Spring Koshien titles."
The freshmen unconsciously straightened their backs.
"These achievements were earned through the efforts of the seniors standing before you."
His gaze swept across the first-years.
"You have only just entered high school."
"You have not yet experienced true high school baseball."
"It is normal to feel anxious."
"It is normal to feel uncertain."
"But during this period, I want you to observe carefully."
"Watch your seniors."
"Learn from their training habits."
"Learn from their attitude."
"Learn from their dedication."
The freshmen listened intently.
At this moment, no one dared blink.
"At the same time, ask yourselves one question."
Coach Kataoka's voice became heavier.
"Why did you come here?"
"What are your aspirations?"
"What does baseball mean to you?"
"Only after finding those answers can you walk your chosen path without hesitation."
His words struck deeply into the hearts of every freshman.
"YES!"
The response was deafening.
Coach Kataoka nodded in satisfaction.
"Good."
"Now, Kanzaki."
"It's your turn."
Kanzaki stepped forward from the line.
The moment he stood beside Coach Kataoka, countless eyes focused on him.
After all—
This was Kanzaki Ryou.
The undefeated Ace.
The face of Seido Baseball.
His gaze slowly swept across the freshmen.
"My name is Kanzaki Ryou."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I don't think I need to introduce myself."
The freshmen laughed nervously.
Of course they knew him.
Everyone here knew him.
"In the coming months, I hope someone among you can truly impress me."
The smiles immediately disappeared.
Kanzaki's tone wasn't harsh.
But it carried undeniable pressure.
"High school baseball is cruel."
"Especially at a powerhouse like Seido."
"The competition here is more intense than you can imagine."
"I don't have the time to personally guide every single one of you."
His eyes became sharper.
"So if you want to stand out..."
"Show it through your actions."
"Show it through your performance."
Silence filled the field.
No one dared look away.
Then Kanzaki smiled.
A smile that instantly ignited everyone's blood.
"This summer will be my final Koshien."
"I hope to see at least one first-year earn a place beside me."
His voice echoed across the field.
"And together..."
"We'll win another championship."
The moment he finished speaking, he returned to the line.
The freshmen remained frozen.
Their hearts were pounding wildly.
Koshien.
Standing beside Kanzaki Ryou.
Winning a championship together.
At that moment—
Every freshman came to the exact same conclusion.
That spot will be mine!