East Tokyo — Teito High School.
The atmosphere there was almost identical to Seido's.
"No way, Captain. You actually drew Seido in the first round?"
"Haha, the King of Seido… it's been a while since we faced them."
"A terrifying opponent. I never expected we'd meet this early."
"The team that won Koshien three years in a row… if we knock them out in the first round, won't all of Tokyo explode?"
The moment those words were spoken, everyone turned toward Mukai Taiyo.
Mukai smirked confidently.
"Taiyo, well said!"
Captain Inui Kengo immediately gave him a thumbs-up.
"Hey, at least act a little nervous," one of the players nearby complained helplessly. "This is Seido we're talking about."
Although many teams in the Autumn Tournament dreamed of defeating Seido and becoming famous, especially now that Seido's new lineup was still adjusting—
Actually facing them was a completely different matter.
Only those who stood against Seido truly understood the pressure they carried.
This was only the first round of the main tournament, yet both sides were already powerhouse schools.
Neither team possessed enough information on the other's newly formed lineup, which meant the game would inevitably be filled with unexpected developments.
To outsiders, Seido vs. Teito was like Mars colliding with Earth.
A matchup overflowing with excitement and drama.
But for the two teams themselves?
Neither side actually wanted to meet this early.
"Perhaps this is fate," Inui Kengo said calmly, his mature face carrying an almost solemn expression. "We were destined to meet in the first round."
He clenched his fist.
"When two brave warriors meet on a narrow road, the braver one wins."
"I believe we can absolutely defeat Seido."
Hearing those words, Mukai Taiyo's fighting spirit surged even higher.
Ever since entering high school baseball, he had wanted to face Seido.
More specifically—
He wanted to challenge Kanzaki Ryou.
Japan's strongest pitcher.
That title was something Mukai had coveted for a very long time.
As a child prodigy, Mukai Taiyo had already become famous throughout Tokyo during middle school.
After entering Teito, he immediately rose to become the team's Ace.
But now, the title he desired already belonged to someone else.
In that case—
He would simply take it himself.
"The undefeated king…"
Mukai licked his lips slightly.
"Don't disappoint me too much."
Just imagining himself defeating Seido filled him with excitement.
October 1st.
After several days of preparation specifically for Teito High School, the Seido baseball team finally arrived at the stadium by bus that morning.
"Why does it have to rain today?" Kanzaki Ryou muttered as he stepped off the bus and looked at the gloomy sky. "Everything's going to feel disgusting once we're soaked."
The rain wasn't heavy, but the chilly weather made the atmosphere uncomfortable.
"There's nothing we can do," Miyuki replied while slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "Unless it turns into a storm, the game won't be postponed."
"So troublesome…"
Soon after Seido entered the stadium, they discovered the stands were already packed with spectators.
Despite the terrible weather, nobody wanted to miss a matchup like Seido versus Teito in the very first round.
"Oh my… there are this many people already?"
Wearing a raincoat, reporter Owada Akiko stared at the crowded stadium in shock.
Before arriving, she had assumed attendance would be low because of the rain.
Nearby, Mine Fujio reached out his hand to feel the falling droplets.
"Well, this is Seido against Teito."
He smiled.
"The West Tokyo representative versus the East Tokyo representative."
"And Seido just won Koshien again this summer."
"A matchup like this happening in the first round is overflowing with drama. Of course people would come watch."
Akiko thought for a moment before speaking again.
"Still… I think Seido will win."
"Oh?"