Seidou High School took Emil's invitation very seriously.
As Sawamura had guessed, Coach Kataoka did not have the authority to make a decision on this matter, so he brought it directly to the school's management.
It was clear from Coach Kataoka's attitude that he supported this initiative.
Although traveling to the U.S. would take a considerable amount of time, Seidou High School has a one-week off period before each summer competition.
This week could easily be arranged in the U.S.!
Allowing the players to compete against the top players there would not only broaden their horizons but also help them identify their weaknesses.
It's certainly a beneficial opportunity.
However, there are two main issues: the first is funding.
While money isn't everything, it's impossible to proceed without it. There are direct flights from Tokyo to America, with tickets costing about 1,000 dollars.
This isn't in Japanese yen but in US dollars!
Converted to yen, that's nearly 100,000.
Even if only the Coaches and players attend, there are nearly 30 individuals involved.
Adding in accommodation, meals, and facilities…
'Oh my goodness, the total cost for the entire week, including travel, could easily reach tens of millions.'
This is not a trivial amount; even for a prestigious program like Seidou High School's baseball team, it's not something they can easily overlook.
The second issue concerns people.
Seidou High School is a baseball powerhouse. Coach Kataoka usually makes decisions regarding practice and competition, but for an International Training Event like this, it's beyond his authority.
'Even the plump principal has no say.'
The principal's personal opinion on the matter doesn't carry much weight. In fact, the dean of education believes it's unnecessary.
Given the current strength of their team, Seidou High should have a good chance of winning the national championship, even without participating in this practice match.
If that's the case, why bother with such a long expedition?
However, due to Coach Kataoka's reputation and the fact that this proposal came from Sawamura Eijun—both of whom are major contributors to Seidou High School's rise—the school leadership had to consider their feelings.
After some hesitation, the proposal was submitted to the board.
From there, it was no longer up to Kataoka or the principal to decide.
They were not in the mood to worry about these details anyway; their focus was on the upcoming spring competition.
Reaching the quarterfinals was an expected outcome for Seidou. Although there were some bumps along the way, these minor setbacks were nothing compared to the overwhelming strength of Seidou's Baseball Team.
The remaining matches, however, would not be as easy.
Every team that made it to the Tokyo Top 8 is formidable. These eight teams would face off to determine the final four.
From there, the four would compete in the semifinals to decide the finalists…
Reaching the finals is essentially the goal for powerhouse schools.
As mentioned before, for elite colleges and universities, their main goal in the Tokyo Spring Tournament boils down to two things.
The most important is securing a seeded spot, meaning making it to the top sixteen. For most elite schools in the Tokyo area, this is their primary task.
Tokyo is the most competitive battleground in the country. In such a fierce area, group placement becomes particularly crucial. If they're unlucky and face strong opponents consecutively, even a powerhouse can falter.
In fact, even Seidou High School has faced such setbacks. If they hadn't drawn Teito and Ugumori consecutively…
They might not have lost to Inajitsu in the autumn competition.
It's possible that Seidou's undefeated streak could have continued.
Aside from this primary goal, if luck is on their side and conditions permit, they certainly wouldn't mind continuing to win and making it to the finals.
Only teams that reach the finals in the Tokyo Spring Tournament qualify for the subsequent Kanto Tournament. Although the Kanto Tournament is a regional event and not a national competition, it still holds significant influence and can promote the players, whether in professional baseball or throughout the Kanto region.
If they can participate, Tokyo teams hope to perform well in the Kanto Tournament.
As for the spring competition champion…
This is perhaps the least significant honor among all elite teams. If a fitting term had to be found, it would be akin to being a Pizza Crust—flavorless yet regrettable to discard.
According to media reports, aside from Seidou and any potential dark horse teams…
No elite team is obsessed with this honor.
Dark horse teams, on the other hand, are entirely different.
Beggars are no choosers. With no achievements to their name, any Championship is invaluable. Winning a title in a competitive area like Tokyo could be something they boast about for a lifetime.
Seidou, however, is weighed down by its reputation.
As the most dominant team in the Tokyo area and even the entire high school, the undefeated king…
Seidou simply refuses to accept the L.
Meanwhile, the other seven matches also concluded with winners and losers.
"What did you just say?"
Todoroki Raizou asked his assistant coach casually.
Just after the assistant coach made a phone call, he whispered something into his ear.
The cheers from the field were so loud that he couldn't catch the whispers.
The assistant coach glanced around before finally stating it out loud.
"At Hachioji Stadium, Seidou has already won!"
Todoroki Raizou was not surprised by this result at all.
If High had lost, he would have found that intriguing.
But the winning?
Isn't that expected?
While the exchange students from Bunkyo High School had some talent, how long had they been working together as a new team? Their overall cohesion would certainly be lacking, not to mention the wavering quality of their lineup…
'Such a team could start strong, but if they got dragged into a protracted battle…'
'That would be a real mess.'
"What's the score?"
Sanada, sitting behind Todoroki Raizou, was far more serious than his Coach.
The assistant coach hesitated for a moment before finally answering.
"The score is 7-0. Ace Sawamura pitched a Perfect Game, with seven effective innings. Not a single hit was given up, and no one reached base… Three at-bats, three hits, including two home runs and three RBIs…"
Not to mention, Sawamura Eijun's performance alone was enough to leave everyone in awe.
Sanada shook his head in admiration.
"As expected of the Demon King!"
Although he was a full year ahead of Sawamura Eijun, Sanada could only admire his power.
"There's no need to envy others; no matter how strong the opponent is, they're still human. And as long as they are human, they must have weaknesses."
Todoroki Raizou appeared unconcerned.
Just by looking at his demeanor, one might think he was brimming with confidence.
But Sanada knew better.
His Coach wasn't as confident as he seemed. Secretly, he had sifted through Sawamura Eijun's pitching videos but hadn't found any glaring weaknesses in his game.
When Mishima and the others asked the next day…
The coach confidently patted his chest and proclaimed, "No weaknesses—that is Sawamura's greatest weakness."
This statement was no different than exhaling—both are just empty air being released.
"We will win!"
After making such a bold claim, Todoroki Raizou finally looked toward the Batter's Box.
Standing there was his precious son, Raichi.
He truly hadn't found any weaknesses in Sawamura's pitching. This was incredible; even against Major League pitchers, he could come up with strategies. Yet, facing a high school student, he couldn't think of a single strategy.
'What a failure.'
Now, he could only pin all his hopes on his beloved son.
'You can do it, Raichi!'
'You can definitely hit that Sawamura pitch.'
"Keha-ha-haa! Keha-ha-haa! Keha-ha-ha-haa!!!"
Accompanied by a burst of sharp laughter, Todoroki Raichi swung his bat with great enthusiasm.
Ping!
After making contact, the small ball soared like a shooting star, flying into the stands in the outfield.
"The third one! In today's game, Todoroki Raichi hit his third home run…"
The commentator's voice was already hoarse as if he needed to express his excitement.
To be honest, Sawamura's game was certainly impressive, and everyone was eager to see him strike out and dominate his opponents.
But Raichi's performance was equally captivating.
His powerful swing and clean contact with the ball were mesmerizing.
This was the super talent who made a name for himself during the spring Koshien.
Thunder Beast Raichi! (The word Raichi means The City of Thunder.)
Meanwhile, Seidou High School's other rival was not as pleased as Yakushi.
This opponent was Sankou High.
Previously, Seidou had battled them in the autumn playoffs for a spot in the spring tournament.
That match was unique.
Especially the new Ace Amahisa Kousei from Sankou High, who surprised Seidou High School greatly.
Had Sawamura not countered Kousei's performance on the mound, he might have completely been out of control.
He was also one of the top pitchers in the country.
Today, however, that pitcher was in a tough fight.
It seemed he suddenly lost his rhythm, throwing several four balls in a row.
So much so that he gave away several runs to the opposing team right from the start.
Sankou High seemed on the verge of capsizing.
Ping!
Their lineup stepped up.
Hoshida led the charge, making a powerful swing that sent the ball soaring.
The small ball flew far into the deep outfield.
Bang!!!
…