Steady and solid.

With a personalized training menu crafted directly by Ochiai, even during the period when he was forbidden from pitching, Eijun's training progressed in an orderly fashion.

Ochiai had even consulted with the team doctor beforehand, designing a regimen that perfectly matched Eijun's current condition.

And because his recovery went exceptionally well,

two weeks later—after another medical examination—it was officially declared that Eijun could fully rejoin the team.

That meant he was cleared to pitch again in the bullpen without restrictions.

With that, the training plan Ochiai had designed for him could finally move into full swing.

After all, a pitcher's true training only counts when he's able to throw.

...

During this period, while Eijun pushed through his specialized training, Seidou High also faced three powerhouse opponents in practice games—

one from Osaka, one from Shikoku, and one from the Kinki region.

Unsurprisingly, Seidou won all three.

Against the Osaka powerhouse: Furuya started, Kawakami relieved in the sixth.

Furuya allowed one run, Kawakami one run.

Seidou's batting lineup delivered six runs for the win.

Against the Shikoku contender: Furuya started again, but this time was shaky.

Ono, guiding behind the plate, even had a passed ball.

One run allowed in the first inning, two more in the fourth.

Kawakami came in to steady things, giving up just one run afterward.

Thanks to clutch hits from Maezono, Asou, and Takatsu, Seidou turned it around—winning narrowly, 6–4.

Against the Kinki powerhouse: Kawakami started, Furuya closed.

The batting lineup exploded with 16 hits and 8 runs.

Kawakami allowed just one run; then Furuya entered in the eighth, striking out six batters in a row to finish it.

Final score: 8–1, Seidou claiming a fifth straight victory.

After the autumn tournament, Seidou had completely reset their form, sending a message to everyone:

the champions' aura was still alive and well.

...

It was worth noting that apart from a few fixed batting order spots, Kataoka and Ochiai had made frequent adjustments in these five practice games—

even altering positions and lineup orders.

Especially in the later three games, they seemed determined to follow through on what Kataoka had declared at the reflection meeting:

The upcoming months of training and practice matches would decide the composition of next year's first string.

Even jersey numbers that seemed secure could be replaced.

This lit a fire under the players.

Work hard today, and tomorrow your place on the roster would be safer.

The team entered a state of healthy competition.

...

As practice games and Eijun's special training continued, time slipped by quickly.

While Seidou focused on their own internal growth,

they also kept one eye on the outside world—

particularly on the prestigious Jingu Tournament,

which began in early November.

Ten champions from across the country gathered at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo, vying for autumn supremacy.

(Unlike Summer or Spring Koshien, the Jingu Tournament has only ten entrants: the champions of Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Tokyo, Hokushin'etsu, Tokai, Kinki, Shikoku, Chugoku, and Kyushu.)

Naturally, Seidou followed Inashiro Industrial's progress closely.

After all, this was the team that had beaten them in the autumn finals.

But they also paid attention to other powerhouses,

knowing that if they made it back to Summer Koshien, any of them might be an opponent.

...

For Eijun personally, beyond watching Narumiya Mei and Inashiro's record, he had a special interest in another team—Komadai Fujimaki of South Hokkaido.

Because of the autumn tournament's structure,

Komadai represented the whole of Hokkaido in the Jingu.

Eijun carried deep respect and caution toward this powerhouse—the very team Seidou had defeated in the Summer Koshien final.

Especially their battery: Hongou and Renji, one of the strongest pitcher-catcher duos in the nation.

He was particularly curious: if Komadai and Inashiro were to meet, what sparks would fly?

As it turned out, his curiosity was well-founded.

The Jingu Tournament was packed with fierce clashes among the ten champions, but none could compare to the showdown on the final stage:

Inashiro Industrial vs. Komadai Fujimaki.

The King of Tokyo versus the Emperor of the North.

Masamune Hongou and Narumiya Mei—two of the generation's strongest pitchers—

squaring off.

The Tokyo atmosphere exploded in an instant.

From the first pitch, the battle was white-hot.

Narumiya Mei held a slight edge over Hongou,

but Renji was clearly superior to Inashiro's Tadano.

In terms of batting strength—

The two teams were practically evenly matched.

In the first half of the game, neither side could gain the upper hand.

The score remained locked in a deadlock.

"0–0."

Such an absurd scoreline lasted all the way into extra innings—the 13th inning.

Unlike the summer tournament and the autumn regionals, where managers often relied on a relay-pitching strategy, this time, on the grand stage of the Jingu Tournament final, both coaches stuck with absolute trust in their aces.

Masamune Hongou and Narumiya Mei went head-to-head for thirteen innings straight.

In the end, in terms of stamina and pitching skill,

Narumiya proved superior by just a little.

And though Inashiro's lineup couldn't break through Hongou easily, they still had a unique weapon: Carlos.

With his speed, combined with the sheer exhaustion of Komadai's players after thirteen brutal innings, the balance finally tipped.

In the bottom of the 13th inning, Inashiro Industrial somehow scratched out a single run off Hongou.

When Carlos dashed home and touched the plate,

Inashiro's dugout—and the entire stadium—

let out a long collective breath.

It hadn't come easy.

That was the thought on everyone's mind in Jingu Stadium, everyone except Komadai's side.

Even Komadai's players showed a strange mix of relief and frustration—relief that the long war had finally ended, but bitter at losing after such a battle.

On the mound, Hongou's expression was like a volcano on the verge of erupting.

Yet even his fury could not change the reality.

Inashiro Industrial had won.

After twelve scoreless innings, the final line read 1–0.

In the National Jingu Tournament, Narumiya Mei led Inashiro Industrial to a grueling victory over Komadai, seizing the title of Autumn National Champion.

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