27 Chapter 27: My Heart Soars on the Grand Stage

In May, the climate in Tokyo gradually warmed up, signaling the approach of summer. During this season, for Seido High School, there was an important regional tournament known as the Kanto Tournament. One could say that this was a significant preliminary battle before the major competition in July. Its primary purpose was likely to assess the strengths of other high schools and make necessary preparations before the summer tournament.

Gathering intelligence, adjusting the team's batting lineup through practical experience, and a series of other tasks were on the agenda.

Of course, some schools might treat these matches as thorough training exercises. In events that didn't affect the tickets to Koshien Stadium, using them to hone the skills of freshmen or experiment with strategies was the best course of action.

However, not all high schools could participate in the Kanto Tournament. The eligibility to participate depended on the results of the spring tournament held earlier in the year.

Seido High School had secured its spot in the Kanto Tournament due to its victory against renowned high schools like Ichidai Third High School in the spring tournament held in April. This earned them the right to compete in the Kanto Tournament.

For Seido High School, which had just welcomed two first-year students and had an unstable pitching lineup, this was an excellent opportunity to train and prepare for the summer tournament, which was the main event for all high school baseball players.

Seido, pitching machine hitting zone.

"Thud!" Alejandro powerful swing sent the ball soaring beyond the outfield. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, nodding in satisfaction. Finally, his batting seemed normal; his previous stance had been quite pitiful.

Alejandro couldn't help but feel a slight sense of pride in his noticeable progress over the past month.

"Hmph, your arm isn't fully extended, and you're not using your waist's power properly either. Remember, hitting isn't just about wrist strength; it's about harnessing the entire body's strength! Got it!?" Just at that moment, the stern voice of Supervisor Kataoka sounded from behind.

Alejandro glanced slightly, catching a glimpse of the cold expression on Supervisor Kataoka's face. He flinched, the trace of pride he felt moments ago completely disappearing. He felt a pang of unease for some reason. It seemed that whenever he was practicing hitting, fielding, or engaging in personal training, Supervisor Kataoka always managed to be right behind him...

Alejandro couldn't help but feel a shiver down his spine. What was going on? Was this rigorous scrutiny a sign of his potential being recognized, or was there something more beneath the surface?

"Yes!" At this moment, the only response was that. Alejandro had deeply learned that it was unwise to talk back to the supervisor. And he didn't even want to imagine the consequences of challenging Supervisor Kataoka's authority.

The supervisor's advice was usually spot-on; he should listen to it. This particular piece of advice had been given by Supervisor Kataoka during Alejandro basic hitting training. It was about channeling the entire body's strength into hitting. However, Alejandro had struggled with this concept, stubbornly relying on the strength of his arms.

He found it difficult to initiate full-body movements to harness the power properly. This was currently Supervisor Kataoka's primary demand of him. Even the home run during the recent intrasquad scrimmage was more luck than strength.

To be blunt, if at that time, Kawakami had thrown a fastball instead of a slider, Alejandro wouldn't have had the power to hit a home run. While the slider added to the pitch's trajectory, making it harder for batters to anticipate its path, it also diminished the pitch's power.

Combine that with Kawakami not being a power pitcher to begin with, and if they had used Asou (another pitcher) instead of Kawakami.

During practice, Alejandro had attempted to hit Asou's pitches. Out of ten, he had swung and missed six times. Out of the remaining four, three were fouled off, and one was a ground ball.

When he did connect with Asou's pitch, Alejandro hands had trembled.

Even after a short while, his arms hadn't fully recovered their sensation. Supervisor Kataoka pointed out that this was the consequence of not fully utilizing his body's power. Relying solely on arm strength wasn't enough to handle the power of pitches exceeding 150 km/h!

The sole outcome would be losing to pitch speed. A home run? Are you kidding, young man? Even getting a hit would be a stretch!

After correcting Alejandro batting stance again, Supervisor Kataoka left to inspect other areas. Alejandro understood that this stance felt somewhat forced, even uncomfortable, but he had no choice. He had to adapt to it as soon as possible.

A ball whizzed by, and Alejandro recognized his opportunity, swinging the bat!

A light breeze passed, and Alejandro expression grew somewhat tense. He swung and missed. Swung and missed. Swung and missed!

He had actually swung and missed!

"Tsk tsk, that's only a 145 km/h pitch, Alen. You actually missed it? Seems like you've got a long way to go. You better hurry, this afternoon we've got outfield defense and base running practice. Tsk tsk, I don't know, you're not as confident as you seem!" A teasing voice drifted over, making Alejandro expression stiffen. He didn't need to turn around to know that the annoying troublemaker was right behind him! Curse it! He actually saw me miss!

Alejandro felt a surge of irritation.

To be fair, even if the speed is exactly the same, a ball machine is still a ball machine after all. It's different from a pitch thrown by a person, and the trajectory of the ball from the machine remains consistent. After all, you have to be in sync with that rhythm. Swinging and missing against a ball machine, well, that's quite amateurish.

Alejandro face turned slightly red. He completely ignored Miyuki Kazuya behind him. After all, in this past month, he had truly been put through the wringer by him. Okay, it's true. Aside from the regular first-team training, those separate, individual training menus Miyuki had set for him seemed flawless on the surface.

But there was a big catch! Yeah, improving his hitting skills was beneficial, but...but! It was too agonizing. Alejandro felt like he was on the brink of tears.

He had fallen into an abyss-like existence and couldn't find a way out. He could only silently endure. This was really damn uncomfortable.

Sigh, forget it.

He better stick to his straightforward swing and hitting training. Watching Alejandro, who was still pouting and refusing to turn around, Miyuki Kazuya couldn't help but chuckle, thinking he deserved this.

Well, it's about time to call it a day. Maybe I'll go check on that silly guy in the second string?

Wonder how Chris-senpai has been tutoring him! Miyuki Kazuya whistled, leaving the A training grounds with a slightly smug feeling.

Days of training continued to pass by.

May arrived, and with it, the Kanto Tournament. The timing was just right. The journey of a young boy, destined to become a king, opened a new chapter.

Taking the most solid step on his path forward.