"8:0!!!!"
"Super home run!!!"
Witnessing this moment, even Zhou Hao was stunned.
There's no doubt that the most thrilling scene on the baseball field is a home run blast.
To send the ball flying out of the stadium with a single swing—what an exhilarating feeling!
And among all types of home runs, this kind is the pinnacle.
It requires not just raw power, but also a fair bit of luck.
"I wonder when I'll be able to hit something like that…"
Zhou Hao sighed, eyes still fixed on the field. Kazuya Miyuki, sitting beside him, chuckled.
"With that tiny frame of yours? Maybe in your next life. I've still got a better shot."
What Miyuki said wasn't wrong.
Though Zhou Hao stands confidently on the pitcher's mound and throws his spiral ball with fierce power, in terms of physical strength and swing velocity, he ranks near the bottom within the entire Seidou roster.
Even among the Seidou first-string players, not everyone is capable of hitting home runs—let alone someone like Zhou Hao.
As a backup catcher, Miyuki had solid all-around ability and enough power in his bat to go for the fences.
"But one day, I'll get there," Zhou Hao murmured with quiet determination.
In the past, he wouldn't have dared to dream of such things.
In the world of sports, not all players are created equal.
Someone like Zhou Hao—just an ordinary kid before—could only rely on intelligence and hard work to close the gap.
But against true prodigies, that chasm became glaringly wide.
An insurmountable gulf.
But now, everything was different. With his cheat ability, nothing was out of reach for Zhou Hao.
All he needed was time—more experience, more practice.
By the end of the top of the seventh inning, Seidou had scored a total of six runs.
The scoreboard now read: 10:0.
The sheer gap in runs clearly demonstrated just how dominant Seidou had become!
In the bottom of the seventh inning, it was Hachioji High's turn to bat.
Their leadoff hitter stepped into the batter's box.
Even though the scoreboard spelled despair, the Hachioji players seemed oddly energized.
"At least let's get a hit off this first-year pitcher!"
"And if we could score a run, that'd be amazing!"
With nothing left to lose, their resolve had solidified into something even stronger.
They were determined to fight to the bitter end.
"We can't let our guard down—not now. Our real opponents are watching from the stands!"
For Seidou, Hachioji was no longer a threat.
But what did matter were the scouts and rival teams studying them from the audience.
The impression they left would influence everything moving forward.
Before Zhou Hao took the mound again, Coach Kataoka had given him strict orders.
He had originally wanted Zhou Hao to keep a low profile.
But clearly… that plan had already failed.
Zhou Hao's pitching talent was too dazzling to ignore.
Since they couldn't hide it—then there was only one way forward.
"Stand tall. Let the whole nation see what you're capable of."
Back on the mound, Zhou Hao faced Hachioji's leadoff batter.
He didn't hesitate—launching a spiral pitch immediately.
"If you think you can hit it… go ahead and try."
"Boom!"
The sound of the ball tearing through the air roared over the field.
The batter froze.
How is it this fast? How does it break like that?
Before he could even react, the ball had already zipped into Chris's glove.
"Bang!"
"Nice pitch!"
It was only after the ball hit the mitt that the batter snapped back to reality.
And suddenly, everything made sense.
So that's why none of us could hit it…
Even if you could see the pitch's trajectory, that didn't mean you could time it.
Zhou Hao's spin rate was so extreme that most batters couldn't catch up with the swing—even if they tried.
"Is this what it's like facing a true ace at a national powerhouse?"
The gulf between the two teams had never been clearer.
Before the batter could recover from his thoughts, Zhou Hao hurled his second pitch.
This one was even faster—and broke even sharper.
The batter swung, but the ball had already blown past him.
"Bang!"
"Nice pitch!"
"Nice pitch!!"
"Strikeout!!"
The batter slumped back into the dugout, breathless.
But there was no frustration—only understanding.
"That pitch… no way a normal human should be able to throw that."
"He doesn't even look strong!"
The other Hachioji players were in the same boat.
All they could do was admit—Zhou Hao was on another level.
And then, as the game entered its final moments, Zhou Hao struck out one batter after another.
With a final, perfectly placed spiral ball—
"Bang!"
"Strike three!"
"Batter out!"
"Three outs—game over!"
"Game over!"
"In the fourth round of the West Tokyo Tournament, Seidou High School faced off against Hachioji High School. Final score: 10:0."
"After just seven innings, Seidou emerges victorious!"
As the announcer's voice rang out, Seidou's fans in the stands erupted in cheers.
"We did it!"
"Top 16!!!"
For Seidou, advancing to the round of 16 wasn't new.
But to end the game early with a massive 10-run shutout?
That was special.
The fans could feel it.
This year's team held more promise than any other in recent memory.
The dream of reaching Koshien was closer than ever.
Their two biggest rivals—City Senior High and Inashiro Industrial—had sent scouts to observe this game.
But now, those scouts could only slink away in frustration.
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POWER STONE!!!
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