The third round of Koshien — Group C Finals.
The match between Seidou High School and Ikeda High School had just begun.
In the top of the first inning, Ikeda High School was on offense.
The first batter to step up to the plate had a well-built, athletic figure. His arm muscles bulged with strength, and even through his uniform, the faint outlines of his abs were visible.
From behind the plate, Miyuki Kazuya crouched low, studying the batter closely before giving a small nod.
Unlike most other teams, Ikeda High School's batting lineup was… peculiar. They arranged their three strongest hitters in the first three slots.
Scouting reports and data analysis didn't mean much to them. Their approach was simple — let their best batters swing as many times as possible.
The more at-bats, the higher the chance of breaking through.
"Go for it, Yuui!"
"Show them what we can do! They're not the only strong team here!"
"Their pitcher's just a first-year! Nothing to be afraid of!"
The voices of Ikeda's supporters echoed through the stands, hoarse from shouting.
Standing in the batter's box, Yuui bent his knees slightly, lowering his center of gravity. His gaze locked firmly on Zhou Hao.
He gave off the feeling of someone who could crush any pitch that came his way.
Miyuki's eyes narrowed.
At his level, just one look at a batter's stance was often enough to gauge their strength — and from Yuui's posture, Miyuki could tell this guy wasn't ordinary.
This one's going to be troublesome…
Miyuki lifted his head slightly, watching Zhou Hao on the mound. The first-year's face was calm, expressionless, unshaken — as if it didn't matter who stood in the batter's box.
That unbothered composure…
That's confidence.
Miyuki smirked beneath his mask. "Alright, let's give them a little shock."
If it were any other pitcher, they'd need to plan the sequence carefully — fastball, breaking ball, then a change-up. But with Zhou Hao's Spiral Ball, there was no need for strategy.
Receiving the signal, Zhou Hao wound up. His leg lifted high, his body flowed forward, and the ball snapped from his fingertips.
"Boom!"
The instant the ball left his hand, a low roar rippled across the field.
Both the batter and the umpire froze for a split second, eyes widening as the ball streaked past.
There was only one thought in their minds—
Terrifying!
The ball blurred through the strike zone and landed squarely in Miyuki's mitt.
"Thwack!"
"Strike!"
On the massive Koshien scoreboard, the pitch speed flashed: 147 km/h!
"Wooooah!"
The Seidou supporters erupted into wild cheers.
"One hundred forty-seven!!"
"That's Zhou Hao for you!"
"I missed seeing that in the last game — finally, the Spiral Ball's back!"
The stands buzzed with excitement. Fans who had never witnessed Zhou Hao's Spiral Ball before stared in disbelief.
"So that's the Spiral Ball everyone talks about?"
"No wonder Osaka Kiryu couldn't handle it!"
"This pitch… it's insane!"
Ikeda's supporters fell silent. Their leadoff hitter, Yuui, stood frozen in the batter's box — eyes unfocused, his mind blank.
He wasn't stunned by the noise; he was stunned by the pitch.
Before today, if someone had told him there was a pitch in Koshien that couldn't be hit, he would've laughed.
Even Osaka Kiryu's Kuroda — with his 155 km/h fastball — wasn't impossible to hit. Difficult, yes, but still manageable.
But after seeing Zhou Hao's Spiral Ball with his own eyes… Yuui's view of reality shattered.
If someone told him now that a pitch in Koshien was truly unhittable, he'd believe it without hesitation.
That terrifying combination of speed and spin…
Even if I manage to make contact, it's impossible to send it flying!
Yuui stared up at Zhou Hao, awe and disbelief swirling in his eyes.
Before the game, when the team analyzed Seidou, their coach had warned them that Zhou Hao's Spiral Ball was very hard to hit.
But now, standing in the box, Yuui realized how naive that assessment was.
Hard to hit?
No — this pitch is impossible to hit!
"Zhou Hao… is this guy really just a first-year?"
If he hadn't witnessed it himself, he might have thought it was a lie.
In the Ikeda dugout, their coach and players sat in stunned silence.
The very scenario they dreaded most was unfolding right before their eyes — Seidou's true ace was far more terrifying than they'd imagined.
Their leadoff hitter, the heart of their lineup, was completely overwhelmed.
Meanwhile, on the mound, Zhou Hao remained calm.
Expressionless. Focused.
He wound up again and fired another Spiral Ball.
"Boom!"
Even though everyone could clearly see the ball's trajectory, the batter didn't react in time.
He just stood there, watching it slice through the strike zone.
"Thud!"
The ball smacked into Miyuki's glove with a deep, powerful sound.
"Two strikes, no balls! The batter's in trouble!"
The Seidou supporters went wild, chanting Zhou Hao's name again and again.
Behind the mask, Miyuki's face turned slightly pale.
I finally understand why Chris-senpai said that…