Top of the fourth inning.
Ikeda High School was on offense.
Two outs, bases empty.
Standing in the batter's box was Ikeda's third batter, the team's most powerful hitter. His arms were taut, veins bulging beneath the skin, and his eyes burned with determination.
He was Ikeda's core—its offensive anchor.
The player with the highest number of hits this season.
"I have to hit it out!"
He knew the situation well. If they couldn't produce something here, their chances would vanish completely. Even if Seidou brought in Yoshida to pitch later, it wouldn't matter—Ikeda wouldn't have a chance to turn the tide.
They needed to strike now, to prove they weren't just lucky.
That they had real strength, and could stand shoulder to shoulder with Seidou's players.
But just as the batter gritted his teeth and prepared to swing, Zhou Hao moved.
His pitching motion was elegant—every step flowing like a choreographed dance. The motion of his arms, the balance of his body—it was seamless, mesmerizing.
Then, the instant the baseball left his hand—
Boom!
The air split apart.
The Ikeda batter suddenly felt a wave of pressure, like something ferocious had leapt toward him. His grip tightened instinctively.
He wanted to swing—
But before he could even react—
The baseball had already screamed past.
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
The batter froze. His mind went blank.
He had known Zhou Hao was strong, but this… this was beyond imagination. From the first moment of release to the glove's echoing pop—it was over in the blink of an eye.
He had no chance to even see the ball.
He had thought he could compete with Zhou Hao on equal footing.
Now, that illusion shattered.
Watching Zhou Hao's Spiral Ball up close for the second time, he was completely overwhelmed.
The speed. The power. The sheer sharpness of it—it hadn't dropped one bit.
Even if they faced him ten times, not just three or four, they still wouldn't hit it.
"So this is the pitch even Osaka Kiryu couldn't handle…"
His heart pounded violently. There was nothing left but to accept defeat.
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
"Strikeout!!!"
Three outs. Sides retired.
Zhou Hao had now pitched four innings—eleven strikeouts and one broken bat.
It was a performance that ignited the entire Seidou bench and electrified their supporters.
In the stands, fans roared with pride.
"Strongest dark horse? Don't make me laugh!"
"They were just lucky to make it this far!"
"Did they really think they could take on Seidou?"
Seidou's supporters were full of confidence now.
Even though every team that reached Koshien was formidable—like Arayashiki High School, who had managed to score once against Seidou—the result still spoke for itself.
Ikeda was stronger than Arayashiki, yes. But in the end, Seidou had Zhou Hao.
And that alone tilted the balance.
Victory felt inevitable.
Bottom of the fourth inning.
Seidou on offense.
The first batter to step up was their ace, Zhou Hao.
In the stands, his fans and Seidou's supporters erupted in cheers.
Unlike his previous games against Osaka Kiryu and Arayashiki, Zhou Hao hadn't been held back by bad luck or pressure this time.
Today, he was untouchable—both on the mound and in the batter's box.
Eleven strikeouts. One home run.
He was the brightest star on the Koshien field—perhaps the most dazzling player of the entire tournament.
As he stepped into the batter's box for the second time, the crowd roared:
"Hit another one, Zhou Hao!"
"Go for it! Send it flying!"
On the mound, Akahoshi stood firm.
Aside from giving up that one home run, he'd pitched nearly flawlessly. His presence alone was impressive.
The air between them crackled with tension.
The entire stadium's attention centered on their rematch.
Then—
"Whoosh!"
The ball zipped dangerously close to Zhou Hao's body before smacking into the catcher's mitt.
"Pop!"
"Ball!!"
Zhou Hao instinctively stepped back, unable to react in time.
"What's that pitcher doing!?"
"If he hurts Zhou-san, I'll curse him for life!"
"So cheap! Can't beat him fair and square, so he throws at him?"
His fans were furious. If the rules hadn't forbidden it, some of them might've stormed the field to defend him.
But before they could say more—
Akahoshi's next pitch also veered wide—clearly missing the strike zone by several centimeters.
"Pop!"
"Ball!"
"Ball!!"
"Ball!!!"
Four balls. Walk.
Zhou Hao jogged to first base as murmurs spread through the stands.
Now people understood what was happening.
"Wait—no one's on base yet."
"And they're walking him already?"
Shock rippled across the field.
"Are they serious? They're already down by one, and now they're putting Zhou Hao on base? The next two batters are Yuki and Azuma!"
Even though Zhou Hao was terrifying at the plate, Akahoshi could've at least tried to challenge him. Instead, he'd chosen the safer—but riskier—option.
"Are they that afraid of giving up another home run?"
The truth was obvious, but saying it out loud felt almost absurd.
Ikeda wasn't a weak team—the "strongest dark horse" label wasn't a fluke.
Their pitching was sharp, their defense solid, their coordination first-class.
Yet even their ace—Akahoshi—didn't dare face Zhou Hao head-on.
The crowd was stunned.
Even Seidou's players exchanged surprised glances.
"Their ace… walked him on purpose?"
"That's how far Zhou's gotten into their heads."
The respect and awe toward Zhou Hao deepened across the team.
The lineup had now cycled through once; everyone had a decent read on Akahoshi's pitching.
He was every bit as difficult as Kuroda from Osaka Kiryu—perhaps even trickier.
But Zhou Hao's presence made all the difference.
Even a powerhouse like Ikeda flinched before him.
"We can't fall behind him now," Yuki muttered.
No outs. Runner on first.
Yuki Tetsuya stepped into the box—calm and unshakable, like a mountain.
Even without moving, his presence alone pressed down on Ikeda's battery.
"Damn it… these guys from Seidou are monsters," muttered the catcher, exhaling slowly.
He gave his signal.
Akahoshi nodded, inhaled deeply, and prepared to pitch.
But before he could release—
Zhou Hao moved.
Body Flicker Technique!
In an instant, Zhou Hao's body blurred.
His feet crossed once—and he shot forward, covering several meters in a blink.
"Huh?!"
Ikeda's first baseman snapped his head around, wide-eyed.
Zhou Hao was already nearly halfway to second base.
"No way! When did he leave!?"
Before the fielder could react, Zhou Hao's cleats were already burning the dirt—his legs moving so fast it seemed like flames trailed behind him.
"So fast!"
"He's like a sprinter!"
"When did Zhou Hao get this quick!?"
Even Seidou's own players were stunned.
Had Zhou Hao been holding back this whole time?
Because the speed he just showed—was inhuman.
The Ikeda catcher saw it too.
"You sly bastard…"
But he didn't panic—at least not until he caught the ball.
"Pop!"
He raised his arm to throw—
—and froze.
Zhou Hao was already within five meters of the base.
There was no point.
"Safe!"
No outs. Runner on second.
For a few seconds, the stadium was silent—then the explosion of sound followed.
"So fast!"
"When did he get there!?"
"It was like he teleported!"
"That's not running—that's martial arts! Like an arrow step!"
"Wow, that was awesome!"
Those who didn't understand baseball technique tried to explain it with kung fu, and honestly, it didn't matter if they were wrong.
Because to them—and to Seidou's fans—
Zhou Hao's Body Flicker Technique was pure magic.
In the front rows, Seidou's second-string players had seen everything clearly.
"Unbelievable… His growth speed is insane! He used to be just average in running speed."
"Now he's probably the fastest on the team. Even Matsumoto couldn't keep up with that burst."
Kuramochi, who'd always prided himself on his speed, could only laugh bitterly.
"As expected of Zhou-san… he always manages to surprise us."
He'd once dreamed of becoming Seidou's fastest player after the seniors graduated.
But after seeing what Zhou Hao just did, he realized—
He still had a long way to go.