No outs, runner on second base.
Almost everyone in the stadium was talking about Zhou Hao.
Whether they knew him or not, they were all stunned by his sudden steal. And once the shock wore off, the crowd exploded in cheers.
"That's incredible!"
"The speed—like lightning! The players from Ikeda High School didn't even have time to react!"
"So cool!"
"I knew it! Zhou-san has always been an all-rounder!"
In the stands, Zhou Hao's loyal fans practically glowed with admiration. Their trust in him bordered on blind faith.
To them, it was simple—
As long as Zhou Hao decided to do something, there was nothing he couldn't accomplish.
After all, those who had followed him since his early days knew exactly how far he'd come.
When Zhou Hao first joined Seidou High School's baseball team, he showed off a jaw-dropping Spiral Ball—
but his weaknesses were painfully obvious.
Insufficient strength.
Poor stamina.
Slow speed.
Whether in regular practice or in practice games against other schools, these flaws were on full display.
But not long after, Zhou Hao shattered every doubt thrown his way.
First, there was the rumor about his lack of power.
He responded by increasing his pitch speed past 140 km/h.
Now? He'd broken 145 km/h.
And whether it was the Spiral Ball or a straight fastball, he threw both at that terrifying speed.
Who could dare say he lacked strength now?
His explosive power had already surpassed that of ninety percent of high school aces.
But that wasn't all.
Zhou Hao wasn't just a top pitcher—he was also one of the few Seidou players capable of hitting home runs.
A true all-rounder.
A complete player.
A star among stars.
As for the rumor about his weak stamina—
Sure, compared to upperclassmen who had trained under Seidou's system for years, Zhou Hao started off behind.
But anyone with eyes could see his growth.
The number of Spiral Balls he could throw per game had increased dramatically.
At his current level, if you ignored previous or upcoming games, he could easily pitch six or seven innings relying solely on that Spiral Ball.
How many high school pitchers could say the same?
And now, even his last shortcoming—speed—had been completely erased.
"This player's potential is limitless!"
"The Ikeda High School team is so unlucky to face him!"
By the bottom of the fourth inning, the score remained 1–0.
Anyone watching could tell how terrifying Seidou's strength was.
Yet despite facing such a powerhouse, the Ikeda High School team hadn't fallen apart.
Zhou Hao's home run had been their only setback so far, and the game was far from over.
But with Zhou Hao now standing on second base, everything changed.
It wasn't just the catcher he had shaken—it was Ikeda's ace, Akahoshi himself.
This kind of duel between key players was the truest test of will.
One moment of hesitation, one slip in focus, and Ikeda's defense could collapse entirely.
"Everyone, calm down! Focus on the batter!"
From the dugout, the Ikeda coach's sharp voice rang out.
His players took deep breaths, forcing themselves to regain composure. They knew the situation was critical.
"Pitch with confidence!"
"We'll back you up!"
They shouted to encourage their ace.
Unlike Seidou, their team wasn't filled with middle school aces and cleanup hitters.
What they had instead was unity.
A bond strong enough to face even giants like Seidou.
Akahoshi was the heart and soul of their team—the one they had to protect.
Standing on the mound, Akahoshi exhaled deeply, then wound up for his pitch.
"Whoosh!"
The ball cut through the air like a white flash.
At the plate, Yuki's eyes went cold.
In an instant, he exploded into motion.
"Boom!"
His bat tore through the air, creating a violent gust that made even the catcher's breathing falter.
So fast! So fierce!
If he hadn't witnessed it himself, the catcher would never have believed a high schooler could swing like that.
The ball made contact—
"Ping!"
For a moment, the catcher's heart stopped.
It looked like that ball might fly straight out of the park.
But no—it wasn't quite enough.
The angle was slightly off, not enough for Yuki to reach base safely.
"So what if you're one of the top sluggers in the country? Our Akahoshi isn't easy to beat!"
The Ikeda fielder stayed sharp, blocking the grounder with his body.
He caught the ball, glanced toward second base—
Zhou Hao was right where he should be.
The fielder grinned. "Scared you off, huh, rookie?"
He turned to throw to first—
But just as his head moved—
Zhou Hao vanished.
Body Flicker Technique!
Silently—
Unnoticed—
While everyone's eyes followed the ball, Zhou Hao broke into a blur.
He'd already accelerated four, maybe five meters—
now charging full-speed toward third base.
"Slap!"
The fielder threw to first, and the crowd cheered.
"Out!"
One out!
Then someone looked back—
"Wait, where's the runner!?"
Second base was empty.
The fielder's eyes widened in disbelief as he turned toward third.
Zhou Hao was already less than ten meters away!
By the time Ikeda's first baseman even thought to throw, Zhou Hao had slid safely into third.
"Safe!"
"One out, runner on third base!"
The fielder stood frozen, mouth agape.
He couldn't comprehend it—Zhou Hao had been standing still just seconds ago!
In the stands, a collective gasp rippled through the audience.
They'd seen steals to second countless times—
but never one like this to third.
And the craziest part?
Even before Ikeda's players realized it, the fans themselves hadn't seen Zhou Hao move.
It was like watching a magician vanish in broad daylight.
"How did he do that?"
"He's like a ghost! Gone in an instant!"
Everyone was stunned—unable to grasp what they'd just seen.
But among the crowd, Seidou's supporters and Zhou Hao's fans didn't bother analyzing it.
They just shouted in unison—
"Zhou Hao, you're the strongest!"
"That's amazing! He's making Ikeda chase shadows!"
"Yuki, nice hit!" someone called.
Yuki, walking back to the bench, froze.
Coach Kataoka hadn't told him to walk, and he himself hadn't planned to.
"That last hit was fine. Keep swinging like that," Kataoka said, still calm.
"Their pitcher's breaking balls have sharp angles. If you can't time it like Zhou Hao, don't overthink it. Keep your swing aggressive—your power will eventually overpower his spin."
Facing pitches with small breaking angles, the best approach wasn't patience—it was brute force.
Yuki nodded.
He hadn't cracked Akahoshi yet, but it was only a matter of time.
Whether Akahoshi's stamina could last to the end of the game was questionable,
but even if it did—Seidou would break through eventually.
It was inevitable.
"Fourth batter, number five—third baseman, Azuma Kiyokuni!"
The towering slugger stepped up, his shadow swallowing the catcher.
The Ikeda catcher felt a shiver run down his spine.
"As expected of a national powerhouse…"
The pressure radiating from Azuma Kiyokuni was unlike anything he'd faced before.
Zhou Hao, Yuki, Azuma Kiyokuni—
different styles, same terrifying presence.
Akahoshi took the sign and nodded.
His body moved smoothly, his motion crisp.
"Whoosh!"
The pitch tore forward.
Azuma's eyes widened.
He gripped the bat tighter.
At this point, there was no need to think.
Swing with everything.
If there was any area where he refused to lose to his younger teammates, it was strength.
"Boom!"
Like thunder cracking the sky, Azuma's swing shook the air itself.
The catcher's breath caught; it felt like the oxygen had been sucked out.
"So powerful…"
Then came the crack—
"Ping!"
The white ball shot high into the air.
For a moment, the crowd thought it might clear the fence.
But no—it started to fall after fifty, sixty meters.
"Ah, so close!"
The Seidou fans sighed collectively.
Another ten or twenty meters, and Zhou Hao could've made it home.
The outfielder caught it cleanly—
"Slap!"
And then—
Zhou Hao moved again.
The outfielder had even checked on him before throwing, muttering, "Try running now, first-year ace."
But that one look—that split second—
made his heart stop cold.
Zhou Hao was already seven or eight meters off third, fully accelerated.
"How is that possible!?"
"He cheated!"
Before the outfielder could even think further, he threw the ball desperately toward home plate—
"Whoosh!"