The baseball flew deep into the outfield stands.
Zhou Hao's super home run brought in four runs in one swing.
The scoreboard changed to 5:0.
The tug-of-war that had seemed evenly matched only moments ago was decisively broken at this instant.
The reigning king—Seido High School Baseball Team—starting from Shirasu, the Ninth Batter, unleashed an offense so fierce it sent chills down spines.
More importantly, their offensive methods were diverse, layered, and unpredictable.
Fans who had followed Seido High School Baseball Team for years couldn't help but feel their hearts pounding as they watched.
"I knew it… I knew it…"
Someone kept muttering to himself.
The people around him couldn't help but look over.
This guy had seemed absent-minded earlier—so why was he suddenly so emotional?
What exactly did he "know"?
"This year's Seido High School Baseball Team is absolutely not weaker than last year's."
His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
"Their path to kingship won't be a fleeting moment."
Only then did everyone around him feel as if they had just awakened from a dream.
If not for this reminder, many of them might have forgotten—
Before this game, public opinion toward Seido High School Baseball Team had been far from favorable.
They had lost the Autumn Tournament.
And compared to last year, their performances hadn't appeared significantly improved.
Even last year's national championship run hadn't been smooth.
They had faced multiple powerful rivals, walking a razor-thin line the entire way.
If mistakes had been made.
If luck had failed them at critical moments—
That championship might never have happened.
So what if this year's Seido couldn't surpass last year's version?
The answer was obvious.
Those powerful teams that already feared them would pounce without mercy.
They would never be given a second chance to reign.
That narrative had spread quietly.
At first, people scoffed.
But when enough voices repeated it, doubt inevitably took root.
Three people make a tiger.
Now—
Reality answered all doubts.
Before the third inning had even ended—before it had truly begun—
Seido High School Baseball Team already held a five-run lead.
And their opponent was Ichidai San High School Baseball Team.
A genuine national powerhouse.
No matter how unfavorable the situation, Ichidai San was still Ichidai San.
Their Ace, Manaka, was pitching well—there were no signs of collapse.
Yet even under such circumstances, Seido still forced in five runs.
Zhou Hao's super home run pushed the entire game into an uncontested climax.
The Seido supporters completely erupted.
Arms raised.
Some stood up unconsciously.
"Zhou Hao!!"
"Zhou Hao!!!"
They had countless emotions, countless thoughts—
Yet all of them condensed into a single name.
Zhou Hao.
They were grateful.
Grateful for the emergence of this Ace who had completely transformed their team.
That gratitude fueled their cheers—pure, unrestrained, and deafening.
At this moment, the entire Hachioji Stadium echoed with Zhou Hao's name.
In the press section—
Fujio, senior reporter from Baseball Kingdom, was already moving among the crowd, guiding interviews with practiced ease.
Beside him stood his assistant, Akiko Owada.
Tall, elegant, and newly recruited—
This was her first field assignment since joining Baseball Kingdom Magazine.
And she had stepped straight into history.
The atmosphere in the stands was explosive.
Fans waved their arms rhythmically, shouting in unison.
It felt less like a baseball stadium—
And more like a football arena celebrating a decisive goal.
"I never imagined a high school player could be this popular…"
Akiko murmured.
She had worked hard to earn her position.
Before this assignment, she had deliberately watched several professional baseball games.
Professional stadiums were lively—sometimes intense.
But even there—
She had never seen a single player command attention like this.
And these cheers weren't only from Seido supporters.
Neutral fans.
Even a portion of Ichidai San supporters—
They, too, were applauding.
A player who could earn applause from opposing fans?
That was no ordinary star.
"This is only Hachioji Stadium," Fujio said calmly, adjusting his baseball cap.
"Its capacity is limited."
"Many Seido supporters—especially Zhou Hao's fans—couldn't even get in."
"If they were all here…"
"The atmosphere would be even more terrifying."
Akiko's eyes widened instinctively.
She stared at the field again, shock written clearly across her face.
Fujio noticed.
A subtle smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
As one grows older—
One inevitably develops a few small habits.
Like enjoying the moment when someone else first realizes they're witnessing history.
For example, him—he had recently discovered that he rather enjoyed seeing young girls get startled.
The game was still ongoing.
Yet at this moment, the stadium had unmistakably become Zhou Hao's personal stage.
Even though he had already returned to the Seido dugout, the gazes of most spectators still followed him unconsciously.
No outs.
No runners on base.
Although Seido High School Baseball Team had already scored four runs in this inning, they hadn't given up a single out.
The attack was far from over.
"Fourth Batter, number three—First Baseman, Yuki Tetsuya!"
Compared to the earth-shaking cheers from moments ago, the announcement itself barely stirred the stands.
But on the field—
Both teams were fully focused.
This game had originally been expected to be evenly matched.
At this point, however, no one still believed that.
The disparity in strength had become painfully clear.
Even Ichidai San High School Baseball Team—one of the nation's recognized powerhouses—
Looked as if they might not last the full game.
A five-inning mercy rule was no longer unthinkable.
"Now this is worth watching."
Standing in the batter's box, Yuki showed no intention of holding back.
Bat raised high, posture steady—
He radiated pressure before even swinging.
At that exact moment, Coach Tahara stepped out from Ichidai San's dugout.
"Ichidai San High School Baseball Team requests a substitution!"
The declaration caused a stir.
Manaka, their third-year Ace, was moved to the outfield.
Temporarily—an outfielder.
The Seido players instantly understood what this meant.
After all, Zhou Hao was often treated the same way.
This was the privilege of a true Ace—
Kept on the field so he could return to the mound at any time.
At the same time, a new pitcher took the mound.
"Pitcher—Amahisa Kosei."
An unfamiliar name.
Not a third-year.
Yet now, after Manaka, he stood as the guardian of Ichidai San's mound.
The moment the Seido players saw his buzzcut, a subtle ripple of anticipation spread.
Ichidai San… was scared.
They had replaced their Ace at this moment?
More importantly—
They had sent out a pitcher no one had seen before.
Had they already accepted defeat?
Were they simply testing their bench?
As that thought surfaced, excitement inevitably grew in the Seido dugout and among their supporters.
After all—
The man standing in the batter's box was Yuki Tetsuya.
Seido's captain.
One of West Tokyo's Four Great Batters.
Even Manaka had been powerless against him.
Earlier, Yuki had cleanly crushed Manaka's pitch, driving in Seido's first run.
Now?
An unknown pitcher stood before him.
What chance did he have?
Many fans had already imagined the ball flying into the stands.
To be honest—
That anticipation felt intoxicating.
After all, this wasn't just about a 5:0 lead.
Seido High School Baseball Team clearly wanted more.
They wanted to end this game early.
To completely crush their opponent.
As reigning national champions—
Shouldn't they aim higher?
Amahisa, standing on the mound, could clearly feel the hostility of the entire stadium.
Even Ichidai San's own supporters didn't seem to believe in him.
Yuki's presence alone radiated danger—
A pressure so overwhelming it was impossible to ignore.
Yet Amahisa wasn't afraid.
On the contrary—
He felt exhilarated.
He had once left the team because of a mistake.
After that, Ichidai San suffered consecutive heavy blows from Seido and Inashiro Industrial.
Though they still placed second in the Autumn Tournament—
Anyone with eyes could see that Ichidai San had entered a slump.
Amahisa had been filled with regret.
He believed that if he had been there, things might have turned out differently.
He had considered apologizing.
Begging for forgiveness.
But youthful pride had stopped him.
So what if the team struggled for a few years?
Ichidai San was a national powerhouse.
They would rise again.
Hadn't Seido once fallen even lower?
And yet now—
They stood at the summit.
It was precisely because of teams like Seido and Inashiro that West Tokyo had become a focal point of national attention.
Even teams that failed to reach Koshien gained fame by association.
As long as Ichidai San remained among the elite—
A comeback was inevitable.
That was why Amahisa never thought of himself as a savior.
It was Coach Tahara and the team who sought him out.
Even knowing how terrifying Seido and Inashiro had become—
They still refused to surrender.
Amahisa once asked Coach Tahara why he persisted.
The answer was simple and sincere.
"Baseball is like sailing against the current. If you don't advance, you retreat. Seido rose again because they never stopped pursuing victory. Even in their darkest years, their strength never fell below that of a national powerhouse."
Ichidai San's future would not be easy.
Which was precisely why—
They could not give up.
"Even if Inashiro and Seido are monsters right now,"
"We will not lose to them."
Amahisa raised his head.
His eyes burned as they locked onto Yuki.
He knew how terrifying this batter was.
But he would not retreat.
Not for himself.
Not for his team.
Not for the coach who believed in him.
"Whoosh!"
The white ball left Tenkyu's hand.
Yuki's eyes flickered with surprise.
He hadn't expected this—
The pitch was sharp, fast, and ruthless.
Not inferior to Manaka's.
"Thwack!"
"Strike!!"
Without hesitation, Amahisa threw again.
"Whoosh!"
Facing Yuki Tetsuya—
The young pitcher's expression showed no fear.
Only eagerness.
An uncontrollable desire to compete.