It had been so long since Zhou Hao last heard the system's voice that he had almost forgotten it existed.
A mission this straightforward was even rarer.
How should he describe how he felt?
After thinking it over, Zhou Hao came to a simple conclusion.
He was excited.
A direct improvement to his abilities was worth going all out for.
If his opponent challenged him head-on, he would blast the ball out of the park.
And if they refused to cooperate...
Then he would simply force them to.
The game entered the bottom of the third inning.
Seido High School was back on offense.
The first batter to step into the batter's box was Seido's ninth hitter, Oshima.
Although he was only a first-year rookie batting ninth, his offensive ability had already earned the respect of everyone on the team.
The moment he walked to the plate, the stadium erupted with cheers.
"Crush it!"
"Show them what Seido batting looks like!"
"You've got this, Oshima!"
Hearing the deafening support from the stands, Oshima couldn't help but smile.
This... feels incredible.
Despite being a nationally recognized player during his youth baseball days, youth leagues simply didn't attract this kind of attention.
Never before had tens of thousands of fans cheered his name.
Oshima had always been the type of player who thrived under the spotlight.
The bigger the stage...
The louder the crowd...
The better he performed.
At this moment, he was overflowing with excitement.
The score was only 1–0.
If he could produce a clean hit here, not only would the fans remember him, but Coach Kataoka would undoubtedly take an even greater interest in his development.
The coaching staff had already begun considering moving him higher in the batting order.
Advancing from ninth wasn't an easy task.
After all, every starter in Seido's lineup was an outstanding player.
Yet Oshima still had a genuine opportunity to climb the order.
That alone spoke volumes about his batting ability.
He raised his bat confidently, his eyes blazing with determination.
Anyone could tell what he wanted.
He intended to drive this ball into the outfield.
Standing on the mound, Sanada naturally noticed the rookie's confidence.
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
"So even the supporting cast doesn't take us seriously..."
Whether it was because Seido had once stood at the top of the nation or because they had dominated throughout the current season, every player on their roster carried an overwhelming confidence.
No matter who stood in front of them...
They believed they could beat them.
Sanada clenched his teeth.
His tongue pressed firmly against the roof of his mouth.
As he released the baseball, he poured every ounce of strength into the pitch.
Whoosh!
The white ball shot forward like a bullet.
In an instant, it filled Oshima's vision.
Watching the pitch race toward him, Oshima finally understood why Seido's upperclassmen had struggled against Sanada.
It wasn't because they lacked ability.
It was because Sanada's pitches arrived far faster than they appeared.
"So this is his Jet Ball..."
Oshima had never faced anything quite like it.
Every cell in his body seemed to tremble with excitement.
I can't let this one go.
From the very first pitch, he had prepared himself mentally.
There was no point waiting for an easy pitch.
Against Sanada, every pitch was dangerous.
Just like this one.
The baseball seemed to materialize in front of him.
Without time to think, Oshima trusted his instincts.
"Get out of here!"
Boom!
His bat ripped through the air with tremendous force.
The sharp crack of the swing caused Yakushi's catcher to instinctively widen his eyes.
Fast!
The batter standing at the plate was only a first-year.
Yet his swing speed was anything but ordinary.
The Yakushi catcher couldn't help wanting to complain.
Are Seido's first-years monsters too?
Fortunately...
His own team wasn't exactly normal either.
Yakushi's lineup already revolved around three first-year stars.
Compared to them, Seido's rookie was "only" batting ninth.
Even so, his ability was frightening.
Clack!
The instant the bat met the ball, Oshima's expression changed.
Heavy...!
The rebound from the baseball was far stronger than he expected.
The ball shot straight back toward the mound.
Sanada reacted instantly.
He reached out, cleanly fielded the sharp comebacker, then quickly fired the ball to first base.
Thwack!
"Out!"
One out, bases empty.
Seido's highly anticipated first-year ultimately failed to reach base against Yakushi's new ace.
A disappointed sigh spread through the stands.
By Seido's usual standards, they would normally have seized complete control of the game by the third inning.
Yet the scoreboard still read only 1–0.
The only reason everyone remained so calm was because Zhou Hao was standing on the mound.
Whether Seido led by one run...
Whether the game was tied...
Or even if Seido somehow fell behind...
Their supporters never doubted him.
They firmly believed Zhou Hao would find a way to win.
Even so...
A one-run lead still felt far too fragile.
Bottom of the third.
One out. Bases empty.
Seido's leadoff hitter stepped into the batter's box once again.
"Heh..."
Kuramochi Yoichi grinned.
Compared to his first at-bat, his fighting spirit had only grown stronger.
Lowering his stance, he immediately showed bunt.
His target wasn't Sanada.
It was Yakushi's defense.
Although Yakushi's fielding had improved considerably through hard work, defensive skill wasn't something effort alone could perfect.
Compared to Seido and the other national powerhouses, Yakushi's defense still had obvious weaknesses.
Kuramochi intended to exploit every one of them.
"A bunt?"
"So you're looking down on me now?"
Sanada immediately recognized Kuramochi's intentions.
There was no way he would allow Seido's speedster to execute that play.
Once Kuramochi reached first base...
Stopping him would become a nightmare.
As Yakushi's true ace, Sanada understood his team's greatest weakness better than anyone.
Their defense looked solid on the surface.
In reality...
It was full of hidden cracks.
If Seido repeatedly targeted those weaknesses, Yakushi's defense would eventually collapse.
Because of that...
No matter how much effort it required, Sanada refused to let Seido dictate the pace.
He raised his arm high and unleashed another full-powered pitch.
Whoosh!
The baseball screamed toward home plate.
Kuramochi gritted his teeth and deadened the ball with his bat.
After facing Sanada several times, he had already reached one conclusion.
Trying to square up Sanada's pitches consistently was simply too difficult.
If he wanted to get on base...
His best option was to bunt.
Yakushi's defense had holes.
As long as he could drop the bunt into fair territory, there was a good chance he could beat the throw to first.
With Kuramochi's blazing speed, once he reached first base, Seido's chances of scoring would increase dramatically.
Yakushi looked incredibly resilient right now.
But Kuramochi knew that resilience had its limits.
If Seido managed to widen the lead beyond what Yakushi could mentally endure, their fighting spirit would inevitably crumble.
He could already picture the scene in his mind.
Yakushi's players collapsing one after another under the pressure.
Clack!
The bunt rolled off the bat.
Yakushi's first baseman reacted immediately, charging forward with quick, controlled steps to cut off the ball.
Without hesitation, he turned and fired to first.
At the same time, Yakushi's second baseman had already sprinted over to cover the bag.
Thwack!
"Out!"
Two outs, bases empty.
Sanada remained in outstanding form in the bottom of the third.
Yakushi's defense also proved far sturdier than most people had expected.
"I didn't realize Yakushi's defense had improved this much."
"Look at that. The second baseman covered first almost immediately."
"It was like they knew the bunt was coming."
Inside Seido's dugout, the players fell silent.
Everything unfolding before them felt strangely unfamiliar.
In several ways, Yakushi had exceeded all of their expectations.
"Their movements still aren't perfectly coordinated..."
"So how is their defensive awareness this good?"
"It's their coach."
"He's directing everything."
"We've been outplayed."
The batting order moved on to Seido's second hitter.
Meanwhile, Yakushi's supporters were roaring with excitement.
Although they didn't believe Yakushi could completely seize control of the game just yet, they could clearly see how hard the players were fighting.
For them...
That alone was worth cheering for.
"Finish this inning!"
"Don't give Seido another chance!"
Driven by the crowd's encouragement, Sanada gritted his teeth and delivered another pitch.
Whoosh!
The baseball screamed toward the plate like a jet-powered missile.
Standing in the batter's box, Kominato Ryosuke crowded the inside edge of the plate.
Sanada's control was excellent.
But it still wasn't on the same level as Yang Shunchen's pinpoint command.
As long as Ryosuke took away the inside corner, Sanada's pitching options would become much more limited.
That had been his plan from the start.
He intended to force Sanada out of his comfort zone.
To his surprise...
Sanada didn't hesitate in the slightest.
Instead of backing down, he attacked the inside corner even more aggressively.
Thwack!
Neither player was willing to give an inch.
The baseball rode too far inside—
—and slammed into Ryosuke's thigh.
The impact knocked the bat from his hands.
A collective gasp swept through the stadium.
Inside Seido's dugout, Kominato Haruichi shot to his feet.
"Brother!"
His face was filled with worry.
Had his teammates not stopped him, he would have run onto the field immediately.
Ironically...
The calmest person present was Ryosuke himself.
Although his thigh throbbed with pain, he calmly straightened his posture before looking toward the home plate umpire.
"So..."
"This counts as a hit-by-pitch, right?"
The umpire stared blankly at him.
For several seconds, he forgot to answer.
Finally, he asked nervously,
"Are you alright?"
"Just a bruise."
"I don't feel any pain in the bone, so I should be fine."
As an experienced athlete, Ryosuke knew his own body better than anyone.
He was confident the injury wasn't serious.
The umpire nodded.
"Hit by pitch."
"Take your base."
Two outs. Runner on first.
Then...
The batter Yakushi least wanted to face stepped into the box.
"Third batter, Number One..."
"Pitcher, Zhou Hao!"
The entire Seido dugout erupted.
Their supporters were just as furious.
"That was intentional!"
"They actually hit him with the ball!"
"They're willing to throw at batters just to win?"
"They've got no shame!"
Yakushi's players could only smile bitterly.
They truly felt wronged.
This wasn't what they had intended.
Especially Sanada.
He had never planned to hit Ryosuke.
But...
He had no choice.
As Yakushi's ace, he couldn't afford to retreat.
Not against Seido.
Not against the strongest team in the nation.
Even if guilt lingered in the back of his mind...
He still had to challenge the inside corner.
Even if the next batter was Zhou Hao.
Standing on the mound, Sanada took a deep breath before firing another pitch inside.
Whoosh!
The baseball screamed toward Zhou Hao's body.
It passed so close that even Zhou Hao had no chance to swing.
Thwack!
"Ball!"
Several Seido players immediately understood what Yakushi was trying to do.
"They're going to pitch around him."
"An intentional walk..."
The realization left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.
As frustrating as it was...
There wasn't much they could do about it.
Then—
Something unexpected happened.
Zhou Hao quietly took a step backward inside the batter's box.
"Huh?"
The spectators exchanged puzzled looks.
"Did that inside pitch scare him?"
"It nearly hit him."
"Anyone would've flinched."
Seeing Zhou Hao retreat, the corners of Sanada's mouth finally lifted into a faint smile.
The process hadn't gone exactly as planned.
But the result was still satisfactory.
For the first time...
Zhou Hao had given ground.
It didn't matter that he was the nation's number one player.
Or that he was Seido's ace.
At this moment, he looked no different from any ordinary second-year high school student.
Whoosh!
Confident that Zhou Hao had become wary of the inside pitch, Sanada immediately attacked the outside corner.
The instant the baseball left his hand—
Zhou Hao suddenly stepped forward again.
A fierce smile spread across his face.
"Now that's more like it!"