"Zhou Hao!! Zhou Hao!!!"
The supporters of Seidou High School Baseball Team roared his name in perfect unison.
At this moment, Zhou Hao was the undisputed protagonist of the entire stadium.
No one else even came close.
Inside the dugout of Seibō High School, the players felt their eardrums ringing.
Zhou Hao had so many supporters that just hearing the crowd made their hearts pound violently.
Was the gap really that big?
Facing this monster-like pitcher… could they truly hit his ball?
"Don't panic. That guy isn't invincible," their red-nosed Coach said, forcing confidence into his voice.
"As long as we hold the score and drag the game out, his stamina will eventually drop."
He had to say something—if he didn't, his players' morale would crumble.
He had watched countless Seidou games.
He knew the pattern.
If his players allowed Zhou Hao's overwhelming presence to crush their spirit now, they'd stand no chance today.
He couldn't let that happen.
"Have you forgotten the game against Seishō High School?"
Hearing that name, the players of Seibō quickly calmed down.
They recalled it clearly.
Zhou Hao had dominated Seishō High School… but in the final innings, his stamina visibly wavered.
Seishō simply failed to capitalize because their batting strength fell short.
But unlike Seishō, Seibō's batters knew their own power.
If the same opportunity came to them…
They would definitely score.
And change the entire flow of the game.
Bottom of the 2nd Inning – Seidou on Offense
Seidou's No.4, Azuma Kiyokuni, stepped into the batter's box—the team's destructive cleanup hitter who only grew more monstrous as the tournament progressed.
"Heh heh heh…"
Hearing Azuma's trademark villain-like laugh, someone in Seidou's own dugout groaned.
"Can he stop acting like a final boss? It ruins our team image."
The one complaining was Yoshida, a third-year.
Only someone from Azuma's own year dared to complain so casually.
On the mound, Shirazawa, the Ace of Seibō, wasted no time.
"Swoosh!"
The first pitch sliced toward the exact spot Azuma hated.
Strike.
The second pitch—same location.
Azuma's face twitched.
That damn kid… he's targeting my weak zones on purpose!
As Seidou's cleanup hitter and offensive core, Azuma understood the tactic perfectly.
But if Seibō thought they could shut him down so easily, they were underestimating him.
He gripped the bat tightly.
"Boom!"
The swing shook the air—like a hurricane tearing through.
But the moment the bat connected—
Wrong.
He felt it immediately.
The ball flew high, then dropped harmlessly into the outfielder's glove.
"Out!"
Azuma returned scratching his head, looking both annoyed and amused.
"My bad, I thought I could blast that. Didn't expect him to make the ball float like that."
Everyone knew he had the power. No one doubted that.
"A floating straight ball, huh?"
Zhou Hao nodded thoughtfully.
Seibō's Ace was indeed exceptional.
But it wasn't just Shirazawa—the entire Seibō team was terrifyingly strong.
Compared to the opponents Seidou had faced:
their eternal rival Inashiro,
Osaka Kiryu, who nearly eliminated them,
Even those teams couldn't compare to this Seibō.
If this Seibō fought the old Seidou, their win rate would be below 20%.
But this was no longer the old Seidou.
And Zhou Hao was no longer the same pitcher he once was.
He narrowed his eyes.
He needed to be perfect today.
After Azuma, Shimoi Teru stepped in, but Shirazawa handled him effortlessly.
Chris followed and lasted only two pitches before grounding out.
Three outs. Side retired.
Two innings down—neither team giving an inch.
"This truly is the Koshien final," the commentator said with excitement. "Only two innings played, but I can already say—this game might be the most thrilling one of the entire tournament!"
Fans in the stadium and watching from home were glued to the screen.
The energy was electrifying.
As Seidou prepared to take the field, Zhou Hao and Chris moved together.
"We need to adjust!"
They said it at the same time.
They exchanged a knowing look. Chris signaled for Zhou Hao to go first.
"We might need to change up our pitch selection," Zhou Hao said firmly.
Chris nodded. "We should prepare for a long battle."
Shirazawa had handled Azuma, Shimoi, and Chris far too easily.
And Chris felt it:
Shirazawa wasn't even showing his full strength yet.
If this turned into a war of endurance…
Zhou Hao needed to preserve stamina.
Sending Yoshida in too early would create massive risks.
Not guaranteed defeat—but the probability swung dangerously.
As catcher, Chris had to prepare for every scenario.
The fact that Zhou Hao independently reached the same conclusion…
It impressed him deeply.
Meanwhile, Miyuki felt betrayed.
He stared at the two of them.
You're making secret plans without me?!
Seibō's 7th batter stepped in.
Facing Zhou Hao's terrifying Spiral Ball from the batter's box was utterly different from watching it from the dugout.
His legs nearly shook.
Could he hit this monster pitch?
Of course not.
Just as despair crept in—
Zhou Hao threw.
"Swoosh!"
A straight ball.
A simple, ordinary straight ball.
The batter froze.
A mistake?
A slip?
Or…
An opportunity?
He couldn't afford to hesitate.
"Ping!"
He swung.
The ball went straight up.
Shimoi barely took a step, raised his glove, and caught it easily.
"Out!"
Only as he walked back did the 7th batter understand:
That wasn't a mistake.
Zhou Hao had thrown—
a changeup.
And he had fallen for it completely.