"Three outs—switch offense and defense!"
Zhou Hao stepped onto the pitcher's mound and threw a total of nine pitches—none of them balls.
The top national-level batters of Seibō High School came forward one after another…
And one by one, they were struck out.
These were core players of a powerhouse school, star-caliber hitters recognized throughout the nation. Their batting prowess was undeniable. Normally, whenever they stepped onto the field, they were unstoppable.
Yet today, under Zhou Hao's overwhelming pressure, they were reduced to helplessness.
They were so disoriented, they couldn't even figure out what went wrong.
After three outs, the entire Seibō lineup returned to the dugout in silence.
A heavy, suffocating tension spread throughout Seibō's bench.
Once again, they felt the crushing intimidation brought by Seido's Ace. Even a national powerhouse like Seibō felt utterly powerless.
Meanwhile, in the stands, Seido High's supporters were beaming.
There was nothing sweeter than watching their Ace completely dominate a top-tier opponent.
Zhou Hao brought despair to the enemy—
A despair so deep that it snuffed out any hope of a comeback.
Bottom of the Fourth Inning – Seido on Offense
The chatter in the stands didn't stop:
"So what if it's Seibō? They still can't hit Zhou Hao."
"They keep acting all high and mighty, but the result is the same!"
"The difference in level is too huge!"
"As long as they can't score, we'll win for sure!"
"Seido is the strongest!!"
"Zhou Hao! Go for it!!!"
Seido's lineup was cycling through for the second time.
No outs. Bases empty.
Matsumoto, the leadoff batter, locked onto the pitcher on the mound—
Shirasawa.
His sharp performance earlier still lingered in every Seido player's mind.
Their first batting round didn't even leave a scratch.
Matsumoto recalled how boldly Shirasawa had mimicked Zhou Hao's pitching style.
Had Zhou Hao not responded with his Spiral ball, the momentum might have completely flipped.
"If you still plan to use those ghost tricks… then too bad. I'm going to send your pitch flying."
Matsumoto raised his bat, every muscle primed.
But Shirasawa noticed immediately.
He sneered.
"Good idea. But what makes you think I'll let you have that chance?"
"Whoosh!"
The ball shot in. Matsumoto sensed danger—but gambled anyway.
"PING!"
A high pop fly.
Seibō's second baseman retreated several steps and caught it.
"Out!"
Matsumoto wasn't too upset. He had already expected this outcome.
But everyone else—fans and teammates alike—felt their confidence shake.
This Ace of Seibō was no joke.
Had they underestimated him earlier?
"Second batter, pitcher—Zhou Hao!"
The moment Zhou Hao walked up, Seido's entire atmosphere changed.
Their backbone had arrived.
"Zhou Hao!!"
"Zhou Hao!!!"
Tens of thousands shouted his name.
A reporter frowned at the overwhelming expectations.
"He's only fifteen. What if he breaks under pressure?"
But senior reporter Fujio shook his head.
"For most players, yes. But Zhou Hao is different."
"He deserves this level of faith."
On the mound, Shirasawa's eyes burned with fighting spirit.
He wanted to take down Zhou Hao.
If he could topple Seido's spiritual pillar, morale across the entire field would shift.
Zhou Hao's batting weakness was supposedly his lack of power.
And Shirasawa… specialized in high-power pitches.
"I won't give you a chance."
He fired the first pitch.
Zhou Hao watched it.
"Strike!"
The Seibō supporters roared.
Shirasawa threw again.
"Strike two!!"
Zhou Hao hadn't even swung.
The Seido supporters' expressions turned pale.
What was happening?
Where was the invincible Zhou Hao they knew?
The doubtful reporter sneered:
"You said he could handle it. Looks like he's cracking."
Fujio closed his eyes, then confidently said:
"It's not over yet."
Shirasawa, exhilarated, threw with full confidence.
The Seibō Coach suddenly froze.
No…
Something was wrong.
Zhou Hao stood unnervingly calm.
Then—
He moved.
His stance warped, power surging through his body.
Oishibashi, Seibō's catcher, felt a chill.
Zhou Hao wasn't just swinging—
He was increasing his batting power.
He had already seen the pitch's trajectory with his Sharingan.
He believed he could hit it—
Even from that distorted posture.
Before Oishibashi could deny the absurdity—
"WHOOSH!!"
Zhou Hao spun like a whirlwind—
And struck the ball perfectly.
"PING!!!"
The stadium fell silent.
The ball soared high and far.
Seibō's fielders sprinted desperately, but—
They couldn't reach it.
The ball landed and bounced past them.
"Safe! He's through!!"
The Seido dugout erupted into cheers.
The stands exploded.
"Zhou Hao gets Seido's first hit of the game!!"
"As expected from the nation's highest hit-rate batter!"
"One out—runner on second base!!"