One out, runner on second base.
The moment Zhou Hao reached base, the spirits of Seidou High School's supporters and players instantly lifted.
They had to admit it—Shirazawa, the Ace of the Seibō High School Baseball Team, cast a heavy psychological shadow over everyone.
That guy's pitching ability was almost on par with Zhou Hao's.
He even copied Zhou Hao's pitch form right on the mound.
Anger aside, Seidou had no choice but to acknowledge the threat standing before them.
Just moments ago, Shirazawa had struck out nine Seidou batters in a row.
And yet—Zhou Hao, in only his second at-bat, cleanly delivered a single.
Even if his strength wasn't sufficient, Zhou Hao could rely on the explosive rotation of his body to blast the ball away.
And once that ball flew, no one could stop it.
Everyone on Seidou knew what that meant.
"Our offense has begun!"
"Just you wait, Seibō's Ace."
"We'll crush you soon enough!"
The roars from the stands were drowned out in the noise of the stadium.
But just beyond the crowd, the reporters—there specifically to cover this match—heard every word clearly.
Their eyes widened.
Were these fans being overly emotional, or did they truly believe Seidou would crack this monster?
Seeing Zhou Hao standing tall at second base, even the reporters felt a strange certainty…
With this man here, anything was possible.
That was Zhou Hao's magic.
His power, his presence, the overwhelming charisma—whenever he stepped onto the field, he became a beacon of expectation.
"Zhou Hao! Zhou Hao!!"
Even neutral fans were chanting his name now.
They sensed it—the feeling that Seidou was about to score.
On the mound, Shirazawa couldn't make out the individual cheers.
But Zhou Hao's name?
Thousands shouting at once?
That pierced through everything.
"So we've become the villains now, huh?"
His eyes narrowed sharply.
The entire stadium's pressure was crushing them.
Zhou Hao on second, followed by Yuki, then Azuma Kiyokuni—
Even from a neutral standpoint, Seidou's chances of scoring were dangerously high.
But Shirazawa wasn't the type to fold.
"You think you're guaranteed to score?"
"Third Changeup—Sinking Leaves!!!"
The white ball exploded forward.
Yuki didn't swing.
"Strike!"
Another pitch.
"Second Changeup—Extreme Speed Light Speed!!!"
Again, Yuki stood still.
"Strike!"
Two strikes.
Shirazawa showed no happiness—only tension.
Yuki's batting stance was too unnerving.
If he repeated the same two changeups, Yuki might just crush it.
Shirazawa felt it in his bones.
He exhaled slowly.
His senses sharpened.
"Third Changeup—Dazzling Phantom!!!"
The moment the pitch left his hand, Yuki tightened his grip.
He thought Shirazawa would repeat the first two changeups.
All scouting reports said the third changeup was almost never used.
There wasn't even proper footage of it.
So Yuki made up his mind—no matter what came, he'd swing.
But the pitch was nothing like he expected.
He had no choice but to swing.
"BOOM!!"
A violent gust tore through the air.
Catcher Oishibashi's expression sank.
Too fast!!!
If Yuki made contact, could Seibō even stop it?
But just before the bat touched the ball—
The pitch dropped sharply.
Yuki hit nothing but air.
"Strike!!! Strikeout!"
The Seidou dugout froze.
Yuki… struck out?
Not even a foul?
Everyone stared in disbelief.
How monstrous was Shirazawa's third changeup?
Yuki returned to the dugout, and the players swarmed him instantly.
"What was that last pitch?"
"Was it a Forkball?" Miyuki asked.
"Similar… but not exactly."
Yuki shook his head.
"I can't describe it clearly."
"It drops like a Forkball but isn't one… isn't that just Zhou Hao's Phantom Ball?"
Zhou Hao's legendary pitch came up immediately.
He wasn't in the dugout, but his shadow still lingered.
Yuki nodded gravely.
"Very similar… but his is even more natural."
Coach Kataoka wasn't surprised.
"Shirazawa was known as the Prince of Changeups. He supposedly learned seven or eight types before narrowing them down to three. The first two we've seen. This third one—he rarely uses it simply because no opponent has forced it out. But behind the scenes, he must have perfected it."
Zhou Hao's version was powerful—but its refinement was still lacking.
"This is troublesome."
With Zhou Hao on base, Seidou had hoped to seize a scoring opportunity.
Instead, they were now staring at a wall.
"This team is even more troublesome than Osaka Kiryu…"
Even Seidou's players were admitting it now.
Rumors said that although Osaka Kiryu was the tournament favorite, in pure team strength, Seibō High might actually be superior.
Seeing it firsthand, no one doubted it anymore.
Azuma Kiyokuni stepped into the box.
The pressure he exuded was terrifying—like he could smash anything.
But Shirazawa wasn't fazed.
"Whoosh!!"
The pitch flew.
"BOOM!!"
The massive swing shook the air.
Oishibashi's heart trembled.
"Ping!"
The ball shot upward—
—but Seibō's outfield calmly tracked it, settled under it, and caught it.
"Out! Three outs—change!"
Only now did everyone realize Seibō's other terrifying strength:
Their fielding.
Their tracking ability.
Their anticipation.
Every player seemed to know exactly where the ball would land.
Iron-clad defense.
A true nightmare.
Even with Zhou Hao reaching second in one burst—
Scoring off Seibō was still nearly impossible.
Top of the 5th Inning
The crowd murmured.
"Half an hour and we're already halfway through?"
"The Aces are too strong!"
"Who'll score first?"
The pressure on Oishibashi, Seibō's cleanup hitter, was immense.
"We have to strike back."
He knew the truth better than anyone:
Their team was actually at a disadvantage.
Zhou Hao's clean hit shattered the myth of Shirazawa's invincibility.
And that alone gave Seidou confidence.
Oishibashi stepped into the box.
He stared at Zhou Hao.
Was he going to throw the Spiral Ball again?
No matter what pitch came—
He was determined to crush it.
"Come on! Throw it!!!"
On the mound, Zhou Hao saw it clearly.
That hunger, that determination.
Chris signaled.
Zhou Hao smirked.
"No… I have a new trick."