Who was it?
The figure that appeared out of nowhere caught the baseball cleanly in his glove, as if he had been waiting for it all along.
Everyone's eyes locked onto him. In this critical moment, who had stepped forward?
It was him.
Seido High School Baseball Team's number 6.
Zhang Han.
The same man who had secured the lead with a home run earlier now stood up once again.
And he had the ball.
It had to be said—Zhang Han felt incredible right now.
Ever since he started playing baseball, the teammates around him had never been weak. His rapid growth had a lot to do with his environment.
If he had been placed on an ordinary youth team, or one that played with softballs, his improvement would never have been this fast.
That was exactly why, when choosing a high school, his first criterion had been strength.
A powerhouse first. Everything else second. Even if a weaker team offered better conditions, he wouldn't have changed that order.
A good environment could elevate a player immensely.
At this moment, Zhang Han was especially grateful for his decision.
Without excellent teammates, relying on himself alone, no matter how hard he trained, pulling off a play like this would have been nearly impossible.
This wasn't something one person could do. It required the strength of the entire team.
Carlos had run like he was flying. Without even timing it, Zhang Han could tell from experience that Carlos had gone from first to second in just over three seconds.
In that tiny window—from the pitcher's release, to the catcher's catch, to the throw—
Any hesitation would have meant Carlos reaching scoring position safely.
And even now, the battle wasn't over.
Carlos's eyes were red as he sprinted toward second.
Zhang Han's footing wasn't perfectly stable. If he hesitated even slightly, he wouldn't be able to apply the tag in time.
Though it sounded complicated, everything happened in an instant.
When Zhang Han caught the ball, Carlos was less than three meters from second base.
At full speed, that distance took only a fraction of a second.
Carlos refused to be out like this.
He lunged forward, throwing himself to the ground like a lawnmower. His body twisted away from Zhang Han, extending only one hand toward the base.
The goal was clear.
Minimize contact. Avoid the glove.
Since entering high school, Carlos's growth had been astonishing.
Not just Narumiya Mei—Carlos had improved rapidly as well.
Even by Coach Kunimoto's strict standards, there was nothing to criticize.
Carlos was a born athlete.
Don't be fooled by the fact that he'd only trained for a few months. Even a player with three years of training might not have performed better in that moment.
But growth wasn't limited to Inashiro alone.
Under Coach Kataoka's devilish training, Zhang Han had also reached a point where his body moved before his mind.
In a showdown like this, waiting for the brain to issue commands was fatal.
From sight to reaction took around 0.2 seconds.
By then, Carlos's hand would already be on the bag.
Zhang Han had practiced this exact scenario no fewer than a hundred times. Powerhouse schools trained by simulating real combat. This kind of steal-and-tag situation had been drilled over and over.
So Zhang Han reacted naturally. He dropped his glove down, sealing the base completely, blocking Carlos's "sinful" reaching hand.
"Smack!"
A sharp pain shot through the back of Carlos's hand. Even with a glove on, that hurt.
Zhang Han tagged him cleanly, then raised his glove high. The second base umpire didn't hesitate.
"Out!"
Carlos—the hidden weapon—was eliminated before he could make any impact.
It took the crowd a moment to process what they'd just seen.
A deceptive pitch.
A lightning-fast throw.
A perfectly timed tag by the shortstop.
This sequence of plays showcased Seido High School Baseball Team's true strength.
Including the two first-year players, every individual performance was outstanding.
But even more impressive was their coordination.
It was flawless.
"Wow… how does Seido train behind closed doors?"
"If those were third-years, that'd be one thing. Everyone knows Seido trains hard. But those two just joined a few months ago!"
"If they couldn't do this, they wouldn't be qualified to wear Seido's uniform and step onto the field."
"Coach Kataoka might not have had much luck these past few years, but he's definitely serious about developing players."
"That's true. Even without reaching Koshien, Seido has sent many players to pro baseball—and they've performed well."
"Maybe Coach Kataoka is especially suited for player development…"
Zhang Han and his teammates earned praise. But the loudest praise went to one person.
Coach Kataoka.
Kataoka Tesshin.
He became the focus of the entire stadium.
People acknowledged his ability to nurture players and recognized how much he'd improved in managing the team.
This version of Seido High School Baseball Team was proof of his growth.
There was no need for more words. Just look at their strength.
Ichidai Third.
Inashiro Industrial.
The two great mountains that once overshadowed Seido were now on the verge of being overturned.
They had proven it with their play. They were the strongest team in West Tokyo.
Being the strongest didn't guarantee final victory. But it gave them the best chance.
"Smack!"
"Strike!"
"Strike!"
"Strike!"
"Strikeout!"
"Ping!"
The ball soared high into the air.
Kobayashi watched as it rose, then descended.
It fell straight toward Tanaka at second base.
"Smack!"
"Out!"
Three outs. Side retired.
After tagging out Carlos, Seido High School seemed blessed by momentum, smoothly collecting two more outs.
They completed the inning.
Now, they needed just three more outs to win the game.
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