"Safe!"
Zhou Hao successfully crossed home plate.
Yuki Tetsuya sprinted all the way to second base.
"Congratulations to Seido High School Baseball Team for scoring the first run of today's game!"
As the announcer's voice echoed through the stadium, the supporters of Seido High School Baseball Team did not erupt with overwhelming excitement.
For them, this outcome was within expectations.
The only thing that truly surprised them was how early the first run had come—after all, their opponent was Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team.
Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team was one of the three major powerhouses of West Tokyo, a team fully capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with Seido High School.
Yet even so, Seido scoring runs felt perfectly natural.
"As expected of Yuki—"
"Zhou Hao, that coordination was flawless!"
"We're definitely winning this game!!"
"Ichidai Sanko's Ace is probably going to collapse completely now!"
Although the result was expected, the supporters of Seido High School Baseball Team could not help but feel a quiet sense of satisfaction.
After all, their opponent was Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team—one of their long-standing rivals.
Without saying a word, many of them lifted their chins slightly, their expressions full of pride.
Did you see that?
This is Seido High School Baseball Team.
We're not the same as before.
We're the national champions now.
Even former rivals no longer have the strength to resist us.
Inside the Seido dugout, the atmosphere was more restrained.
Unlike the supporters in the stands, no one believed Ichidai Sanko had already been trampled.
Still, this first run was undeniably encouraging.
The game had only just begun, and the score was already 1–0.
It not only boosted their morale but also delivered a heavy psychological blow to their opponents.
When Zhou Hao returned to the dugout after scoring, his teammates immediately surrounded him.
"As expected of Senior Zhou Hao. The timing was perfect, and that hit was beautiful."
Sitting on the bench, Oshima Shin had a clear view of the entire exchange.
His admiration for Seido's Ace deepened even further.
Precisely because he had witnessed grand stages before, Oshima Shin understood how rare and exceptional Zhou Hao's performance had been.
Nearby, the first-year Furuya Satoru watched with shining eyes.
Normally arrogant and unwilling to submit to anyone, Furuya rarely felt inferior—even when facing talented seniors.
He firmly believed that with time, he would catch up.
Perhaps he would even surpass them.
But Zhou Hao was different.
At this moment, Furuya had clearly set Zhou Hao as his target.
Chris, who had rejoined the team, also nodded solemnly.
"Well done."
As Seido's information officer, Chris could clearly sense it—whether from the footage they had studied or Ichidai Sanko's recent momentum.
Their opponent had grown stronger.
Due to the rapid rise of Seido High School Baseball Team and Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team, Ichidai Sanko's results over the past year or two had not been outstanding.
They hadn't reached Koshien, nor had they defeated their two arch-rivals in official matches.
On the surface, it seemed like decline.
But in reality, the strength of Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team had not weakened at all.
Their players were still extremely powerful—this was an undeniable fact.
It was simply that their rivals had advanced even faster, climbing to the very peak.
As a result, Ichidai Sanko could only display its strength within Tokyo, unable to break through further.
Today's game—
A team that had been suppressed for an entire year would undoubtedly strike back with everything it had.
Seido was not afraid.
But considering the matches still to come, excessive physical exertion and revealing too many trump cards would do more harm than good.
Now, with Zhou Hao securing an early lead in the first inning, Seido could approach the rest of the game with greater composure.
The game continued.
The fifth batter stepped up.
"Fifth batter, number 8—center fielder, Isashiki Jun!"
Isashiki Jun, who had been waiting in the on-deck circle, strode into the batter's box.
The moment he appeared, the supporters of Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team erupted into boos.
"Is that guy really a high school student?"
Previously, whether on the bench or in the on-deck circle, Isashiki Jun had been inconspicuous.
But now, standing in the batter's box, doubts inevitably arose—even among those who recognized him.
High school students were usually fifteen to seventeen years old.
Yet Isashiki Jun didn't look like one at all.
Forget fifteen or sixteen—he didn't even look twenty-five or twenty-six.
The man standing there was so fierce that his mouth seemed perpetually twisted in anger.
Though he couldn't clearly hear the words from the stands, he could easily guess what they were saying.
"I'm a genuine high school student!"
His eyes locked onto the pitcher's mound.
There were too many spectators to deal with right now.
If he wanted to vent his frustration, there was only one target he could choose.
If you've got the guts,
then pitch the ball to me!
Manaka, standing on the mound, had no intention of backing down.
He set his stance and pitched decisively.
"Whoosh!"
The baseball whistled through the air.
The main catcher of Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team couldn't help but gasp.
Their Ace seemed to have made a mistake.
If they allowed another run at this moment, the rest of the game would become extremely difficult.
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
Isashiki Jun swung.
"Ping!"
The white baseball was struck cleanly and soared high into the sky.
In the stands, the supporters of Seido High School Baseball Team lifted their heads in unison, their eyes locked onto the small white dot against the blue sky.
The cooperation between Zhou Hao and Yuki had already been anticipated.
Scoring a run through that sequence was well within expectations.
They were happy—but not surprised.
This hit by Isashiki Jun, however, was completely different.
For a moment, they could vaguely hear their own heartbeats.
Nervous.
Anticipating.
If this ball were to land and bounce away, the exhilaration of scoring two runs in a single exchange was almost unimaginable!
More importantly—
That would prove something crucial.
That Seido High School Baseball Team wasn't a team supported solely by Zhou Hao and Yuki.
Although the third-years from the previous generation had already graduated, new players had stepped forward.
Their team wasn't weakening.
It was only growing stronger.
As countless eyes followed its trajectory, the baseball traveled sixty to seventy meters before finally beginning its descent.
An outfielder from Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team sprinted desperately toward the landing point.
Just before the ball touched the ground, he slid forward—
And secured it firmly in his glove.
"Pop!"
"Out!!"
Three outs. Side retired.
The Seido supporters who had been holding their breath let out quiet sighs, disappointment flickering across their faces.
So close.
Just a little more.
These players from Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team were truly lucky.
If Seido had taken a two-run lead right from the start, Ichidai Sanko would have suffered a devastating psychological blow.
Perhaps the game could have ended far more smoothly.
But now—
It was clear this match wouldn't be easy.
With that, the game moved to the bottom of the first inning.
Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team came up to bat.
Manager Tahara wasn't entirely satisfied with conceding a run so early.
Still, the overall performance remained within his expectations.
"Well done," he said calmly. "We gave up one run, but the rhythm is still under control. Next—our turn to score."
"Zhou Hao's strength is undeniable," Tahara continued, his voice firm. "But he's not invincible. Observe his pitches carefully. If you get an opportunity, swing decisively."
"If you can't find one, then do as planned—wear down his stamina."
As he spoke, his arm waved like a conductor guiding an orchestra.
Confidence radiated from him.
And that confidence quickly spread to the players.
Yes—Zhou Hao was strong.
But he was still human.
His pitches could make mistakes.
And as the game dragged on, his stamina would inevitably decline.
"Let's go bat!!"
The leadoff batter for Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team stepped forward.
His name was Sasaki.
He looked ordinary at first glance, not particularly imposing.
But the fact that he served as leadoff for Ichidai Sanko spoke volumes about his strength.
A national powerhouse's leadoff batter could never be weak.
Standing in the batter's box, Sasaki adopted a stance that prepared him for any pitch.
Behind the plate, Miyuki Kazuya carefully observed him, then shifted his gaze toward Zhou Hao.
This opponent was strong—there was no denying that.
Whether from pregame intelligence or Sasaki's composed stance, everything pointed to it.
Very strong.
But compared to Zhou Hao—
It wasn't enough.
A Fastball should be sufficient, Miyuki thought.
After all, this was Sasaki's first real encounter with Zhou Hao.
At most, he had only seen footage.
Even Zhou Hao's Straight ball alone could completely overwhelm him.
"There's no need to use the Spiral ball."
Zhou Hao, standing on the mound, understood Miyuki's intention.
But he had no intention of following it.
The Spiral ball—his ultimate weapon—had two fatal drawbacks.
First, it placed enormous strain on his body.
It drained stamina rapidly and put tremendous pressure on his shoulder and wrist.
Overuse could lead to injury.
Second, the burden wasn't his alone.
The catcher receiving the pitch also bore the cost.
Chris's past injury, aside from his own overexertion, had been partially caused by repeatedly catching Zhou Hao's Spiral ball.
Logically, the less he used it, the better.
But precisely because of that—
Zhou Hao believed he needed to use it more boldly in the early stages of the tournament.
He couldn't allow their true rivals to learn about the Spiral ball's limitations.
If the opponents deliberately avoided it and focused on countering his other pitches—
That would be disastrous.
Information warfare wasn't just about gathering intelligence.
It was also about feeding the enemy false conclusions.
Seeing Zhou Hao's resolute expression, Miyuki said nothing more.
He opened his glove.
"…Since you're set on it," Miyuki said, "then let's do it."
Even during practice, they rarely used Zhou Hao's full-powered Spiral ball.
Receiving the signal, Zhou Hao lifted his leg high—
Then brought it down with force.
As his center of gravity shifted, the baseball exploded from his hand.
"Boom!!"
The pitch tore through the air, releasing a violent, piercing roar.
Sasaki felt only a white blur filled with terrifying rotation flash past his eyes.
"Pop!!"
The ball slammed into the catcher's glove.
Only then did Sasaki realize—
His body hadn't moved at all.
His mind was completely blank.
The stadium fell silent.
Those holding radar guns instinctively looked down at their screens.
"156 kilometers per hour!!!"
The number made their hearts lurch.
A 156 km/h Spiral ball?
Was that really something a human could throw?
Not only the fans—
Even the announcer was momentarily speechless.