Top of the sixth inning.
Hakuba Academy at bat.
Their seventh batter had finally managed to make contact with Zhou Hao's pitch.
Even though the ball had been caught immediately, it was still a positive sign.
At the very least—
It proved their earlier persistence hadn't been meaningless.
"Look for your chance and swing decisively!"
The dugout erupted with encouragement, urging the next batter on.
Kazama, however, could only force a bitter smile.
"Come on… don't joke around like this."
Zhou Hao wasn't tiring.
There was no drop in velocity. No loss of control.
He was fishing.
Every pitch he threw now wasn't meant to be unhittable—
It was bait.
Deliberately placed, tempting the batter to swing.
Zhou Hao was conserving stamina.
He intended to pitch the entire game.
What frustrated Kazama the most was this:
Even knowing the trap—
He couldn't stop it.
Not him.
Not even their coach.
Because if Hakuba's batters still couldn't make contact at this stage…
It wouldn't just affect today's game.
Their confidence—moving forward—would collapse completely.
So even if they knew it was bait—
They had no choice.
They had to swing.
And in doing so…
They willingly became Zhou Hao's prey.
Kazama kept his composure.
From the dugout, he could clearly see the determination on their eighth batter's face.
The batter believed he had figured it out.
He thought he could see Zhou Hao's pitches now.
Maybe even get a hit.
Ping!
The bat met the ball cleanly.
The eighth batter's expression was filled with resolve—he had given everything to that swing.
In spirit, it was admirable.
But unfortunately—
Every movement he made had already been anticipated.
Even where the ball would land…
Had been calculated in advance.
The ball sailed over the third baseman's head—
Then dropped.
Waiting calmly beneath it—
Masuko.
Glove raised.
Pa!
"Out!"
Two outs. Bases empty.
Once might be coincidence.
Twice?
That was no accident.
Both the spectators and Hakuba's players understood immediately.
"Zhou Hao did that on purpose!"
"As expected of him—he's not just overpowering, he's precise."
"He can throw 160 km/h fastballs and still manipulate the game like this…"
"Look at Hakuba—they're still celebrating. They don't even realize they've fallen into his trap."
But in truth—
Hakuba's players knew.
Of course they knew.
The problem was—
What could they do about it?
"Keep going," Kazama said firmly.
"Nothing in this world is absolute. Even if Zhou Hao can place every pitch exactly where he wants, our swings won't be perfect."
"There will be deviations."
"And when that happens… we might get a hit."
All they needed—
Was one.
One clean hit could change everything.
Their coach nodded vigorously.
"Kazama's right!"
At this point, belief was all they had left.
Before the words had even fully settled—
The ninth batter swung.
Ping!
Just like the two before him—
The contact wasn't solid.
The ball bounced weakly off the ground and rolled toward the plate—
Where Miyuki calmly scooped it up.
Pa!
"Out!"
Three outs.
Side retired.
Hakuba's players all turned toward their coach.
Waiting.
Curious.
What explanation could he possibly give now?
Meanwhile, in the stands—
Zhou Hao's fans were completely captivated.
"This is insane… three outs on just three pitches!"
"There's no one else who could do this except Zhou Hao!"
And in truth—
They weren't entirely wrong.
Without the support of the Sharingan-like ability, even Zhou Hao himself wouldn't have been able to execute this so perfectly.
Just as Kazama had said—
Without special techniques, Zhou Hao could only control the general location of his pitches.
Even then, it depended on his precision.
But with that enhanced perception—
He could hit exactly what he aimed for.
More importantly—
He could predict the batter's movements.
Which made it even easier to determine where the ball would go after contact.
That was how he controlled everything.
How he turned Hakuba's lineup into pieces on a board.
Still—
Zhou Hao made a quiet decision.
"Skills are useful… they can turn the tide at critical moments."
"But relying on them too much…"
"Isn't a good thing."
If he became dependent on them—
Then all the strength he had built through effort might become meaningless.
He might even forget how to play the game as himself.
What he wanted—
Was to become a true baseball player.
And he had a feeling.
The day he could fully stand on his own—
Without relying on those abilities—
His strength would reach an entirely new level.
The game continued.
Bottom of the sixth inning.
Seido at bat.
The lineup was about to cycle through for the third time.
The batters were already preparing, eager to step up.
If they still couldn't produce results now—
Their reputation as a national powerhouse would take a serious hit.
Even the reporters noticed.
"Seido's situation isn't looking good."
"Their hitting hasn't been sharp today… though that's largely due to the opponent's Ace."
Kazama was living up to expectations.
A National Youth Team-level pitcher—even as a substitute—was still elite.
Once someone like that went all out—
Even top-tier batters could struggle.
And now—
Seido was feeling that pressure firsthand.
Oshima stepped up first.
He tried to stay patient, looking for a proper duel.
But the moment the pitch came—
His body reacted on instinct.
Boom!
Ping!
The ball soared high into the air.
Back in the dugout—
Zhou Hao and Miyuki both curled their lips slightly.
"Too young."
"He fell for it."
The result was exactly as expected.
The white baseball soared high—
But lacked distance.
It dropped neatly into Kazama's glove on the mound.
"Out!"
Kuramochi Yoichi stepped up next.
His result…
Was no different from Oshima's.
He tried to blast the ball away with full force—
But the moment it connected, it died.
The ball barely traveled five meters before slamming into the ground.
"I hate these high-drop pitches…"
Pa!
"Out!"
Two outs.
Bases empty.
"Second batter, second baseman—Kominato Ryosuke!"
The infamous "Devil Batter" had clearly met his match today.
In his previous two at-bats, he had tried to drag Kazama into his usual rhythm—
But Kazama never took the bait.
Instead, he turned the tables.
Now—
Even Kominato hesitated to use his usual tactics.
Kazama's pitching was too precise.
Too unpredictable.
Even the slightest miscalculation could spell disaster.
Trying to force foul balls had only played into Kazama's hands.
So this time—
Kominato made a different choice.
Take a step back.
Wait for a real opportunity.
Hit the ball cleanly.
As long as he could put the ball in play—
Even a single hit would be enough to shake Kazama's dominance.
Decision made—
He didn't hesitate.
The moment Kazama released the first pitch—
Kominato swung.
Woom!
The Hakuba catcher's eyes widened in shock.
This wasn't part of the plan.
They had intended to deal with Kominato over several pitches—
Not immediately.
But now—
They were the ones caught off guard.
Ping!
The bat met the ball cleanly.
The ball shot forward—
Striking the ground between third base and shortstop.
For an instant—
Hakuba's fielders froze.
If that ball got through—
It wouldn't just be a single.
It could be a double.
And more importantly—
It would shatter Kazama's "untouchable" image.
Until now, Seido hadn't been able to get a clean hit.
That naturally built pressure.
But the moment they realized—
"That's hittable."
Everything would change.
There was a saying:
Even a god in a game—
Once a health bar appears—
Can be defeated.
Hakuba's third baseman didn't think.
Didn't hesitate.
He moved.
As the ball bounced up—
He lunged forward, pressing it down with his glove.
Then rolled.
Recovered.
And threw—
All in one fluid motion.
Pa!
The ball and Kominato arrived at first base almost simultaneously.
The base umpire hesitated—
Just for a moment.
"Out!"
Three outs.
Side retired.
Hakuba Academy held the line.
End of the sixth inning.
Score:
0–0.
Seido's supporters were still cheering—
But beneath that enthusiasm…
Unease had begun to grow.
Could this really become an upset?
No one wanted to admit it.
But no one could deny it either.
If the game continued like this—
Zhou Hao's stamina would eventually give out.
As for Kazama?
His pitching style consumed far less energy.
Which meant—
In a prolonged battle—
Kazama held the advantage.
That realization had quietly become a consensus.
Top of the seventh inning.
Still 0–0.
For the Seido players—
This was unfamiliar territory.
In past games against powerhouse teams—
When had they not dominated?
When had they not crushed their opponents?
But today—
They had met their nemesis.
Even Zhou Hao—
Had been walked twice in a row.
And the rest?
Not a single clean hit.
They were being suppressed.
Completely.
And worse—
They had no way to vent that frustration.
They needed a breakthrough.
Desperately.
Zhou Hao stepped onto the mound once more.
His first opponent—
Hakuba's leadoff batter.
The batter took an aggressive stance.
Even the bat he held—
Was the heaviest metal bat available.
Miyuki narrowed his eyes, a faint smile forming.
"Trying to overpower it…"
"They're betting on brute force."
A pity.
That plan—
Wouldn't work.
"Come!"
At Miyuki's signal, Zhou Hao released the pitch without hesitation.
Swoosh!
The ball cut through the air.
The batter tensed.
This was his third time facing Zhou Hao.
And now—
He could finally see the pitch clearly.
But that wasn't good news.
Because others before him had reached the same point—
Only to be retired anyway.
"Give it everything!"
He bit down, pouring all his strength into the swing.
Ping!
The ball hit the ground.
Again.
Pa!
"Out!"
He didn't even understand what had happened—
Before he was already out.
The second batter stepped up.
He held back on the first pitch—
Swung at the second.
Ping!
The moment of contact—
He knew.
He'd missed the sweet spot.
Pa!
"Out!"
Two outs.
No runners.
The third batter stepped up—
And swung at the first pitch.
Ping!
The ball flew high—
Then dropped straight into Zhou Hao's glove.
Pa!
"Out!"
"Three outs! Side retired!"
The stadium exploded.
"Three outs on three pitches!"
"Six outs on seven pitches!"
"And you still want to talk about endurance?!"
"Go train for a few more years first!"
Bottom of the seventh inning.
Seido High School—
Back on offense.