"Go back and train for a few more years—you're still far from ready!"
In the stands, Seido's supporters vented their emotions without restraint.
They acknowledged Kazama's skill.
But to claim he could rival Zhou Hao?
That was laughable.
Look at Seido's Ace.
Power and precision combined.
No weaknesses.
Endurance?
Zhou Hao had just taken six outs with only seven pitches.
How could he possibly lose a battle of stamina?
The more they thought about it, the more confident they became.
Their cheers rose wave after wave, echoing across the stadium.
On the field, Seido's players were also satisfied.
Zhou Hao had conserved his stamina perfectly.
Of course—
They weren't foolish enough to stake everything on endurance alone.
They had learned that lesson the hard way during last year's Autumn Tournament.
They would not fall into the same trap again.
Bottom of the seventh inning.
Seido on offense.
The first batter to step up—
Their third batter.
"Third batter, number one… pitcher, Zhou Hao!"
The moment his name was announced—
The atmosphere changed.
The crowd's hearts pounded.
Earlier, Kazama had walked Zhou Hao twice.
He had avoided facing him entirely.
But now—
No outs.
No runners.
If Kazama had even the slightest intention of challenging him—
This was the moment.
From another perspective—
This might be Zhou Hao's only real at-bat.
The fans who had come specifically to watch him held their breath.
They wanted to see it.
A direct clash.
A towering hit.
A home run.
But—
They were destined to be disappointed.
On the mound, Kazama hesitated briefly—
Then made his choice.
No openings.
None at all.
No matter how he analyzed Zhou Hao's stance—
He couldn't find a weakness.
His fastballs could overpower any other batter on Seido.
But against Zhou Hao—
They felt useless.
"How is this guy so ridiculous…?"
Kazama muttered under his breath.
But he knew one thing clearly—
He would not throw a pitch Zhou Hao could hit.
No matter what.
The game had dragged on this long.
Hakuba Academy was under immense pressure—
But they still had hope.
The score was still 0–0.
No matter how dominant Zhou Hao's pitching was—
No matter how strong Seido looked—
As long as the game remained tied—
There was always a chance.
Endure.
Keep enduring.
Eventually—
An opportunity would appear.
And when it did—
They had to seize it.
"Take him down!"
Hakuba's supporters shouted desperately.
But Kazama ignored them completely.
He stuck to his plan.
Pitch after pitch—
Outside the strike zone.
Far outside.
So far that Zhou Hao couldn't even consider swinging.
Zhou Hao watched.
Waited.
But there was nothing he could do.
Pop!
"Ball!"
"Ball!"
"Ball!!"
"Ball!!!"
"Walk! Take your base!"
No outs.
Runner on first.
Seido's supporters erupted in frustration.
"That guy is way too cautious!"
"The game's gone on this long and he hasn't given us a single chance!"
"What is he thinking?! Is he too scared to face Zhou Hao?!"
For a high school player—
Avoiding a challenge like this felt disgraceful.
"He's not afraid."
A calm voice cut through the noise.
A senior reporter from Baseball Kingdom Magazine adjusted his glasses and spoke evenly.
"He's choosing the method with the highest chance of winning."
"Senior… you mean this is Kazama's style?"
"Exactly."
"He only goes after the outs he's certain he can get."
"He avoids unfavorable matchups to protect his rhythm."
"He may not have the most overwhelming stuff…"
"But his mindset—"
"Is already that of a professional pitcher."
The young female reporter beside him blinked, then smiled in realization.
"So that's it…"
"I was wondering why Seido's batters were being suppressed when his pitches don't look that overwhelming."
"Is it because they haven't realized this yet?"
Fujio chuckled.
"Haven't realized it?"
"Of course they have."
"But what can they do?"
"As long as Kazama is confident he can handle the rest after walking Zhou Hao…"
"That's enough."
"From a results standpoint—"
"It's no different than beating him directly."
The game moved on.
"Fourth batter… number three, first baseman—Yuki Tetsuya!"
Seido's cleanup hitter stepped into the box.
He raised his bat high.
Calm.
Steady.
The Hakuba catcher frowned.
He hated this stance.
It gave off a dangerous illusion—
As if Yuki could send the ball flying at any moment.
That shouldn't be possible.
It shouldn't…
He looked up at Kazama.
No signs.
Which meant—
No walk.
Kazama intended to face him head-on.
Despite Yuki's intimidating presence—
Kazama felt no fear.
If that was the case—
There was only one thing left to do.
Get the out.
The catcher dropped into position, glove raised.
Ready.
On the mound—
Kazama exhaled slowly and began his motion.
But just as he planted his foot—
Zhou Hao moved.
Without warning—
He exploded off first base.
Like lightning.
In a single instant—
He had already covered several meters.
The catcher reacted immediately.
He sprang to his feet, shifting into position.
"Throw it to me first!"
Kazama had already begun his pitching motion.
There was no time to stop.
From behind the plate, the catcher could only shout a warning—
"Throw it to me!"
Kazama saw the movement instantly.
And understood.
Zhou Hao was stealing.
Ever since being walked, Zhou Hao had appeared restrained.
Passive.
He hadn't shown this kind of aggression even once.
That was why—
Hakuba Academy had grown complacent.
They assumed Zhou Hao wouldn't take risks anymore.
After all, he was Seido's Ace.
The pillar of the team.
If anything happened to him—
Who could bear that responsibility?
Without realizing it, that assumption had taken root in their minds.
Deep.
Unshakable.
So when Zhou Hao suddenly moved—
They were caught completely off guard.
How could this happen?
No one had an answer.
Because at that moment—
Everyone's eyes were locked onto him.
Zhou Hao—
Was like a bolt of blue-white lightning.
In an instant, he exploded forward.
The catcher reacted quickly.
Kazama adjusted mid-motion and fired the ball as fast as possible.
Pop!
But—
It was too late.
The distance.
The timing.
The speed.
Everything—
Was just slightly off.
Even Yuki Tetsuya, standing at the plate, couldn't interfere.
He could only watch it unfold.
The moment the catcher received the ball—
His eyes burned with determination.
"I won't let you keep getting your way, Zhou Hao!"
He twisted his body and threw with everything he had.
Whoosh!
The throw was sharp.
Fast.
Precise.
Hakuba's players and supporters held their breath.
Could they—
Take Zhou Hao down like this?
It didn't matter if it wasn't glorious.
If they could get him out—
That was all that mattered.
Their hearts pounded.
And then—
They saw it.
Something unbelievable.
The throw was fast—
But Zhou Hao…
Was faster.
The streak of blue-white lightning reached the base—
A split second before the ball.
Gasps erupted across the stadium.
Zhou Hao slapped the bag—
And raised his hand.
"Safe!"
No outs.
Runner on second.
For a moment—
The entire stadium froze.
Then—
Seido's side exploded.
"Stolen base!"
"The man moves like lightning!"
"Did you see that?! You can't stop us!"
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
With Zhou Hao now on second base—
And the situation unfolding—
Everyone on Seido's side could already see it.
A run was coming.
They had to admit—
Hakuba Academy had been incredible today.
Especially Kazama.
Six innings.
Still 0–0.
It had been a long time since Seido had faced such resistance.
Even their most loyal supporters—
Had begun to doubt.
Could they actually lose?
It was a thought no one wanted to confront.
A wound no one wanted reopened.
But now—
Everything changed.
Even without a run on the board—
They felt it.
Victory—
Was within reach.
On the mound—
Kazama clenched his teeth.
He should have expected this.
At this stage of the game—
Seido would be desperate.
If they had to—
They would risk everything.
Just like Zhou Hao had done.
"So be it…"
"I'll stop it here."
As long as he could get the batter out—
He could still escape.
And the batter—
Was Yuki Tetsuya.
Kazama believed he had figured him out.
Even if Yuki was dangerous—
He was still manageable.
So—
He chose to face him head-on.
His leg lifted.
Then drove down.
The pitch exploded from his hand.
Whoosh!
In Seido's dugout—
Eyes lit up.
"He's actually challenging him?"
"They didn't walk him?"
Perfect.
"Take him down!"
It was as if their voices reached Yuki.
His eyes sharpened.
And in that instant—
The calm, composed batter—
Became something else entirely.
Like a dormant volcano—
Erupting without warning.
Boom!
The swing came.
Fast.
Fierce.
Precise.
Ping!
The ball shot forward—
Like a bolt of white lightning.
It tore past the field—
Before anyone could react.
By the time the players regained their senses—
The ball had already struck the ground.
And bounced.
Hakuba's fielders stood frozen.
Helpless.
They could only watch—
As the play unfolded beyond their reach.