The Kanto Tournament semifinals continued.
Seido High School vs. Akiha High School.
Bottom of the first inning—Seido on offense.
When Akiha's third baseman saw the ball bouncing toward him, he had already mentally declared the batter out.
A grounder like this? Routine.
He stepped forward confidently, scooping up the ball and preparing to throw to first. As long as the ball reached the first baseman's glove, the batter was as good as finished.
There was nothing wrong with that judgment.
But just as he picked up the ball, something changed.
A figure was already sprinting toward first base—fast.
Too fast.
The third baseman's eyes widened in disbelief.
How is he this quick?!
Before he could process it further, he fired the ball.
In his heart, he prayed it would be enough.
But deep down, he already knew—
It was too late.
Pop!
"Safe!"
"Base hit!"
No outs. Runner on first.
The Seido supporters in the stands erupted.
They finally understood something.
It wasn't that Seido's batters had been weak before—
It was just that their previous opponent had been too strong.
Now, against a different pitcher, Seido's true offensive power was on full display.
Kuramochi stood on first like a predator ready to strike.
From the batter's box, he wasn't overwhelming.
But once on base?
He became a completely different threat.
A ticking time bomb.
The Akiha players couldn't help but fix their attention on him.
And Kominato Ryosuke noticed immediately.
At least thirty percent of the pitcher's focus was on Kuramochi.
Ryosuke narrowed his eyes, a faint smile forming.
Not annoyance—
Opportunity.
Not bad… you're actually useful.
Originally, he planned to drag the at-bat out.
But now?
That plan changed.
The pitcher's distraction would only last a pitch or two.
If he let that chance slip by, he'd regret it.
So the moment the ball came—
He would swing.
No hesitation.
Bat raised, eyes narrowed, smile calm yet dangerous—
To outsiders, it almost looked gentle.
But anyone paying attention could feel it.
Danger.
The Akiha pitcher, however, failed to notice.
Still wary of Kuramochi, he threw a pitch to a difficult corner, intending to force a weak hit or foul.
He was even willing to play along for the first couple of pitches.
But—
Ryosuke moved.
Without warning.
Ping!
The bat connected cleanly, hooking the outside pitch back into play.
By the time most people reacted, the ball had already hit the ground.
Ryosuke sprinted.
Meanwhile—
Kuramochi exploded off first like a wild cheetah.
Second base—
Gone in a flash.
Third base—
Within reach.
Safe!
Safe!!
Before the defense could react, both runners had secured their bases.
No outs.
Runners on first and third.
The commentator's voice soared.
The crowd roared with excitement.
For a moment, Seido's fans felt something they hadn't in a while—
Relief.
Confidence.
In their previous game, they had been suppressed for six full innings.
That discomfort had lingered.
They had even begun to doubt—
Is Seido's offense slipping?
Now?
Those doubts were completely shattered.
This was the Seido they knew.
Relentless.
Explosive.
Unstoppable.
The difference before?
Just one name—
Kazama.
And how many pitchers like him existed in the entire country?
"Keep it going!"
"Crush them in one go!"
"This is Seido baseball!"
Even in the dugout, the players were fired up.
That previous game?
They had won.
But it didn't feel like victory.
Six runs—late in the game.
That wasn't dominance.
That was frustration.
Now?
Now they could take it all back.
As long as they kept hitting—
As long as they kept scoring—
They would restore their pride completely.
"Third batter, number one—Outfielder, Zhou Hao!"
On the surface, Seido rotated pitchers frequently.
But anyone paying close attention knew the truth—
The reason they could afford that flexibility…
Was because their Ace never truly left the field.
Zhou Hao—
The team's absolute pillar—
Stepped into the batter's box.
Whether he was on the mound or stationed in the outfield, Zhou Hao was always at the core of Seido's lineup.
Because he could return to the pitcher's mound at any moment, Seido had the freedom to rotate pitchers without hesitation.
And now—
As the third batter, he instantly became the center of attention.
The entire stadium erupted.
"Zhou Hao!!"
"Blast it out!!"
Cheers surged like waves, all urging him to send the ball flying.
Facing such overwhelming pressure, the Akiha Ace made a very rational decision.
He chose to walk him.
Going head-to-head with a monster like Zhou Hao?
His heart simply couldn't take that kind of burden.
And with runners already on first and third, he had even less room to take risks.
Ball!
Ball!!
Ball!!!
Ball!!!!
"Four balls! Walk!"
No outs.
Bases loaded.
Akiha High had effectively cornered themselves, choosing to gamble everything on a last stand.
Surprisingly, Seido's supporters didn't react strongly to this anymore.
They had seen it before.
Since the previous game, teams had started to "adapt."
Instead of clashing head-on, they copied a certain strategy—
Walk Zhou Hao.
Hakuba Academy had set the example.
And now, Akiha followed it without hesitation.
In the stands, Takashima Rei crossed her arms and let out a cold laugh.
"Too naive…"
On paper, it made sense.
But in reality?
They had overlooked something critical.
"Fourth batter, number three—First Baseman, Yuki Tetsuya."
This was not someone you could casually challenge.
As Yuki stepped into the batter's box, his presence alone felt dangerous.
Like a loaded cannon.
As long as the ball came his way—
It would be destroyed.
If circumstances were different, the Akiha Ace would have avoided him too.
But now?
Bases loaded.
No escape.
He had no choice but to throw.
Whoosh!
The ball tore through the air.
Yuki's eyes snapped open.
His muscles tensed, veins bulging, hands gripping the bat like iron claws.
As the pitch entered his range—
He stepped forward and swung.
Boom!
Ping!!!
The ball exploded off the bat, turning into a streak of white lightning that tore straight through Akiha's defense.
"It went through!!"
No outs.
Bases loaded.
A clean hit like this—
Everyone knew what it meant.
The Akiha fielders scrambled desperately.
But it was too fast.
Far too fast.
Kuramochi, already on third, dashed home effortlessly.
Safe!
"Seido scores their first run!"
Before the announcement even finished—
Kominato Ryosuke had already rounded third.
He charged home without hesitation.
Safe!
"Second run scores!"
Zhou Hao, too, had the urge to push for home.
But Akiha wasn't completely helpless.
They managed to return the ball in time.
He stopped at third.
Yuki held at first.
No outs.
Runners on first and third.
But now—
The score had changed.
2–0.
And Seido wasn't done yet.
Next up—
Isashiki Jun.
To Akiha's Ace, this was supposed to be a manageable matchup.
Based on past data and performance, he was far less threatening.
At least—
That's what they thought.
Reality disagreed.
Ping!
An awkward swing.
An unorthodox form.
It didn't look clean—
But it worked.
The ball shot out regardless.
Pop!
It hit the ground and bounced away.
Zhou Hao seized the moment and sprinted home.
Safe!
"Third run scores!"
The scoreboard shifted again.
3–0.
Still no outs.
Runners now on first and second.
Sixth batter—
Catcher, Chris.
At this moment, even some Seido supporters couldn't help but sigh.
Normally, this spot belonged to Miyuki Kazuya.
And that made a difference.
Defensively, Chris and Miyuki were equals.
But offensively?
They were completely different types.
Chris was steady.
Reliable.
Consistent no matter the situation.
Miyuki?
With runners on base, he became a monster rivaling even Yuki.
Just as this thought crossed their minds—
The Akiha Ace delivered the pitch.
Whoosh!
He was clearly rushing now, desperate to stop the bleeding.
But that urgency—
Became an opening.
Chris's eyes lit up instantly.
A good pitch.