Score: 3–0.
Stepping onto the field for the first time, Zhou Hao had immediately blasted a clean home run.
It was impossible not to notice him.
In truth, he had already been the most eye-catching presence on the field—but now, every gaze in the stadium was locked firmly onto him.
At this moment, Zhou Hao seemed to shine.
Powerful.
Unstoppable.
The Hanada High School Baseball Team suffered a tremendous psychological blow.
They had known beforehand that Seido was strong.
They had prepared themselves mentally.
But watching their Ace's pitch get sent straight into the stands so effortlessly—
That was still far beyond their expectations.
And the 3–0 score only deepened their despair.
Seido had no intention of sparing their opponent's feelings.
After Zhou Hao crossed home plate, he walked back toward the dugout alongside Kuramochi and Kominato Ryosuke.
Cheers rolled down from every direction.
Just as the three of them were returning, Seido's Fourth Batter stepped toward the plate.
Yuki Tetsuya stopped halfway.
This was a long-standing Seido tradition.
No matter how detailed the pregame scouting was, nothing compared to firsthand experience.
Information gained inside the batter's box was always more accurate.
Kuramochi, Kominato, and Zhou Hao had all faced the pitcher.
Their impressions mattered.
Seeing Yuki stop, the three immediately understood his intent.
But when it came time to speak—
They hesitated.
"The pitch is… pretty fast," Kuramochi said after thinking for a long while.
That was the only thing he could honestly say.
As for how to hit it?
Kuramochi believed that once Yuki stepped into the batter's box, he would naturally understand.
Yuki froze for a moment, then turned to Kominato Ryosuke.
Kominato smiled lightly.
"Just swing at your usual rhythm."
Even Yuki couldn't help frowning.
What kind of advice was that?
Left with no other choice, Yuki turned to Zhou Hao.
Zhou Hao spread his hands helplessly.
"Senpai's right."
That answer only made things worse.
Yuki felt more confused than ever.
What kind of pitcher was Hanada's Ace, exactly?
With those thoughts lingering, Yuki stepped into the batter's box.
At the same moment, the Hanada Ace released the ball.
By now, he had realized—
Playing it safe was meaningless.
Seido's momentum had already been established.
No strategy could truly stop their offense.
All he could do now was protect Hanada's dignity.
Lose the game—but not their backbone.
The baseball whistled forward.
The instant Yuki saw it, he understood why his teammates had said what they did.
Average velocity.
Ordinary control.
Despite his previous success, Hanada's Ace was, at his core, merely average.
Not weak—
But completely insufficient against Seido.
Especially against Seido's core batters.
At the very least, his pitches weren't threatening enough.
Yuki showed no hesitation.
Both hands tightened on the bat.
He swung.
Boom!
The catcher's breath caught.
Zhou Hao's swing was fast.
But compared to Yuki Tetsuya—
It was an entirely different level.
The bat flashed.
Contact was made.
The ball's exit speed was terrifying.
Ping!
The ball became a white blur, tearing past Hanada's frozen fielders.
They stood still—
As if time itself had stopped.
By the time they reacted, the ball had already bounced far away.
Thwack!
Seido's dugout erupted.
As expected of their captain.
That one swing alone was something most of them could only aspire to.
"Yuki-senpai!!"
The fans mirrored that excitement.
Even if it wasn't a home run—
This kind of overwhelming, violent power was no less satisfying.
"Safe!"
Yuki charged into second base.
No outs.
Runner on second.
Even after scoring three runs, Seido showed no sign of slowing down.
Hanada's Ace felt his thoughts unravel.
All his preparations—
Meaningless.
No matter how he pitched, Seido would hit.
This was what it meant to face a National Champion.
Only now did Hanada truly understand the weight of that title.
"We can't rely on speed anymore," the coach ordered calmly.
"Use tricky pitches. The rest—leave it to fate."
Even though he could tell the Ace was shaken, the coach never considered replacing him.
Good pitchers were rare.
And this was spring.
Summer—three months away.
If this game could temper his Ace—
It might become Hanada's greatest gain.
They weren't even in the same district as Seido.
A transformed Ace could still lead them to challenge for Koshien.
The odds were slim—
But dreams had value.
"Hold on."
The Ace steadied himself.
He began relying on deception.
Whoosh!
Seido's Fifth Batter—Isashiki Jun—stepped in.
Seeing the tricky angle, his eyes lit up.
"Fly it!"
He swung like a golfer.
The catcher and pitcher froze.
Such a batter—
They had never seen one like him.
Before they could react—
Ping!
The ball was gone.
No one knew where it was headed until it landed.
Thwack!
Isashiki tossed his bat and sprinted.
He reached second base—
But the spotlight wasn't on him.
Yuki rounded third and charged home.
"Safe!"
"Seido scores again!"
4–0!
The stands exploded.
This—
This was the Seido everyone believed in.
Hanada wasn't weak.
But against Seido?
They were simply outmatched.
Seido fans shouted triumphantly.
Hanada fans could only swallow their frustration.
The game moved on.
Sixth Batter—Miyuki Kazuya.
With runners on base, his batting was on par with Zhou Hao and Yuki.
Ping!
Another hit.
Another run.
5–0!
Then came Masuko, the Seventh Batter.
Ping!
The second home run of the game.
The ball vanished into the stands.
7–0!
Less than fifteen minutes.
Seven runs.
Hanada's minds went blank.
The remaining batters piled on.
Hit after hit.
Run after run.
By the time Seido eased off—
Eleven runs had crossed home plate.
If they wanted to, they could have scored twenty.
But there was no reason to waste stamina.
This was an elimination tournament.
Efficiency mattered.
11–0.
With that overwhelming score, the game finally moved into the second inning.