The game between Seido High School Baseball Team and Ichidai San High School Baseball Team was gradually approaching its decisive stage.
The score on the field remained—
6 : 2.
Top of the sixth inning.
Seido High School Baseball Team was on offense.
The first to step into the batter's box was the seventh batter, Masuko Toru.
This was already Masuko's third plate appearance.
He held the bat high, his eyes locked onto Amahisa, looking like an enraged black bear ready to explode at any moment.
Facing such a fierce presence, Amahisa showed no sign of panic.
He lifted his leg, twisted his waist, and released the ball.
"Whoosh!"
The moment the pitch left his hand, many Seido players subconsciously sucked in a breath.
Logically speaking, after having his pitch crushed for a home run by Zhou Hao, Amahisa's condition should have declined.
But reality told a completely different story.
Whether in the previous inning or just now—
Amahisa's pitching remained sharp and stable.
Not the slightest trace of collapse could be seen.
The baseball snapped into the catcher's mitt.
"Thwack!"
"Strike!"
Masuko's pupils shrank.
Seido's bench also felt a sense of pressure.
As long as Amahisa maintained this level of pitching, scoring off him would be extremely difficult.
Masuko tightened his grip.
The second pitch came in.
He clenched his teeth and swung.
"Boom!"
The contact wasn't solid, but the ball was still lifted into the air.
"Ping!"
A high but shallow fly ball.
Ichidai San's shortstop drifted back two steps, positioned himself, and caught it steadily.
"Thwack!"
"Out!"
One out.
No one on base.
The Seido supporters frowned.
"This guy is even tougher than expected."
"Other than Zhou Hao, nobody seems able to handle his Sliding ball."
"Before Manaka even retired, Ichidai already produced another monster ace."
"West Tokyo now has three second-year aces…"
"Zhou Hao, Narumiya Mei, and Amahisa Kosei."
"Even Koshien might not gather so many terrifying pitchers at once."
"The West Tokyo Summer Tournament is going to be insane."
The discussions in the stands grew louder.
For the players on the field, however, this situation was not surprising.
Baseball contains many uncontrollable factors—strategy, luck, physical condition.
But one thing never changes.
Strength cannot be faked.
Both Seido and Ichidai understood clearly:
Against Amahisa in this state, especially using the lower-order batters, breaking through was extremely difficult.
Masuko walked back to the dugout.
Shirasu came up next.
The contact was decent, but it turned into an infield grounder.
Ichidai's defense handled it cleanly.
Another out.
Soon after, the third batter of the inning was also retired.
Three up.
Three down.
Bottom of the sixth inning.
Ichidai San High School Baseball Team went back on offense.
The lineup rotated to the leadoff hitter—
Sasaki.
Coach Tahara's eyes were bloodshot.
"This is our last real chance!"
Everyone on Ichidai understood what that meant.
According to Seido's usual rhythm, Zhou Hao would return to the mound by the seventh inning.
Once that happened, scoring again would be nearly impossible.
No one wanted to accept that reality.
This was the invisible pressure brought by Zhou Hao's name alone.
Sasaki stepped into the box with a desperate expression.
No matter what pitch came—
He intended to swing.
Tanba Koichiro, the pitcher they once viewed as an easy target,
had now become a completely different presence.
The Seido fans fell silent.
They sensed it too.
This inning could decide everything.
Standing on the mound, Tanba felt the weight of countless gazes.
Although he was only a substitute pitcher,
at this moment, it felt as if the entire rhythm of the game rested on his shoulders.
This sense of responsibility stirred something deep inside him.
Tanba lifted his leg and fired.
"Whoosh!"
The white ball cut through the air.
Sasaki's heart trembled.
This pitch—
was stronger than before.
Faster.
Sharper.
More confident.
"Tanba… got stronger?"
An unbelievable thought surfaced in Sasaki's mind.
Was this Seido High School Baseball Team's player-development ability?
In the past, Ichidai had never regarded Tanba highly.
Compared to Manaka, Tanba had only been a second-rate pitcher in their eyes.
Someone who could barely help Seido stay competitive.
Someone who posed no real threat.
But now—
That belief was quietly crumbling.
Things were clearly not developing as smoothly as Ichidai San High School Baseball Team had imagined.
The pitcher standing in front of them had already exceeded their past understanding.
Tanba Koichiro was no longer the soft target from before.
He had grown into a pitcher that Ichidai San High School Baseball Team had to face with full seriousness.
"Ping!"
Sasaki swung and barely clipped the ball.
But the moment it left the bat, everyone could tell—
This was weak contact.
Masuko, guarding third base, took two steps forward and calmly secured the ball in his glove.
"Thwack!"
"Out!"
One out.
No runners on base.
The atmosphere in Ichidai San High School Baseball Team's dugout grew heavier.
The Tanba they thought they understood had become unfamiliar.
They could no longer judge where his limits were.
What unsettled them even more was the figure standing quietly in right field.
Zhou Hao.
Arms relaxed.
Expression calm.
As if he were simply waiting for the moment he would return to the mound.
The Ichidai players could almost see that scene in their minds.
Zhou Hao walking toward the pitcher's mound.
Once that happened—
Their chances would be close to zero.
This sense of crisis drove Ichidai San High School Baseball Team into impatience.
They desperately wanted to break through Tanba while they still could.
Amateurs watched the excitement.
Insiders watched the momentum.
To many fans, Ichidai San High School Baseball Team looked courageous.
But in the eyes of experienced reporters and scouts,
this was nothing more than forced bravery.
The more aggressive Ichidai appeared, the more it revealed their inner panic.
Several veteran reporters pressed their lips together.
They had already seen the real problem.
Ichidai San High School Baseball Team was being crushed psychologically.
On the surface, Tanba was the one standing on the mound.
But in truth—
The source of all this pressure was Zhou Hao.
Even while standing in the outfield, Zhou Hao was exerting terrifying deterrence.
The Ichidai players knew better than anyone:
Once the game entered the late innings, their odds of scoring would plummet to almost nothing.
So this inning—
was their final lifeline.
"Even without pitching, Zhou Hao can suppress an entire powerhouse…"
Just thinking about it sent chills down the spine.
In the stands, several professional scouts were equally shaken.
One Giants scout clenched his fist.
"When he graduates, no matter the cost, we must get him."
The others didn't say anything.
But their eyes revealed identical thoughts.
The game continued.
Ichidai's second batter stepped in.
After fouling off two pitches, he lifted a fly ball.
"Ping!"
The ball dropped straight toward first base.
Yuki Tetsuya barely moved.
He raised his glove and caught it cleanly.
"Thwack!"
"Out!"
Two outs.
No runners on base.
Bottom of the sixth inning.
Score: 6–2.
Logically speaking, Ichidai San High School Baseball Team still had plenty of time.
For a national powerhouse, even a single inning explosion of six or seven runs was not impossible.
But logic meant nothing today.
Because their opponent was Seido High School Baseball Team.
Because Zhou Hao existed.
Their courage was quietly draining away.
The third batter stepped up—
Hoshida.
The same man who had earlier taken Tanba deep.
The Seido players instantly tightened their formation.
No one dared relax.
Tanba stared at Hoshida, eyes burning.
This was a personal battle.
He raised his arm.
"Whoosh!"
A high-breaking curveball tore through the air.
Hoshida's pupils shrank.
So sharp!
So fast!
The Ichidai dugout murmured.
"His pitching… got even better?"
Hoshida clenched his bat.
He let the ball pass.
"Thwack!"
"Strike!"
Tanba got ahead.
Yet no one in Seido felt relieved.
They knew—
Hoshida was testing him.
Holding back.
Gathering strength.
The real attack was still coming.
The stadium held its breath.
"Whoosh!"
Second pitch.
The moment the ball left Tanba's hand—
Hoshida moved.
"Boom!"
He swung with everything he had.
"Ping!"
The contact wasn't perfect.
But the ball screamed toward the outfield.
Every Seido supporter's heart leapt into their throat.
The ball descended.
Falling.
Falling—
And a figure was already waiting beneath it.