"Boom!"
The bat roared through the air like thunder.
The main catcher of Ichidai San High School Baseball Team instinctively pursed his lips.
When Seido's fourth batter swung with full force, it created an illusion—
as if the catcher had already seen the baseball being blasted into the distance.
No!
He prayed desperately in his heart.
Although Amahisa Kousei was showing incredible tenacity, if another ball was smashed away at this moment…
the catcher truly did not know whether Amahisa could still hold on.
So the most ideal outcome—
was for this ball to be caught by one of their players.
Even a simple stop would be fine.
However, heaven did not seem inclined to answer his prayer.
The fierce swing met the white baseball head-on.
"Ping!"
A crisp, heart-piercing sound echoed across the stadium.
Under the gaze of countless spectators, the baseball soared high into the sky.
"Outfield!"
The players of Ichidai San High School Baseball Team moved as if possessed.
They prayed that their outfielders could stop the ball at this critical moment.
But reality was cruel.
The baseball flew not only high—
but extremely fast.
The two outfielders sprinted with everything they had, feeling as if their legs were about to snap.
They chased the landing point desperately.
Yet no matter how fast they ran…
they were still too slow.
When they were still nearly ten meters away—
the baseball landed.
Then bounced.
And slammed straight into the fence.
"Whack!"
"It went through again!"
The Seido players who had already been excited earlier now erupted as if it were a festival.
Cheers shook the stands.
Just Zhou Hao alone was already terrifying.
But now—
another terrifying presence had firmly established himself.
Yuki Tetsuya.
Considering today's performance, even Seido's own players could not help but give him a thumbs-up.
Strong.
Truly strong.
Strong to an outrageous degree.
If this had happened a year ago…
Seido High School Baseball Team might have been dragged into a difficult situation by such a dark-horse pitcher.
Not because Seido was weak—
but because Amahisa Kousei had already reached a level that was almost uncontrollable.
But now, everything was different.
Now, Seido could continuously hit his pitches.
As the ball crashed deep into the outfield—
Zhou Hao, who had been on second base, sped past third and charged toward home.
"Safe!"
"Score!"
Seido High School Baseball Team scored their seventh run.
The scoreboard changed to—
7 : 2.
Yuki Tetsuya did not stop either.
He rounded first base and slid safely into second.
If the baseball had not bounced off the wall and been quickly retrieved—
Yuki might have already reached third.
Ichidai San High School Baseball Team, now trailing by five runs, looked even more grim.
Everyone knew what was coming next.
Zhou Hao would soon return to the pitcher's mound.
At that point—
any hope of a comeback would be nothing more than a fantasy.
Whether they could even last until the eighth or ninth inning was now uncertain.
One more careless mistake—
and Seido could end the game right here in the seventh.
After suffering consecutive heavy blows, even a monster like Amahisa Kousei could not be completely unaffected.
Inside Ichidai San's dugout, Manager Tahara narrowed his eyes.
He understood better than anyone what kind of pressure Amahisa was under.
Strictly speaking, Amahisa was not yet Ichidai San's Ace.
He was merely the pitcher with the greatest potential to become their future Ace.
And that potential was enormous.
Logically, in a life-or-death situation, they should have sent their true Ace, Manaka, to the mound.
If Manaka could turn the tide, it would be perfect.
If not, they could at least make preparations early.
But Tahara did not call for a substitution.
His trust in Amahisa exceeded everyone's expectations.
"Such trust…"
In Seido's dugout, Coach Kataoka couldn't help but sigh.
Two outs.
Runner on second.
Even after scoring, Seido's offense showed no sign of slowing.
Isashiki Jun stepped into the batter's box, eyes blazing with determination.
The new pitcher was far stronger than they had expected.
The game had reached this point.
They had already shattered Ichidai San's Ace, Manaka.
Yet this young pitcher still stood stubbornly on the mound.
What did that mean?
It meant—
Amahisa had absolute confidence in himself.
And his performance had already reached national top-tier standards.
Under such circumstances, even Seido's powerful lineup could not easily crush him.
They could only rely on individual skill to force results.
Since entering the game, Amahisa had given up only two runs.
And both runs were scored by Seido's top talents through pure ability.
On the mound, Amahisa took a deep breath.
Then slowly exhaled.
The turbid air seemed to carry away the turbulence in his heart.
When he raised his head again, his eyes regained their sharp light.
"These are just small ripples…"
"They won't affect the big picture."
"Let's deal with the next batter first."
He had repeated this self-hypnosis countless times before.
And it usually worked.
But this time—
something felt different.
"Whoosh!"
Amahisa pulled back and released the pitch.
The moment the ball left his fingers—
a trace of unease flashed across his face.
The feel was off.
Yet after such a long, intense game, his mind was no longer as clear as it had been at the start.
He was tired.
In that brief instant, he didn't have time to think about what exactly had gone wrong.
The Main Catcher of Ichidai San High School Baseball Team watched as the pitch sped toward him.
His pupils shrank.
This ball felt different from all the previous ones.
"Oh no… Amakyu Kousei's hand slipped!"
It was only a guess.
It could have been caused by fatigue, or a slight change in grip—but one thing was certain.
The baseball was not traveling along the route they had agreed upon.
A strong sense of unease surged in the catcher's heart.
All he could do now was pray.
Pray that the Fifth Batter of Seido High School Baseball Team, facing a two-out situation, would choose to be cautious.
Pray that he would let this pitch go.
But reality was cruel.
Isashiki Jun, standing in the batter's box, looked like a lion ready to pounce.
The moment he saw the baseball flying toward him, excitement ignited in his eyes.
Here it comes!
The pitch he had been waiting for.
He tightened his grip on the bat, staring at the spinning baseball without blinking.
The instant it entered his strike zone—
He swung with everything he had.
"My dictionary doesn't contain the words 'wait for a better pitch'!"
As long as he felt he could hit it, strike or ball, Isashiki Jun would never hesitate.
"Whoosh!"
The bat cut violently through the air.
The catcher's eyes widened in horror.
Oh no!!
The situation he feared most had arrived.
"Ping!"
The bat met the ball squarely.
The white baseball shot forward like a cannonball.
Ichidai San High School Baseball Team's fielders were already in motion.
They had prepared themselves.
They wanted to stop this ball.
But fate was merciless.
The landing point fell precisely between two defenders.
The player chasing the ball showed a momentary look of despair.
Again…
Just like Zhou Hao.
Just like Yuki Tetsuya.
Seido's batters always seemed to find these tiny gaps.
It felt deliberate.
And in truth—it was.
Seido High School Baseball Team had long studied defensive positioning and practiced aiming for these exact weaknesses.
Though not foolproof, this preparation greatly increased their success rate.
"Whack!"
The ball landed, bounced, and rolled deep into the outfield.
The Seido supporters erupted.
Cheers thundered through the stadium.
Zhou Hao.
Yuki Tetsuya.
Now Isashiki Jun.
One after another, Seido's core hitters were stepping forward.
For a long time, fans had worried that only Zhou Hao and Yuki Tetsuya could shoulder the team's offense.
But now—
They were witnessing the birth of a truly terrifying batting lineup.
"Safe!"
Isashiki Jun slid into second base.
At the same time, Yuki Tetsuya crossed third and sprinted home.
"Score!"
Another run for Seido High School Baseball Team.
The scoreboard changed to:
8 : 2
The lead expanded to six runs.
Only one more run was needed to trigger the mercy rule.
The faces of Ichidai San High School Baseball Team's supporters turned pale.
Three consecutive long hits.
All after two outs.
Seido's offense showed no signs of stopping.
Two outs.
Runner on second base.
"Sixth Batter—Catcher, Miyuki Kazuya!"
The moment Miyuki stepped into the batter's box, anticipation exploded across the stands.
Seido's supporters knew exactly what he represented.
With Miyuki at the plate…
A single hit would be enough.
"Seventh run!"
"End it here!"
"Finish them, Miyuki!!!"
On the Ichidai bench, Coach Tahara's eyes were bloodshot.
Before the game, he had believed—
No matter how strong Seido was, early elimination was impossible.
The seventh inning.
Only a four-run gap.
Even facing Seido's core lineup, they should have been able to endure.
But now…
Reality was crushing.
They couldn't stop Seido's offense.
Not at all.