Two outs. Runner on second base.
From the moment Zhou Hao had left the mound until now, that situation had never changed.
But the score on the field had changed drastically.
From 8:2… to 9:2.
The players of Ichidai San High School Baseball Team could no longer maintain the confidence they once had.
Their faces were filled with dejection.
Amahisa, standing on the pitcher's mound, looked somewhat numb.
As for Ichidai San's supporters in the stands, they were completely silent—like gourds with their mouths sealed shut.
In stark contrast, the supporters of Seido High School Baseball Team were bursting with excitement.
"The lead has reached seven runs!"
"That's enough!"
"End it early—end today's game early!"
They had imagined this possibility before.
But back then, it felt almost impossible.
Especially after witnessing Amahisa's pitching, they believed scoring three more runs in that situation would be an epic challenge.
Yet now—
That nearly impossible task had been completed right before their eyes.
And it was accomplished by the players of Seido High School Baseball Team.
No exaggeration—this lineup was terrifyingly strong.
The Seido players had displayed overwhelming offensive power, leaving their supporters completely stunned.
Their long-dreamed-of perfect batting order seemed to have revived.
No—
It was even stronger than what they had once imagined.
"National Champions!"
"National Champions!!!"
The chants in the stands changed.
No longer was it just "Seido."
Only those four words felt worthy of describing them now.
The players of Ichidai San High School Baseball Team naturally heard those chants.
But they had no way to refute them.
Not a single word.
Because Seido's advantage was simply too overwhelming.
The game continued.
Amahisa clenched his teeth and delivered the next pitch.
"Ping!"
The ball was struck.
An Ichidai San outfielder calmly caught it deep in the outfield.
"Snap!"
"Out!!"
At last—
The long-awaited third out was recorded.
But neither the coaches nor the players of Ichidai San showed even a hint of joy.
The stands remained eerily quiet.
Everyone was still trapped in the shock of what had just happened.
"Three outs, sides retired!"
The game was not over yet.
There was still the bottom of the seventh inning.
To truly end this game early, Seido High School Baseball Team still needed to record three more outs.
In Seido's dugout, no one spoke.
All eyes were fixed on Coach Kataoka.
Who would take the mound for the final half-inning?
While this decision wouldn't shake the position of the team's Ace, it would at least determine who would firmly occupy the second-pitcher role.
Tanba Koichiro lifted his head high.
He clearly did not want to leave the mound.
Furuya Satoru, the first-year rookie, also stared eagerly at Kataoka.
His desire to pitch was written plainly across his face.
Only Kawakami looked calmer.
Not because he lacked courage—
But because he understood.
In a moment like this, Coach Kataoka was unlikely to choose him.
"The final half-inning will be handled by our Ace."
"We're ending this game."
Coach Kataoka's decision was firm.
And it was the product of careful consideration.
Tanba Koichiro had undergone visible growth during this game.
Although Furuya possessed terrifying velocity, he was still unfamiliar with the rhythm of high school baseball.
And Kawakami's pitches lacked enough power to dominate a situation like this.
Among the three, Tanba remained the most suitable partner to rotate with Zhou Hao.
Of course, Tanba still had flaws.
Once runners reached base, he tended to panic.
Coach Kataoka did not want that weakness to surface in a crucial future match.
That was why today served as a test.
And although Tanba made mistakes, he woke up in time.
He stabilized himself.
He limited the damage to two runs.
For Coach Kataoka, that was acceptable.
More importantly—
His objective of developing his pitchers had been achieved.
As for ending the game early in the seventh inning?
That had never been part of his original plan.
If he truly wanted to do that, he wouldn't have taken Zhou Hao off the mound earlier.
With Zhou Hao pitching seven innings, a shutout wouldn't have been impossible.
A seven-run lead would have come naturally.
But Kataoka hadn't thought that way.
Yet now—
Despite not planning for it—
They still reached the condition for an early finish.
What did that mean?
It meant that momentum itself was on Seido's side.
Since the opportunity had presented itself, Coach Kataoka had no reason to refuse.
"Seido High School Baseball Team requests a pitching change!"
Tanba walked off the mound.
Zhou Hao returned.
The stadium erupted.
To Seido's supporters, it felt like a festival.
Their team led by seven runs.
And their Ace had taken the mound.
Could there be a better ending?
Whether it was Zhou Hao's terrifying Spiral Ball…
Or his overwhelming fastball…
Either one was enough to make today's match unforgettable.
Even though they had already seen the Spiral Ball before—
They wanted to see it again.
It was like eating a meal.
You start with what you love.
You eat other dishes in between.
But the final bite—
You always save for your favorite.
Sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, or salty—
The last bite must be satisfying.
That was human nature.
The thoughts of the Seido High School Baseball Team supporters in the stands were all the same.
They didn't ask for anything more.
They simply wanted to see Zhou Hao pitch once again in the final moments of this game.
To witness a pitch so absolute that the opponent could only stand there and watch.
Looking at the Ichidai San High School Baseball Team players, an unexpected trace of relief appeared on their faces.
Deep down, they had already accepted this result.
In this situation, if Zhou Hao was the one pitching, they could at least find a sliver of comfort.
If it were Tanba or any other Seido pitcher…
They would probably feel even worse.
At least losing to Zhou Hao felt… inevitable.
Even so, Ichidai San had no intention of surrendering.
The batter stepping into the box now was their Fourth Batter—
Hoshida.
A powerhouse hitter whose reputation rivaled that of Yuki Tetsuya.
This was his second time facing Zhou Hao.
His gaze locked tightly onto the figure on the mound.
Behind the plate, Miyuki Kazuya glanced at his partner and chuckled as he gave the sign.
He was curious.
How did Zhou Hao plan to deal with Hoshida?
In response, Zhou Hao raised his hand and made a throat-slitting gesture.
Miyuki's eyes widened slightly.
Spiral ball.
Against Hoshida, anything else would only be unnecessary.
If Zhou Hao wanted to completely crush him—
The Spiral ball was the only answer.
Nine Spiral balls.
That was all it would take to finish today's game.
Although the Spiral ball consumed tremendous stamina, for Zhou Hao at this moment, that was no longer a concern.
He still had plenty of strength left.
"Since our Ace has decided…"
"Let's enjoy this."
A grin appeared on Miyuki's face.
He was more than happy to cooperate.
In the Seido dugout, Chris folded his arms, a faint smile forming on his lips.
Even after months of rehabilitation, his baseball instincts remained razor-sharp.
In this situation, he would make the same choice.
One Spiral ball could solve everything.
No complications.
No lingering trouble.
Just absolute domination.
Under the gaze of tens of thousands of spectators, Zhou Hao lifted his leg and delivered the pitch.
"Boom!"
The moment the baseball left his hand, a violent whooshing sound exploded through the stadium.
Hoshida felt it most clearly.
The pitch was terrifyingly fast.
So fast that it surpassed what many people believed possible.
The baseball appeared in front of Hoshida in the blink of an eye.
He tightened his grip on the bat.
He had prepared.
He had anticipated this.
Yet—
He couldn't swing.
Even though he had seen it before.
Even though this was his second time facing it.
The Spiral ball still felt unreal.
For a fleeting moment, a question flashed through Hoshida's mind.
Was the person standing on that mound really just a high school student?
Even among college pitchers…
Even among professionals…
How many could throw a pitch like this?
The thought made his heart waver.
But as Ichidai San's Fourth Batter, he couldn't allow himself to retreat.
Others could fail.
He could not.
No matter the result, he had to show the pride of Ichidai San's cleanup hitter.
"Snap!"
"Strike!"
Zhou Hao didn't slow down.
"Snap!"
"Strike!!"
Two consecutive Spiral balls.
Hoshida never even touched the bat.
The pressure was suffocating.
So overwhelming that he didn't dare swing recklessly.
From the dugout, Coach Tahara called out.
"Don't think about anything else!"
"Just focus on Zhou Hao!"
Elimination was already inevitable.
But in this moment, he wanted his Fourth Batter to experience a true confrontation.
A direct battle with the strongest pitcher in the country.
Win or lose—
It didn't matter.
Hoshida clenched his teeth.
He knew Zhou Hao's temperament.
After two strikes, Zhou Hao would never deliberately throw a ball.
The next pitch would be in the strike zone.
No doubt about it.
"I have to hit it…"
At the very least—
Make contact.
"Boom!"
Zhou Hao's third pitch roared toward home plate.
It looked even faster.
Even sharper.
Hoshida swung with everything he had.
"Whoosh!"
The bat cut through the air.
But the baseball had already passed.
They never touched.
"Snap!"
"Strike!"
"Strikeout!!"
One out.
No runners on base.
Ichidai San's Fourth Batter—
Powerless.
Three pitches.
Three strikes.
Complete suppression.
Many Ichidai San supporters in the stands closed their eyes.
They understood.
Their team was finished.
Some die-hard fans stood up.
Someone beside them asked,
"The game isn't over yet. Where are you going?"
The man sneered.
"Against a monster like that, who can stop it?"
"I don't want to watch Ichidai Sanko get ended early."
Unable to accept reality, they chose to leave.
Yet on the field—
Zhou Hao continued.
"Boom!"
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
Another batter fell.
"Boom!"
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
"Strikeout!!!"
The Spiral ball kept roaring.
The stadium trembled with every pitch.
"Three outs—"
"Game over!!!"
The umpire's voice rang out.
Silence.
Then—
An earth-shattering eruption.
Seido High School Baseball Team had defeated Ichidai San.
By mercy rule.
Zhou Hao stood on the mound, calm and composed.
Nine Spiral balls.
Nine absolute executions.
A perfect ending.
Zhou Hao's Spiral Finale.