The Seido High School Baseball Team's welcome match officially began.
According to the results of rock-paper-scissors, the second and third-year players took the offense first.
"These first-year kids are so unlucky!"
"It's a stormy offense right from the start."
"I'm afraid the score will be decided before they even adapt to the rhythm of the game."
Whether it was the spectators or the second and third-year players, none of them were optimistic about the prospects of the first-year rookies.
Especially with the second and third-year players taking the first offense.
They believed that the first-year newcomers would soon experience a great storm.
This kind of storm was definitely beyond what they could handle.
In previous welcome matches, they had seen too many similar scenes.
Now, it was just a re-enactment of those scenes.
Outside the fence, several adult fans looked on, eager for more excitement.
"That's not necessarily true. Last year's welcome match was quite lively, wasn't it? I heard a lot of strong newcomers joined this year too, so maybe it'll be even more exciting."
"No way. Even with Zhou Hao last year, the final result wasn't—"
"But if a miracle has appeared once, it won't just happen once."
"I heard two strong first-year newcomers have already been selected. The rest shouldn't be that strong."
Amidst this discussion, the match officially began.
The first to step onto the field was a second-year player.
"Takazawa!"
Seeing Takazawa step up, the Seido High School Baseball Team's second and third-year squad erupted in a commotion.
"Show them what you've got and let them know the gap between first-year newcomers and us!"
"Don't go easy just because the opponent is a first-year, Takazawa-kun."
It was clear that everyone had very high expectations for the player named Takazawa.
He stood in the batter's box, his aura intimidating.
Several players in the first-year rookie defense line felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
Even though they were first-year high school rookies,
they were not novices on the field. Their experience was rich, and their instincts sharp.
Almost the moment they saw Takazawa, they felt the hairs on their bodies stand on end.
They could clearly feel that the man in front of them was incredibly strong.
If they weren't careful, the consequences would be absolutely unpredictable.
"Is the aura really this intimidating in a real showdown?"
The first-year rookies couldn't help but mutter to themselves.
Watching the second and third-years play from the sidelines and actually standing in front of them were completely different things.
Only now did they truly understand how terrifying their opponents were.
And this was just from the fielders' perspective.
What about the pitcher?
Just thinking about it made them tense.
Not to mention Sawamura, standing calmly on the mound.
"Although his strength is great, facing an opponent of this caliber, and in such an atmosphere… can Sawamura really perform at his best?"
These thoughts surfaced almost simultaneously.
Their gazes toward Sawamura unconsciously carried a hint of nervousness.
Takazawa's eyes were sharp as a hawk, firmly locking onto Sawamura—this pitcher Zhou Hao held in high regard.
"A very strong rookie. This won't be easy."
With that thought, Takazawa lowered his center of gravity and gripped the bat tightly with both hands.
He had already treated Sawamura as a First String-level pitcher.
The moment the ball came, he would swing without mercy.
As for whether he could hit it far—
Takazawa had confidence.
Unlike other rookies, Sawamura had already shown his ability within the team.
Last summer, and again after joining this year,
the second and third-year regulars had long anticipated facing him and naturally gathered information.
And from what they knew—
Hitting Sawamura's pitch wasn't impossible.
As long as the swing was decisive enough.
Just as Takazawa made up his mind, Sawamura wound up and delivered the pitch.
Before the game, Sawamura had already informed his catcher—
he would only use his Straight and his grip.
What he threw now was his Straight.
"Swoosh!"
The moment the ball left his hand, the first-year rookies' eyes lit up.
Fast!
Not only was the speed impressive, but the pitch also carried strong tailing force.
Everyone immediately began to anticipate the result.
Could this be another Furuya Satoru moment—
a rookie overpowering the seniors?
If that really happened,
then this year's Seido newcomers could only be described as unprecedented.
Because they had never experienced such fortune before,
their anticipation grew even stronger.
Facing the incoming pitch, Takazawa tensed.
As a skilled batter, he instantly sensed the power behind it.
Just as expected—
the fastball thrown by a pitcher who could launch it over a hundred meters was no joke.
Hitting it far would not be easy.
But it was still within his limits.
Takazawa's lips tightened.
Without hesitation, he swung.
"Whiz!"
The bat cut through the air with a sharp sound.
Even before contact, the sound alone told everyone how powerful the swing was.
So strong.
Before seeing it for themselves, no one imagined Takazawa could unleash such force.
And yet—
this batter wasn't even a core member of the Second Team.
Just how terrifying was Seido's overall strength?
This alone was proof.
"Too reckless!"
"He won't hit it."
The first-year rookies instinctively thought so.
If they were facing that pitch for the first time,
their chance of making contact would probably be less than ten percent.
Even if the seniors were stronger than them—
These first-year newcomers simply couldn't believe it.
No observation, no adaptation—
How could their team's second-year senior directly hit such a pitch?
Yet just as that thought flashed through their minds, the bat met the ball squarely.
"Ping!"
The sharp sound rang out, and the eyes of the first-year players nearly popped out of their sockets.
How was this possible?
Among the second and third-year seniors, there was actually someone this terrifying?
One had to know—this batter wasn't even a First String regular.
He was merely the leadoff hitter of the Second Team.
Before they could recover from the shock, the baseball had already dropped.
It landed barely two meters from the First Base player's glove.
The first-year playing First Base had no time to react at all, only able to watch helplessly as the ball slipped past.
"It went through!!"
The second and third-year players weren't satisfied.
Even though they saw the hit with their own eyes, they felt no joy whatsoever.
This was a mistake.
A defensive mistake.
That first-year First Base player had been a well-known figure in middle school baseball.
But in Seido's system, his training was still incomplete.
From the perspective of Seido's Second Team—let alone the First String—even they were confident they could've stopped that ball.
The hit only happened because the rookie hadn't adapted to the rhythm yet.
Luck.
Pure luck.
"Run!!"
Fair or not, the second and third-years had no intention of slowing down.
They wanted to crush the newcomers in one go.
Takazawa dropped his bat and sprinted toward First Base.
Just as the seniors believed the hit was secured—
A nimble figure suddenly burst forward.
The boy wasn't tall, but his movements were lightning-fast.
The ball that slipped past First Base was cleanly scooped up by the backup fielder.
"So fast!"
"What a beautiful backup play!"
Outside the fence, the experienced spectators' eyes lit up instantly.
The shy-looking boy whose bangs covered his eyes had always seemed low-key and quiet.
No one expected him to be this good.
Only now did they truly understand—
Kominato Haruichi was no ordinary player.
Not only did he reach the ball in time, he stopped it cleanly.
And without hesitation, he turned and fired to First Base.
"Thwack!"
Takazawa had barely taken a few steps when his hit was completely erased.
"Out!"
One out.
No runners on base.
The first breakthrough belonged to the first-year rookies.
At that moment, everyone could feel it—
The air on Seido's field had changed.
Their gazes toward Sawamura shifted.
"This guy really is one of the three most talked-about newcomers."
"Even if he offended the Coach, his talent won't let him stay unnoticed."
"Way too strong…"
"And that Kominato Haruichi—he's scary too."
"Why do I feel like these rookies might actually be stronger than the second and third-years?"
"This year is different."
Even with Zhou Hao last year, there hadn't been this feeling.
One genius was one thing.
A whole group of monsters was another.
The fans were excited.
The players were stunned.
With just one pitch, Sawamura Eijun had completely changed the tone of the game.
If it were anyone else, they would already be basking in pride.
But Sawamura was different.
Instead of arrogance, he looked refreshed—almost gentle.
He turned his head, staring at Kominato for a moment.
"That… who?"
"My name is Kominato Haruichi!"
"Haru, nice play!"
Kominato's face flushed instantly.
Not from praise—
But irritation.
"Kominato" or "Haruichi" was fine.
But "Haru"?
That sounded like the name of a movie actress.
"This first-year pitcher is really fired up, huh?"
With one out secured, Sawamura showed no signs of slowing down.
As the next batter stepped in, his fighting spirit only grew stronger.
He lifted his leg high—
Then slammed it down.
"Swoosh!"
Kataoka, acting as the home plate umpire, stood fully geared.
Behind his tinted sunglasses, his sharp eyes gleamed.
He felt it.
That pitching aura.
Earlier, Takashima Rei had once said she recruited Sawamura because she had seen his pitching—
And in that pitch, she sensed the aura of an Ace.
Now, Kataoka felt the same.
This immature-looking boy carried something extraordinary.
Not Zhou Hao's overwhelming dominance—
But another kind of presence.
A temperament an Ace had to earn.
The thought startled him.
Since when had he begun comparing this boy to Zhou Hao?
That wasn't just overestimating Sawamura—
It was underestimating Seido's Ace.
Kataoka frowned unconsciously.
How could he think like that?