The night passed without incident.
Early the next morning, the Seido High School Baseball Team assembled.
Today was the semifinal.
Everyone was ready.
The team bus arrived at the venue just after sunrise.
Even from a distance, they could see the crowd gathered outside the stadium.
Reporters. Fans. Cameras.
It felt like a festival.
Sawamura Eijun had originally been assigned to a different bus.
But wanting to bond with his First String teammates, he shamelessly boarded the First String bus instead and got off with them.
Technically, he wasn't yet a true First String player.
He didn't even have eligibility to play.
If someone else had done this, it might have looked like showing off.
But no one who truly knew Sawamura would misunderstand him.
He was a single-celled organism.
He did what he wanted — and ignored what others thought.
Ironically, that trait was priceless in baseball.
The ability to stay unconventional and trust your instincts on the field—
That was the seed of a superstar.
Many First String players frowned slightly.
They all knew:
Unless something unexpected happened—
Sawamura would take one of their twenty roster spots.
Someone would be eliminated.
"Sometimes I really envy these monsters…"
"It's like they don't even need effort. Just being there is enough."
As Sawamura stepped off the bus—
He froze.
The crowd erupted.
"It's Seido!"
"Coach Kataoka! What's your goal this tournament?"
"Zhou Hao! How do you feel about today's matchup?"
"I heard MLB scouts are already watching—"
Flashes burst everywhere.
Sawamura's eyes sparkled.
"This is incredible… Riding the First String bus really is different!"
When he rode with the Second and Third Strings, they barely drew attention.
Now?
It felt like walking a red carpet.
His fists clenched.
"I must stay on the First String."
"I must play for them."
The moment you truly experience the First String atmosphere—
Your mindset changes forever.
Now that he understood what it meant to be Seido's First String…
He refused to leave.
"Excuse us — we need to focus on the game. No interviews for now."
Manager Ota blocked the reporters with a hearty laugh.
"And as for our goal?"
He grinned.
"The goal of Seido High School has never changed."
In the past, Ota would never dare speak so boldly.
Back then, too much confidence invited ridicule.
But now?
Seido were national champions.
The strongest among four thousand schools.
Humility now would look like weakness.
Their goal had never changed:
Dominate the nation.
Which meant—
Every game had only one objective.
Victory.
Nothing else.
The reporters seemed satisfied.
After all—
If even the national champion lacked confidence,
What would that say about everyone else?
After separating from the team, Sawamura boarded another bus toward the stands with the other rookies.
Along the way, fans waved enthusiastically.
"You're Sawamura, right? I watched your welcome game!"
"Can't wait until you're officially First String!"
"Go, Sawamura!"
He wasn't even officially registered—
Yet his name had already spread among Seido's die-hard supporters.
The other freshmen heard it too.
Envy flickered in their eyes.
But so did motivation.
Seido was different.
Here, only ability mattered.
If you were good enough—
You became a legend.
"The game's about to start!"
"The opponent's a national powerhouse too — don't lose in momentum!"
Supporters weren't just spectators.
They were soldiers.
And when two elite schools collided—
The stands became another battlefield.
Suddenly—
"TEITO!"
"TEITO!!!"
The chant was perfectly synchronized.
Almost military.
A chill ran through Seido's supporters.
Just from the rhythm and force of the cheers—
You could tell.
This team was no joke.
"SEIDO!"
"SEIDO!!!"
The response exploded immediately.
The sound waves collided midair.
Neither side retreated.
For Seido's supporters, matching Teito as challengers was already proof of strength.
The stadium trembled with the roar.
Amidst the crashing waves of sound—
Seido and Teito stepped onto the field together.
The semifinal.
The fight for the Kanto Tournament slot.
The duel of powerhouses.
Before the game—
The starting order was decided by rock-paper-scissors.
And everything—
Was about to begin.
Teito High School chose to bat first.
Their coach was an elderly man in his sixties, his sharp eyes sweeping across his players like a blade.
"Our opponent is last year's national champion — possibly the strongest team this year. Logically, even defeating them may not benefit us."
The two schools belonged to different tournament regions.
Teito didn't need to fight Seido desperately.
Their real target should have been the Summer Tournament.
But—
The old coach clearly had no intention of holding back.
Every Teito player stood tall.
A powerhouse never feared challenges.
If the opponent dared stand before them, they would fight to the end.
Even if it was Seido.
The coach's words ignited them.
"Let's go all out and witness the strength of the nation's number one!"
"Take the field!"
Teito's leadoff batter walked toward the box with a relaxed smile, yet his aura resembled a warrior stepping into icy wind.
"Just wait for my good news!"
He hadn't even faced a pitch yet—
But he spoke as if he'd already reached base.
His teammates laughed and cheered.
"It's all up to you!"
"They're the best in the country — but they're still human!"
Among Teito's players, a first-year rookie stared intensely at the mound.
"Zhou Hao…"
He had entered high school aiming for that name.
Rather than being teammates—
He wanted to defeat him.
"I wonder if I'll get to play…"
Teito offense.
The leadoff batter grinned.
"The nation's number one pitcher… I'm lucky today."
Behind the plate stood Chris.
After hearing those words, he carefully studied the batter.
Few players could remain this calm against Zhou Hao.
This one clearly wasn't ordinary.
Chris gave the sign:
Spiral ball?
It was Seido's signature opening — a pitch that often left opponents completely lost.
But—
Zhou Hao firmly shook his head.
No need.
Seido was training secondary pitchers.
If they could rotate Zhou Hao out successfully, their chances of dominating the nation exceeded ninety percent.
Still—
Zhou Hao never placed everything on his teammates.
If the team reached a crisis…
He intended to end it himself.
The Spiral Ball would be sealed for now.
A killing weapon.
Saved for decisive moments.
He gestured.
Fastball.
Chris smiled.
"That's right… a true hunter doesn't rely on a single blade."
Zhou Hao's Spiral Ball was terrifying.
But it wasn't his only weapon.
Even his most ordinary fastball—
Was lethal.
Chris had long wanted this adjustment:
Build the foundation with fastballs and breaking balls, reserve the Spiral Ball as a finisher.
There would be an adaptation period.
He wouldn't look invincible at first.
But once completed—
Zhou Hao would become a true superstar.
Not just the best high school pitcher.
The best pitcher.
"Since you've decided… show everyone your pitch."
Chris crouched.
The moment Zhou Hao saw him—
Confidence surged through his body.
As expected of Chris…
The trust he provided was absolute.
Blood rushed through Zhou Hao's veins.
His entire body burned to fight.
Yes.
This feeling—
Was perfect.
The batter settled in.
Zhou Hao lifted his leg high.
Drove it down.
His weight shifted forward—
The ball exploded from his fingertips.
WHOOSH!
The game had begun.