Teito High School's ace possessed a formidable fastball.
Though still a fastball, its rotation shifted unpredictably mid-flight, making clean contact extremely difficult.
He had defeated countless opponents with this pitch.
His strength and reputation were well earned.
But today—
That famous pitcher had taken a heavy blow.
Leadoff batter Kuramochi reached base.
Second batter Kominato Ryosuke followed with a hit.
No outs. Runners on first and third.
The game had only just begun, yet Teito still hadn't recorded a single out.
Instead, they were staring directly at a crisis.
One wrong step… and runs would pour in.
No one understood that better than Teito's own players.
Their hearts pounded in their throats.
They absolutely could not accept such consequences.
And yet, the batter now standing at the plate for Seido—
Their third batter.
The ace — Zhou Hao.
Anyone who followed high school baseball knew what that name meant.
As Seido's opponent, Teito knew it even better than most.
They might not be able to beat him.
But they had no choice except to face him.
"Take him down!"
"As long as you get him out, you'll be the strongest ace on the field!"
Teito's supporters roared, unwilling to surrender.
They wanted to change something anything.
The players responded to that energy.
Their ace's eyes were bloodshot as he locked onto Zhou Hao.
I refuse to believe I can't beat you.
Inside Seido's dugout, the team watched with interest.
"As expected of a powerhouse ace. Even knowing he's outmatched, he won't back down."
Someone shook his head.
"You're mistaken. This isn't about pride — it's because of us."
Because of us?
The team looked confused.
Miyuki Kazuya pushed up his glasses and smiled.
"Because our ace is Zhou Hao… and because we've shown overwhelming strength. They can't just stand there and accept it. So they're forced to fight."
Exactly like now.
Teito's ace understood clearly:
Running away would solve nothing.
If they wanted to compete with Seido, they had to stake everything.
No calculations. No hesitation.
Just fight for every pitch.
"Whoosh!"
The baseball shot toward the plate.
Zhou Hao watched it and felt disappointed.
He had just gained a new ability and wanted to test it in a real game.
If he used it once here, the opponent might lose control…
and he could easily blast the ball into the stands.
But he didn't.
Not because he was noble.
Zhou Hao had relied on abilities in games plenty of times before.
If it was useful, he would use it.
The problem was—
He didn't need it.
Against this ace, Zhou Hao already had an eighty to ninety percent chance of hitting the ball cleanly.
The spin? Manageable.
The late break? Still within tolerance.
In a direct confrontation, he was confident he could crush it.
So why waste a skill?
There was no point.
Then I'll beat him head-on.
Meanwhile, Teito's ace also made his decision.
He would not walk Zhou Hao.
Anyone who understood baseball knew why.
Seido had two monster hitters — Zhou Hao and Yuki Tetsuya.
Walk Zhou Hao… and face Yuki with the bases loaded?
That would be worse.
So the answer was obvious:
Take Zhou Hao down.
Strike one.
The ace's momentum surged.
Even against Zhou Hao, he pitched decisively.
If you've got the guts — hit it!
"Whoosh!"
The next pitch came — his best one yet.
Hope flickered in Teito's players' eyes.
Maybe… just maybe…
Then Zhou Hao moved.
His waist became the axis.
His entire body rotated.
BOOM!
The swing tore through the air.
Teito's catcher felt his heart skip.
So powerful?!
Zhou Hao's hitting had always been incredible yet his swing never looked especially violent.
That was why people underestimated him.
But now, from behind the plate, the catcher understood.
That swing… was terrifying.
How could it be this strong?
Zhou Hao was already nearly perfect —
and he still had more?
The catcher couldn't comprehend it.
And then—
Ping!
The bat met the ball.
The baseball rocketed off the bat and soared into the sky.
Thousands of spectators watched the breathtaking arc unfold.
They were stunned.
"What just happened?"
Before anyone could process it, the white ball had already traveled hundreds of meters and dropped into the outfield stands.
Pop!
For a split second, silence.
Then—
Seido's bench and supporters exploded to their feet.
"It's out!!"
"Three-run homer!!!"
Not a grand slam, yet scoring three runs in one swing was more than enough to ignite the stadium.
The scoreboard instantly changed:
3 – 0
And their opponent was Teito.
Seido had opened the game by creating an overwhelming gap giving the opponent no time to react.
Teito's usually strict coach fell silent.
It wasn't that he didn't want to defend his players.
It was that… nothing he said would matter.
The result itself explained everything.
In the stands, several well-known baseball reporters gathered together.
After a short discussion, they reached the same conclusion:
Today's Seido was no longer merely a national powerhouse contender.
Teito was undeniably strong — a legitimate elite team.
Yet in the very first inning, with no major mistakes, they were already down three runs… without recording a single out.
What did that mean?
The gap between the teams had already become enormous.
Just as Seido's supporters proclaimed:
Seido had completed its transformation.
They were now a king-level team, comparable to Osaka Kiryu.
How far could they go in the future?
No one could say for certain.
But as long as Zhou Hao remained on the roster, Seido's strength in the coming years would remain terrifyingly stable.
And Seido's offense wasn't finished.
No outs. Bases empty.
"Fourth batter — No.3, First Baseman, Yuki Tetsuya."
When Yuki stepped into the batter's box, a chill ran through Teito's players.
They desperately needed an out.
But standing before them was a batter with no visible weakness.
After allowing three consecutive hits and runs, Teito's ace inevitably wavered.
He hadn't retired a single batter.
Three batters — three runs.
A humiliation.
And a looming disaster.
If they couldn't stop Seido's momentum now, the team might collapse entirely.
High school players weren't professionals; once morale shattered, everything would fall apart.
"Damn it…!"
Unable to find a flaw, the ace poured every ounce of strength into his next pitch.
Whoosh!
The catcher's eyes lit up.
Good pitch!
After the home run earlier, he had prepared for the worst.
Yet at the critical moment, the ace held firm.
Not his best but still within a reliable level.
For a pitcher of his caliber, that was enough to win an at-bat.
Relief began to spread across Teito's defense.
Then—
Yuki moved.
He looked calm, almost harmless.
But the moment he swung—
BOOM!
The air itself roared.
The catcher froze.
Zhou Hao's swing earlier had already been terrifying.
This one… was on another level.
Ping!
The ball blasted off the bat and shot deep into the field.