At this moment, the coach and players of Teito felt their hearts sink into still water.
Ping!
The white baseball was struck and shot forward like lightning toward the fielders.
Teito's defense was exceptionally disciplined — the trademark of a powerhouse. Their defensive ability ranked among the best in the nation.
They didn't even need to consciously react.
Their bodies moved on instinct.
Both fielders stepped into position with textbook form.
Beautiful defense.
Yet strangely…
They looked slow.
As if time itself had frozen for them.
Meanwhile, the white ball — a streak of lightning — slammed onto the ground right in front of them and bounced past.
They couldn't react at all.
"It got through!"
Seido's supporters leapt to their feet, arms raised and waving wildly.
And it wasn't just one or two people.
Nearly the entire cheering section erupted.
Because they understood what this meant.
Earlier against Ichidai Sanko, Seido had dominated.
Now, against Teito another powerhouse they were doing the exact same thing.
Once might be coincidence.
Twice proved reality.
Seido's level was already obvious.
"As expected of the national top seed!"
"The opponent can't even fight back!"
No outs. Runner on second.
Teito's players felt immense pressure.
The score was already 3–0.
Turning the game around would be incredibly difficult.
What was worse…
They still hadn't recorded a single out.
Seido's offense flowed like an endless river.
We have to stop this.
Their ace clenched his teeth so hard they almost cracked.
He refused to accept this humiliation.
He needed one thing — the first out.
Whoosh!
The pitch roared forward.
Standing in the box, Isashiki Jun glared fiercely.
"You've already been hit four straight times. Why keep struggling?"
To him, surrender would be the logical choice.
But Teito's ace would never accept that.
Forget pride.
Forget reputation.
He just wanted to fight until the end.
Isashiki judged the pitch and swung decisively.
Buzz!
The catcher instinctively tensed.
Seido's lineup had completely exceeded expectations.
Before the game, Teito believed Seido's defense was the best in the country, but their offense while strong wasn't unmatched.
Now he realized the truth.
Soon…
Seido might also become the nation's most terrifying offense.
Even excluding Zhou Hao and Yuki, every batter had unique skills.
And with those two monsters added—
Their strength was immeasurable.
Ping!
The ball rolled sharply toward first base.
An infield grounder.
Normally useless.
But not this time.
It took too long to retrieve.
By the time the first baseman picked it up—
Snap!
He could only take the sure out at first.
Yuki advanced safely to third.
One out. Runner on third.
Teito finally got their long-awaited first out.
Relief spread through the team—
—but immediately turned back into pressure.
Because the runner now stood ninety feet from home.
"Sixth batter — catcher, Chris."
Chris replaced Masuko in the lineup.
The crowd instantly erupted.
"Whoa, a handsome guy!"
"That mixed-heritage look is incredible!"
"Chris!!"
New spectators were shocked.
Veteran Seido fans only smiled.
They'd seen this reaction before.
The first time people saw Zhou Hao…
The first time they saw Chris…
It was always like this.
Especially Chris behind the catcher's mask he was hidden.
But at bat, all eyes naturally focused on him.
Teito, however, remained cautious.
They were a national powerhouse. Their scouting was thorough.
They knew exactly who Chris was.
Even after injury, they wouldn't underestimate a former star catcher.
The opposing catcher signaled carefully to his teammates.
Chris is a famous hitter. Stay alert.
Teito's ace nodded.
He understood perfectly.
And began planning his next pitch.
The first out had finally been recorded.
Would the second be far behind?
With that thought, Teito's ace locked his gaze onto Chris.
If even the smallest opportunity appeared, he would seize it.
Just as he prepared to pitch—
He noticed Chris squaring to bunt.
A squeeze play?!
At the instant he realized it, the ace changed his pitch.
Trying to score on me? Not happening!
But at that exact moment—
Chris pulled the bat back.
In the stands, Sawamura's eyes lit up.
"Cunning…"
He couldn't fully explain it, but he could feel the calculation behind the move.
Chris had dragged the opponent exactly where he wanted him.
Although Teito's ace had been shaken, his overall ability was still excellent.
In a normal duel, Chris — fresh off recovery — might not win cleanly.
But now it wasn't a normal duel anymore.
The pitcher had already stepped into the trap.
There was no escape.
Seido's players and supporters sensed it instinctively.
The outcome was decided.
Ping!
Chris re-swung.
The intentionally altered pitch was struck perfectly.
The ball shot into the defensive gap.
Snap!
It landed and bounced away.
The Seido cheering section erupted into celebration.
"I knew it!"
"It's through again!"
Yuki, already on third, dashed home effortlessly.
Score!
"Seido scores their fourth run of the game!"
The game had barely begun, and the score was already 4–0.
The reporters who had supported Teito wished they could disappear.
Before the match, they had claimed Teito's strength was not inferior to Seido's.
Whether they believed it didn't matter controversy sold newspapers.
If Teito won, they had foresight.
If Teito lost, not inferior didn't mean stronger.
And high school baseball always contained unpredictability.
A respectable loss would have been fine.
But this—
This was a collapse.
The first inning wasn't even over, yet the gap was already massive.
And the opponent was Zhou Hao.
A comeback now was almost impossible.
"I didn't expect the gap to be this large…"
"After facing Ichidai Sanko, Seido seems completely awakened."
The bottom of the first inning ended: 4–0.
Despite being a national powerhouse, Teito's players looked shaken.
They hadn't surrendered but their rhythm was broken.
Meanwhile, Seido shone like victorious generals.
Strangely, they didn't look arrogant.
They looked… calm.
As if this result were only natural.
Top of the Second Inning — Teito Offense
Teito's fourth batter stepped up.
Even the cheering section couldn't raise the same energy anymore.
"Time is running out for Teito,"
said Fujio, the veteran reporter from Baseball Kingdom magazine.
Everyone turned toward him.
He was known for sharp observations.
"If they don't get a hit this inning, the game will spiral completely out of control."
The fourth batter understood that better than anyone.
He stared at Zhou Hao like a rival he desperately wanted to defeat.
His grip tightened.
"I have to hit this."