The opening game of the Kanto Tournament—
Seido High School vs. Kohoku High School—
erupted into intensity right from the start.
Even while on defense,
Seido was the one dictating the pace.
Kohoku—
was forced onto the back foot.
Top of the first inning.
Three batters.
Three outs.
Clean.
Effortless.
It wasn't that Kohoku's players didn't want to perform.
It was simply—
they couldn't.
Their opponent was Seido's Ace—
Zhou Hao.
Before the game, Kohoku's players had already prepared themselves mentally.
Their earlier bravado—
their dismissive words—
had only been a way to hype themselves up.
After all,
they were facing the number one player in the country.
But the moment they actually stepped onto the field—
they realized something.
All that preparation…
meant nothing.
Zhou Hao's strength had already exceeded their imagination.
No matter how ready they thought they were—
it wasn't enough.
To put it bluntly—
they couldn't even touch the edge of his ability.
Bottom of the first inning.
Seido on offense.
After being completely suppressed during their own turn at bat,
Kohoku's players were fired up.
They gathered together before taking the field.
"We can't let this continue!"
"We need to show what we're capable of!"
"Our defense—and our Ace—are strong too!"
Their voices were loud.
Their spirit—
unshaken.
Even against Seido,
they had no intention of backing down.
"They're impressive," said Oowada Akiko, the reporter from Baseball Kingdom, her voice full of genuine admiration.
Facing a team like Seido—
as long as they didn't collapse mentally,
as long as they continued to fight—
that alone was commendable.
But the middle-aged man beside her, wearing a baseball cap—
Fujio—
saw things differently.
"Don't you think something's off?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"They're too emotional," he replied quietly.
"It's like… they have to keep saying those things just to hold themselves together."
He couldn't fully explain it—
but from his perspective,
Kohoku's players looked like people standing at the edge of a cliff.
Forced to fight with everything they had.
Because if they stopped—
they might fall apart completely.
"…Now I'm curious," Fujio murmured.
He wanted to see—
just how far Kohoku could push themselves in this state.
"Shortstop, Kuramochi Yoichi!"
"Hyahha!"
Seido's leadoff batter stepped into the box.
Bat resting loosely on his shoulder,
Kuramochi wore his usual sly grin.
But the moment he settled in—
his eyes sharpened.
The bat rose.
Ready to strike at any moment.
The Kohoku catcher immediately sensed it.
This player—
was dangerous.
That carefree attitude was just a mask.
Underneath—
was something sharp.
Unpredictable.
If he gets on base…
With his speed—
the damage could be catastrophic.
The catcher steadied himself and gave the signal.
"First pitch—test him."
The more pressure they faced,
the more aggressive they had to be.
They couldn't afford to look weak.
Not in front of Seido.
Not in front of their own teammates.
Kohoku's Ace nodded.
No hesitation.
That was exactly the approach they needed.
Show their strength—
right from the start.
"Whoosh!"
The ball tore through the air.
As the Ace of a national powerhouse,
his pitch carried undeniable force.
In an instant—
it reached the plate.
Kuramochi didn't move.
He simply watched it pass.
Seido's scouting had been clear.
The first pitch—
was likely to be inside.
Without certainty,
there was no reason to swing.
Staying still would only force Kohoku to question themselves.
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
Just as predicted.
Seeing no reaction,
Kohoku's Ace went inside again.
But this time—
closer to the center.
The moment Kuramochi saw it—
his eyes lit up.
Pressure?
He felt it.
But he didn't care.
This is the one.
Gripping the bat tightly,
he swung with full force.
His body moved on instinct—
pure, unrestrained.
At that moment,
it felt like there wasn't a pitch he couldn't hit.
"Ping!"
The bat connected cleanly.
A grin spread across his face.
Now—watch closely.
He dropped the bat—
and exploded toward first base.
His speed was terrifying.
Like a flame igniting beneath his feet.
But—
someone was faster.
Kohoku's second baseman reacted instantly.
A quick sidestep.
A diving reach.
He cut off the bouncing ball cleanly—
and, without hesitation,
fired it to first.
"Pop!"
"Out!"
One out.
Bases empty.
Seido's players—and even their supporters—were momentarily stunned.
Kohoku…
wasn't weak at all.
At the very least—
their defense was exceptional.
"Second batter—Kominato Ryosuke!"
The moment Kominato stepped into the batter's box,
he drew everyone's attention.
Aside from his smaller build,
he was the ideal image of a complete baseball player.
Refined batting technique.
Flawless defense.
And most famously—
his "Devil Batter" style, known for mentally exhausting pitchers.
Watching Kohoku's solid performance,
Kominato adjusted his stance.
Time to shake them.
The faster they broke the opponent's morale,
the easier the rest of the game would become.
Just as the thought crossed his mind—
the pitch came.
"Whoosh!"
Even against the infamous Devil Batter,
Kohoku's Ace showed no hesitation.
The ball rocketed toward the plate.
Kominato didn't swing.
He watched it pass.
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
Another pitch—
same result.
"Pop!"
"Strike!!"
Two strikes.
No swing.
A situation that would normally corner any batter.
But not him.
The Seido supporters in the stands were already smiling.
They knew exactly what was coming.
"The Devil Batter is about to start."
"Here it comes…"
"This is what makes Seido so fun to watch!"
Excitement spread through the crowd.
They were waiting.
Anticipating.
On the mound, however—
the pressure was suffocating.
Even if you knew what Kominato was about to do—
you still had to pitch.
"Whoosh!"
A borderline pitch—
dangerously close to being called a ball.
A trap.
But Kominato saw right through it.
A faint smile appeared in his eyes.
He swung lightly.
"Ping!"
Foul.
Then another.
And another.
And another.
Pitch after pitch—
foul after foul.
The duel dragged on.
Five pitches.
Six.
Seven.
The rhythm was completely controlled by Kominato.
Kohoku's battery exchanged a glance.
They couldn't let this continue.
They only had one Ace.
If he was dragged into exhaustion here—
the game would slip away completely.
"Throw it straight down the middle."
"Let him hit it."
No tricks.
No escape.
A pure contest of pitching.
"Whoosh!"
The ball shot forward like a bullet.
Kominato wasn't surprised.
If anything—
this was what he had been waiting for.
He swung with full commitment.
"Ping!"
The ball flew cleanly—
arcing sharply toward the infield.
Seido's players followed it with their eyes.
That's through.
Based on the angle and contact—
it should have been a hit.
But—
Kohoku's defense reacted instantly.
A fielder charged forward,
cutting off the ball with perfect timing.
"Pop!"
In one smooth motion—
he fired to first.
"Pop!"
"Out!!"
Two outs.
Bases empty.
The play was seamless.
Fluid.
Beautiful.
Seido's players and fans were left speechless.
They hadn't expected this.
"Just now… that felt like watching Seido play."
"It was that clean…"
It sounded exaggerated—
but it wasn't.
That was the honest feeling shared by everyone watching.
"Great teams really do resemble each other," someone murmured.
And it was true.
Excellence often looked the same.
Two outs.
No one on base.
"Third batter—Number One, Pitcher, Zhou Hao!"
Before Zhou Hao even reached the batter's box—
Kohoku's players were already tense.
Every nerve on edge.
And then—
the stadium erupted.
It hadn't been quiet before.
Both sides had been cheering.
Kohoku, despite being fewer in number, still held their ground on their home field.
But now—
everything changed.
The entire stadium—
felt like it belonged to one person.
Zhou Hao.
Like a star stepping onto a concert stage—
he became the center of everything.
He stepped into the batter's box.
Raised his bat.
That was all.
But the reaction—
was explosive.
"Zhou Hao!!!"
"Send it flying!"
"Show us what you've got!"
The cheers surged like a storm.
Hearing this—
Kohoku's players felt a chill.
An unspoken thought surfaced in their minds—
Zhou Hao…
is terrifying.