In the stands, Seido High School's supporters were overflowing with excitement.
To them, Zhou Hao stepping into the Batter's Box was hope itself.
No matter how dominant Narumiya Mei had been so far, as long as the one facing him was Zhou Hao, Seido's players and supporters would instinctively stand on Zhou Hao's side.
They believed he would win.
Not because of blind faith—
But because Zhou Hao had earned that trust through countless games and one incredible performance after another.
As long as Zhou Hao stepped up to bat, miracles felt possible.
Ironically, Zhou Hao himself wasn't nearly as confident.
Strength had always been one of his weaknesses.
And now, facing Narumiya Mei directly, he could clearly feel just how terrifying the Inashiro Ace had become.
Everything about Narumiya's pitching existed to challenge Seido.
More specifically—
To challenge Zhou Hao himself.
The Ace of Inashiro Industrial had never stopped improving.
His focus was sharper.
His pitching motion smoother.
His velocity faster.
If that were all, Zhou Hao wouldn't have been too concerned.
With his current skill level, making contact with Narumiya's pitches wasn't impossible.
After all, Zhou Hao himself had never stopped improving over the past year either.
But the real problem lay elsewhere.
Narumiya Mei's pitches now possessed an extraordinary late break.
That subtle movement at the very end made it nearly impossible for Zhou Hao to control where the ball would go after contact.
In other words—
Even if he could hit the ball, he couldn't hit it cleanly.
Every swing felt restricted.
Every adjustment felt forced.
After silently calculating the odds, Zhou Hao estimated his chances of getting a solid Hit at less than thirty percent.
It wasn't because he lacked effort.
It was because Narumiya Mei had completely evolved.
The pitcher standing before him now was fundamentally different from the Narumiya of the past.
Under those circumstances, gaining the upper hand was naturally extremely difficult.
"What should I do…?"
Even though crushing Narumiya's pitch wasn't easy—
Zhou Hao still refused to give up.
His mind worked rapidly, searching for a solution.
And at that exact moment—
A familiar voice suddenly echoed in his head.
It was the system.
Ever since his own abilities had improved, Zhou Hao had intentionally avoided relying on the system's assistance.
He wanted to face opponents using his own strength.
Because of that, system notifications had become increasingly rare.
But today, this was already the second time.
The first notification had informed him that he successfully learned Narumiya Mei's Screwball Changeup.
So what was this one for?
Before Zhou Hao could think further, new information flooded into his mind.
[Through the host's efforts over the past year, the system has officially upgraded to Version 2.0.]
[To better assist the host, a new lottery function has been added.]
[For every match victory, the host will receive one lottery chance.]
[As a bonus reward, the host has been granted one free draw.]
A lottery?
Ever since awakening the Sharingan, Zhou Hao hadn't felt this excited in a very long time.
Originally, his attitude toward the system had gradually changed.
He wanted to minimize its influence on him.
After all, the more he relied on it, the more restricted his own growth became.
Only by breaking free from those invisible shackles could he truly continue evolving.
But this…
This was different.
What exactly would he draw?
And more importantly—
Could it help him right now?
"Start the lottery."
[Does the host confirm the lottery draw?]
"Confirmed."
[Lottery starting…]
[Lottery complete.]
[Congratulations. Host has obtained: Strength Experience Card +1.]
A glittering golden card instantly appeared in Zhou Hao's mind.
Without even needing an explanation, he instinctively understood how to use it.
"…Defeating opponents with my own strength is definitely more satisfying."
"But honestly…"
"This kind of cheating feels pretty addictive too."
A mischievous smile appeared on Zhou Hao's face as he looked toward Narumiya Mei on the mound.
Originally, he hadn't planned to use outside assistance at all.
If the game reached its critical stage and he still couldn't create an opening for Seido…
Then he had already prepared his final trump card.
Ever since awakening his Genjutsu ability—
Zhou Hao had never once used it during an actual game.
After all, if victory could be achieved fairly, why resort to tricks that manipulated an opponent's mind?
Forcing errors through illusions…
Even if it led to victory, it still wouldn't feel right.
But this Strength Experience Card was different.
He wasn't weakening the opponent.
He was simply strengthening himself.
If he crushed Narumiya Mei under those conditions, then it would only prove one thing—
Narumiya wasn't strong enough.
And Zhou Hao wouldn't feel any guilt over that.
"Use it."
Without hesitation, Zhou Hao activated the card.
He was going to smash Narumiya Mei's pitch head-on.
The golden card vanished instantly.
At the same time, a powerful surge spread through Zhou Hao's body.
So this was what Strength +1 felt like.
Unlike a general physical enhancement, this increase focused purely on raw strength.
Combined with Zhou Hao's already impressive natural power—
The result was explosive.
At that moment, Zhou Hao suddenly felt that forget 150 km/h—
Even pitches exceeding 155 km/h could be blasted away cleanly.
That was the terrifying advantage of overwhelming strength.
It was similar to a pitcher's velocity.
As long as a pitch was fast enough while still landing in the Strike Zone—
That pitcher became nearly invincible.
And right now, Zhou Hao felt exactly the same way.
[Strength Experience Card +1 activated successfully.]
[Host's strength increased by one point. Duration: 10 minutes.]
"What a waste…"
Seeing the time limit, Zhou Hao couldn't help complaining inwardly.
The only moment he truly needed it was right now.
After this at-bat, it probably wouldn't matter much anymore.
At this moment, Zhou Hao still hadn't realized something important.
This temporary increase in strength wouldn't just affect his batting.
It would also dramatically impact his pitching.
And before long—
That terrifying increase would shock the entire nation once again.
But right now, Zhou Hao only had one thing on his mind:
Crushing Narumiya Mei's pitch.
On the mound, Narumiya Mei stood like an insurmountable wall.
Even while facing the nation's number-one player, there wasn't the slightest trace of fear in his eyes.
If anything—
He looked completely confident that he could strike Zhou Hao out at any moment.
The players of Inashiro Industrial naturally gravitated toward their Ace.
Every gaze directed at Narumiya Mei was filled with admiration and trust.
"Two outs!"
"Finish him here!"
"Don't give Seido another chance!"
The score remained tied at 0–0.
Under those circumstances, Zhou Hao's presence in the Batter's Box felt overwhelmingly dangerous to Inashiro.
Whenever Seido faced elite pitchers, it was usually Zhou Hao who shattered the deadlock.
Now that Narumiya Mei had also displayed the brilliance of a true top-tier Ace—
Zhou Hao had become the obstacle Inashiro feared most.
And the louder Inashiro's players shouted…
The more obvious their nervousness became.
Meanwhile, Zhou Hao remained calm.
Feeling the explosive power coursing through his body, his eyes never left Narumiya Mei.
Ten minutes.
That was all he had.
He needed to act fast.
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
Narumiya Mei finally moved.
"BOOM!"
The instant the baseball left his hand, a deafening sonic blast erupted across the field.
The pitch roared forward as if it intended to sweep away everything in its path.
The Seido players watching from the dugout all wore solemn expressions.
…Was it just their imagination?
The Seido players watching from the dugout all felt the same thing.
Narumiya Mei's pitch somehow seemed even more terrifying than before.
Zhou Hao's hitting power had always been considered one of his weaker areas.
Under these circumstances…
Could he really blast Narumiya's pitch away?
Could he even get a Hit?
Unlike the supporters in the stands, Seido's players actually understood baseball deeply.
And more importantly, they understood Zhou Hao.
Because of that, they couldn't blindly convince themselves everything would work out.
Meanwhile, the fans in the stands still believed in Zhou Hao unconditionally.
Standing in the Batter's Box, Zhou Hao watched the baseball hurtling toward him and tightened both hands around the bat.
There's a chance.
The pitch was incredibly fast, and Narumiya had intentionally targeted the middle area.
By doing so, it became much harder to pull the ball toward either foul side for a home run.
Narumiya Mei had clearly planned this carefully.
Even if Zhou Hao managed to make contact…
…he still shouldn't have enough power to send it over the fence.
At least, that was the theory.
After all, Zhou Hao's raw power had never been his specialty.
"You brought this on yourself."
Zhou Hao gripped the bat tightly and swung without hesitation at the incoming baseball.
He had no intention of waiting any longer.
Because he understood something very clearly—
If Narumiya truly decided not to let him touch the ball, then waiting would accomplish absolutely nothing.
So instead of hesitating, Zhou Hao unleashed everything he had in one swing.
At that moment, the terrifying strength surging through his body exploded completely.
Harada, Inashiro Industrial's starting catcher, widened his eyes in shock.
Zhou Hao's swing…
…was completely different from before.
Had his hitting power improved?
Just as that thought flashed through Harada's mind—
"CRACK!"
The bat connected perfectly with the baseball.
The instant contact was made, even Zhou Hao himself looked briefly stunned.
Just as he expected, Narumiya Mei's pitch was unbelievably heavy.
But this time…
…it felt different.
Before, even when he made perfect contact, he lacked the strength to truly drive the ball.
No matter how accurate the swing was, he couldn't send it far enough.
But now—
The moment the bat touched the ball, Zhou Hao instantly realized something.
He could do it.
"BOOM!"
The baseball exploded into the sky like an anti-aircraft shell.
On the mound, Narumiya Mei remained relatively calm after seeing the hit.
"Carlos!"
He immediately placed his hopes on his center fielder.
Carlos reacted instantly.
Cautious and incredibly fast, he sprinted after the ball without hesitation.
But the farther he chased…
…the more nervous he became.
At first, Carlos was certain the ball wouldn't leave the park.
From home plate to center field, the distance was enormous.
To clear the stands from there, the ball would need to travel over a hundred meters—
Possibly close to one hundred twenty.
Logically speaking, Zhou Hao shouldn't have had enough power to hit Narumiya Mei's pitch that far.
His power simply wasn't supposed to be enough.
But as the baseball continued soaring deeper into center field, uncertainty began creeping into Carlos's mind.
Was this just luck?
Or…
Had Zhou Hao's strength really increased?
"Impossible…"
Carlos sprinted desperately all the way to the warning track.
As he approached the outfield wall, the baseball finally began descending.
"I knew it…"
For a moment, Carlos thought the ball would fall short.
But even while dropping, the baseball continued carrying forward.
It was going over the wall.
"No!!"
Carlos exploded with everything he had left.
He took several rapid steps, planted his foot against the wall, and launched himself into the air.
The Inashiro supporters in the stands were completely stunned.
They watched Carlos soar upward, their minds going blank.
The ball was about to leave the park—
And Carlos was actually trying to drag it back?
Was this even high school baseball anymore?
While everyone stared in shock—
"SMACK!"
The baseball slammed into Carlos's glove.
For one brief instant, it looked like he might actually catch it.
Then—
The ball bounced free.
"THUD!"
The baseball crashed into the center-field stands.
The commentator was so stunned that he froze momentarily before finally shouting into the microphone.
"It's gone!"
"HOME RUN!!"
"Zhou Hao has blasted it out of the park!"
"And Seido High School scores the first run of the game!"
Score:
Seido High School — 1
Inashiro Industrial — 0
The Seido supporters instantly erupted.
Their eyes practically glowed with excitement.
"It actually went out?!"
"Incredible! Zhou Hao really crushed Narumiya Mei's pitch!"
"The first run is ours!"
"Did you seriously think we'd collapse like last autumn again?"
"Keep dreaming!"
"You'll never get that chance twice!"
"This run is the winning run!"
The Seido crowd was beyond ecstatic.
Even if they didn't fully understand how unbelievable that home run truly was, they knew one thing—
Zhou Hao had done it again.
Meanwhile, the Inashiro players stood frozen in disbelief.
Unlike the fans, they understood exactly how absurd this was.
They knew Zhou Hao's hitting power better than anyone.
Logically speaking, there was no way he should have been able to send Narumiya Mei's pitch over the fence.
And yet—
He had done exactly that.
"Is this guy even human…?"
"Did his strength improve again?"
The moment that thought surfaced, the hearts of Inashiro's players trembled.
Facing the current Zhou Hao was already suffocating enough.
If he had evolved even further…
They genuinely couldn't imagine how they were supposed to stop him anymore.