One out, runners on first and third.
"Fourth batter, number five, third baseman — Azuma Kiyokuni!"
As Azuma stepped into the batter's box, the grandstands erupted like a crashing wave.
"Hit it out! Give him a big one!"
"That pitcher's rattled — now's the chance!"
"Azuma-senpai, show them your monster power!"
"It's time to show them what Seidou's cleanup hitter can do!"
Amid the thunderous chants, Azuma stood tall — like a tank rolling onto the battlefield.
Behind the plate, Arayashiki High School's catcher glanced at Zhou Hao on third, then at Yuki on first.
As Uekusa's trusted partner, he understood his pitcher's mental state better than anyone.
Uekusa's pride in his pitching had already taken two hits — first from Zhou Hao, then from Yuki.
Different batting styles, same outcome: both had reached base successfully.
For someone as confident as Uekusa, that was a hard blow.
And now, facing Seidou's cleanup hitter, the psychological pressure was immense.
If Seidou had sent up a weaker batter here, things would have been easier.
At least Uekusa would've had time to regain his composure.
But fate wasn't so kind — the next to bat was none other than Azuma.
Even before Zhou Hao's rise, even before Seidou's resurgence, Azuma's name had already been known across Japan.
He was a slugger feared nationwide — the kind of batter who could turn any pitch into a nightmare.
Now, standing in the box with that overwhelming aura, the weight pressing down on Uekusa was unimaginable.
"If it really doesn't work, we can walk him," the catcher signaled.
But Uekusa immediately shook his head.
"No."
The enemy is strong — but if we back down now, the game is lost.
"There's already a gap in our strength," he muttered. "If we retreat now, we'll never catch up."
As the saying goes: one step slow, every step slow.
That was an outcome Uekusa refused to accept.
"So what do we do?" the catcher asked quietly. "Face him head-on?"
"Yes," Uekusa replied without hesitation. "He's a powerhouse — bold, fearless, precise.
To beat a batter like that, we'll need to strike through precision and angles. Win through the details."
Seeing the unshakable determination on Uekusa's face, the catcher clenched his jaw and nodded.
"Then let's do it."
Their team revolved around Uekusa.
As long as he stood on the mound, none of them would give up.
All across the field, Arayashiki High School's players readied their stances.
A wall of defense waiting for impact.
With everything in place, Uekusa wound up and threw.
"Whoosh!"
The baseball hissed through the air — then curved sharply just before reaching the strike zone.
"Thwack!"
"Strike!"
Azuma Kiyokuni didn't swing at the first pitch.
He simply watched as the ball snapped past him, narrowing his eyes afterward.
"Interesting…"
Uekusa didn't give him time to think.
"Whoosh!"
The second pitch came flying in fast — aggressive and tight.
"You're asking for it," Azuma growled under his breath.
He gripped the bat tightly, his arms bulging with power.
As the white ball hurtled closer, he unleashed his swing without hesitation.
"Boom!"
Mid-swing, realization struck him like lightning.
Damn it — a trap!
Even with his motion already halfway through, Azuma forcibly adjusted his bat's path.
"Ping!"
The ball clipped the edge of the bat, slicing foul down the third-base line.
"Foul!"
One strike, one foul.
From the looks of it, Seidou's fourth batter was being suppressed.
"He really struggles with those tight-angle pitches," the Arayashiki catcher said, eyes glinting with satisfaction.
He couldn't help but admire his partner.
Uekusa wasn't just a powerful pitcher — his tactical awareness was razor-sharp.
"Next pitch," the catcher signaled, "finish him."
Uekusa didn't hesitate. He reared back and fired again.
"Whoosh!"
The pitch cut through the air, angling sharply toward the inside corner.
From Seidou's dugout, several players frowned.
They knew what that pitch location meant for Azuma.
That inside zone was the hardest place for him to connect cleanly.
"These guys are playing dirty," someone muttered.
"If he mishits, Zhou Hao could get caught on third."
But in the batter's box, Azuma Kiyokuni was a beast unchained.
His massive hands tightened around the bat, his biceps bulging like coiled steel.
As the baseball neared, he swung with all his might.
"Die, you bastard!"
"BOOM!!"
The sound of his bat cutting through the air sent shivers across the field.
Even the crowd fell silent for an instant.
But the Arayashiki catcher's eyes gleamed with confidence.
Seeing Azuma commit to a full-power swing, he was certain.
"It's over!"
"Ping!"
The bat met the ball — and a blinding crack echoed through the stadium.
The ball rocketed off the bat like a cannon shot, flying far faster and higher than anyone expected.
For a split second, Arayashiki's players froze — unable to comprehend how powerful that hit was.
The third baseman didn't even have time to react.
He just watched the white blur soar past, well beyond his reach.
"Damn it! His power's insane!"
"This one's uncatchable—"
Even if the outfielders got to it, it wouldn't matter.
The hit was too deep, too clean — a guaranteed run.
Zhou Hao was already sprinting home from third.
Seidou's bench erupted.
Uekusa's face darkened.
A knee-level pitch — he still managed to hit that?!
It was an incredible feat. Even among top-tier sluggers, few could pull that off and keep it fair.
"Outfield!"
The Arayashiki outfielders, already anticipating the worst, broke into a dead sprint as the ball continued to climb through the sky.