"I—"
Hearing Chris's words, Zhou Hao hesitated, guilt flickering in his eyes.
Before he could say anything, Chris reached out and stopped him.
"You don't need to feel guilty," he said firmly. "This is part of our job as catchers. If we're talking about burdens, your wrist takes even more than ours. Just control how often you throw the Spiral Ball each inning."
Zhou Hao hadn't gone for a check-up yet, and his hand hadn't shown any issues so far.
But Chris wasn't convinced.
A pitch with that much power—one capable of carving through the air like a blade—couldn't possibly come without side effects. It was just a matter of when they would show up.
Now that they'd noticed the problem early, it was only right to take precautions.
"I understand. Thank you, senpai," Zhou Hao replied earnestly.
Miyuki nodded as well. He had caught Zhou Hao's Spiral Ball before and knew firsthand how frightening its power was.
At first, he hadn't noticed any side effects—he'd simply been impressed by the pitch's strength. But now, hearing Chris, he realized it wasn't that there weren't side effects. He'd just never caught enough of them to feel it.
Chris, on the other hand, had been catching Zhou Hao's Spiral Balls since the regional tournament, especially in high-pressure games. The cumulative strain had finally begun to show.
"We'll have to strengthen our arms and wrists," Miyuki said quietly.
Coach Kataoka had already decided that Seidou's two outstanding catchers would rotate. Chris, due to his injury, had accepted that decision.
But Miyuki hadn't.
As a competitor, he wanted to form the Ace battery with Zhou Hao.
And he didn't see that as a betrayal.
To Miyuki, the best way to respect Chris was to compete with everything he had—to push himself until he could stand beside his senior as an equal.
"Then tomorrow's game…" Miyuki began.
"Of course," Chris interrupted, smirking. "You'll still need to use the Spiral Ball. Give the opponent a good warning. You've never caught Zhou Hao's new Spiral Ball before, have you? You'll enjoy it."
There was confidence in Chris's smile. He didn't doubt Miyuki's skill—he knew Miyuki could handle Zhou Hao's Spiral Ball.
But being able to catch it was one thing.
Being ready for the shock of it was another.
"Then I'm really looking forward to it," Miyuki replied, grinning. His eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Facing a powerhouse like Ikeda High School, starting as Seidou's catcher was a huge opportunity.
If he performed well, it would not only sharpen his experience but also elevate his standing within the team.
Just thinking about it made his blood rush. He couldn't wait to take the field.
The next morning, outside the gates of Koshien Stadium—
A tall man and a young boy arrived together, both staring in awe at the crowd before them.
It was packed like a festival, streams of fans pouring into the venue.
"There's… so many people!" the boy gasped, eyes wide.
"Of course," his older brother said with a smile. "This is the most anticipated matchup at Koshien—a powerhouse versus the ultimate dark horse. Everyone's here to see it."
"Seidou High School's that popular? I heard there's a pitcher named Zhou Hao on their team. Who's stronger—you or him, big brother?"
The older boy chuckled. "How could I compare? He's a superstar first-year. He almost crushed Osaka Kiryu all by himself."
"Seriously? Then if you guys ever face Seidou, you'd definitely lose," the boy said teasingly.
"Not necessarily," the older one replied. "I might not match his power, but it won't be easy for them to score on me either."
As they continued walking, a fan in the crowd suddenly pointed.
"Oh my god! That's Akutsu from Kanagawa!"
"The Magician on the Mound—Akutsu?"
"Who else could it be?"
"He and Zhou Hao are called the two greatest pitching artists in Koshien! Watching either of them pitch is pure enjoyment."
"One's calm and powerful, the other mysterious and unpredictable."
"I saw that article in the weekly paper—it compared both of them!"
"I can't believe Akutsu actually came to watch Seidou's game in person!"
"He must be here for Zhou Hao, right?"
Akutsu, hearing his name, didn't deny it. He smiled and raised his hand, greeting the fans.
"Hello, everyone."
Up close, his presence was striking. From afar, he hadn't seemed that tall—but standing near him, fans realized he was easily a head above the crowd.
"So tall!"
"Must be around 1.9 meters!"
"No, 188 centimeters exactly!"
After taking a few photos, Akutsu led his younger brother into the stadium.
As they stepped out of the tunnel into the stands, the sight before them was breathtaking.
The entire stadium was packed—barely a single empty seat remained. Even the outfield bleachers were filled with spectators.
"Wow…" the boy whispered, awestruck.
He'd never imagined a group final could draw such a massive crowd.
Akutsu's gaze swept the field. Both teams were already warming up.
But unlike what most expected, his eyes didn't seek out Zhou Hao.
Instead, they stopped on a player from Ikeda High School—Akaboshi.
"Akaboshi… it's been a while," Akutsu murmured. "You'd better not lose."
Though Zhou Hao was famous, Akutsu wasn't particularly interested in him. His attention was on his old teammate.
As if sensing his gaze, Akaboshi suddenly looked toward the stands.
"Someone there?" one of his teammates asked, squinting.
The crowd was too dense to make out anyone clearly.
"Nothing," Akaboshi said, smiling faintly. "Just an old friend."
He turned back toward the field, his expression sharpening.
"Seidou High School, huh? I've been looking forward to this."
The players from both teams took their positions.
The umpire's voice echoed through the stadium.
"Koshien—Third Round, Group Final! The match between Seidou High School and Ikeda High School is now underway!"
After the coin toss, Ikeda High School took the first turn at bat.
On the mound, the starting pitcher for Seidou High School—
Zhou Hao—took his position.