The moment the baseball soared through the air,
the players and supporters of Seidou High School erupted in excitement.
Even if they couldn't do it themselves,
seeing Yuki Tetsuya connect so perfectly sent adrenaline coursing through their veins.
It was the feeling of overwhelming power.
For an instant, everyone thought they were about to witness the second home run of the game.
However, they soon realized things weren't quite as they imagined.
The ball flew high—so high that most people lost sight of it.
It traveled far… but not far enough.
After about seventy to eighty meters, the baseball began to drop sharply.
"Will it make it through!?" someone shouted.
By now, no one was hoping for another home run.
If it could just land safely for a deep hit, that would be enough to satisfy them.
But even that small wish went unfulfilled.
The Ikeda High School outfielder was already waiting at the landing spot,
catching the ball cleanly in his glove.
Thwack!
"Out!"
Two outs. No one on base.
Though the Ikeda fielder had successfully made the catch,
his expression was anything but relaxed.
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
That nearly went over the fence… How could Akahoshi's cut ball be hit that far!?
If he hadn't caught it himself, he might've doubted whether something was wrong with his ace's pitching.
Some players felt regret, others fear.
But in the end, the Ikeda High School Baseball Team had the advantage—
they'd regained a bit of pride after that earlier home run.
Next up was Seidou's cleanup hitter.
"Boom!"
Azuma Kiyokuni's swing was ferocious, pure strength and will in motion.
It felt as if just touching the ball would send it flying.
Ping!
But once the bat made contact, the ball barely traveled twenty meters before hitting the dirt and bouncing weakly.
"Infield grounder!"
"It popped up too much again! What's wrong with that guy!?"
Thwack!
The Ikeda shortstop scooped up the ball and fired it to first base.
"Out!"
Three outs. Sides retired.
Even after the inning ended, the Seidou dugout remained restless.
Their emotions were still riding high.
Zhou Hao's home run had been explosive,
but the next two power hitters had both failed to find the sweet spot.
One's ball was caught deep in the outfield; the other grounded out to the infield.
Neither managed to truly crush Akahoshi's pitch.
"That guy Akahoshi has some serious skill."
"Yeah. Something's off about the angle of his cut ball."
"It's not just the angle—his pitch must have a crazy late break."
"Otherwise, Yuki and Azuma would've sent those balls out of the park for sure."
If even they couldn't drive it out, that said a lot.
"Nice job!"
"Three outs!"
The Ikeda players were fired up.
It wasn't until they actually faced Seidou head-on
that they realized just how terrifyingly strong their lineup was.
Even though they had allowed an early run,
the inning's end felt like a victory.
Shutting down both Yuki and Azuma had restored their confidence—
and perhaps shaken Seidou's a little.
"It's not over yet! Let's keep it going!"
As the game entered the top of the second inning,
Zhou Hao took his place back on the mound.
The first batter up for Ikeda was their cleanup hitter, Amagaya.
Following him was Akahoshi himself.
Zhou Hao gripped the ball firmly, took his stance, and fired his first pitch without hesitation.
Boom!
The moment the ball left his hand,
a sharp whoosh cut through the air.
Amagaya's eyes widened in disbelief.
He had watched Zhou Hao pitch before—but that was from the safety of the dugout.
Seeing it up close from the batter's box was something else entirely.
That spiral ball…
It wasn't something he could handle.
He couldn't hit it.
Thud!
"Strike!"
One strike, no balls.
Amagaya's expression paled.
His instincts screamed that even if he made contact, it would be useless.
Still—he was the cleanup batter.
He couldn't just stand there frozen.
Zhou Hao's second pitch came flying.
Amagaya swung with all his might—
—and missed completely.
Thwack!
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
"Strikeout!!"
One out. No one on base.
The Ikeda players and supporters fell silent, sinking into despair.
They weren't just being suppressed—they were being dominated.
"Even their cleanup hitter couldn't touch him…"
"Then what chance do the rest of them have?"
Next up was Ikeda's fifth batter.
Coach Taniguchi gestured from the dugout, signaling him to stall and draw out the at-bat.
If they couldn't hit Zhou Hao, they could at least make him throw more pitches.
But the fifth batter wasn't confident he could even last that long.
At that moment, something strange happened.
Zhou Hao, who was preparing to pitch, suddenly froze on the mound.
He didn't move for several seconds—
long enough for the home plate umpire to speak up.
"Seidou's pitcher! You're running out of time!"
"Ah—sorry!"
Zhou Hao blinked, snapping out of it like someone waking from a dream.
Behind the plate, Miyuki Kazuya frowned, unease creeping in.
Is something wrong with him?
If Zhou Hao was hurt or unwell, Seidou would be in serious trouble.
No one knew better than Miyuki how much the team relied on Zhou Hao right now.
If something happened to him… it didn't even bear thinking about.
But his worry was unfounded.
Zhou Hao wasn't injured.
He had simply been caught off guard by a sudden system prompt echoing in his mind.
[Congratulations, Host! After six consecutive victories, you have successfully advanced to Chunin!]
[Host may now draw the Chunin Reward!]