The score was 2–0.
Two outs, runners on first and third.
By all logic, Seido High School Baseball Team's offense should have ended long ago.
Yet securing that final out had become impossibly difficult for their opponents—no matter how desperately they tried.
The fans in the stands watched in stunned admiration.
Seido's offensive power was simply overwhelming.
Earlier, Mitai's pitch had struck out Yuki.
Even if there had been some luck involved, his pitching ability was undeniably strong.
And since Rokkaku High School was one of the top four teams in the nation, many spectators assumed that aside from Seido's three monstrous power hitters, the rest of their lineup would struggle.
But that hopeful speculation was shattered almost instantly.
Both Shimoi Teru, the fifth batter, and Chris, the sixth batter, landed clean hits.
Rokkaku High School was suddenly pushed to the brink.
"They underestimated Seido's middle and lower-order batters," a reporter in the stands commented knowingly. "They faced top-tier national pitchers earlier in the tournament, so they couldn't fully show their ability. But that doesn't mean they're weak."
In truth, Seido's middle lineup had performed well throughout the tournament.
It was just that their opponents were too strong…
and Seido's three core hitters were too blindingly dominant.
This combination led people to believe players like Shimoi and Chris weren't particularly impressive.
But was that true?
Of course not.
Everyone in Seido's lineup was strong.
And the moment their opponents showed even the slightest flaw—they would strike without mercy.
Even when they didn't get a hit, they placed tremendous mental pressure on the pitcher.
This pressure accumulated, grinding down both body and mind.
Just like in their previous game against Akutsu of Seisho High.
Everyone knew Akutsu was an "iron man" of a pitcher—both his velocity and stamina were top-tier.
Yet Seido's relentless batting wore him down inning by inning.
By the late game, his stamina faltered.
Zhou Hao seized that narrow opening and launched a clean, effortless blast out of the field.
That shifted the momentum and earned Seido their second run.
If not for bad timing, the other batters could have extended the lead even further.
Now, facing Rokkaku High School, Seido's overshadowed players were finally stepping into the spotlight.
"For other teams, the deeper the game goes, the stronger their opponents feel. But for Seido…"
Many fans shared the same thought.
They had been watching Seido's Koshien journey since the very beginning.
They had seen them overcome the defending national champions and the third-seeded powerhouse.
Compared to those monsters, today's opponent seemed painfully fragile.
"Seventh batter—pitcher—Yoshida!"
The moment Yoshida stepped into the batter's box, the stadium buzzed.
His pitching today had been exceptional.
Even Seido's own players were impressed.
Who could have predicted that after sitting out one game, Yoshida would return like this—pitching with terrifying strength?
And now, if he performed well at bat too…
he could very well become the Ace of today's match.
"Hit it! Come on, Yoshida—hit it!!"
Seido's graduated third-years—who had already left the team—shouted at the top of their lungs from the stands.
They shouldn't still be here.
But how could they cut ties so easily?
Their feelings for the team ran too deep.
Even though Zhou Hao was undeniably the true Ace of the current squad…
Yoshida was the Ace of their year.
Their pride.
Their rival.
Their hope.
At this moment, all those emotions were placed onto Yoshida's shoulders.
On the mound, Yoshida raised his bat high.
His sharp eyes locked onto the pitcher like a searchlight.
Lowering his stance, gripping the bat tight—
he poured every ounce of strength into that moment.
He would hit this pitch.
Not just for the team—
but for himself.
Zhou Hao was the Ace.
Even Yoshida acknowledged that.
But acknowledging was one thing.
Giving up was another.
Yoshida refused to yield.
Even if it meant nothing to others, this fire inside him—this unwillingness—was what pushed him forward.
"PING!"
The bat connected the moment the ball entered the zone.
The coaches and players of Rokkaku High School watched in disbelief as the baseball flew out—again.
Before today, Seido had never shown such monstrous offensive power.
But now…
They were completely unleashed.
Even Rokkaku's coach, slow as he had been to react, understood instantly:
Their Ace was in trouble.
His pitches were being hit repeatedly.
There was no other explanation.
He had been shaken.
And Seido did not let shaken opponents recover.
The ball bounced sharply across the infield.
Seido's dugout roared.
"It got through!!"
Shimoi, already sprinting from third, watched the ball land and bolted for home.
"Safe!!"
Another run—
3–0.
A three-run lead.
And the game had barely begun.
Fans familiar with Seido's strength couldn't help frowning.
The first inning wasn't even finished.
Rokkaku High School looked helpless.
Even if they managed to score later, by then it would already be too late.
Chris advanced to third.
Yoshida safely reached first.
Still two outs, runners on first and third.
A terrifying sight for Rokkaku High School.
Their players' faces were pale.
The despair was palpable.
"Eighth batter—center fielder—Isashiki Jun!"
Isashiki stepped up.
Rokkaku's players—and even Mitai—still hadn't recovered from the barrage of hits.
Isashiki showed no sympathy.
WHOOOSH!
Mitai's pitch had lost its previous sharpness.
Isashiki did not hesitate.
PING!
The ball soared high—
THWACK!
It landed again.
"It got through!!"
Chris sprinted home.
"SAFE!!"
Two more runs with two outs.
The score: 4–0.
The Seido supporters exploded in joy.
All the doubts they'd endured—
all the criticism aimed at their lower-order batters—
finally shattered.
No one could expect the lower lineup to be as terrifying as the top three.
But they didn't need to be.
As long as they performed at the level expected of them—
that was enough.
The inning finally ended with Seido leading 4–0.
Rokkaku High School survived, but everyone knew:
This was only the beginning.
Fans who came expecting a fierce match could only sigh.
"What a pity."
"I thought Rokkaku would put up more of a fight…"
"All we can do now is enjoy Seido's offense."
Seido was famous for its terrifying hitting power nationwide.
Especially the three core sluggers whose performance bordered on monstrous.
But because of their tough opponents earlier in the tournament, Seido hadn't fully unleashed their power until now.
Today, Rokkaku High School was the perfect target.
Rokkaku's coach sensed the incoming disaster.
But he couldn't make a substitution.
If Mitai came off the mound, their team would collapse instantly.
All he could do was pray the damage wouldn't get worse.
Mitai blamed himself heavily.
The coach tried to redirect him:
"Your pitching just now was too serious—too forceful. You didn't control your variation."
Mitai nodded, face tight.
He wasn't Kuroda.
He couldn't overwhelm Seido with raw speed.
Once Seido adapted to his pitching rhythm, they would attack from every angle.
That was the truth—
and they had hit him cleanly, again and again.
Top of the second.
Rokkaku on offense.
Yoshida resumed pitching as if nothing had happened—
and took three quick outs.
Bottom of the second.
Matsumoto stepped up first.
Mitai had recovered some control.
PING!
Matsumoto hit, but Rokkaku fielded cleanly.
"OUT!"
One out, bases empty.
"Second batter—outfielder—Zhou Hao!"
Zhou Hao stepped up for his second at-bat.
This was the worst nightmare for Rokkaku's coach and players.
A dreadful premonition filled their hearts.