The score was 4–0.
The game between Seidou High School and Rokkaku High School had barely begun, yet the gap between the two sides was already enormous.
Objectively speaking, with such a large early lead, Seidou had practically secured the victory.
Even Osaka Kiryu, the team that had scored the most runs against them so far, had only managed a mere three.
With that in mind, the players of Rokkaku High School clearly did not possess the strength to challenge Seidou—let alone surpass Osaka Kiryu's performance.
Realistically, even if Seidou's pitcher at the moment wasn't their true Ace, Zhou Hao, Rokkaku's lineup still wouldn't be able to push across more than three runs.
And Seidou's offense?
It was nowhere near finished.
Under such circumstances, the possibility of Rokkaku High turning the game around was nearly zero—so small it could be ignored entirely.
No one could see a future where they made a comeback.
Yet Rokkaku High's players showed no intention of giving up.
After a stern talk from their coach, every one of them stepped back onto the field with unyielding determination burning in their eyes.
Especially their pitcher, Mitai—his gaze toward Seidou was sharp and dangerous, like a wolf cornered but not defeated.
He remembered vividly how completely he had collapsed in the first inning.
And he knew exactly who had caused it.
Zhou Hao.
He was determined not to let the same humiliation happen again.
Believe in your pitch. Trust the power in your arm. If ordinary pitches won't work, then I'll throw something harder to hit!
Mitai recited this to himself over and over.
After taking a steady breath, he lifted his leg and began his windup.
Just from his stance, everyone watching felt tension spike through their bodies.
The Seidou players felt it most strongly.
Something about him had changed.
Boom!
Mitai unleashed the pitch.
The baseball hissed through the air, whipping past the batter's box and arriving before Zhou Hao in an instant.
The entire stadium froze for a moment.
Their intuition had been right—the pitch carried far more power than anything Mitai had thrown earlier.
A collective headache washed over the Seidou dugout.
This is bad… trouble is coming.
A pitcher who had already crumbled earlier…
A score so lopsided the game was essentially decided…
Under normal circumstances, any pitcher's spirit would have shattered completely.
But Mitai was the opposite.
Instead of breaking apart, he had awakened—
his resolve hardened, his focus sharpened, and his power intensified.
As a power pitcher, this sudden second wind made him more dangerous than ever.
Especially now, standing face-to-face with Zhou Hao.
Everyone knew Zhou Hao's batting tendencies well.
He could track tricky pitches effortlessly—nothing could escape his eyes.
But raw strength…
Overwhelming speed and force…
That was one of the few ways to suppress him.
Just as the fans began to worry—
Zhou Hao moved.
He stepped forward, loading more force into his swing.
The bat cut through the air with a deep, rumbling whoosh.
Rokkaku's catcher felt his heart clench.
Zhou Hao's swing was even stronger than expected.
Even after facing him once, seeing it again up close made chills run down his spine.
A terrible premonition gripped him.
Ping!
Despite swinging mid-step, Zhou Hao's bat connected cleanly with the ball.
The baseball shot high into the air.
Every eye in the stadium followed its trajectory.
Please stop it—! Please!
The catcher, along with the bench players of Rokkaku High, prayed desperately.
Their outfielder sprinted with all his might, legs burning, heart pounding, wishing he could grow wings—
But no matter how fast he ran, the ball dropped and bounced.
Seidou's dugout erupted in applause.
To them, getting a hit off this pitcher wasn't surprising.
What truly earned their applause was Zhou Hao himself.
They had expected him to struggle against such a powerful pitch.
Yet he had crushed it—sending it cleanly into the outfield.
Had his strength increased again?
Zhou Hao's only real weakness, his raw power, was fading more and more.
Now, his hitting ability surpassed even several of Seidou's core players.
Could it still be called a weakness?
"He's becoming invincible…"
Across Japan, former rivals watching the broadcast sighed helplessly.
Facing Seidou in the future meant facing him.
How are we supposed to get him out?
How do you pitch to this monster?
Even without stepping on the mound, he was the brightest star on the field.
Zhou Hao stopped safely at second base, unwilling to take unnecessary risks with two strong hitters behind him.
But even this was too cruel for Rokkaku High.
They had just survived one collapse.
Their Ace had miraculously regained his composure and even improved.
Fans began to admire them—they were tenacious, stubborn, admirable even.
Rokkaku High was a national top-four team for a reason.
Too bad their opponent was Seidou.
And too bad Zhou Hao existed.
Now the crisis struck them again—
even harsher than before.
Could they survive this one?
Even if they did, what about the third? The fourth?
"Their chances are gone. The gap is too big."
No one disagreed.
The outcome felt inevitable.
Mitai, however, hadn't given up.
Even after giving up a hit, his fighting spirit only burned brighter.
"This is a real monster…"
Compared to previous opponents, Seidou's strength was on another level.
Their core lineup was the best in Japan.
Their supporting batters weren't far behind—able to exhaust a pitcher or deliver clutch hits at any moment.
Realizing this, Mitai's pitches became even sharper.
Boom!
Yuki stepped into the batter's box.
Boom!!
A thunderous swing echoed, and the baseball streaked into the outfield before Rokkaku High's fielders could react.
Zhou Hao dashed home like the wind.
"Safe!"
Seidou scored again.
5–0.
Fans were left speechless.
"Has there ever been such fast scoring in a Koshien semifinal…?"
Normally, semifinal teams were all elite.
Early-game blowouts were rare.
Everyone usually played cautiously under nationwide scrutiny.
Yet Seidou was already up five runs before even finishing two innings.
They were simply too strong.
Even though Mitai later walked Azuma Kiyokuni, handled ShimoI, and secured a double play, it barely mattered.
The disadvantage was already carved in stone.
The second inning ended, 5–0.
The third inning came.
Rokkaku High went on offense.
Thwack!
"Out!"
"Out!!"
"Out!!!"
It felt like they had just stepped onto the field only to be immediately shut down.
They couldn't even score a hit.
Their morale plummeted.
Bottom of the third.
Mitai gritted his teeth and managed to retire Yoshida, Isashiki Jun, and the ninth batter.
For Rokkaku, this was a small miracle—finally an inning without allowing a run.
But no one on the team could smile.
Three innings had passed.
Seidou's lineup had nearly completed two full rotations.
And when the fourth inning began…
Zhou Hao would bat again.
For the third time.
And Mitai—for all his resolve, all his pride—
he had no way to stop them.
None at all.
Two rotations were enough for Seidou to decode him completely.
When that happened…
Seidou would start scoring again.
The real avalanche was only about to begin.