The game between Seidou High School and Rokkaku High School had reached the top of the fourth inning.
The first batter for Rokkaku High School—also their leadoff hitter—stepped into the box for his second showdown against Yoshida.
Inside the Rokkaku dugout, and even among their supporters in the stands, a silent prayer spread like wildfire.
Score.
They had to score.
Even one run.
Two would be a miracle.
The scoreboard read 5–0.
At this point, the Rokkaku players had stopped thinking about a comeback.
Deep down, they understood the truth—they were no match for Seidou.
And worst of all…
Zhou Hao hadn't even taken the mound yet.
The mere thought filled them with dread.
If they were already being crushed by Seidou without their true Ace pitching, what kind of hopelessness awaited once the monstrous Zhou Hao stepped onto the mound?
Still, Rokkaku wasn't a team that had simply rolled into the national semi-finals by luck.
They had pride—stubborn, unyielding pride.
Giving up was not an option.
Since they weren't giving up, they needed a new goal.
Score a run.
Even just once.
At least touch home plate before this game ends.
And while Zhou Hao wasn't pitching, this was their one chance to get a hit off Yoshida.
"We can do this!"
"We must score!"
Their intent was obvious.
So obvious that the Seidou players—and even their supporters—caught on instantly.
Their opponents' desperation was practically written on their faces.
And if Seidou noticed this… could they allow it?
Of course not.
Especially not Yoshida.
If Zhou Hao were pitching right now, would Rokkaku still be this fired up?
Would they still dare to step into the batter's box with their backs straight?
Just imagining Zhou Hao's Spiral Fastball was enough to crush their courage.
So why…
Why were they acting like they could still fight?
"Are they treating me like I'm some pushover? A practice pitcher? A scoring machine?"
Yoshida's jaw tightened.
Unforgivable.
He lifted his glove, took the sign, and unleashed the pitch.
Whoosh!
The moment the ball left his hand, the Rokkaku leadoff hitter's heart dropped.
This was their second face-off, but Yoshida's pitch still carried a heavy pressure.
It wasn't that Yoshida was overwhelmingly powerful…
It was the fact that this was just Seidou's substitute pitcher.
Anyone who knew anything about Seidou understood:
Zhou Hao was the true, absolute Ace.
Yoshida was the backup.
Yet this "backup" was already overwhelming them.
"Do we… even have a chance?"
That single doubt flashed through the batter's mind.
And in that split-second—
Thwack!
The ball sailed past him.
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
"Strike three!!!"
Strikeout.
Swinging.
Without touching the ball even once.
It was a brutal punch to Rokkaku's morale.
If even their leadoff hitter—one of their best—couldn't make contact…
What hope did the others have?
The players in the dugout fell silent.
The audience was stunned as well.
Both teams had fought their way here through strength.
And Rokkaku wasn't a weak school by any means.
But the gap between them and Seidou…
Was far greater than anyone had imagined.
"If the teams Seidou crushed earlier in the tournament had faced someone else… they might've reached the semifinals."
"It's all about who you meet. Bad luck is part of tournaments."
But regrets meant nothing.
This was Koshien.
You rise—or you fall.
Next came the second batter.
Ping!
A clean hit—straight into the waiting glove of Seidou's fielder.
"Out!"
"Three outs, change!"
Even Seidou's fans were surprised.
Yoshida was performing far beyond expectations—so sharp, so composed.
He might not be Zhou Hao…
But he was still strong enough to overwhelm most teams in the nation.
"Yoshida, you're amazing today!"
"Keep going! Don't let them breathe!"
Bottom of the Fourth Inning
Seidou's lineup began its third rotation, with leadoff hitter Matsumoto stepping up first.
Matsumoto felt the pressure more than anyone.
In the early innings against strong teams, he had been quiet.
Too quiet.
Meanwhile, Seidou's three core sluggers carried most of the scoring.
Even the other regulars had managed hits.
He alone remained hitless.
"I'm a Seidou regular. I can't be the only one who fails."
When Mitai threw the pitch, Matsumoto swung with everything he had.
Ping!
The ball bounced through the infield—just barely slipping past the glove.
"It got through!"
"Matsumoto finally gets one!"
The stands erupted.
He sprinted safely to first base.
No outs, runner on first.
Rokkaku's faces turned pale.
Because what came next…
Was hell.
With the lineup about to enter Seidou's core firepower, getting a runner on base was the worst-case scenario.
"It can't be like this…"
The Rokkaku coach clenched his teeth.
Mitai, on the mound, already breathing heavily, nodded grimly.
This was their last stand.
He had given everything for this Koshien run—throwing countless pitches as the team's core.
And now, barely four innings in, his stamina was fading rapidly.
But this was it.
His last showdown with Seidou's fearsome sluggers.
"I will get you out… no matter what."
Mitai threw with everything he had.
But to Zhou Hao's eyes—his Sharingan quietly spinning—
The pitch looked slower.
"His speed dropped."
Part of Zhou Hao wanted to crush it out of the stadium.
But there was no need to take unnecessary risks.
Ping!
A clean hit.
Matsumoto dashed to third.
Zhou Hao reached first.
Safe!
Safe!!
No outs. Runners on first and third.
And now…
Third batter, Yuki Tetsuya.
Mitai gritted his teeth, using every last shred of power left in his arm.
Yuki, however…
Did not hesitate.
Boom!!!
The moment the bat swept through, even the Rokkaku catcher flinched.
"So strong!"
Ping!
The ball soared deep into the outfield—farther, higher, and faster than the fielder expected.
He sprinted back desperately…
But the wall was already there.
And the ball showed no sign of dropping.
"Impossible…"
But it wasn't impossible.
It was reality.
Thwack!
The baseball slammed into the stands.
A THREE-RUN HOME RUN.
The crowd exploded.
"Three runs!!!"
"Matsumoto scores!"
"Zhou Hao scores!"
"Yuki scores!"
The three high-fived at home plate, a perfect, iconic moment caught on camera.
8–0.
And still…
No outs recorded.
Seidou was rewriting the definition of dominance.
"This isn't a semifinal—this is a massacre."
"They're too strong! Even stronger than I imagined!"
Someone in the crowd murmured:
"If this were the regional tournament…
Rokkaku would've been wiped out immediately…"