Two first-year newcomers had been promoted.
And it happened on the eve of the quarterfinals.
To say that Coach Kataoka had no deeper intentions behind this decision was something no one in the Seido High School Baseball Team would believe.
Almost unconsciously, many second- and third-year players turned their gazes toward Furuya Satoru and Oshima Shin.
After noticing this, Manager Ota took the initiative to speak with Coach Kataoka.
"Oshima is one thing," Ota said thoughtfully. "Everyone already knows about him, so it's fine for him to show his edge early. But Furuya… he could be used as a trump card."
This year's batch of rookies included several outstanding talents.
Most of them had already made names for themselves in junior high and were well known even among high school baseball circles.
If Seido's opponents wanted to gather information on them, it wouldn't be easy—but it wouldn't be too difficult either.
However, two people were exceptions.
One was Furuya Satoru.
The other was Sawamura Eijun, the loud first-year who had once given Coach Kataoka a serious headache.
These two had emerged almost out of nowhere on the high school stage.
If used properly, they could deliver a completely different kind of shock to Seido's opponents.
From Manager Ota's perspective, such players should be kept hidden until the critical moment.
But Coach Kataoka clearly thought otherwise.
He had already decided to let both of them play against Kasuga High School.
He had no intention of hiding them.
"We are the national champions," Coach Kataoka said calmly. "Our edge doesn't need to be concealed."
Over the past year, not only had the players been intoxicated by victory—Coach Kataoka himself was no exception.
He was now the Coach who had led Seido to the summit of the nation.
Even if he had some reputation before, that championship alone was enough to propel him into fame.
He wasn't old.
For more than a month, he had been swept up in that glory.
It was only after their loss in the Autumn Tournament that he finally woke up.
No matter how outstanding Zhou Hao was…
He alone could not carry Seido to eternal dominance.
They needed reliable support around their Ace.
They needed to raise the overall strength of the team.
Only then could Seido truly stand above the nation again when the real test arrived.
From that perspective, holding back trump cards wasn't necessarily wrong.
But at this stage, Coach Kataoka believed something else was more important.
They already had a genuine, nationally dominant Ace.
"When the team is in crisis, Zhou Hao will resolve it," Coach Kataoka said.
"What everyone else needs to do is become stronger—and not drag him down."
Hearing this, Manager Ota finally realized just how highly their Coach valued Zhou Hao.
And objectively speaking, developing promising rookies as early as possible would only benefit the team.
There was no downside.
The game day soon arrived.
Tens of thousands of spectators filled the stands.
On one side of the field, the players of Seido High School Baseball Team gathered together, their expressions complicated.
Both teams had already taken the field.
Oshima Shin and Furuya Satoru—who had been sitting on the bench just moments ago—were now wearing jerseys numbered nineteen and twenty.
They were in the starting lineup.
The fans' eyes immediately lit up.
With their familiarity with Seido, they quickly noticed something unusual.
"Who's that tall guy? I don't think I've seen him before."
"You don't know him? Have you heard of Oshima Shin?"
"That guy?"
"That's him. He's the most famous newcomer Seido has this year."
"What about the other one?"
When it came to the other player, many Seido supporters hesitated.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a stern, unreadable expression.
Jersey number twenty—Furuya Satoru.
Among Seido's newcomers this year, there were many well-known names.
Kanemaru, Tojo, and others.
Yet the one standing on the field wasn't them.
That alone said everything.
Seido's selection system had always been transparent.
Strength was respected. The strong survived.
If even the fans noticed, there was no way the players and Coach of Kasuga Ichiko High School hadn't.
"Two unfamiliar faces?"
"Late registrations. Both first-years."
Although Kasuga Ichiko High School was a respected strong team, there was still a noticeable gap between them and the reigning national champions.
The game began.
Kasuga Ichiko's players were full of fighting spirit.
They knew winning would be nearly impossible.
But they didn't want to lose as miserably as Seido's previous opponents.
They had pride.
They were once a team that had stood on the Koshien stage.
No matter what, they had to show some backbone.
And then—
They realized something.
Seido had sent out two first-year rookies.
These weren't just symbolic substitutions.
"They're treating us like training opponents for their first-years?"
Kasuga Ichiko didn't underestimate rookies.
Last summer, Zhou Hao had taught everyone a brutal lesson.
A first-year could dominate the nation.
But how many Zhou Haos could there be?
Most rookies were destined to be baptized by reality.
Surely Seido didn't believe they could mass-produce monsters like Zhou Hao… right?
"Let's teach them a lesson!"
Kasuga Ichiko's Coach waved his arm decisively.
This was a rare opportunity.
If they didn't seize it, it would be a waste.
Seido's starting pitcher was Tanba Koichiro.
For fans who had come specifically to watch Zhou Hao, this was disappointing.
"Kasuga Ichiko isn't weak. Zhou Hao still isn't playing?"
"What's there to worry about? We're the national champions. Even without the full lineup, we can crush them."
And reality soon proved that confidence wasn't unfounded.
Tanba's opening performance was stunning.
The ball left his hand like a falling meteor.
The batter watched it fly toward him—
And couldn't react at all.
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
"Strike!!!"
The third pitch passed cleanly through the zone as the batter swung too late.
"Strikeout!!!"
Tanba took the first out.
Shock rippled through the stands.
Everyone knew Tanba.
But they hadn't expected him to be this dominant.
He followed it up with two more outs.
Three up, three down.
In the bottom of the first inning, Seido went on offense.
Kasuga Ichiko's Ace, however, was equally composed.
Facing Seido's lineup without its core batters, he retired them cleanly.
By the third inning, the score remained 0–0.
"I didn't expect Tanba to hold them down this long."
"That curveball… it's terrifying."
Tanba wasn't flawless.
But as a relief pitcher, he was pitching at an Ace-level standard.
That contrast alone made his performance even more shocking.
Bottom of the third inning.
One out, bases empty.
Coach Kataoka suddenly spoke to the bench.
"Can you go now?"
Zhou Hao, Yuki, and Isashiki Jun all stood up at once.
The dugout instantly relaxed.
If those three entered, the game would end quickly.
But Coach Kataoka's gaze passed right over them.
It landed on Oshima Shin.
"I can."
Oshima had been waiting for this moment since the second inning.
Coach Kataoka nodded.
"Substitution."
First-year Oshima Shin stepped into the batter's box.
Kasuga Ichiko's Ace smirked.
Just as expected.
A rookie, this early?
They were really being used as practice.
"You'll pay for your arrogance."
The pitch flew.
Oshima's eyes shone.
Outside corner. Just like before.
He stepped forward—
Bang!
The bat met the ball with explosive force.
The catcher froze.
The white baseball soared into the sky.
"It's gone!!!"
The ball cleared the outfield stands.
A home run.
Silence—then an explosion of cheers.
First-year Oshima Shin.
First at-bat.
A solo home run.
"It's a home run!!!"
"Seido High School Baseball Team takes the lead!"
The first-years…
Had begun to show their edge.