Top of the third inning.
The scoreboard still read:
Seido 4 — Teito 0
Two outs. Bases empty.
Standing in the batter's box was Teito's newly substituted pinch hitter — a towering man over 185 centimeters tall, built like a wall.
In this situation, sending him up carried obvious meaning.
Teito's supporters immediately grew hopeful.
"Coach must have seen something."
"There has to be a weakness."
Zhou Hao had been throwing only fastballs.
Maybe—just maybe—they could get lucky.
"Is there a chance?"
"There's definitely a chance!"
The pinch hitter raised his bat high. He looked like an armored vehicle ready to charge.
Behind the plate, Chris observed quietly.
It was only the third inning.
Technically, Teito's lineup hadn't even completed one full rotation.
And yet they had already used their strongest pinch hitter.
That alone proved something.
They were desperate.
They no longer dared to dream of cleanly hitting Zhou Hao.
They just wanted to change the atmosphere.
Anything would be better than this suffocating suppression.
Chris briefly considered it.
Should we crush them completely? Use the Spiral Ball?
On the mound, Zhou Hao shook his head firmly.
No need.
Yes, the Spiral Ball would freeze the batter.
But it would also give Teito something to cling to:
He had to use his trump card against us.
Even a small boost in their confidence wasn't worth giving.
Zhou Hao refused to offer them that comfort.
Even with only fastballs—
He could still overwhelm this giant in front of him.
Chris met Zhou Hao's eyes.
So steady.
So certain.
In high school baseball, that kind of confidence was contagious.
Just look at Seido's fielders.
Their eyes burned with anticipation.
They wanted the out.
They wanted domination.
"Alright," Chris thought. "Let's go."
He set the target.
On the mound, Zhou Hao felt a surge of power.
He didn't know where it came from.
But he knew one thing—
He could defeat anyone standing before him.
Boom!
The pitching motion was smooth and natural.
Even though Teito's players had seen it several times already, their hearts still trembled when Zhou Hao delivered.
It felt unstoppable.
The towering pinch hitter's eyes widened.
So fast!
Before the game, Teito's strong hitters had practiced specifically for 150+ km/h fastballs.
They thought that would be their breakthrough.
Now it seemed laughable.
This wasn't something preparation alone could overcome.
The ball shot past like a streak of light.
The pinch hitter froze.
Snap!
"Strike!!!"
Gasps erupted from Teito's stands.
This was nothing like what they had imagined.
Zhou Hao had once again shattered their expectations.
Teito's veteran coach stroked his beard anxiously.
He had seen countless pitchers.
But someone like Zhou Hao?
Never.
"Monster" and "genius" were no longer enough.
He was unique.
Regular starters. Hidden pinch hitters.
Against Zhou Hao—
They all looked like elementary school students.
In Seido's cheering section, excitement exploded.
"That's not a normal fastball!"
"That's a light-speed beam!"
"He saw it once and mastered it!"
Admiration spread like wildfire.
The mighty pinch hitter now looked almost ridiculous.
Second pitch.
Strike.
Third pitch.
A violent swing — the bat whooshed with power.
If it connected, the ball would travel far.
But it didn't.
One swing was early.
The next misjudged the contact point.
The bat never touched the ball.
"Strike three!!!"
Three outs.
Side retired.
Bottom of the Third — Seido on Offense
The first batter to step up:
Kominato Ryosuke.
Not very tall.
Eyes curved into an easy smile.
He didn't look threatening at all.
But the entire Teito infield tensed instantly.
They knew better.
This unassuming player possessed terrifying bat control.
Getting him out would not be easy.
And they had to.
If he reached base—
And Seido's third batter came up—
Their situation would spiral out of control.
Teito's pitcher clenched his fist.
"Stay focused!"
"Take him down!!"
Although Teito had surrendered four runs in the first inning, they had managed to hold Seido scoreless in the second.
That alone gave their players and supporters a sliver of confidence.
Maybe…
Maybe there was still a chance to turn things around?
Even if they couldn't completely reverse the game, holding Seido down and scoring a few runs of their own would already be acceptable.
After all, hadn't Ichidai Sanko managed something similar against Seido before?
They had already suffered a heavy blow early on. Compared to that humiliation, the pressure now felt lighter.
As long as the final score wasn't unbearable—
It would be enough.
"Come on!"
Teito's ace gritted his teeth and delivered the pitch.
His ability wasn't weak. He had faced plenty of strong opponents before.
Originally, he believed that even if he couldn't overwhelm Seido with pure strength, he could at least stand toe-to-toe.
He refused to believe they could simply crush him.
But reality was merciless.
Facing Seido's lineup, the pressure was suffocating.
Every batter felt dangerous.
More than once, he had felt powerless.
Still—
He had no choice but to endure.
Like now.
He knew the batter before him was extremely difficult to deal with.
All he could do was give everything he had.
Whoosh!
The ball came in fast.
Kominato Ryosuke, standing in the batter's box, revealed a faint, almost mischievous smile.
"You hesitated."
Teito's ace wasn't as dominant as Manaka—let alone Amahisa.
With his level, stopping Seido's explosive lineup was already a challenge.
And just now—
He had hesitated.
It was only a split second.
But at this level, a split second was fatal.
He was finished.
Kominato didn't miss it.
Ping!
The bat met the ball cleanly.
It arced gracefully through the infield gap before bouncing into the outfield.
"It got through!"
Seido's supporters leapt to their feet.
They knew exactly what that meant.
"Safe!"
Kominato sprinted to first base.
No outs. Runner on first.
The offense was alive.
"Third batter, number one — pitcher, Zhou Hao!"
The stadium instantly erupted.
"Zhou Hao's up!"
"Will they walk him?!"
Seido's supporters had seen this scenario countless times.
Runner on base.
Zhou Hao at bat.
Opponents often chose the easy way out—intentional walk.
Was it cowardice?
Perhaps partially.
But more often—
It was fear.
Zhou Hao was simply too dangerous.
But Teito's ace refused to believe in that superstition.
He didn't look away.
His eyes locked onto Zhou Hao.
Muscles tight.
Focus absolute.
"What's happening?"
Teito's players held their breath.
They could feel it—
Their ace's fighting spirit was burning.
Had he awakened?
Without hesitation, he wound up.
Whoosh!
The ball shot toward the inside corner like a bullet.
Behind the plate, Teito's starting catcher inhaled sharply.
This was it.
Their ace's strongest state.
Even after giving up a home run to Zhou Hao earlier—
He had never retreated.
He wanted this confrontation.
Head-on.
No escape.
The ball leaving his hand now carried unprecedented determination.
Will it work?
Even the catcher wasn't sure.
But as his partner, he would support him fully.
"Go all out."
In the batter's box—
Zhou Hao set his stance.
Cold.
Calm.
Like a machine designed solely for destruction.
The bat swept forward with terrifying force.
Boom!
The moment he swung—
Teito's pitcher and catcher felt their minds blank out.
So strong…
Even before contact, a chill crept up their spines.
Ping!!
The crack of the bat echoed through the stadium.
Every Teito player felt their heart sink.
"Oh no—"
Before the thought fully formed—
The baseball was already soaring into the sky.
High.
Higher.
Higher still—