"Congratulations to Seido High School Baseball Team for advancing to the Tokyo Spring Tournament Finals!"
"Congratulations to Seido High School for securing a ticket to the Kanto Tournament!"
"The final score is 10–0, ending the game early in the fifth inning!"
"I believe tomorrow's newspapers will be filled with reports about this game."
At this moment, no praise seemed excessive for the players of Seido High School.
They had earned every bit of it.
The reaction of the fans in the stands proved it.
Although a one-sided game rarely offers much suspense, the supporters of Seido didn't seem to mind at all.
Simply watching their team dominate the field from start to finish was already worth the price of admission.
As for whether the match itself was thrilling…
If there was excitement, they would certainly enjoy it.
If there wasn't, it hardly mattered.
After all, when the gap in strength between two teams becomes too large, excitement is naturally difficult to produce.
When an adult bullies a child, the result is almost always a one-sided victory.
The overwhelming strength displayed by Seido was more than enough to make their supporters proud.
Everything else was merely a minor detail.
After the game ended, surprisingly few players from Teito High School were crying.
Normally, after a defeat, someone would inevitably break down in tears.
But today's loss had been far too brutal.
So brutal that the players of Teito High School no longer even had the energy to cry.
They simply stood there in silence, their expressions blank and stunned.
The head coach of Teito High School was a veteran in the world of high school baseball.
With years of experience behind him, he was usually able to find the right words—whether after victory or defeat—to inspire his players and prepare them for the next battle.
But today was different.
For once, the coach said nothing.
He simply watched the Seido players across the field—his gaze lingering especially on Zhou Hao.
At this moment, Seido seemed overwhelmingly powerful.
No matter what challenge they faced, it felt as though they would always overcome it and emerge victorious.
Perhaps the only thing I can do now… the Teito coach thought silently.
…is let these boys experience the consequences of defeat for themselves.
Anything he said right now would not improve the team's morale.
Only after they returned could he begin addressing the deeper problems.
"Thank you for the game!"
"Thank you for the game!!"
Both teams lined up and bowed.
Despite winning so decisively—defeating Teito in just five innings—the Seido players did not appear arrogant or complacent.
They understood very clearly that this result had come from a mixture of many factors.
First of all, the two pitchers sent out by Teito had chosen to face Seido's batters head-on.
Even though they didn't have many chances to do so, the intent was clear.
Intentional confrontation was very different from avoiding it.
Even after suffering such a crushing defeat, Teito still deserved respect for playing the game with courage and honor.
If their opponent had used the common strategy other teams adopted—
Walking dangerous hitters like Zhou Hao repeatedly—
Then today's result might have been completely different.
Even the Seido players themselves couldn't say for sure what the final score would have been.
At the very least, the game certainly wouldn't have ended in the fifth inning.
If Zhou Hao had been walked every time he stepped up to bat, Seido might have scored only five or six runs.
Even with their dominant pitching, the result might not have been any better than that.
Strategy aside, luck had also played its role.
Taking all these factors into account, the Seido players had no reason to look down on their opponent.
Teito High School was undeniably strong.
On the other side, the players of Teito looked at Seido with extremely complicated expressions.
Especially when they looked at Zhou Hao.
Their eyes contained fear.
But that fear was mixed with unwillingness.
And within that unwillingness, there was also a hint of admiration.
In short, their feelings were extremely complicated.
The Seido players were already used to such reactions.
They had witnessed this scene too many times before.
Naturally, they had long since grown numb to it.
Many Teito players wanted to say something to Zhou Hao.
But the words stuck in their throats.
After all, quite a few of them were fans who admired him deeply.
If circumstances had been different, they would have happily approached their idol and asked for advice.
Unfortunately, now was not the right moment.
They had just lost terribly.
To walk up and praise Zhou Hao right now—regardless of what others might think—was something they themselves could not accept.
So they hesitated.
And in the end, they remained silent.
At that moment, however, a young figure stepped forward.
The boy approached Zhou Hao directly.
Unlike the others, he showed no hesitation.
With shining eyes full of excitement, he respectfully greeted him.
"Zhou Hao-senpai, it's an honor to meet you. Your strength really is just as incredible as the rumors say."
The Teito players watched helplessly as their team's future ace ran up to Zhou Hao like an enthusiastic fan.
For a moment, many of them had the urge to drag their first-year junior back immediately.
Of course, it was only an impulse.
After calming down, they could only pretend not to notice.
After personally witnessing Seido's strength, the Teito players understood something clearly—
No matter what happened, they could not lose this first-year pitcher.
Even though he was only a rookie, as long as he remained on the team, Teito might completely transform by the time the Summer Tournament arrived.
Even after losing by ten runs today, they still had a chance to reach Koshien in the summer.
Meanwhile, Zhou Hao looked at the enthusiastic junior standing before him and felt somewhat helpless.
After all, as the saying goes—
One does not strike someone who is smiling.
Besides, the aura this young pitcher gave off was anything but ordinary.
Zhou Hao nodded slightly.
Then he spoke.
"Your performance was also very impressive—especially your pitching. As long as you keep working seriously, your future prospects are limitless."
Zhou Hao said it casually.
But Mukai Taiyo, standing in front of him, interpreted it very differently.
He didn't doubt Zhou Hao's words for even a moment.
To him, the advice from the nation's number-one pitcher was no different from a legendary master personally passing down secret teachings.
It felt almost like the story of *Sun Wukong receiving secret instruction from *Patriarch Bodhi.
"Understood! I'll work even harder and defeat you as soon as possible!"
The young pitcher smiled confidently, his eyes shining with determination.
Challenging the top pitcher in the nation so openly might sound arrogant.
But Zhou Hao didn't feel that way at all.
On the contrary, he admired the boy's courage.
"Then I'll be looking forward to it, brave young man."
Hearing Zhou Hao's encouragement, the light in Mukai Taiyo's eyes grew even brighter.
"That day will definitely come!"
Watching the departing figure of the rookie pitcher, Zhou Hao couldn't help but smile.
The new generation really was impressive.
Compared to the previous generation, these rising stars were far more dazzling.
Zhou Hao suddenly found himself looking forward to the day when he would truly compete against these young prodigies.
After the brief exchange, the two teams said their goodbyes.
Following tradition, the players of the Seido High School Baseball Team gathered together and bowed to thank the audience for their support.
The moment they bent down—
The loyal supporters in the stands all stood up at once and began applauding loudly.
The thunderous clapping echoed throughout the stadium.
"That was amazing!"
"Keep pushing forward! We'll always support you!"
Hearing those words, the smiles on the Seido players' faces became even brighter.
To be honest, everyone loved the feeling of being cheered on by fans.
Although the moment was brief, it meant a lot.
For the fans, it felt like their support was acknowledged.
For the players, it was like experiencing the treatment usually reserved for professional stars.
A rare win-win moment.
Naturally, everyone was delighted.
After leaving the stadium, the Seido players returned to school by bus.
To their surprise, a large crowd of students had already gathered at the school gates.
News of Seido advancing to the Spring Tournament finals had clearly spread.
Everyone was buzzing with excitement.
For the players, it was a kind of welcome they had rarely experienced before.
Still, some of them felt a little puzzled.
Celebrating just for reaching the finals… wasn't that a bit early?
After all, the Spring Tournament had two main objectives.
First, to secure a seeded position.
Second, to reach the finals and earn qualification for the Kanto Tournament.
Now that Seido had reached the finals, their goals had technically already been achieved.
Even if they lost the final game, their mission would still be considered complete.
In other words, the outcome of the final didn't seem particularly important.
But the moment this idea was voiced—
Zhou Hao immediately rejected it.
"Absolutely not!"
"Why not?" someone asked.
"If we reveal too much in the finals, it might hurt us in later tournaments."
Standing nearby, the team's vice-manager Takashima Rei adjusted her glasses slightly.
She rarely saw Zhou Hao react so strongly.
Her brows furrowed in curiosity.
Zhou Hao slowly stood up.
"First of all, we're already the national champions."
"No matter what game we play, we must win. Losing is not an option."
He paused before continuing firmly.
"And more importantly…"
"Our opponent in the finals is **Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team."
"We absolutely cannot back down."
Hearing their ace speak so decisively, the Seido players immediately grew serious.
As core members of Seido, they understood exactly what Zhou Hao meant.
Logically speaking, the upcoming final wasn't critical.
But the opponent in that game was their sworn rival.
Last autumn, despite forming relatively late, Seido had quickly become the strongest team in the tournament.
Yet in the end—
They failed to win the Autumn Tournament championship.
Because of that single loss, they missed the chance to compete in both the Jingu Tournament and Spring Koshien.
One mistake had led to a chain reaction.
The newly crowned national champions suddenly found themselves facing heavy criticism.
Their reputation had been shaken.
Although Seido later regained their dignity through a series of victories, that painful memory remained deeply engraved in the players' hearts.
Even if others had forgotten—
They hadn't.
And they remembered it vividly.
If given the chance, they would absolutely take revenge.
Originally, that opportunity might have come during the Kanto Tournament or even the Summer Tournament.
But Seido didn't want to wait any longer.
After all, their opponent this time was none other than Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team.
The same team that had finished as national runner-up.
This was the perfect moment to defeat them completely.
And erase the humiliation of the past.
"It's been over half a year since we lost to them last October."
"I've been thinking every day about crushing those guys under my heel."
"Now that the chance is here, I won't let it slip away."
"Narumiya Mei…"
"Do you really think those guys from Inashiro will hold back?"
"Hard to say," someone replied.
"In matches like this, teams usually have some mutual understanding… but if the opponent is them—"
Mentioning Inashiro inevitably reminded everyone of their coach, Kunimoto.
Though not particularly old, he was known as a shrewd and calculating strategist.
Just the thought of facing him again made the Seido players instinctively tense.
Defeating a team like that would not be easy.
Coach Kataoka Tesshin quietly observed his players.
He was extremely satisfied with their attitude.
The media reports hadn't even come out yet.
The game had only just ended.
But every player knew their own performance had been brilliant.
They could easily imagine the praise that would follow.
Yet despite that—
None of them were distracted.
Their attention remained firmly fixed on the next battle.
That alone made Coach Kataoka deeply pleased.
"We don't have much time," he said calmly.
"From now on, our focus will be preparing for the lineup of Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team."
Because their opponent was their long-time rival, the Seido players hardly even needed to consult their data.
They already knew Inashiro's strengths by heart.
Around the room, the players' eyes burned with excitement.
The long-awaited chance for revenge had finally arrived.
And this time—
They were determined to win.