9:00 AM, outside the Kanagawa stadium.
The Seido coaching staff had already formed a tight human barrier, skillfully blocking off the reporters eager for interviews.
"We're very sorry, but the team is about to play. We won't be accepting interviews at this time," Manager Ota said with a bright smile. "After the game, right here—you're free to ask anything."
Under his guidance, the Seido players slipped through the crowd smoothly.
Even they couldn't help but shake their heads.
"Don't you think we're getting too used to this?"
"No choice. After going through it so many times, it just becomes natural."
They quickly made their way into the locker room.
After changing, the noise from outside only grew louder.
"So many people again today?"
"It's not even a Kanagawa team this time… I didn't expect this kind of turnout."
"Maybe they're here for us," someone said with a grin. "We are a national powerhouse, after all."
When that title was first mentioned, it used to make them feel awkward.
Now?
They accepted it without hesitation.
Not just the fans—even the players themselves now believed it.
They deserved that title.
Many of them hadn't been part of last year's championship team.
But after everything they'd gone through—
After defeating powerhouse schools one after another—
Their confidence had completely transformed.
Ichidai Third High.
Teito.
Inashiro.
Kōhoku.
Each of those names carried weight.
Any team facing them would normally hesitate.
But Seido?
They had beaten them all.
And not just barely—
They had done it with overwhelming strength.
That was where their confidence came from.
Real victories.
With that kind of belief in their hearts—
How could they not walk tall?
"Time's up. Let's take the field."
Yuki Tetsuya led the way.
The rest followed closely behind, heads held high as they stepped onto the field.
The moment the crowd saw Seido's iconic white-and-blue uniforms—
The stadium erupted.
"Zhou Hao!"
"I love you!!"
A sharp female voice cut through the noise—and instantly changed the atmosphere.
What started as normal cheering quickly turned into something else.
More voices joined in.
Louder.
Bolder.
Even Zhou Hao, who had seen plenty of big scenes, was caught off guard.
"…That's a bit too direct."
"You have no idea how lucky you are," Kuramochi muttered, his face practically twisting with jealousy.
Sawamura had a childhood friend constantly cheering for him.
Zhou Hao?
He received so many love letters his hands got tired.
And now—
Fans were openly confessing in the stands.
Meanwhile, Kuramochi, who wasn't bad-looking himself, had… nothing.
"Damn it…!"
Unable to vent his frustration properly, he lashed out—
Thump!
A sudden kick landed right on Sawamura's backside.
"Ow! What was that for?!" Sawamura protested, completely innocent.
"What does this have to do with me?!"
"It's because of your childhood friend, idiot!"
Kuramochi couldn't touch Zhou Hao, so Sawamura became the perfect target.
"You're just bullying your junior! Take this—Invincible Tickle Hands!"
The two immediately started wrestling.
A cold gaze shot toward them.
Coach Kataoka.
In an instant, the two froze—
Then casually slung their arms over each other's shoulders.
"Just warming up!"
"Yeah, warming up is important!"
The rest of the team burst into laughter.
There really was a difference with Sawamura around.
Before, Seido had never noticed it.
But now?
It was obvious.
Having someone like him—
A natural mood-maker—
Made everything feel lighter.
And yet, that wasn't all he was.
No one had forgotten his performance in the last game.
On the field, he was just as competitive as anyone else.
A rare combination:
Energy off the field.
Intensity on it.
Add in his unique pitching talent—
And even the core players couldn't help but see him in a new light.
No wonder Coach Kataoka trusted him more and more.
Their first meeting might have been rough…
But now?
There wasn't even a trace of awkwardness left.
Meanwhile—
In Hakuba Academy's dugout.
Their players stared at Seido's side with disbelief.
"I thought a national powerhouse team would be super strict… like a military unit."
"…Yeah. I didn't expect them to be even more lively than us."
"You can't even tell they're a national powerhouse… they feel just like us."
The players of Hakuba Academy finally realized it.
Their opponents were just high school students, no different from themselves.
Not terrifying demons like they had imagined the night before.
"Isn't this great?"
Hakuba Academy's coach—a refined, bespectacled middle-aged man—spoke calmly. He didn't have the imposing aura of a typical baseball coach, yet every player respected him deeply.
As he spoke, everyone instinctively turned to him.
"Our opponents are just ordinary high school students like us. That means we have a chance. Don't let what you saw in their previous games affect you—"
Yesterday, while watching footage of Seido High School's match against Kōhoku, the Hakuba players had stared wide-eyed, as if their eyes would pop out.
It was terrifying.
They had been completely shaken by Seido's overwhelming strength.
Kōhoku was a nationally renowned powerhouse—perhaps not quite on Seido's level, but still formidable.
And yet…
They had been utterly crushed.
23–0.
That score alone had left Hakuba Academy speechless.
They believed in their own abilities—but against a monster like that, they had no confidence at all.
They could already imagine themselves being completely overwhelmed.
Even now, they didn't want to remember it.
But—
Standing here today, seeing Seido's players with their own eyes, feeling their energy and presence…
Hakuba Academy realized something.
Maybe… just maybe…
They weren't completely without a chance.
As long as their opponents were human—just like them—
Then on the field, there was no reason to be afraid.
"Let's go!"
"Give it everything we've got—no regrets!"
"Enjoy the game to the fullest!!!"
These were the words their coach had always taught them.
Not to abandon victory—
But to face the game with a clear and fearless heart.
Watching his players take the field, the coach smiled in quiet relief.
Facing a national powerhouse like Seido, the fact that his team could step forward with confidence alone…
Was something to be proud of.
"Let's go!"
On the other side, Seido High's players were ready as well.
At Captain Yuki's command, they rushed toward the field, lining up opposite Hakuba Academy.
"Please guide us!"
"Please guide us!!"
"The second round, third game of the Kanto Tournament—Seido High School versus Hakuba Academy—begins now!"
At the home plate umpire's signal, Seido took their defensive positions.
Top of the first inning.
Hakuba Academy at bat.
Their leadoff hitter locked his gaze onto the pitcher standing on the mound.
Zhou Hao.
Even though Seido was on defense, the crowd paid no attention to that detail.
The stands erupted with cheers.
"Zhou Hao! Show us something!"
The batter tightened his grip on the bat.
He knew exactly what the crowd wanted to see.
But the question was—
Was that even possible?
After Seido's crushing performance in the previous game, Hakuba Academy had predicted that Zhou Hao wouldn't pitch against them right away.
Seido already had two incredible first-year pitchers.
Against a team like Hakuba, there should've been no need to send out their ace from the start.
But now—
They realized they were completely wrong.
Seido saw this as a serious game.
And they had sent out their ace without hesitation.
Leaving Hakuba no room for hope.
Honestly, just that alone made them feel… oddly honored.
As for Zhou Hao using his signature Spiral Ball?
That seemed impossible.
They weren't worthy of that.
Why use such a high-level pitch when a simple fastball would be enough?
…Or so they thought.
On the mound, Zhou Hao moved.
Truthfully, even he was nervous.
Throwing the Spiral Ball without relying on skill assistance—purely on his own ability—
Even if it worked in theory, and even if he had practiced it countless times in private…
A real game was different.
Completely different.
Still—
Zhou Hao wasn't the type to hesitate.
Worst case, the first pitch would fail.
He could adjust immediately.
With that resolve, he lifted his leg.
In the batter's box, the hitter swallowed hard.
It's coming…!
Before he could fully process the feeling—
Zhou Hao had already exploded into motion.
His foot slammed into the ground.
His entire body spun like a windmill, every muscle and bone moving in perfect coordination.
BOOM!
The baseball shot out of his hand, tearing through the air with a violent roar.
The batter's eyes widened.
That pitch—
Spinning with terrifying force—
Blasted past him in an instant.
His mind went blank.
He couldn't react at all.
In the Hakuba dugout, the players were equally stunned.
They had been absolutely certain Zhou Hao wouldn't use the Spiral Ball.
There was no need.
It wasn't arrogance—it was logic.
He could defeat them easily without it.
Hakuba had never even considered scoring off Zhou Hao.
They were waiting for the substitute pitcher.
Their real strength lay in their own ace—the National Youth Team reserve.
Everything else… was up to fate.
But now—
Reality shattered their expectations.
Without mercy—
Zhou Hao had used it.
SMACK!
The ball slammed cleanly into Miyuki Kazuya's mitt.
The entire stadium fell silent.
Even Seido's most passionate supporters hadn't expected this.
They had shouted with excitement—
But deep down, they knew the chances were low.
And yet—
"Look at the scoreboard!"
"No way…!!"
On the electronic board—
The speed of the pitch flashed clearly.
159 km/h.