"An illusion!"
"This has to be an illusion!"
The spectators in the stands were practically dizzy from shock.
And yet, even as they stared wide-eyed at the field, their mouths refused to accept what they had just seen.
"159 kilometers per hour?"
"If my eyes didn't deceive me… that was a Spiral Ball, right?"
"It was—Zhou Hao's signature pitch!"
"But how can a pitch like that be thrown that fast?!"
A breaking ball… wasn't it?
Even if it belonged to the fastball family, even if it was theoretically faster than most breaking balls—
It still shouldn't rival a true fastball.
Zhou Hao's fastest fastball had only just broken 160 km/h.
So how could his Spiral Ball reach 159 km/h?
The logic simply didn't add up.
Meanwhile, Seido's die-hard supporters couldn't help but straighten proudly at the stunned reactions around them.
"You just don't get it!"
"Our Zhou Hao's Spiral Ball is completely different from everyone else's!"
"What's so strange about matching that kind of speed?"
"Back then, he even threw one faster than his fastball!"
In their understanding, that anomaly had happened before Zhou Hao refined his pitching form.
That was why such an extreme result had occurred.
Over the past year at Seido, most people only saw Zhou Hao's overwhelming dominance.
But those who truly followed him knew the truth—
He never became complacent.
Never satisfied.
He was constantly pushing himself to grow stronger.
Maybe even their opponents hadn't realized it yet.
It wasn't that they had no way to deal with Zhou Hao—
It was that the Zhou Hao standing before them now…
Was no longer the same as before.
"He's improved again…"
"Honestly, I almost feel sorry for the opposing team."
"Facing someone like that… must be pure despair."
The crowd buzzed with heated discussion.
On the field, the players of Hakuba Academy stood frozen, one after another.
Their eyes, fixed on Zhou Hao, were filled with disbelief and confusion.
Even before the game began, they had already accepted a harsh reality—
They were no match for this monster.
The title "Number One in the Nation" hung over them like an unmovable mountain.
No matter how much they wanted to resist…
Deep down, they knew they couldn't.
Their only plan had been to stall.
Hold on until Seido's substitute pitcher took the mound—
Only then would they have a chance.
And because of that decision…
Their current confusion only deepened.
Was this really necessary?
They had already given up resisting.
A few fastballs would've been enough to suppress them.
So why—
Why bring out his signature pitch?
And not just that—
From the quality of that pitch alone, they could tell:
Zhou Hao was in peak condition.
Better than ever before.
Were they really worthy of being treated like this?
The leadoff batter in the box stared at Zhou Hao, his eyes faintly tinged with grievance.
He almost wanted to ask—
Am I really worth this?
A normal fastball would've been enough…
On the mound, Zhou Hao paid no attention to any of it.
His sharp gaze was fixed on his own hand.
The result…
Was even better than during his private practice.
The speed was higher.
The force, more explosive.
But—
It wasn't perfect.
The biggest issue was control.
When relying on the skill, his speed and power had limits—
But his control was rock solid.
He couldn't claim pinpoint precision down to every seam,
But he could clearly control inside and outside corners.
And when combined with the Spiral Ball's power—
That alone was enough to leave batters helpless.
That was the foundation of his "invincible" pitch.
Now, everything had changed.
At best, he could ensure the ball entered the strike zone.
But precise corner control?
That was gone.
From a pure results standpoint, this version of the Spiral Ball hadn't fundamentally improved.
It might even be slightly worse than the one produced by the skill.
But so what?
If he kept relying on the skill—
His growth would stop.
His potential would be sealed.
Only by breaking free from it…
Only by relying on his own body—
His own instincts, his own muscle memory—
Could he truly make this pitch his.
Only then could he take the next step forward.
Zhou Hao took a deep breath.
He had come this far.
There was no turning back.
Unless this pitch failed to even enter the strike zone—
Unless it couldn't be used in a real game—
He would keep going.
Keep pushing.
Until the pitch thrown by his own hands…
Caught up to—
And surpassed—
The one created by the skill.
Only then…
Would the Spiral Ball truly belong to him.
He lifted his leg.
Stepped forward.
His foot struck the ground.
His body rotated as one, power surging from his core, perfectly transferring through every movement.
"BOOM!"
The instant the baseball left his hand, a faint smile curled at the corner of Zhou Hao's lips.
He knew.
He had succeeded.
This pitch—
Was powerful.
In the batter's box, the Hakuba Academy hitter felt it immediately.
As the ball hurtled toward him, his breathing fell into chaos.
For a moment, he couldn't even catch his breath.
The pressure alone made him want to turn and run.
But he clenched his teeth and forced himself to stay.
All he could do was watch helplessly as the pitch tore past him.
"SMACK!"
"Strike!!"
Two strikes.
He was already cornered.
In the Hakuba dugout, the players' eyes reddened.
They couldn't help but feel—
Their teammate was pitiful.
Facing a pitch like that…
Swinging wasn't even an option.
If it were them in the box—
What could they possibly do?
The answer was obvious.
Nothing.
A deep sense of helplessness spread among the team.
Then—
Zhou Hao delivered the third pitch.
"BOOM!"
This one was slightly slower than the first.
But what did that matter?
Even at 150 km/h, a Spiral Ball like that…
Was still completely untouchable.
The batter felt it most clearly.
Compared to before, the pressure eased just a fraction.
Just enough—
For him to lift his bat and complete a desperate swing.
But that was all.
"SMACK!"
The ball buried itself deep into the catcher's mitt.
The outcome was decided.
"Strikeout!!"
Hakuba's players weren't surprised in the slightest.
If anything, it felt inevitable.
"It should've ended sooner…"
At that moment, their second batter stepped up.
Standing in the box, he fixed his eyes on Zhou Hao.
Over and over, he repeated one thing to himself—
Don't be intimidated.
Making contact didn't matter.
Even if he never swung, it didn't matter.
Zhou Hao's strength was obvious to everyone.
Losing face against him… wasn't truly losing face.
Their coach had only given them one task—
No matter what, don't let his pitching shake you.
As long as their mentality held firm…
They still had a chance later in the game.
But if they broke here—
Even if an opportunity appeared, they wouldn't be able to seize it.
The second batter gripped his bat tightly.
Eyes locked forward.
Then—
Zhou Hao moved.
The pitching form was smooth.
Powerful, yes—
But not overwhelmingly intimidating.
For a brief moment, a thought crossed his mind.
Is it really that scary?
And then—
He saw the ball.
"BOOM!"
Like a collapsing mountain, the Spiral Ball roared toward him, spinning violently.
In an instant—
His mind went blank.
Too terrifying.
Far beyond anything he had imagined.
By the time he understood—
It was already too late.
His thoughts were consumed entirely by that pitch.
So scary…!
"SMACK!"
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
"Strike!!!"
"Strikeout!!"
In the dugout, Hakuba Academy's bespectacled coach closed his eyes in pain.
From the very beginning, he had warned them—
Do not be affected.
They never intended to score off Zhou Hao.
Even if he descended from the heavens—
It shouldn't matter.
All they needed to do was stay calm.
Wait.
Wait for the substitute pitcher.
That was their chance.
Back then, every player had nodded eagerly, swearing they understood.
But now—
Reality told a different story.
The first batter returned like a wilted plant.
The second—
No different.
Both struck out.
Both shaken to their core.
By the time they returned, their expressions had changed completely.
From this point on…
It would be impossible not to be affected.
Only now did the coach truly understand—
Why Kōhoku had collapsed so completely against Seido.
It wasn't just a difference in skill.
Even with a gap, the score shouldn't have been that extreme.
The real reason was simple—
They had been broken.
Completely crushed, mentally and emotionally.
Hakuba had trained for this.
Prepared for this.
Even provided psychological guidance.
And yet—
It was useless.
Two batters.
Two broken minds.
Their thoughts were already spiraling—
What right do we have to face a team like this?
Are we even worthy?
The third batter stepped up.
The entire team watched him closely.
They didn't expect a hit.
Didn't expect a miracle.
If he could simply endure—
That would be enough.
The batter told himself the same thing.
Don't be affected.
Then—
"BOOM!"
The Spiral Ball came.
And in that instant—
Every cell in his body trembled.
He swung instinctively, as if possessed.
He couldn't just stand there.
He had to resist.
The bat cut through empty air.
The ball slammed into the mitt.
"SMACK!"
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
"Strike!!!"
"Strikeout!!!"
"Three outs! Change!"
He had given it everything.
Watching from the stands, the fans had held their breath.
That swing—
It gave them hope.
Maybe…
Just maybe…
He could at least make contact?
Reality answered mercilessly.
Perhaps they should've known—
Things weren't that easy.
Zhou Hao's pitches…
Were not meant to be touched.
"Zhou Hao! Zhou Hao!!!"
Thunderous cheers erupted across the stadium.
Meanwhile, Hakuba's players were on the verge of tears.
Only by standing in the batter's box themselves—
Only by facing him directly—
Did they truly understand how much they had overestimated themselves.
Back in the dugout, Zhou Hao was visibly energized.
His Spiral Ball had made a perfect debut.
The opposing batters were completely suppressed.
Beside him, Miyuki Kazuya frowned slightly.
"Your control's worse today," he said. "The pitch is stronger, but… that's not necessarily a good thing."
Zhou Hao nodded.
"Yeah."
But so what?
The moment he chose to abandon reliance on the skill—
This was a path he had to walk.
Better to face it now…
Than at a critical moment later.