The ga entered the top of the fifth inning, with Seidou High School on offense.
The scoreboard read 3–0.
A Seidou team once criticized and ridiculed for missing Koshien for several years…
was now on a roll.
And against Inashiro, no less.
Scoring three runs against their longti rival gave the Seidou players a massive boost of confidence.
For the past few seasons, Seidou had been haunted by their inability to make it to Koshien.
It was an especially bitter pill, given that Seidou was a perennial powerhouse in Japanese high school baseball.
And whenever they faced Inashiro Industrial, they almost always ca up short.
Now, in this sumr's West Tokyo Semifinals, they t Inashiro once again—
But this ti, the roles were reversed.
Seidou wasn't trailing.
They were leading.
Players, fans, and alumni alike were filled with deep satisfaction.
"We're going to win."
When Matsumoto landed a hit and sprinted to first,
and Zhou Hao stepped into the batter's box—
Seidou's supporters couldn't help but think:
A three-run lead doesn't feel like enough anymore.
They had montum, they had confidence, and now they had a golden opportunity.
Two outs on the board, but with Zhou Hao batting and a fast runner on first…
It was the perfect setup to press the advantage.
Just then, Inashiro made a shocking move.
Their original ace was moved to the outfield, and the pitcher's mound was handed over to a first-year rookie.
"Narumiya i!"
While both Zhou Hao and Narumiya i were first-years, they ca from very different worlds.
Even back in middle school, Narumiya i was a rising star in Tokyo baseball.
He was scouted not just by Tokyo's top schools, but even by powerhouse teams like Osaka Kiryu—a team sotis referred to as the "Cosmic Team."
Narumiya had been quietly sitting in the dugout—waiting.
Now that Inashiro was in trouble, Coach Kunimoto had pulled the trigger.
That move alone spoke volus about Narumiya's status.
"He's Inashiro's secret weapon!"
"The Prince of Tokyo — Narumiya i!"
"The clash we've been waiting for: two rookie phenoms!"
The comntators could barely contain their excitent.
The crowd was buzzing.
Everyone could sense it—
This was going to be epic.
Oddly enough, the players on both sides were calm.
They knew exactly how much weight this faceoff carried.
Inside Seidou's dugout...
"Can Zhou Hao win?" a senior asked.
Miyuki Kazuya answered without hesitation.
"Narumiya's stuff is sharp, no doubt. But Zhou Hao hasn't lost yet."
Zhou Hao had been just as dominant with the bat as he was on the mound.
And with Chris supporting him…
Miyuki believed Zhou held the upper hand.
But belief wasn't enough.
When two titans collide—anything could happen.
"Let's see how it plays out."
On the mound, Narumiya i smiled as he locked eyes with Zhou.
"I've been waiting for this. You ready, Zhou Hao?"
As soon as the ho plate umpire signaled, Narumiya wound up and fired.
"Whoosh!"
The ball ca like a bullet, slicing through the air.
The big screen at Jingu Stadium flashed:
143 km/h!
Zhou Hao made his move.
Everyone in the stadium leaned forward, blood rushing.
The battle had begun.
"Ping!"
Zhou's bat t the pitch, and the ball shot off toward the right—but curved just outside the line.
Inashiro's first baseman groaned.
If only he'd been prepared, he might have caught it.
Instead, the ball bounced foul.
"Foul!"
Zhou had attacked the very first pitch.
A bold move.
And with that, their first exchange ended in a draw.
Narumiya grinned wider.
"Not bad. Let's see how you handle this one!"
He imdiately launched the next pitch.
Even Seidou's players were taken aback.
"His rhythm is too fast!"
"He's not giving Zhou any ti to breathe!"
The crowd was stunned too.
This was Narumiya's first high school tournant appearance, and yet he showed zero nerves.
He looked like a veteran, not a rookie.
But Zhou Hao was unfazed.
He saw the pitch.
And he recognized it instantly.
"Forkball. I've been waiting for you."
Zhou hadn't planned to hit the straight ball.
From the beginning, he was lying in wait for this—the forkball.
He wanted to hit it exactly where he wanted.
"Ping!"
The bat connected.
The ball shot off the bat, flying deep into the outfield.
Narumiya turned around, stunned.
Zhou had never seen his forkball before…
And yet, he crushed it?
"Thwack!"
The ball hit the turf.
Matsumoto burst from first, tore around second, and flew into third base.
Zhou reached first with ease.
"Safe!"
The crowd exploded!
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