Stepping into the batter's box, Isashiki Jun was burning with frustration.
Back when the third-years were still around, he had never felt this kind of pressure.
At that ti, he usually batted eighth. No one expected much from him.
If he managed to put the ball in play and drive in a run, that was already a pleasant surprise.
But even if he failed, no one blad him.
No one demanded more.
Now things were completely different.
As the team's fifth batter, the weight on his shoulders was enormous.
Especially after the batter before him had been intentionally walked.
Two outs. Runners on first and third.
The pitcher from Inashiro Industrial High School had refused to face Yuki Tetsuya head-on.
They had simply avoided him.
That alone was enough to ignite Isashiki's temper.
And now, from this position, he had to punish their pitch—clean and hard.
If he couldn't…
then he wasn't worthy of standing here.
Isashiki could accept being outclassed by Zhou Hao and Yuki Tetsuya.
Those two were genuine monsters.
But he would never accept becoming the team's weak link.
"Bring it!"
Standing in the batter's box, Isashiki made up his mind.
His eyes locked onto the pitcher's mound.
The mont that guy dared to throw—
he would make him regret it.
"Treating like an easy target? I'll make you pay for that!"
The pitcher from Inashiro Industrial High School, Arata, remained completely calm.
No matter how fierce the batter looked…
he delivered the pitch without hesitation.
Whoosh!
The white ball sliced through the air, screaming toward ho plate.
Behind the plate, catcher Harada Masatoshi gave a small nod of approval.
Arata's raw talent might not match their true ace—
Narumiya i.
But when it ca to stability and control, he was even more reliable.
Two outs.
Runners on the corners.
Yet his pitch still ca in firm and fearless.
Harada had assud Isashiki would take the first pitch.
After all, it was their first confrontation, and the ball was placed in a nasty spot.
Who would risk swinging so early?
Clearly…
he didn't understand Isashiki.
Because the pitch was so tricky, the mustached senior didn't hesitate.
He swung imdiately.
Crack!
The bat t the ball with a sharp explosion.
Neither the players nor the fans from Inashiro had expected such a quick swing.
By the ti they realized what had happened—
the ball was already soaring through the air.
An Inashiro infielder charged forward and launched into a desperate dive, trying to intercept it.
In that instant, everyone from Seido High School held their breath.
It looked like the fielder might actually catch it.
But probability…
isn't reality.
The ball slipped past his glove by barely two centiters and shot into the outfield grass.
Smack!
The mont the ball broke through the defense, Seido's dugout exploded with cheers.
This was it.
The run they had been waiting for.
With Seido's base-running speed, once the ball got through, scoring was inevitable.
"Cut it off!!"
Inashiro's fielders shouted, rushing toward the ball with blazing determination.
But it was already too late.
Both runners had taken off the mont the ball passed the infield.
By the ti the outfield relay throw returned to the infield—
all three runners had advanced.
Zhou Hao dashed across ho plate from third.
Despite doing everything they could to stop it, Inashiro Industrial High School still gave up the run.
"Seido ties the ga—1 to 1!"
"Even after the intentional walk, Inashiro still couldn't stop Seido's offense!"
The players from Inashiro stood there with stiff expressions.
This was exactly the scenario they had tried to avoid.
Yet it had still happened right in front of them.
Whether they liked it or not, they had to accept reality.
The score was now 1–1.
Their brief lead had vanished.
Despite their solid pitching, Seido High School had fought their way back.
And the inning wasn't even over yet.
Two outs.
Runners on the corners.
Isashiki stood on first base.
anwhile, Yuki Tetsuya, who had originally been on first, had bulldozed his way all the way to third.
For Inashiro, the crisis was far from over.
The next batter stepping up to the plate was Seido's sixth hitter.
"Miyuki Kazuya!"
Cheers erupted from Seido's dugout.
Even the atmosphere in the stands changed.
"It's Miyuki!"
"Batting him sixth is perfect!"
"An unpredictable five-hole hitter with runners on base, followed by an unstoppable six-hole slugger!"
"Honestly, if we don't get greedy, this lineup is already terrifying."
Earlier in the ga, Seido's top two batters had struggled to get on base.
Their offense had looked unusually quiet.
But everything had changed in a single mont.
With the powerful swings from Zhou Hao and Isashiki Jun…
the heart of the lineup had roared to life.
On the bench, Kunimoto slowly rolled his neck, his expression dark.
Even after splitting their gas last year…
this Seido team looked completely reborn.
They were no longer the sa team he rembered.
The strength and composure they displayed far exceeded anything Inashiro had anticipated.
So how should they handle the rest of the ga?
Coach Kunimoto couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
For once…
he genuinely felt at a loss.
anwhile, in the outfield for Inashiro Industrial High School—
standing there as an ergency outfielder—
Narumiya i was practically staring his eyes out of their sockets.
Clearly, he couldn't accept the scene unfolding before him.
"Anyone else would be fine," i muttered irritably.
"But how can we let that punk Kazuya act like he owns the field?"
Just thinking about it made Narumiya i feel as if he had swallowed a mouthful of grass.
It was utterly miserable.
Unfortunately, in the current situation, he had no say whatsoever.
All he could do was stand in the outfield and watch helplessly, unable to intervene.
anwhile, the players of Seido High School had no intention of worrying about his feelings.
They had already clawed back a run, and there were still runners on base.
Anyone stepping into the batter's box now would be thinking about only one thing—
driving the ball deep and expanding the lead.
And the batter currently at the plate was Miyuki Kazuya.
A player who had every ability to do exactly that.
At this mont, Miyuki's mind was operating like a precision computer, rapidly calculating every possible pitch sequence the opposing battery might choose.
Two outs.
Runners on first and third.
With Inashiro unwilling to allow another run, their pitching options were extrely limited.
Inside pitch.
If Miyuki were the catcher for Inashiro Industrial High School, he would absolutely use an inside pitch to control the runner on third and finish the at-bat quickly.
Harada Masatoshi was known for being cautious and thodical. Every signal he called had a clear strategic purpose behind it.
A ninety-percent chance I'm right.
Bring it.
Behind his glasses, Miyuki's eyes glead sharply.
That piercing gaze nearly startled Harada, who had been secretly watching him.
What's with this guy?
Arata's pitching had been solid so far. By all rights, he should be a serious threat to any batter.
Yet Miyuki looked completely confident almost as if he had already predicted the outco.
Even with runners on base increasing his confidence, this level of certainty felt unnatural.
Harada hesitated briefly.
But he didn't change the plan.
A catcher who second-guesses himself too often will only create confusion.
Sticking to the strategy, Harada calmly flashed the signal.
Arata had no objections.
The two of them had worked together countless tis before.
This pitch sequence had been rehearsed again and again.
Arata began his pitching motion and snapped his arm forward.
Ssshh!
The ball tore through the air like a blade, screaming toward the inside corner of the strike zone.
The mont Miyuki saw the pitch, the light in his eyes burned even brighter.
This was exactly the pitch he had been waiting for.
Without the slightest hesitation, Miyuki unleashed his swing.
Whoom!
"Fly!"
Watching the swing, Harada felt his heart sink.
Not again…
Another batter swinging on the first pitch.
Every one of them was facing Arata for the first ti. Normally, a batter would watch at least one or two pitches before attacking.
But Seido's hitters seed to think differently.
The mont they saw the ball, they swung without hesitation—
as if waiting even a split second might cost them their opportunity.
What's with this urgency?
And where does that confidence co from?
Harada wanted to ask.
But he never got the chance.
The ball had already been struck.
Crack!
Under the stunned gazes of Harada and the rest of Inashiro Industrial High School, the ball rocketed high into the air.
Inashiro's fielders sprinted toward the falling arc.
But whether it was fate or pure bad luck, fortune clearly wasn't on their side today.
From Zhou Hao to Isashiki Jun, and now Miyuki—
each hit had looked catchable at first glance.
Yet every ti, the ball slipped just beyond their reach.
This ti was no different.
All they could do was watch helplessly as the ball dropped safely into the outfield gap.
"It's through!!"
The mont the ball landed, the previous scene replayed itself.
Standing on third base, Yuki Tetsuya exploded toward ho plate like a blue-and-white arrow, covering the distance in the blink of an eye.
"Safe!"
After tying the ga only monts earlier, Seido High School imdiately pushed across another run.
The scoreboard flipped to 2–1.
The announcer's excited voice echoed throughout the stadium.
"Congratulations to Seido High School! After conceding a run early in the ga, they've turned things around within minutes—first tying the score, and now taking the lead!"
"The score is now 2–1!"
For Seido's supporters, this result was an enormous morale boost.
"See that? Even without our ace on the mound, we're still crushing you!"
"Last autumn you only won because luck was on your side! This year it's different!"
Though Seido fans shouted confidently, deep down they still carried the sting of last autumn's defeat against Inashiro Industrial High School.
This might not be full revenge yet.
But taking the lead on the scoreboard already ant a great deal.
After all, many critics had claid that Seido was rely a one-man team built around Zhou Hao.
Without him, they supposedly couldn't compete with the nation's strongest teams—
or even stand against West Tokyo's elite schools.
But what about now?
Those critics must feel thoroughly embarrassed.
Just imagining it made Seido supporters grin from ear to ear.
"Keep it going!"
"We're not done yet!"
Two outs.
Runners on second and third.
The situation was almost identical to the previous inning—except this ti Inashiro had already allowed two runs.
Seeing this reality unfold before them, the players and fans of Inashiro were visibly shaken.
"Two outs!"
"Two outs!"
"We absolutely can't let them keep scoring like this!"
Even on the mound, Arata had to accept the truth.
Seido was never a one-man team relying solely on Zhou Hao.
This team,
was filled with terrifying talent.
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