The bottom of the second inning began with Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team on offense.
The first to step into the batter's box was Hoshida.
He stood there with a posture that looked as if he were preparing for a decisive battle against Zhou Hao.
Hoshida was one of the four strongest hitters in West Tokyo.
Even on a national level, he was a well-known power hitter whose name carried weight.
The moment he entered the batter's box and prepared to face Zhou Hao's Spiral ball, the players and supporters of Seido High School Baseball Team couldn't help but feel a trace of tension.
There was nothing they could do—
As the saying went, "a man's name is like a tree's shadow."
Hoshida's reputation was simply too great.
No one believed that a hitter of his caliber could be dismissed easily.
However, cruel reality once again slapped everyone in the face.
The man standing on the pitcher's mound—
Zhou Hao—
Was an invincible presence.
Even Hoshida could only stare helplessly as the Spiral ball flew out of Zhou Hao's hand.
In the stands, Zhou Hao's die-hard fans were already completely ecstatic.
At this moment, it felt as though Zhou Hao himself was glowing.
"As expected of Zhou Hao—he's invincible!"
"So what if he's the nation's top slugger? He's still no match for Zhou Hao!"
The players of Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team were not deaf.
Even though the stadium was noisy and chaotic, they could roughly guess what those fans were shouting.
Their joy was probably about to overflow, right?
"Zhou Hao…"
"How can someone be this strong?"
Many of the Ichidai players were in the same grade as Zhou Hao, and some were even a year older.
They themselves were considered geniuses—top-tier talents among their peers.
Yet when facing Zhou Hao, they couldn't help but feel a deep sense of self-doubt.
The gap between them was far larger than they had imagined.
So large that, for a moment, their minds went completely blank.
Coach Tahara immediately noticed the abnormal state of his players.
To be honest, it wasn't just them—
Even he himself was deeply shaken.
To put it bluntly, before the game began, both he and his players had already prepared themselves mentally for Zhou Hao's terrifying strength.
But they still hadn't expected him to be this powerful.
That was Hoshida.
A hitter with nationwide fame and proven ability.
Yet against Zhou Hao, he couldn't even make contact with the ball—forget about getting a hit.
How enormous was that difference?
No one understood this better than the players of Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team.
And precisely because they understood it, a chill ran through their bodies.
With such a huge gap—
Could they really score runs off Zhou Hao?
Zhou Hao's stamina was indeed a concern.
But he wasn't incapable of pitching complete games.
The only reason Seido High School Baseball Team usually avoided doing so was because it would affect their subsequent matches.
But that was later.
Compared to future scheduling, Seido High School Baseball Team would obviously prioritize winning today's game.
Which meant—
They would have to face Zhou Hao again and again.
The moment this thought surfaced, Coach Tahara felt a dull pain in his chest.
He also fully understood why his proud disciples were beginning to look so dejected.
Against that kind of Spiral ball, even if they were given opportunities, they simply couldn't hit it.
Taking a deep breath, Coach Tahara stepped forward and spoke firmly:
"Boys, open your eyes and take a good look at how strong our opponent is."
Then his tone shifted.
"But I can tell you this for certain—he can't keep pitching like that forever. He must rest in between. Otherwise, he won't even have an arm left."
"When that moment comes… that's when our chance arrives."
His gaze swept across the dugout.
"A baseball game only truly ends in two situations. One is when the final out of the ninth inning is recorded."
"The other—"
He paused, then smiled gently.
"—is when one side gives up struggling."
He looked directly at his players.
"So tell me—are you giving up now?"
Which one of the Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team players wasn't a genius?
Which one of them hadn't survived countless rounds of selection to become a regular starter for Ichidai Sanko?
And coupled with their long-standing rivalry with Seido High School Baseball Team—
Admitting defeat at this moment would be more painful than being stabbed.
"Who said we're giving up?!"
"The game has only just started—just you wait!"
"We'll definitely make those guys from Seido High School Baseball Team pay on the field!"
The fiery responses instantly revitalized the dugout.
Coach Tahara nodded in satisfaction.
"Your opponent now isn't just an old rival—it's the reigning national champion. There's no shame in losing to them."
"Let's go out there and make some noise."
These words ignited the remaining fighting spirit of the Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team.
The Coach was right.
They didn't need to carry any burdens.
They only needed to give everything they had.
By the time Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team's fifth batter stepped up to the plate, Miyuki Kazuya, squatting behind home plate, could clearly feel it—
This batter's fighting spirit hadn't been shaken in the slightest by the previous strikeout.
Logically, striking out the cleanup hitter should have dealt a devastating blow.
But at this moment, that effect was nowhere to be seen.
Miyuki narrowed his eyes slightly.
Sometimes, he had to admit—
Seido High School Baseball Team's two arch-rivals truly were troublesome.
Their resilience was even more terrifying than most opponents Seido had faced at Koshien.
Such a heavy blow, yet they remained unaffected.
What kind of self-adjustment ability was this?
What kind of confidence did they have in themselves?
Even as an opponent, Miyuki couldn't help but admire them.
Unfortunately—
Their opponent today was Zhou Hao.
"To contend with Zhou Hao… spirit and will alone are far from enough."
Miyuki slowly spread his glove.
Earlier, he had been somewhat hesitant about Zhou Hao continuously using the Spiral ball.
But now, his thoughts were completely aligned with Zhou Hao's.
They had to crush the opponent decisively—
Not giving them even a moment to breathe.
"Come on," Miyuki muttered.
"A swift, decisive blow."
"Let them witness the pressure of the nation's number one player."
Seeing Miyuki's open glove, Zhou Hao instantly understood his partner's intent.
"Alright."
Zhou Hao gave a slight nod—
And decisively released the pitch.
"Boom!!"
The terrifying Spiral ball once again tore through t
"Snap!"
"Strike!!"
Zhou Hao took the lead with a strike.
Seeing this scene, the players and supporters of Seido High School Baseball Team all smiled knowingly.
They understood that the players of Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team were unwilling to accept this outcome.
They also knew that the other side had steeled their resolve and desperately wanted to hit the ball.
But so what?
On the baseball field, everything was ultimately decided by strength.
And Seido's Ace—Zhou Hao—possessed more than enough power to suppress his opponents completely.
"Boom!"
"Snap!"
"Strike!!"
For two consecutive pitches, Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team's fifth batter failed to swing in time.
Then, Zhou Hao's third pitch was already on its way.
"Boom!"
The fifth batter clenched his teeth.
He swung his bat with all his strength.
At the very least, he wanted to make contact.
As long as he touched the ball, he could prove—if only slightly—that Zhou Hao's pitch was not truly invincible.
But the moment he swung, he realized—
He was far too late.
The baseball flashed past his eyes a step ahead of his bat.
The swing cut through nothing but air.
"Snap!"
"Strike!"
"Strikeout!!"
Two outs, no one on base.
Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team's core slugger could only barely swing to preserve a shred of dignity.
This result was a massive blow—to both their players and their supporters.
Faces darkened across the dugout and stands.
Fortunately, the words spoken earlier by Ichidai's Coach still carried some weight.
Combined with Zhou Hao's overwhelming reputation, the players quickly forced themselves to accept reality.
Losing to this Zhou Hao…
Perhaps it wasn't something they had to be ashamed of.
After a brief adjustment, Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team's sixth batter stepped up.
"Boom!!"
Once again, the Spiral ball exploded across the field.
Even though Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team's players and supporters knew that Zhou Hao couldn't keep throwing the Spiral ball forever—
That knowledge did nothing to stop their bodies and minds from trembling.
Zhou Hao's Spiral ball was simply too domineering.
Every pitch was like a hammer smashing into their confidence.
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
"Strike!!!"
"Strikeout!!"
Three outs—side retired.
The second inning came to an end.
Zhou Hao recorded six consecutive strikeouts, displaying overwhelming dominance.
It must be said—
Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team's Ace, Manaka, had also pitched extremely well today.
Although he had allowed one run, his performance clearly demonstrated the level of an elite Ace pitcher.
In most games, even if an Ace didn't allow runs, he wouldn't necessarily outperform Manaka.
But compared to Zhou Hao—
There was still an undeniable gap.
This—
Was the pressure of the nation's number one high school player.
Zhou Hao stood on the field like a symbol of absolute invincibility.
His six consecutive strikeouts completely captivated the Seido supporters in the stands.
"As expected of Zhou Hao!"
"You're my eternal god!!"
"So cool!!!"
"So what if they're a national powerhouse? In front of Zhou Hao, aren't they still being completely suppressed?"
Those were just the ordinary fans.
Among the Seido players, the emotions were even more explosive.
Isashiki Jun, his small mustache twitching, directly wrapped an arm around Zhou Hao's neck as he returned to the dugout.
"I've wanted to do this for a long time!"
When it came to resentment toward their two arch-rivals—
The first- and second-year players didn't feel it as deeply.
They had heard stories when they first joined the team—about Seido failing to reach Koshien for years under the suppression of their rivals.
But they had never personally experienced that humiliation.
Nor had anyone ever truly looked down on them.
The third-year players were different.
When they first entered high school, whether it was their own upperclassmen or rivals from other schools—
No one had high expectations for them.
Their seniors were disappointed, believing they lacked potential and couldn't shoulder the responsibility of Seido High School Baseball Team.
Their rivals went even further—
They claimed these players marked the beginning of Seido's decline.
That Seido High School Baseball Team was headed toward collapse because of them.
There was a limit to how much a person could endure.
A fire had long been burning inside the third-year players' hearts.
And now—
They finally had a chance to vent it.
"Exactly! It's about time those guys got taught a lesson!"
"Yehaa!!"
In the dugout, Coach Kataoka naturally heard everything.
But he said nothing at first.
Only after all the players had returned did he nod toward Zhou Hao.
"That's enough. Keep it up."
Then he added calmly,
"But starting in the third inning, don't use the Spiral ball anymore."
Even if it was to intimidate the opponent—
Using the Spiral ball against Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team's top batters was acceptable.
But their lower-order batters weren't worth wasting it on.
"Yes!"
Zhou Hao froze for a moment, then quickly nodded.
The Seido players burst into laughter.
Their Coach was usually so serious—they hadn't expected him to say something like that.
Wasn't he clearly implying that he didn't take Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team seriously at all?
"That's how it should be!"
"We're the national champions!!!"
"Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team is still far behind!"
Amid this surging atmosphere, the game entered the top of the third inning.
Seido High School Baseball Team was back on offense.
In this inning, their batters would step into the batter's box for the second time.
Even though Manaka had been pitching well—
The Seido players firmly believed it was time to secure the advantage.
"We have to hit his pitches!"
"No mercy—absolutely none!"
No outs, no one on base.
The first batter to step up for Seido High School Baseball Team—
Was their ninth batter.
"Ninth batter, outfielder—Shirasu-kun!!"
In the stands, Sawamura Eijun frowned subconsciously.
"…Do we even have someone like that on our team?"