The baseball soared into the stands.
A home run—by Furuya Satoru.
The scoreboard flipped to 7–0.
For the players and supporters of Akiha High School Baseball Team, the scene in front of them was nothing short of shocking.
Putting the score aside for a moment—
A first-year rookie had just hit a home run off their Ace.
That alone was unbelievable.
Was their Ace really that weak?
That thought crept in almost uncontrollably, and both the players and the Coach began to doubt themselves.
Meanwhile, over at Seido High School Baseball Team, the reaction was… calm.
Too calm.
It was as if this result had been expected all along.
"That monster first-year is finally showing what he's capable of."
Situations like this hadn't appeared in official matches before—and for good reason.
Seido simply had too many strong pitchers.
Because of that, Furuya rarely got the chance to play.
Only in moments like this, when he appeared as a substitute pitcher, could he truly display his batting.
But even then—
How often did he actually get to bat?
Most of the time, the ninth spot was occupied by another first-year, Oshima Shin—whose batting ability was so fierce it could only be described as terrifying.
Compared to him, Furuya's batting seemed merely average.
And yet—
That "average" batter had repeatedly smashed home runs during practice.
Now, against Akiha's Ace, through a perfect storm of timing and opportunity—
He had done it again.
The ball in the stands.
The score at 7–0.
And the inning… still wasn't over.
At this point, Seido had practically secured victory.
And the one who made it happen?
Not one of their well-known stars—
But a first-year rookie pitcher.
The Akiha players could only ask themselves one question:
Is this guy really a first-year?
Because when facing Furuya Satoru, they felt no chance of winning.
Only pressure.
Relentless, suffocating pressure.
As if defeat could come at any moment.
And the worst part?
That feeling… was accurate.
By now, even the Akiha players and their Coach had lost their earlier confidence.
No one could bring themselves to say anything bold anymore.
Deep down, they all understood—
The game might have just started,
But they had already lost control.
The only thing left…
Was to score a few runs.
At the very least, they had to make the loss look respectable.
Fortunately for them, there was still one sliver of hope.
Unlike other teams that had faced Seido,
Zhou Hao wasn't pitching.
Seido was relying on substitute pitchers.
That meant—
There was still a chance to score.
Even if they couldn't win, they could at least salvage some dignity.
"Let's start with Furuya Satoru!"
The inning finally came to an end.
Despite Kuramochi Yoichi managing to hit the ball, it lacked power.
The ball bounced weakly and was quickly fielded.
"Pa!"
"Out!"
Three outs.
The first inning ended with a score of 7–0.
Top of the second inning.
Akiha High School on offense.
Their resolve was clear—
They had to score off this first-year pitcher.
And leading off?
Their cleanup hitter.
"Boom!"
The moment Furuya's first pitch was thrown—
Most of their confidence vanished.
Even from the stands, it was obvious.
This pitch…
Was terrifying.
Hitting it wouldn't be easy.
Still, they placed their hopes on their Fourth Batter.
The result came quickly.
It wasn't enough.
The Fourth Batter didn't back down.
He targeted the pitch and swung with full force.
"Ping!"
The moment contact was made—
His expression changed.
It felt like hitting a wall.
The ball didn't budge.
But his hands?
They felt like they were about to tear apart.
"Damn it… why is it so heavy?!"
Only now did he truly understand.
This wasn't just a fast pitch.
It had weight.
It had movement.
And it carried a force that made even seasoned hitters feel fear.
How can he be this strong?
The question lingered.
But the answer didn't matter.
Reality was already in front of them.
"Pa!"
"Out!"
An infield fly—
The easiest kind of out for Seido's fielders.
One out.
No runners on base.
That single play shattered Akiha's remaining illusions.
They had thought—
If they could just touch the ball, they could deal with him.
But now they understood.
Touching it wasn't enough.
Without perfect timing.
Without enough power.
Without precise contact—
They would still be out.
Is he really… this strong?
Although a pitcher shouldn't be judged on this aspect alone, the players and supporters of Akiha High School's baseball team had already realized something unsettling.
In terms of pure pitching ability on paper, Seido's first-year, Furuya Satoru, had already surpassed their Ace.
What a terrifying reality.
The players and supporters of Akiha High School were unwilling to accept it. They would rather deceive themselves than face that truth head-on.
And strictly speaking, there was nothing wrong with that.
If they didn't think this way, they might as well surrender right then and there.
They couldn't compete in defense.
They couldn't compete in batting.
And now, they couldn't even compete in pitching—
It wasn't just that their Ace couldn't match the opponent's Ace. Their Ace couldn't even measure up to the opponent's first-year substitute.
If that was the case… what meaning did this match even have for them?
None. None at all.
So they had no choice but to deceive themselves. Only by clinging to that illusion could they continue struggling.
With that mindset, when Akiha's fifth batter stepped up to the plate, he still carried himself as if fully prepared.
"Boom!"
The baseball tore through the air, producing a deafening sonic crack.
Standing in the batter's box, the fifth batter's eyes locked forward.
So fast?!
The speed of that pitch completely exceeded his expectations.
On the giant electronic scoreboard, the number flashed clearly:
151 km/h!
In the stands, Seido's supporters erupted in excitement.
To them, this result was exactly what they had expected.
Their team was crushing the opponent using nothing but substitute pitchers.
"You still want to challenge our Ace? You're not even close!"
"Come back in 800 years—we might give you a chance then!"
Earlier, when Zhou Hao hadn't taken the field, Akiha's supporters had accused Seido of underestimating them, throwing out plenty of harsh remarks.
They might have forgotten about it—but Seido's supporters hadn't.
Now that the opportunity had come, they paid it back in full, their words sharp and merciless.
Akiha's supporters heard everything… but chose to pretend they didn't.
What else could they do?
It was their own team that was being completely overwhelmed.
They didn't even have the confidence to argue back anymore.
All they could do was grit their teeth and endure.
Still, they refused to believe Seido could remain this dominant forever.
"Boom!"
Another pitch exploded forward.
At this moment, Furuya Satoru gave off an almost omnipotent presence.
Every pitch from his hand was fast, rhythmic, and precise.
Akiha's fifth batter was completely suppressed.
He lifted his bat mechanically, trying to prepare for a swing…
But it quickly became clear—
That was nothing more than wishful thinking.
The pitch was simply too fast.
Even a reflexive swing was impossible.
In the end, he could only watch helplessly as the ball flew past him.
"Boom!"
"Pa!"
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
"Strikeout!!"
Two outs. Bases empty.
The sixth batter stepped in.
By now, every capable batter Akiha had was already exhausted. They had tried every strategy they could think of.
The result?
Six batters up. Six batters down.
Two full innings… and not a single hit.
Forget scoring—they hadn't even managed solid contact.
Just like that, the game moved into the bottom of the second inning.
Seido slowed their offense slightly, scoring only two runs.
The score became 9:0.
In the top of the third inning, Furuya once again retired the side—three up, three down.
In the bottom of the third, Seido added another run.
10:0.
Seido's supporters watched with proud expressions.
"The mercy rule is basically guaranteed."
"It's only the third inning… and this is a semifinal?"
"Without a pitcher who can handle pressure, this outcome was inevitable."
They knew their team's strength well.
So for them, this result wasn't surprising at all—they accepted it easily.
As the game entered the top of the fourth inning, Seido finally changed pitchers.
Another first-year stepped onto the mound.
At that moment, the coach and players of Akiha High School quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
A monster like Furuya Satoru had already transcended the idea of being a "first-year." His level made that label meaningless.
But this new pitcher was different.
His speed wasn't as overwhelming as Furuya's.
That meant—
They finally had a chance.
A chance to hit.
A chance to score.
With that thought, their spirits lifted once more.
"Let's take it all in one go!"
"Don't give them any chance—blast it!"
Their momentum surged like a rising tide.
Yet Sawamura Eijun, standing calmly on the mound, remained completely unfazed.
After receiving the sign from Chris-senpai, he didn't hesitate.
He pitched.
"Whoosh!"
Akiha's leadoff batter stepped in with confidence—
But the moment he saw that pitch, his pupils shrank.
How is that possible?!
The thought flashed through his mind before he forcefully suppressed it.
No matter how unwilling he was to admit it…
This first-year, Sawamura Eijun, was the real deal.
When he pitched, his arm was perfectly concealed behind his body.
The batter couldn't see the release point at all.
The ball simply appeared—rushing toward him in an instant.
Facing him felt no easier than facing Furuya.
The speed—
It was overwhelming.
So fast that he couldn't react in time.
By the time he realized it, the ball had already passed him.
"Pa!"
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
Two quick strikes.
The pressure mounted instantly.
The batter stood there, utterly confused.
How could this be?
Are these two "first-years" from Seido… really first-years?
Why did they feel even more terrifying than Akiha's Ace?