The third batter of Seidou High School's baseball team, without any prior warning, suddenly laid down a bunt.
In an instant—
Tens of thousands of spectators at the stadium, and millions of viewers watching through their television screens, were all stunned.
At this point, Seidou High School had already become a national sensation, a true team of superstars.
Especially their three core power hitters—
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say their names were known across the entire country.
Because of this, everyone knew exactly what kind of batter Yuki Tetsuya was.
A man who could sweep everything away with a single swing of his bat.
An unstoppable force.
Standing in the batter's box, his presence alone sometimes surpassed even that of Seidou's cleanup hitter.
This impression was deeply ingrained in everyone's mind.
So when Yuki Tetsuya stepped up to the plate in today's decisive showdown, people instinctively assumed—
He would swing with all his might and send the ball flying.
That scene had already been replayed countless times in their imagination.
Yet no one—absolutely no one—expected that this super power hitter would choose to bunt at such a critical moment.
Even more shocking was his attitude.
Calm. Firm. Resolute.
This was clearly not a spur-of-the-moment decision.
It was something he had planned long ago, waiting only for Shirawaza to throw this final pitch.
And now—
He had succeeded.
On third base, Zhou Hao resembled a predator waiting for its prey.
He stood still, motionless.
But the instant the baseball touched the ground, he would explode forward like a cheetah.
Just how terrifying was Zhou Hao's burst speed?
Everyone knew the answer.
At this moment, both teams had reached the brink—
A true life-or-death confrontation.
Victory or defeat would be decided in an instant.
Ping!
The bat met the ball.
The baseball didn't roll toward first base.
Nor did it roll toward third base.
Instead—
It trickled straight toward the pitcher.
A bunt to this position was no different from suicide.
Yuki understood this perfectly.
He never intended to reach base himself.
His objective was only one—
Send Zhou Hao home.
"Suicide squeeze bunt!"
"Seidou really deserves their reputation as a battle-hardened team!"
"Their tactical execution is terrifying!"
"Using a bunt with the third batter—they're going all out!"
Exclamations surged through the stands.
Every eye was locked onto the field, eager to see who would emerge victorious.
On the other side, the hearts of the Seibō High School players leapt into their throats.
They hadn't expected Seidou's offense to be this aggressive.
Even though they had already prepared countermeasures—
Even though multiple infielders had charged forward—
A deep sense of unease still lingered.
They couldn't predict how this would end.
The moment Shirawaza completed his pitch, he caught Yuki's movement out of the corner of his eye.
Almost instantly, he sprinted forward.
"I knew it."
Among Seibō's players, Shirawaza understood Seidou the best.
When others saw Yuki bunt, their first thought was disbelief.
But Shirawaza had already anticipated this scenario.
As long as there was even the slightest chance to score—
Seidou would never let it slip away.
With Zhou Hao standing on third base, possessing that monstrous speed—
How could they?
This situation was inevitable.
Rather than letting an unfamiliar fifth batter attempt the bunt—
It was far better to let Yuki Tetsuya do it himself.
Yuki's batting power was terrifying, but like many sluggers—
Bunting wasn't his specialty.
That was Seibō's opening.
As long as the ball wasn't bunted to a perfect spot—
Shirawaza was confident he could shut down Seidou's offense.
Just like before.
Thwack!
The ball hit the ground, barely bouncing.
Behind the plate, catcher Oishibashi widened his eyes in disbelief.
He hadn't expected Yuki's bunt to be this precise.
Even Seibō's best bunter might not have been able to pull that off.
It was unbelievable.
At the same time—
Zhou Hao exploded from third base like an arrow released from a bow.
His legs churned like blazing wheels.
"So fast!"
Even spectators who had seen his speed before couldn't help but cry out.
In the blink of an eye, he crossed more than ten meters.
By the time everyone reacted—
He was already less than eight meters from home plate.
The Seidou supporters erupted.
"So cool!"
"As expected of Zhou Hao—this speed is unreal!"
Adrenaline surged through the crowd.
Just as Zhou Hao was about to bring Seidou the winning run—
A figure intercepted the ball.
"I predicted this long ago!"
Shirawaza slapped the rolling ball with his glove and redirected it straight toward home plate.
He had done this once before.
Back then, people thought it was luck.
Now, it was obvious—
This was skill.
The baseball flew toward home plate even faster than last time.
Thwack!
Oishibashi caught it cleanly.
A grim smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Seidou was strong.
But unfortunately for them—
Their opponent was Seibō.
And guarding home plate was him.
"I'm sorry," Oishibashi said coldly.
"You're not getting past me."
Zhou Hao's pupils shrank.
At that instant—
His Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun open.
Time slowed dramatically.
Angles. Paths. Openings.
Everything became crystal clear.
Oishibashi's defense was flawless.
Breaking through head-on was impossible.
But surrender had never been Zhou Hao's style.
Even if there was only a sliver of hope—
He would seize it.
Just before colliding, Zhou Hao suddenly straightened his body.
Over the head?
Oishibashi instantly raised his glove.
But—
Zhou Hao dropped low.
A feint.
Oishibashi reacted, swinging his glove downward.
It missed.
Zhou Hao retracted his hand—
Then extended it again.
Tap.
Home plate.
Time froze.
Every camera focused on the head umpire.
His heart thundered in his chest.
Even in professional baseball—
He had never witnessed a showdown like this.
Finally—
"Safe!"
The call rang out.
"Seidou High School scores!"
1–0!
The game was over.
Zhou Hao rose to his feet, brushing the dirt from his uniform.
"I won't fall for the same trick twice."
The commentator's voice trembled.
"A walk-off bunt…"
"Ladies and gentlemen—"
"Congratulations to Seidou High School!"
"They are the champions of Koshien!"
The stadium exploded.
Seidou—
National champions.
Walk-off hits.
Walk-off home runs.
He had seen countless endings like those before—nothing out of the ordinary.
After all, this was his job.
But a walk-off bunt?
Even with all his experience, this was the first time he had ever witnessed such a thing.
For a moment, he was utterly stunned.
Yet even as the shock lingered, he still had to deliver the final verdict of the match.
"Congratulations to Seidou High School Baseball Team for winning the Koshien Championship!"
"Congratulations to Seidou High School Baseball Team for dominating the nation!"
"In the Koshien finals, after nine innings of an intense battle between Seidou High School Baseball Team and Seibō, the winner is—SEIDOU!!!"
The commentator was so excited that his words came out jumbled and incoherent.
And he wasn't the only one.
The moment the result was confirmed, the stands erupted.
The supporters of Seidou High School Baseball Team leapt to their feet in excitement.
"We won! Champions!"
"We are the champions!!!"
Seidou High School Baseball Team had suffered through years of hardship.
Failing to reach Koshien for several consecutive seasons had nearly turned them into a joke among the nation's elite powerhouses.
A top-tier school falling that far—such a thing was almost unheard of.
During the era when Inashiro Industrial dominated West Tokyo, it wasn't only Seidou that suffered.
Ichidai faced pressure as well.
But so what?
Ichidai never failed to reach Koshien year after year.
Compared to them, Seidou's situation was far more miserable.
And yet—
This summer, Seidou High School Baseball Team seemed to undergo a complete transformation.
They rose abruptly, displaying a terrifying level of strength.
They defeated their two long-standing rivals one after another and successfully advanced to Koshien.
If it had stopped there, it would have already been remarkable.
But Seidou didn't stop.
They charged forward relentlessly, all the way to the Koshien finals.
And in that final battle, they defeated Seibō, standing atop Koshien Stadium as true champions.
Especially in this last game—
Anyone could see that luck was not on Seidou's side.
On the contrary, Seibō High School Baseball Team seemed blessed by fortune.
Their ace pitcher delivered the best performance of his career, repeatedly stepping up in critical moments.
Again and again, Seidou created scoring opportunities—
And again and again, they failed to convert them.
This final victory—
Was won purely through Seidou High School Baseball Team's overwhelming strength and unyielding will.
It was hard-earned.
Under such circumstances, no one could deny them their respect.
Their championship was beyond reproach.
Just look at the neutral fans.
Those who hadn't supported either side before now stood up and applauded enthusiastically.
"That was incredible!"
"From today on, I'm a Seidou supporter."
"Well done, Zhou Hao."
"Amazing!!!"
Even the supporters of Seibō High School Baseball Team rose from their seats, clapping quietly.
They had lost today.
But their Koshien journey—
Reaching the finals and pushing Seidou into such a fierce battle—
Could never be called a failure.
At most, it was simply… regretful.
And even with regret, they had played on the final stage of Koshien.
Their players' exposure and recognition were no less than Seidou's.
When even neutral fans—and even the opposing side—responded this way,
One could only imagine how explosive Seidou's supporters felt.
At the very front of the stands stood the players of Seidou High School Baseball Team.
Kuramochi, who had already been assigned to the second string, clapped until his palms turned red.
"Zhou Hao!!!"
He wasn't alone.
Several others shouted alongside him.
"Seidou! Seidou! Seidou!"
Their eyes were locked onto Zhou Hao.
At that moment, each of them swore silently in their hearts—
One day, they too would become undisputed starters of Seidou High School Baseball Team.
One day, they too would wear that white-and-blue uniform.
One day, they too would stand on Koshien Stadium—
And dominate the nation.