"Nothing…!"
"Still nothing!!"
Kazama had faced powerful batters before.
Players with elite skill—those who could cover the entire strike zone with their swings.
Against opponents like that, finding a weakness was always difficult.
But as a reserve pitcher for the National Youth Team, Kazama was no stranger to such battles.
Facing monsters like them again and again—
His pitching had grown.
Evolved.
To the point where he could now contend with those hitters head-on.
It was something he had once taken pride in.
But now—
Reality hit him like a cold wave.
Against Zhou Hao—
He didn't even dare to throw a proper pitch.
The moment he prepared to release the ball, his mind filled with a single image—
His pitch being crushed.
That instinctive fear had already sunk into his bones.
As a result, the instant he released the ball—
He subconsciously altered its course.
If not for the catcher anticipating it, that pitch might've slipped completely out of control.
The Hakuba catcher stretched his glove to the limit—
Barely managing to receive it.
"Smack!"
"Ball!"
The pitch missed the strike zone by a wide margin.
In the stands, Hakuba Academy's supporters had originally hoped their ace could shut Zhou Hao down.
If they succeeded—
It would deal a massive psychological blow to Seido.
Even if they had fallen behind early,
Neutralizing Zhou Hao might have been the turning point they needed.
But now—
That hope was slipping away.
Kazama, sensing the danger, didn't force the issue.
Another pitch—
Another ball.
"Smack!"
"Ball!"
"Ball!!"
Three consecutive balls.
One more—
And Zhou Hao would walk.
Even the spectators began to realize what was happening.
Their ace…
Was choosing to avoid the confrontation.
But in truth—
Kazama hadn't made that decision consciously.
Even after three balls—
He still wanted to win.
To prove himself.
To defeat Zhou Hao head-on.
But no matter how hard he searched—
There was nothing.
Not a single flaw.
"How can… someone bat this perfectly?"
Zhou Hao stood there, unmoving.
Calm.
Unshaken.
Like an ancient tree rooted deep into the earth.
Kazama could feel it—
The moment his pitch entered the strike zone…
It would be destroyed.
"Damn it…"
He gritted his teeth.
Between pride…
And reality—
He chose the latter.
The fourth pitch came—
Far outside the zone.
Zhou Hao never swung once.
He simply watched each pitch pass by.
"Smack!"
"Ball!"
"Four balls—walk!"
Two outs.
Runner on first.
In the stands, Seido's supporters nearly exploded.
"Damn it!"
They should've seen this coming.
Not every team would foolishly challenge Zhou Hao directly.
The teams that had done so before—
Had paid the price.
Every pitch crushed.
Every mistake punished.
That was how Zhou Hao built his reputation.
And shattered his opponents.
But once teams learned—
Once they adapted—
There was a simple solution.
Avoid him.
Pitching was different.
When facing Zhou Hao on the mound, batters had no choice but to react.
But when he was at bat—
The pitcher had all the control.
If they refused to throw into the zone—
Zhou Hao couldn't swing.
No swing—
No hit.
No home run.
Hakuba Academy had always been pragmatic.
They didn't care about pride.
Only results.
And right now—
Walking him was the most efficient choice.
If they couldn't beat him—
They would minimize the damage.
"Fourth batter—Yuki Tetsuya!"
With two outs and a runner on first—
Seido's cleanup stepped in.
Yuki Tetsuya.
Bat raised.
Eyes cold.
Emotionless.
To the catcher…
To Kazama on the mound—
He felt like something beyond human.
The space he occupied—
Seemed to cover the entire strike zone.
"…This is bad."
The Hakuba catcher swallowed hard.
No matter where we throw it…
It feels like he can hit it.
The same pressure.
The same suffocating aura.
Just like Zhou Hao.
Unless they pitched far outside—
Anything in the zone would be punished.
It was like a nightmare.
Not just for the pitcher—
But for the entire battery.
Confidence eroded.
Little by little.
And yet—
This was their moment.
Their chance.
Against Zhou Hao, their offense had been nonexistent.
Laughable, even.
Their only strength lay in their pitching and defense.
But now—
Even that was beginning to crumble.
The catcher hesitated for a split second—
Then gave the signal.
Do we face him head-on?
On the mound—
Kazama nodded.
Firm.
Resolute.
He had already walked one.
There was no way—
He would walk another.
A pitcher like me…
Still has pride.
Even if he couldn't find a weakness—
It didn't mean he couldn't fight.
Zhou Hao had forced him into retreat.
But Yuki—
Was a different battle.
Now—
He would face it head-on.
Although Yuki was, in a sense, also a flawless batter—
He and Zhou Hao were fundamentally different.
Kazama had never seen anyone like Zhou Hao before.
But players like Yuki Tetsuya?
He had faced them.
He had experience.
On the mound, Kazama raised his arm high—
Stepped forward—
And released the ball.
"Whoosh!"
The white ball cut through the air.
Yuki watched it pass by his eyes—
And didn't move.
"Smack!"
"Strike!"
The umpire's call rang out.
Yuki glanced back.
"Is there a problem?" the umpire asked.
"…No."
Yuki shook his head.
From his angle, the pitch had slightly missed the zone—
But only by a hair.
Close enough that the call could go either way.
There was no point arguing.
Instead, Yuki adjusted.
If edge pitches could be called strikes—
Then he would expand his coverage.
From now on—
Anything near the zone—
He would crush.
Kazama didn't hesitate.
The second pitch came immediately.
"Whoosh!"
This one was faster.
Noticeably sharper.
Yuki reacted.
His bat cut through the air—
"Ping!"
The ball connected—
Not perfectly—
But enough to send it flying.
For a moment—
Hope sparked in everyone's eyes.
Is this it?
The first run?!
But then—
The ball dropped.
Falling sharply from its arc.
Hakuba's second baseman retreated, steady and composed—
And caught it cleanly.
"Smack!"
"Out!"
"Three outs, change!"
Bottom of the first inning—
Score: 0–0.
In the stands, Seido's supporters felt a chill run down their spines.
This atmosphere…
It felt familiar.
Too familiar.
Like they had been dragged back—
To that autumn.
Back when Seido, fresh off their national dominance, aimed for another championship—
And ran into Narumiya Mei.
Back then, both teams' pitchers had seemed untouchable.
Opportunities?
Almost nonexistent.
Zhou Hao could still reach base—
But with the rest of the lineup struggling,
It didn't matter.
Narumiya Mei could suppress everyone else with ease.
And if no one else could follow up—
Runs wouldn't come.
Now—
Kazama was giving off that same feeling.
He couldn't stop Zhou Hao directly.
But against everyone else—
He was more than enough.
If this continued—
Seido would be forced into a deadlock.
Watching helplessly as outs piled up.
Top of the second inning.
Coach Kataoka didn't change his plan.
Hakuba's offense might seem harmless—
But allowing them to build confidence would be dangerous.
If momentum shifted—
Seido's substitute pitchers might not be able to hold them back.
So the answer was simple.
Keep Zhou Hao on the mound.
Crush them completely.
Leave behind a single impression—
Invincible.
Once that image took root in Hakuba's minds—
They would never play at full strength again.
Especially their ace.
If Kazama started to waver—
That would be Seido's chance.
Before Zhou Hao stepped onto the field, Coach Kataoka gave one instruction:
"Let the storm rage even fiercer."
Zhou Hao nodded.
The moment he stood on the mound—
He looked… free.
His first opponent—
Hakuba Academy's cleanup hitter.
A massive figure, built like a wall of muscle.
Not agile—
But undeniably powerful.
The kind of batter that made pitchers hesitate.
Zhou Hao didn't hesitate at all.
He set his stance—
And threw.
"BOOM!"
The ball exploded from his hand, ripping through the air.
The batter had prepared himself mentally—
But the instant he saw the pitch—
All those preparations shattered.
Too fast!
Before he could react—
It was already past him.
"Smack!"
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
"Strike!!!"
"Strikeout!!!"
Silence.
Hakuba's strongest batter—
Defeated without resistance.
Three pitches.
Three Spiral Balls.
That was all it took.