He pulled back his stance and went all out.
Zhang Han tried his best to control the baseball, making the white ball fly to the position he wanted. Miyuki, at the catcher's position, silently gave Zhang Han a thumbs up when he saw the baseball flying towards him.
Zhang Han's biggest advantage compared to Tanba was that he knew what he should do and what he could do right now. Realizing that his pitch speed had lost its advantage, Zhang Han quickly adjusted his mindset and switched to focusing on control.
"Absolutely."
No matter what kind of monster the opponent was, as long as they could steadily display their strength, maintain high-speed pitching, and hit specific locations, there was a high probability of dealing with him.
Miyuki thought this, and then he saw a huge dark shadow suddenly flash before his eyes.
Miyuki's heart trembled. That terrifying man completely disregarded Zhang Han's ball speed and control; he directly made his move. The moment he did, Miyuki felt as if the air in front of him had been sucked dry, so much so that for a few tenths of a second, he forgot to breathe.
The momentum was too astonishing. The speed was too fast.
No matter how many times he had seen it before, Miyuki still found it hard to believe that this was just a bat swung by a first-year high school player. How could it be so brutal?
"Ping!"
The white ball that was hit flew directly into the sky, soaring far away under the gaze of tens of thousands of eyes, finally landing in the stands. The supporters and teammates of Seido High School Baseball Team were so nervous their hearts were about to burst.
Again?
"Foul ball!"
Fortunately, the worst-case scenario did not happen. Although the baseball flew out of the fence, it also deviated from the sideline.
"Gahahahaha..."
The man in the batter's box let out a chilling laugh. Raichi Todoroki stared spiritedly at the Seido High School Baseball Team's pitcher's mound, staring at the man who had just thrown the pitch.
"Amazing!"
The baseball was very fast, and its position was tricky, making it difficult to hit. Zhang Han now was completely different from how he was at the beginning. If Zhang Han could maintain his previous state, whether Raichi Todoroki could hit it out was still an unknown. After all, the two had not faced each other in that state, so no one knew what the outcome would be.
But now, Raichi Todoroki was absolutely confident that he could hit Zhang Han's pitch out of the park. As long as the baseball entered the strike zone, he would definitely hit it out.
Not to mention Zhang Han on the pitcher's mound, even Miyuki instinctively shivered when he saw Raichi Todoroki's performance. He felt even more clearly that defeating this opponent would definitely not be an easy task.
What to do?
Miyuki racked his brain, desperately trying to find a solution. If it were the beginning of the game, with his cooperation with Zhang Han, they might still have been able to come up with some ideas. Even if Zhang Han was no longer in his free-spirited state, as long as he had enough stamina to throw Fastballs, they could use powerful pitches to suppress Raichi Todoroki to a certain extent.
But now, Zhang Han's first physical peak had passed, and it was difficult for him to maintain his previous ball speed. In this situation, how were they going to face this monster?
Just as Miyuki was at a loss, he saw Zhang Han on the pitcher's mound actively opening his glove towards him. Zhang Han was asking for the ball proactively?
Although Miyuki had some doubts, he still did not hesitate and directly passed the ball to Zhang Han.
"Pop!"
Zhang Han, who caught the ball, showed no signs of fatigue from his outward appearance. He just stared coldly at his opponent. Staring at Raichi Todoroki in the batter's box.
At this moment, it seemed as if Zhang Han had ignored everything around him. His eyes only saw Raichi Todoroki, and in his mind, there was only the ball Raichi Todoroki had just hit.
This guy was actually getting competitive with his opponent at this point?
Miyuki was speechless. He also didn't know whether this situation was good or bad. But since Zhang Han was full of drive, overall, it should be more beneficial than harmful.
Miyuki thought this to himself and actively squatted down. He didn't want to give Zhang Han a signal anymore. It was the first time Miyuki had seen Zhang Han take something so seriously, and he really couldn't guess what kind of strength Zhang Han could display in this state. Since he didn't understand Zhang Han's current state, it was better to let Zhang Han play freely. He just needed to cooperate well.
Miyuki made up his mind, squatted down, and prepared to catch the ball. While preparing, his gaze never left Zhang Han. He wondered if Zhang Han, in this situation, understood the significance of his upcoming performance.
If Zhang Han performed well next and successfully led the team through this crisis, it would mean that he could stand on the starting line to compete for the Ace position at Seido. He would be qualified to compete with Tanba.
In Miyuki's mind, and even in the minds of most First string players of Seido High School Baseball Team, they actually believed there was no need for a competition between the two at all. As long as Zhang Han stood on that starting line, judging from his last game in the fall of last year and today's game, Zhang Han would inevitably become the Ace of Seido High School Baseball Team.
But Zhang Han at this moment had none of those things in his eyes.
All of his attention was focused on the young man named Raichi Todoroki in front of him. Zhang Han's heart was filled with indignation. How could it be a Homerun again? Although the baseball had deviated, in Zhang Han's mind, being able to hit it that far and into the stands was equivalent to a Homerun.
Three confrontations, and he had suffered losses against this young man every time. Since Zhang Han started playing baseball, he had never continuously suffered so many losses from one person. So much so that Zhang Han, who was usually more open-minded, had his pride completely ignited.
When pitching the second ball, he no longer cared about his body's fatigue. Zhang Han tried his best to recall the previous feeling, then pushed his ball speed to the extreme.
"Whoosh!"
The moment the pitch was released, Zhang Han felt a strong recoil from his two fingers for the first time. This clear sensation, far from causing any setback, instead made him find the long-lost feeling.
This is the feeling. The feeling of launching a cannonball.
The white ball, like a light arrow, instantly crossed a distance of more than ten meters and appeared in front of the batter.
In the Yakushi High School Baseball Team's dugout, Todoroki Raizo's eyes widened in surprise. The ball speed had actually recovered?
Although there wasn't that natural, effortless feeling from before, the difference between a ball barely reaching 150 kilometers per hour and one at 155 kilometers per hour was still very astonishing. If one were closer, one could even hear the sound of the ball tearing through the air.
"Boom!"
Facing the incoming Fastball, Raichi Todoroki was not at all hesitant; he quickly swung his bat. The ball that had suddenly accelerated, he actually touched it with pinpoint accuracy. However, this ball did not hit the sweet spot, and coupled with the immense force of the baseball, it merely grazed the bat and flew past the umpire's head.
"Pop!"
The baseball heavily slammed into the backstop, causing two ripples before reluctantly falling down.
Miyuki Kazuya's eyes were practically sparkling.
Unbelievable. Even though his stamina had passed its first limit, Zhang Han was still able to push his body and unleash his peak pitch speed. Although this kind of outburst would inevitably put a certain burden on his body, if it was just to deal with Raichi Todoroki alone, the burden should still be manageable.
Two foul balls. Although Raichi Todoroki's swing was aggressive, he was still cornered. And he was cornered in just two pitches.
Those who were just about to mock Zhang Han all obediently shut their mouths, not daring to say a single word. They were also afraid that if they said something wrong, they would be severely embarrassed later. Rather than that, it was better to remain silent now.
"So cool!"
Reporter Nitta in the stands was equally excited. He kept shaking his assistant, asking, "Did you record that last pitch?"
"154.8 kilometers per hour!"
This time it was not an illusion; Zhang Han's ball speed had indeed returned to his peak state.
"Zhang Han! Zhang Han!!"
In the stands, a group of girls shouted excitedly. In fact, many of them didn't really understand how amazing what had just happened was. But this did not hinder their growing affection for Zhang Han.
The cheerleading captain of Seido was already too exhausted to complain about those girls. However, no matter how fiercely they shouted, they were still outsiders to Seido High School Baseball Team and to Zhang Han. Only their cheerleading squad were the most legitimate supporters of Seido High School Baseball Team.
"Zhang Han!"
"Zhang Han!!!"
"Captain, isn't it bad for us to only shout one player's name?"
"What's so bad about it? As long as they perform well, no amount of special treatment we give is too much. If the baseball team players have an opinion, tell them to perform well too!"
Originally, the other cheerleading squad members were a bit embarrassed. Now that they heard their captain say so, what else was there to be embarrassed about?
They joined in the shouting.
"Zhang Han, so handsome!"
"Zhang Han, I want to be friends with you!"
"It's cheering, not letting you confess your feelings. You infatuated girl, control yourself..."
The captain of the cheerleading squad instantly transformed into a red-haired demon, roaring at her team members. The team member felt extremely wronged; the captain had just been doing the same.
Zhang Han was completely unaware of what was happening in the stands. Because he was too focused, he didn't even realize that his pitch speed had already recovered. He had only one goal, and that was to deal with Raichi Todoroki.
The third pitch. It looked even more desperate than the previous two.
The location wasn't ideal either, basically right down the center of the strike zone. Raichi Todoroki, standing in the batter's box, his eyes sparkled with excitement. Originally, he was a bit regretful that he couldn't face Zhang Han at his peak.
But now, it seemed he didn't need to continue regretting. Despite significant physical exhaustion, the opponent was actually able to recover his pitching form and unleash pitches at his peak speed.
The speed was truly fast.
Just as he imagined, the white ball whizzed past his eyes in an instant, giving him almost no time to react. It was simply too late to swing after clearly seeing the baseball. He had to anticipate it, and his movements had to be decisive.
Just like now.
"Boom!"
The bat in his hand whistled as Raichi Todoroki showed no sign of stopping; he swung with all his might.
"Ping..."
The white ball that was hit flew out of the fence again. Fortunately, this ball also deviated from the foul line. However, it didn't deviate much; when it crossed the foul line, it was only off by a mere dozen centimeters. If there hadn't been a clear reference point, it would have been hard to say whether this ball was a foul or not.
"Foul!"
Two consecutive pitches, both hit out of the fence.
Even though Zhang Han had restored his pitch speed to its peak, he still couldn't gain any advantage against Raichi Todoroki. The opponent was like a true monster, standing in front of Zhang Han.
"Gahahaha..."
His voice, like something between a laugh and a roar, was like the sound of a death god's scythe, ready to reap at any moment.
Foul ball. Foul ball. Foul ball.
Two times it flew out of the fence, but it couldn't become a Homerun. Even the most loyal supporters of Seido High School Baseball Team couldn't in good conscience say that the Goddess of Fortune wasn't helping them.
If the Goddess of Fortune truly existed, at this moment she would have been biased to an incomparable degree. But her bias was not towards Yakushi. It was towards Seido.
It was Zhang Han.
But even with the Goddess of Fortune showing such extreme favoritism, the situation for Seido High School Baseball Team was still not looking good. Raichi Todoroki, relying on his incredibly powerful swing, completely suppressed Zhang Han.
No matter how fast Zhang Han pitched, he hit them all out beautifully. If this entanglement continued, Raichi Todoroki would not be far from ultimately hitting a Homerun.
"Now, there really is nothing we can do!"
"I didn't expect those guys from Yakushi High School Baseball Team to be so capable?"
"Who is that boy who laughs so foolishly? How is he so strong?"
"Him, you don't know? Previously, when this boy was playing against Inashiro, he hit a Homerun off Narumiya Mei."
There was no more vivid comparison than this one.
Currently, Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team was only about twenty days away from dominating the Spring Koshien nationwide. Many fans in Tokyo were still immersed in the dream of the Tokyo Dynasty.
As the most important component of the Tokyo Dynasty, Narumiya Mei had become a household name in Tokyo recently. Even many people who didn't play baseball knew how formidable Narumiya Mei was.
Such a person, and his pitch had been hit out?
People had to re-evaluate Raichi Todoroki. Looking at it this way, his initial Homerun, and now hitting the ball out twice more, was not incomprehensible. He just had extraordinary strength. Even if he was just a first-year high school student, his strength had already surpassed that of many strong high school hitters. You couldn't argue with that. He indeed possessed such ability.
"Then Zhang Han, isn't he in great danger?"
"Looking at this situation, it's really not optimistic."
"It's not bad either! That guy attracts too much attention; it's good for him to learn a lesson..."
One of the chubby boys looked enviously at the more than thirty girls standing in a row at the very front. Tokyo originally had more men than women, with too many monks and too little meat. High-quality resources were even more severely lacking. This guy, all by himself, was taking too much; it was simply unbearable.
Around the little chubby boy, several other boys exchanged knowing smiles. Although they wouldn't say it directly like him, it didn't mean they weren't thinking it. If Zhang Han were to give up another Homerun, even if they didn't say anything or show anything on their faces, they would be happy inside.
On the pitcher's mound, Zhang Han paid no attention to anything outside.
Hit out twice, plus the initial Homerun. Three times. Since becoming a pitcher, this was the first time Zhang Han had suffered such a blow. He had to admit that Raichi Todoroki in front of him was, to some extent, an unsolvable monster.
But the more this was the case, the more he refused to give in.
His right leg lifted high, then stepped out as if clearing a hurdle. This time, Zhang Han's stride was much larger than any before. Then, as his body stepped forward, his entire body suddenly dropped by half a foot, and then he rushed out as if to run. While rushing out, Zhang Han used his middle and index fingers to hook the baseball tightly, pressing it out with all his might.
"Whoosh!"
The white ball shot out like a cannonball. The baseball seemed to be continuously accelerating during its flight.
Raichi Todoroki's eyes sparkled with excitement. He looked forward to confronting masters. During his daily simulated practice, he didn't know how many high-level pitchers he had simulated in his mind. But he had never simulated a pitch like Zhang Han's before.
The baseball was pressed very low, looking as if it was about to hit the ground. Originally, Raichi Todoroki could have completely refrained from swinging at such a pitch. But his body reacted naturally; even if the baseball was about to drop below the strike zone, he would never let it go.
"Boom!"
As Raichi Todoroki swung his bat, the people around him seemed to hear a clap of thunder. It was hard to imagine that a first-year high school player could swing a bat so astonishingly. No wonder he had hit the ball outside the fence twice before. When struck by such a swing, even if it didn't hit the sweet spot, there was a high possibility of the baseball flying out of the stadium.
Just when everyone was holding their breath for Zhang Han, something incredible happened.
The white ball flew over the top of the bat.
Miyuki was extremely shocked. He hastily raised his glove by more than ten centimeters, barely managing to catch the ball. The baseball, still unstable after entering the glove, kept colliding, trying to fly out. But in the end, it was forcibly subdued by Miyuki.
"Strike!"
"Strikeout!!!"
While the entire stadium was in complete silence, the umpire also paused for a moment before announcing the result. When it came out, all the supporters of Seido High School Baseball Team present were dancing with joy.
Although they knew that this game was being broadcast live on television and they should maintain restraint, how could they restrain themselves? Not allowing them to celebrate in this situation would make them more uncomfortable than a beating.
"Seido! Seido!!!"
"Zhang Han! Zhang Han!!!!"
The stands were filled with jubilation, and at this moment, no one noticed that the boy who had struck out was frozen in the batter's box.
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