Before stepping onto the field, the players of Matsuyama High School's baseball team had their fighting spirit reignited.
Even though they knew in their hearts that the probability of actually hitting the ball was very slim…
What if?
What if they got lucky? What if they did manage to hit the ball?
Wouldn't the outcome be different then?
At this point, even if they only managed to hold the current score, they would still secure the victory.
But baseball is a game of alternating offense and defense.
When it came to defense on the field, there was no doubt—they would give it their all.
But what about when it was their turn to bat? They couldn't just do nothing, could they?
As long as there was even the slightest chance, the batters of Matsuyama High School were willing to try.
Their sixth batter had just stepped into the batter's box and raised his bat high. Whether it was the aura he gave off or the way he positioned himself, it was clear—
No one would believe he didn't want to hit the ball.
Considering their team's performance earlier, it wasn't out of the question for Matsuyama High School to continue widening the score gap.
Under the gaze of everyone in the stadium, the sixth batter of Matsuyama High felt an overwhelming surge of strength within him.
After all, their opponent was just a first-year from Seidou.
And judging from his physique, he didn't look like someone who could throw anything powerful.
Just as this batter was thinking that—
Zhou Hao, standing on the pitcher's mound, suddenly moved.
At this point, Zhou Hao only had one pitch in his arsenal: the Spiral Ball. So he decided to go all-in and threw it without hesitation.
"Boom!"
Initially, the batter had underestimated Zhou Hao.
Zhou Hao's build was right there—he didn't look strong at all.
How could someone like that throw anything special?
But when the baseball truly flew out of Zhou Hao's hand, the sixth batter of Matsuyama High was stunned.
To his eyes, the baseball looked like a spinning meteor crashing toward him.
He stood frozen in the batter's box, watching the ball approach helplessly.
No reaction at all…
"Pop!"
"Strike!!"
One strike ahead.
Those watching Zhou Hao pitch felt their hearts clench tightly.
Terrifying!
This youth's pitch seemed even stronger than in the previous inning.
The batter in the box felt it even more directly.
He had been so confident about hitting the ball, but when it came flying at him, he couldn't even swing.
Completely intimidated by Zhou Hao's pitch.
Even the sixth batter of Matsuyama High—no matter how blindly confident—now understood in his heart:
With that kind of pitch, he had no chance of hitting it.
No wonder their core batters looked like they'd met their nemesis when facing Zhou Hao.
They just couldn't hit him.
And just as the sixth batter began to waver…
Zhou Hao showed no signs of stopping.
As soon as he got the ball back, he threw the second pitch without missing a beat.
"It's not just that his pitches are fast—his rhythm is too."
Normally, a pitcher needs to set up before pitching. That's how they ensure the ball goes where they want it.
But it also gives the batter more time to prepare.
It's a double-edged sword.
But Zhou Hao was different—he didn't care about any of that. As long as the ball was in his hand, he'd throw it without hesitation.
The baseball in his hands seemed like it was under a spell—it went exactly where he wanted.
Even more frightening was that the power behind his pitches didn't weaken at all.
With Zhou Hao suddenly increasing his tempo, the batter in the box suffered a double blow.
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
"Pop!"
"Strike!!"
"Strikeout without swinging!"
The sixth batter of Matsuyama stood there like he was watching a performance—didn't move the entire time.
Back in the Matsuyama dugout, the players wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.
This was beyond embarrassing.
Even if you couldn't hit the ball, you could at least swing your bat and show some effort.
What was that supposed to be?
Regardless of the grumbling in the dugout, the sixth batter had already slunk back silently, saying nothing.
The Matsuyama coach understood too—his player had clearly been severely shaken.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be like this.
"Forget about the opponent's pitches. Let's just secure today's win first."
At this point, he no longer had any other expectations. As long as they could win this match, their efforts wouldn't have been wasted.
The seventh batter stepped up—and met the same fate as the sixth.
The only difference? He stubbornly swung his bat twice, even though he missed both times.
But at least he tried. Compared to the sixth batter, it was less humiliating.
"Strikeout!"
"Strikeout!!"
"Three outs, switch sides."
The eighth batter stepped up, swinging from Zhou Hao's very first pitch.
He knew he probably wouldn't get a hit.
But he figured—if he swung with all his might, even if he didn't hit the ball, at least he wouldn't look so pathetic.
And maybe—just maybe—he could get lucky and make it to base.
Unfortunately, fate didn't favor him.
Even after swinging three times, he still couldn't even graze the ball.
Another three up, three down.
Even Coach Kataoka, standing as umpire, had stars in his eyes.
Seidou really needed a good pitcher.
That had always been the team's weakness.
Fans in West Tokyo often gossiped about Seidou's chances of making it to Koshien.
And the consensus?
Less than ten percent!
That might not sound terrible, but compared to the other two elite schools—one had a 40% chance, the other 35%...
Seidou's 10% started to look pitiful.
And now, a promising young pitcher was standing right in front of him.
How could Coach Kataoka not be excited?
As for their opponents—they were probably in despair by now.
They weren't even thinking about hitting Zhou Hao's pitches anymore.
They just wanted to preserve the current score and secure the win.
Which, in a way, was lucky for Zhou Hao. Otherwise, he might not have lasted.
After all, Zhou Hao's Spiral Ball had its limits.
If the opponent really dragged things out and forced him to overuse it, the pitch would collapse once it exceeded its cap.
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