The score on the field was 7–5.
It was now the bottom of the fourth inning, and Seidou High School was at bat.
Stepping up to the plate was the ninth batter in Seidou's lineup.
Just then, Coach Kataoka stepped forward from the dugout.
"Seidou High School baseball team requests a pinch hitter substitution."
A substitution this early in the fourth inning?
Many were surprised. After all, except for Zhou Hao, none of Seidou's big hitters had been able to touch Yamamoto's pitches from Seiko Academy.
Making a substitution now was undeniably a bold and risky move.
In Seiko's dugout, Coach Kumakiri turned his attention toward Seidou's bench.
He could feel it clearly—the young rising coach across the field was directly challenging him. Not only in guiding his players, but in the tactical choices made during the game as well.
This younger coach was seeking to surpass him.
"Yamamoto!"
Coach Kumakiri's gaze shifted back to the pitcher's mound.
Standing tall on the mound, Yamamoto's expression was full of unshakable resolve.
It was clear—he had no intention of backing down.
Even without saying a word, his stance made a declaration:
"No matter what Seidou does, I'll pitch to the end. For myself, and for our coach."
"Miyuki-san, you're up."
Kazuya Miyuki stepped onto the field—not as a catcher, but as a pinch hitter.
It was likely he'd only get this one at-bat before being substituted out again. Still, this was a golden opportunity for Miyuki.
As he stepped into the batter's box and raised his bat confidently, Kuramochi, who had just been cheering for Zhou Hao, felt his chest tighten with mixed emotions.
Another first-year…
A teammate, a rival—Kuramochi's heart swelled with envy.
"We first-years… We've got to prove ourselves too!"
Clenching his fists, Kuramochi made a silent vow: he would earn his place on the field, join the main roster, and play in official matches wearing Seidou's jersey.
Though jealous, Kuramochi wasn't petty.
Even if someone had a sharp tongue or a rough attitude, as long as they were teammates, he'd cheer them on without hesitation.
"Another first-year rookie?"
"That's Miyuki Kazuya—the catcher prodigy from junior high."
"He had a pretty strong batting average with runners on base, didn't he?"
"Yeah, but if I remember right, his average was pretty average when the bases were empty."
Since this was Tokyo, there were many fans and players in the stands who had heard of Miyuki—or even played against him in junior high.
Still, even those familiar with him were worried about Coach Kataoka's decision.
The crowd vividly remembered what happened when Tanba was subbed in—Seiko Academy immediately seized the momentum and hit three home runs in a row.
Now, Kataoka was putting another first-year rookie in?
"If Seidou makes another misstep, they'll be in real trouble!"
Of course, no one truly believed that Seidou would lose. Their strength was undeniable.
But in Tokyo's fiercely competitive environment—where three powerhouse schools battled for dominance—style of victory mattered.
If they could win this game decisively, it would greatly boost team morale and intimidate future opponents.
But if they barely scraped by?
Even a win might shake their confidence—and worse, it could expose Seidou's trump cards too early.
Just as these thoughts lingered in the minds of the crowd…
Yamamoto fired a fast pitch, full of power.
"Whoosh!"
As the ball screamed toward the plate, Miyuki briefly felt the urge to swing hard and blast it.
But he suppressed that impulse.
He quickly understood why Seidou's upperclassmen had struggled—Yamamoto's deceptive delivery was no joke.
Still, if you just observed carefully and resisted swinging too early, you could handle it.
He lowered his center of gravity, gripped the bat with both hands, and swung cleanly as the ball approached.
"Ping!"
A clean hit.
The baseball bounced sharply and landed behind third base.
Miyuki didn't hesitate—he sped past first base and slid into second!
"Safe!"
Seiko's fielders finally realized what had happened.
"Wait, have they already figured him out?"
They knew firsthand how tricky Yamamoto's pitches were.
It had taken Seiko's own batters two to three weeks of practice to adjust and get the rhythm down.
Yet these two Seidou rookies were hitting cleanly in their first appearance?
No outs. Runner on second base.
Before Seiko's players could even react properly, Seidou's next batter stepped up to the plate.
Seiko's players weren't the only ones shaken—even Yamamoto looked stunned.
His gaze locked onto the new batter with disbelief.
Back when Yamamoto first took the mound, he had faced Seidou's second batter, meaning this was the first time their leadoff hitter, Matsumoto, was seeing his pitching.
"I don't believe all of you have figured out how to hit me!"
Gritting his teeth, Yamamoto wound up and delivered another powerful pitch.
From the mound, his form looked as fierce as ever.
In the batter's box, Matsumoto waited silently, eyes calm and steady.
He didn't swing until the ball was nearly in his reach.
"Ping!"
Another clean hit.
The ball slipped through a gap between two Seiko fielders, bounced off the ground, and rolled to the outfield.
The fielders gave chase, but it was too late.
"It's through again!"
"And Seidou scores their eighth run!"
8–5!
Seidou High School is now leading by three points.
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POWER STONE!!!
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