"This is impossible!!"
"The scoreboard's broken!!"
"Someone check with a speed gun!"
The stands erupted into chaos, boiling like a pot about to spill over.
Even Seidō's own supporters stared wide-eyed. Zhou Hao's signature weapon wasn't his straight ball—it was the Spiral Ball, spinning with impossible break. That pitch, thrown at over 140 km/h, was what had crushed Inashiro's lineup and was now shackling Ichidai's sluggers.
But a 146 km/h fastball?
That was something else entirely.
"His fastest fastball before was barely 140!"
"This is a whole new level!"
Fans pulled out their radar guns to confirm, and one after another, the readings lit up with the same truth.
"146! It's real!"
"Compared to Mei Narumiya… he's already faster!"
"He's only a first-year… will he hit 150 someday?"
Seidō's side roared with pride, their doubts turning into thunderous chants.
On the field, Miyuki froze behind the mask. Really 146…? How?
Even Zhou Hao himself was stunned. His motion hadn't changed, his mechanics hadn't shifted. Yet the pitch had exploded out of his hand with completely new life.
Then it hit him.
This had happened before—when his Spiral Ball broke through to Level 2. The speed, the break, the tailing action—everything had spiked beyond reason.
Now it was his straight ball's turn.
Level 2 had already sharpened his control to A-rank and boosted his velocity into the 140s. But now, in the middle of this final, the pitch had jumped to Level 3.
Zhou Hao's eyes narrowed.
So that's what this is…
At Level 3, the velocity ceiling would push past 145, maybe even 147–148 km/h. Faster than almost anyone in Tokyo. Faster than Narumiya Mei himself.
Excitement surged through his chest. With this upgrade, his arsenal was complete. His Spiral Ball and his Straight Ball could now intertwine seamlessly—no weak points, no exploitable gaps.
One plus one would become far more than two.
He didn't waste time savoring it.
"Whoosh!!"
Another straight ball ripped from his hand, hammering into the zone.
"Pop!!"
144 km/h. Two ticks slower, but still burning. The crowd roared anyway—proof that the leap wasn't a fluke.
Ichidai's eighth batter bit his lip, shoulders trembling. Why me? Why use a monster pitch like this against me of all people…
But Zhou Hao wasn't aiming at him. He was chasing the feel—the breakthrough lingering just out of reach.
He wound up again.
"Whoosh!!"
The ball exploded forward, sharper, faster—
And then, inside his mind, the voice rang out.
[Congratulations to the host. Kunai Straight Throwing Technique has been upgraded to Level 3! Currently max level. To reach Level 4, unlock other skills first.]
Zhou Hao exhaled slowly, eyes gleaming.
A brand-new weapon had just been forged.
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