"I wonder… who can possibly stop this team?"
As Manager of Osaka Kiryu High School, Matsumoto Takahiro knew the strength of every powerhouse that made it to Koshien.
With the lineup he had this year, he'd been confident—
confident enough to believe his team could go all the way.
But after facing Seidou… everything changed.
This game didn't just drain his ace's stamina—
it shattered his sense of certainty.
Even if they had somehow managed to defeat Seidou,
Matsumoto wasn't sure how far they could've gone afterward.
And Seidou?
They were no different—on the surface.
A team that had reentered Koshien after years away, yet carried such terrifying strength…
Even Matsumoto couldn't fully grasp just how strong they were.
Perhaps they already had the capability to win it all.
But now, everything was uncertain.
After all, none of the giants in Koshien were easy prey.
Even so, one thing was clear to Matsumoto:
Seidou High School had limitless potential.
And the most mysterious among them—
was their ace, Zhou Hao.
That boy was an enigma.
It wasn't just Matsumoto who was captivated.
The entire stadium—reporters, scouts, fans—were spellbound.
"That's insane…"
"They actually beat Osaka Kiryu?!"
"This year's Osaka Kiryu was supposed to be the top seed!"
The top seed—
the team considered most likely to win the national championship.
The organizers had carefully evaluated every contender.
And among them all, Osaka Kiryu had stood at the top—
a juggernaut that seemed untouchable.
But today, that so-called juggernaut had fallen.
For most of the game, Seidou had been behind.
Then they seized the lead.
And finally, in a dramatic ninth-inning reversal—they conquered.
Across the full nine innings, Seidou had simply played better.
There was no room for debate.
The result left a shockwave across the nation.
Was Seidou really stronger than Osaka Kiryu?
And what about Zhou Hao?
Had he truly shown his full strength… or was he still holding back?
No one could say for sure.
But if this wasn't his full power—
Then the future of Seidou High School Baseball Team was boundless.
"Maybe…" a reporter murmured, eyes wide,
"maybe they'll take Osaka Kiryu's place as the new national seed."
He hadn't meant to say it aloud—
but the thought itself was electrifying.
Of course, Koshien's path was merciless.
One flaw, one moment of weakness, could end even the strongest team.
And today's battle had fully exposed Seidou's strengths—and their weapons.
For a dark horse that had just reemerged at Koshien, that exposure could be fatal.
Yet, paradoxically, no one watching believed Seidou would fall easily.
Those who witnessed the game firsthand—the fans, the reporters, even rival coaches—
all felt the same thing in their gut:
This Seidou team won't stop here.
Their strength wasn't a fluke.
They were a storm.
Even if opponents studied Zhou Hao's pitches—his Spiral, his straight fastball, his breaking ball—
when facing him in real combat…
could anyone truly beat him?
Impossible.
On the field, the Seidou players danced and shouted, their joy echoing through the stands.
Fans joined in, waving blue towels and chanting their names.
Before today, few of them dared dream of national domination.
But after this victory—
everything changed.
They believed.
For the first time, they truly felt it in their bones—
that they could win again and again, all the way to the top.
And it wasn't just Zhou Hao's victory.
This win belonged to all of them.
Each player had contributed, fought, and shone.
That unity gave them even greater confidence for the road ahead.
As the team celebrated, their cheers turned toward Miyuki Kazuya.
Though he'd only stepped in briefly—
and had only one at-bat—
his hit had changed everything.
"You're amazing, Miyuki!"
"I'll forgive all your sarcastic comments from now on!"
"I can't believe you hit that 150 km/h fastball!"
Miyuki's face flushed crimson at the attention.
He wasn't used to this.
He wasn't Zhou Hao—
someone who could smile calmly in the face of applause.
For Miyuki, it was overwhelming.
Zhou Hao, seeing this, couldn't help but laugh.
He patted Miyuki's shoulder.
"You'll get used to it," he said warmly.
Because to Zhou Hao, Miyuki wasn't just a promising rookie.
He was crucial.
In that moment, in that exact situation—
Zhou Hao couldn't think of anyone else who could've pulled it off.
After the ceremony, both teams lined up along the foul lines.
Bows were exchanged.
The cheers softened into silence.
"Thank you for the match!"
"Thank you for the guidance!"
The Osaka Kiryu players bowed deeply, tears streaming down their faces.
For them, this loss was crushing.
They were Japan's top powerhouse—
and every one of them had sacrificed everything just to stand on this field.
Now, it was over.
The third-years especially broke down, their tears falling like rain.
Dreams ended here, in the first round.
Far away in Nagano Prefecture,
a young pitcher named Sawamura Eijun stared at the TV, eyes misty.
"Eijun, aren't you planning to join Seidou?" his childhood friend teased.
"They won! Why are you crying?"
Sawamura wiped at his tears with the back of his hand.
"I just… remembered our Summer Tournament," he said quietly.
They too had lost—in their very first game.
His friend rolled his eyes.
"Have some shame. We lost in the first round of the regional tournament.
Osaka Kiryu made it to Koshien!"
Sawamura gave a weak laugh through his tears.
"Yeah… but someday, I'll be there too."
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