"Congratulations to Seidou High School Baseball Team for hitting a two-run home run!"
"The score on the field is now 5–0!"
"Seidou leads by five runs!"
"And we've just received confirmation—Azuma Kiyokuni, the one who hit that homer, has officially reached his 50th career home run in high school!"
The moment this announcement echoed across Koshien, the entire stadium erupted.
"My Amaterasu—fifty!?"
"I heard Seidou didn't even play that many games before this year!"
"Under those circumstances, to have already hit fifty? His home run rate might be higher than Sano's!"
At that moment, Azuma Kiyokuni was like the shining core of Koshien itself. Every pair of eyes in the stadium turned toward him, while the giant screen displayed a close-up of his face, drenched in sweat but full of confidence.
"This is incredible!"
President Ota clapped his hands, beaming. "More scouts will definitely throw offers at Azuma after this!"
Up until recently, professional teams had shown some interest in Azuma Kiyokuni—mainly because of Seidou's renowned training system and his solid performance at the plate. But to be honest, the investment risk for teams was low. Signing him would have been a small gamble—nothing more.
Whether Azuma could truly make it in the pros would depend on his own growth.
But now things were different.
Koshien wasn't just any stage—it was the most-watched baseball tournament in the nation, broadcast to millions. Even scouts from Major League Baseball kept an eye on Japan's summer spectacle.
And on this grand stage, Azuma Kiyokuni had delivered a legendary moment.
From this day on, any team negotiating with him would no longer see him as a mere rookie, but as a future star.
"A bright future awaits him," President Ota said with pride. "The prospects are limitless!"
His words ignited the dugout. The players of Seidou were energized—not only by Azuma's feat but by the realization that every victory they achieved would shine light on them as well.
Strong team performance meant greater visibility—more scouts, more opportunities, and more paths forward.
"Come on!" Yuki grinned. "Let's ride this momentum!"
The atmosphere in Seidou's dugout was electric, even with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Every player still wanted to keep pushing, to keep the momentum alive.
"Ping!"
Unfortunately, their next batter couldn't extend the inning. Akahoshi's pitch was sharp once again. The fifth batter connected, but the ball flew straight into Ikeda's fielder's glove.
"Snap!"
"Out!"
Three outs. Change sides.
Even so, the fans in the stands could already sense the outcome.
At 5–0, it wasn't officially over, but everyone knew how this would end.
Against Seidou—who had already defeated Osaka Kiryu—no one could expect a miraculous comeback.
Top of the Seventh Inning
Ikeda High School stepped up to bat. Their top order was due, and this would be their third time facing Seidou's pitchers.
Inside Ikeda's dugout, shouts of encouragement rang out—a desperate attempt to reignite their fighting spirit. But deep down, everyone knew the truth.
It wasn't resolve they felt.
It was despair disguised as defiance.
The first batter stepped into the box, eyes sharp, bat raised high. His determination was clear—he wanted to swing for the fences.
Yoshida, standing calmly on the mound, saw through it immediately.
"So, they've decided to go all-in, huh?" he murmured.
To Yoshida, this made things simple. A desperate batter was easy to read.
Behind the plate, Miyuki crouched with a mischievous grin. "They're overeager. Let's use that against them."
Yoshida shook his head slightly but couldn't help smiling. He loved Miyuki's daring calls.
With a deep breath, he wound up and released.
"Swish!"
The pitch streaked toward the plate—a low, slicing slider that curved at the last moment.
The batter's instincts screamed at him to swing. He did.
"Fly for me!"
"Ping!"
The ball soared high into the air—but not far enough.
Shimoi Teru tracked it effortlessly, positioning himself under the falling ball.
"Snap!"
"Out!"
One out, no one on base.
Ikeda's bench fell silent. Their batter, who had swung with all his might, stood frozen. One out—and their hope slipped further away.
"Our intentions have been completely read," Akahoshi muttered darkly.
He could tell exactly why it had happened.
Zhou Hao had pitched the first four innings, wearing down Ikeda's lineup. Now, Yoshida—rested and steady—was cleaning up. While not as powerful as Zhou Hao, Yoshida's control and variation made him deadly.
Facing him without preparation was like walking blindfolded into a trap.
The next batter stepped up.
Same swing.
Same result.
"Ping!"
"Snap!"
"Out!"
Two outs. No one on base.
Even Seidou's supporters were astonished. They had always felt nervous whenever someone other than Zhou Hao was on the mound. But Yoshida's calm, dominant performance was winning them over.
Maybe they'd underestimated him.
Before, Seidou's weakness had always been its lack of a true Ace. No matter how talented their fielders and batters were, without a pitcher to anchor them, they could never break through the fierce competition of West Tokyo.
But now—Zhou Hao and Yoshida together—Seidou finally had a complete rotation.
"Ping!"
"Out!"
Three batters up, three batters down.
Top of the seventh inning, over.
Ikeda's hopes had officially been crushed.
Bottom of the Seventh Inning
Seidou back on offense.
First up—Yoshida himself.
Akahoshi took a deep breath on the mound. His expression hadn't changed—still composed, still determined. He raised his leg and threw with everything he had left.
The ball whistled through the air.
Even after giving up five runs, Akahoshi's pitching was still dazzling. It was a shame, really—a brilliant Ace trapped on a team that couldn't back him up.
As one commentator sighed,
"Baseball isn't a one-man game. Not even for the pitcher."
But before he could finish, the unexpected happened.
"Ping!"
Yoshida swung, his motion smooth and effortless.
The ball shot out, bouncing toward the outfield. The Ikeda fielder dove desperately—but the ball slipped past his glove, landing just inches away.
"It went through!"
The Seidou fans roared.
No one had expected Yoshida—of all people—to get a hit off Akahoshi. Aside from Zhou Hao, Yuki, and Azuma, no one else had really managed to touch his pitching before.
And yet here it was.
"The Seidou High School Baseball Team is unstoppable!" shouted the commentator.
Yoshida sprinted around first and slid into second safely.
"No outs, runner on second!"
The fielder who missed the ball slammed his glove against the ground, frustration etched on his face. But deep down, he knew—it wasn't just a physical mistake. His heart had already given up.
When belief falters, even a split-second hesitation is fatal.
"Seventh batter, catcher, Miyuki Kazuya!"
As Miyuki stepped into the batter's box, the atmosphere grew even heavier.
The storm that was Seidou had only just begun.