"Who are we?"
"SEIDO!"
"Who shed the most tears?"
"SEIDO!"
"Who shed the most sweat?"
"SEIDO!"
"Are you ready for the challenge?"
"Awooo!!"
"Carrying the honor of our school, our goal from beginning to end is only one—"
"To dominate the nation!!"
"Awooo! Awooo! Awooo! Awooo!!"
No matter how many times they shouted it, Seido's battle cry still made everyone's blood boil.
Many players had chosen to join Seido because of this atmosphere.
Perhaps they couldn't clearly explain what had moved them.
Yet the moment they witnessed the team standing together, shouting those words with unwavering conviction, something inside them stirred.
They wanted to wear Seido's white-and-blue uniform.
They wanted to represent Seido on the field.
It wasn't the dream of just one player.
It was the shared obsession of countless generations.
"Let's go!"
As captain, Yuki Tetsuya boarded the bus first.
The rest of the team followed behind him.
"I didn't do well just now. I should've shouted louder."
Kuramochi muttered regretfully after taking his seat.
Even though it wasn't his first time participating in the chant, the excitement still surged through him every time.
And it probably always would.
Zhou Hao wasn't surprised.
There were simply too many players like that on Seido's roster.
Whether during practice, games, or even team chants, whenever they felt they hadn't done something perfectly, they immediately reflected on how to improve.
Perhaps that was why Seido's players developed so quickly.
Very few teenagers possessed that level of self-motivation.
The bus soon arrived at Hachioji Stadium.
Before the players could even step off, they could already hear the noise outside.
After spotting Seido's bus, the crowd of reporters immediately surged forward.
Inashiro Industrial's popularity was certainly impressive.
They were the Spring Tournament runners-up and one of the nation's elite powerhouse schools.
Ordinarily, Tokyo fans would have supported them wholeheartedly.
Unfortunately for Inashiro, Seido existed.
Not only were they the defending national champions, but they had also defeated Inashiro twice this season.
Under those circumstances, it was only natural that public attention gravitated toward Seido.
The moment they arrived, they became the center of attention.
The bus doors opened.
Instantly, every Seido player adjusted their expression.
Even those who weren't smiling carefully put on their coolest look.
After all, someone was definitely taking pictures.
Nobody wanted to embarrass themselves.
Sitting near the back, Zhou Hao witnessed the entire scene and couldn't help curling his lips.
At some point, his teammates had developed a bit of "idol baggage."
Still, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
The Seido players appeared in newspapers, magazines, and online media almost every week now.
Maintaining a good public image benefited not only themselves but also the reputation of the entire team.
As soon as Zhou Hao stepped off the bus, a smile naturally appeared on his face.
"It's Zhou Hao!"
"Show us those terrifying pitches today!"
"We came specifically to cheer for you!"
"Captain Yuki!"
"Miyuki!"
Fans enthusiastically shouted the names of their favorite players.
The Seido members waved back as they walked toward the stadium.
Nearby, reporters pushed forward with microphones while cameramen hurried behind them.
"Zhou Hao, will you be today's starting pitcher?"
"Coach Kataoka, what are your plans for this tournament?"
Questions flew nonstop.
By now, however, both Kataoka and Zhou Hao were more than accustomed to such attention.
They had completely adapted to life as the nation's top team.
As for other powerhouse schools?
The current Seido players no longer paid them much attention.
All they knew was that they deserved to stand at the center of the spotlight.
And they intended to stay there.
An unmistakable aura of confidence surrounded the entire team.
A confidence that seemed to say:
Who else but us?
Inside Hachioji Stadium, the stands were already packed.
At least eighty percent of the seats were occupied.
Seeing the scene before her, Baseball Kingdom reporter Oowada Akiko widened her eyes.
"What's going on?"
People were everywhere.
And this was only Seido's first game of the tournament.
School vacation hadn't even started yet.
The number of Seido students in attendance wasn't particularly high.
Apart from the brass band, cheer squad, and some baseball club members, there weren't many students present.
Yet Seido's section was already overflowing.
Many fans had even crossed over to the opposite stands because there wasn't enough space.
"This is the appeal of a true national powerhouse."
Beside her, Fujio adjusted his cap and nodded knowingly.
"But Seido is different from previous powerhouse teams."
"In what way?"
Akiko blinked in confusion.
Fujio smiled.
"We're living in the internet age."
"The more exceptional someone is, the easier it becomes for them to attract attention."
The appeal of Seido wasn't limited to their victories.
Their players themselves possessed tremendous charisma.
Whether it was Zhou Hao, Yuki, Miyuki, Kuramochi, or the others, fans had grown attached to them as individuals.
In that regard, only Inashiro Industrial could really compare.
However, Seido's results were even better.
Naturally, they attracted more attention.
Many spectators weren't even there just to watch baseball anymore.
They came because they liked Seido.
They enjoyed watching these players sweat, struggle, and crush their opponents on the diamond.
Meanwhile, the players of Mishimen High School felt an overwhelming sense of pressure the moment they entered the stadium.
"So scary..."
"Are those guys really high school students like us?"
From their perspective, Seido's players looked more like professional stars than fellow teenagers.
The aura surrounding them was intimidating.
Coach Chiba immediately noticed the fear on his players' faces.
"Wipe those pathetic expressions away."
Instead of looking nervous, he seemed energized.
"Isn't this perfect?"
"We're complete nobodies."
"That means they'll underestimate us."
"And that's our chance."
His eyes burned with fighting spirit.
Even though their opponent was the mighty Seido High School Baseball Team, he showed no signs of fear.
It was as if defeating the defending champions wasn't an impossible dream at all.
Inspired by their coach's confidence, the tension on the Mishimen players' faces gradually eased.
For the first time that day, they began to believe.
Maybe...
Just maybe...
They could pull off a miracle.
Back when they had first learned that their opponent would be Seido High School, the players of Mishimen High had already gone through a period of shock.
Over the following days, they continuously adjusted their mentality.
And their hard work paid off.
By now, they had gradually adapted to the pressure.
Although stepping into the stadium had briefly made them want to turn around and run, that feeling quickly faded.
Their mindset had changed.
"Let's do it."
"We've already made every preparation we can."
"The rest is up to fate."
"We're not guaranteed to lose!"
The Mishimen players firmly believed that, compared to Seido, they had prepared far more thoroughly for this game.
Even if their opponent was the reigning national powerhouse, they would not make things easy for them.
The fighting spirit radiating from the opposing dugout didn't escape Seido's notice.
"Interesting."
For Seido's players, being described as "interesting" was already a high compliment.
"Their fighting spirit is impressive."
"We've done all the studying we need to do."
"Now it's time to show them the strength of Seido Baseball."
Soon, both teams lined up on the field.
"Please take care of us!"
"Please take care of us!"
The players bowed to one another.
The umpire stepped forward.
"West Tokyo Summer Tournament, Third Round, Game Four!"
"The match between Seido High School and Mishimen High School will now begin!"
Seido had won the right to bat first.
Top of the first inning.
"First batter, Number 6, shortstop, Kuramochi Yoichi!"
"Hyahaha!"
With his bat resting on his shoulder, Kuramochi confidently stepped into the batter's box.
As the leadoff hitter of the nation's strongest team, he had already made up his mind.
The moment he saw a hittable pitch—
He would swing without hesitation.
His goal was simple:
Crush the first pitch he could hit.
But almost immediately, he realized something was wrong.
The pitcher standing on the mound wasn't the Ace they had prepared for.
Instead, Mishimen had sent out an entirely different player.
"A substitution?"
Kuramochi blinked.
Not only him, but the rest of Seido's players were equally surprised.
Against Seido, common sense dictated that a team would use its strongest pitcher from the start.
Especially when that pitcher was the team's Ace.
Yet Mishimen had done the exact opposite.
What were they planning?
"Did they give up already?"
"No way."
"Maybe that's their hidden trump card."
"They really surprised us."
The Seido players exchanged puzzled looks.
Although none of them doubted their ability to win, they had taken this opening game seriously.
They had spent considerable time gathering information and preparing strategies.
According to their expectations, all they needed to do was execute their game plan and secure a comfortable victory.
Unexpectedly, Mishimen had changed pitchers at the last moment.
And the replacement was someone they had barely paid attention to.
"Do we have any information on him?"
Someone turned toward Chris.
Chris smiled bitterly.
"I investigated him, but not very thoroughly."
Since he was still an active player, he couldn't personally conduct an exhaustive investigation into every member of the opposing team.
Especially not a substitute who had barely appeared all season.
"If I remember correctly, he was a regular player about a year and a half ago."
"Then, for some reason, he disappeared from the main roster."
"He hasn't appeared in an official game this entire year."
This was his first appearance.
The intention behind Mishimen's move was obvious.
They had prepared this specifically for Seido.
The Seido players understood that immediately.
"How good is he?"
"We'll find out soon enough."
As captain, Yuki calmly gave his verdict.
The others nodded.
Many people looked at Seido's achievements and assumed they could easily defend their national title.
Reality wasn't that simple.
Judging from Mishimen's preparations alone, it was obvious that nobody in Japan had been sitting still this year.
The stronger the opponent, the more thoroughly they prepared.
A hidden pitcher like this wasn't necessarily reserved only for Seido.
Most likely, Mishimen had been saving him as a weapon against stronger teams throughout the tournament.
Unfortunately for them, their first major obstacle happened to be Seido.
For powerhouse schools around the country, preparations aimed at defeating Seido had likely become routine.
How many secret strategies and hidden weapons existed?
Even Seido couldn't possibly know until they encountered them firsthand.
Just as everyone was thinking about it—
The substitute pitcher suddenly moved.
Whoosh!
His throwing arm swung upward from below his waist in a smooth arc.
The baseball shot toward home plate.
The entire Seido bench froze for a moment.
"Submarine delivery!"
"An underhand pitcher!"
Several players nearly laughed.
After all the mystery and suspense, this was the opponent's secret weapon?
A submarine pitcher?
For most teams, facing such a pitcher would indeed be troublesome.
The release point was unusual.
The ball movement was unfamiliar.
And many batters rarely had opportunities to face one.
But Seido wasn't just any team.
They were the reigning national champions.
Over the years, they had defeated countless opponents and faced every type of pitcher imaginable.
Power pitchers.
Technical pitchers.
Sidearm pitchers.
Knuckleball specialists.
Even rare submarine pitchers.
Compared to what they had imagined, this wasn't nearly as frightening.
Honestly, they had been expecting something far more troublesome.
A monster rookie like Sawamura.
A pitching prodigy like Furuya.
Someone capable of completely changing a game by themselves.
If that had been the case, Seido would have had a real headache.
But now?
The situation was entirely different.