Yuuki Tetsuya, Seido High School's next-generation hitting leader, followed up with a timely hit, extending Seido's advantage to a two-run lead!
The commentator's voice on the radio was nearly tearing apart from excitement, rising several octaves as he shouted the result. His words blended with the roar of the crowd, creating a deafening wave of sound that swept through the stadium.
The fans in the stands, especially those supporting Seido High School, were even more enthusiastic than before. Cheers burst out from every corner, flags waving wildly, drums pounding without rhythm.
A two-run lead right at the start of the game.
Such a dreamlike opening hadn't appeared for Seido in years.
On the pitcher's mound, Nishimonji raised his hand to his forehead.
It was damp.
The game had barely begun. It was still the first inning, yet sweat was already trickling down his face.
Already?
That realization alone unsettled him.
The pressure of facing Seido High School's Baseball Team was far greater than he had imagined.
Inashiro Industrial had held the title of Tokyo's number one for many years. During that time, they had faced countless challenges. Strong opponents, desperate underdogs, heated finals.
Although they usually won, they had also tasted defeat.
Their seniors loved talking about those games.
They would describe them endlessly, saliva flying as they recounted the intensity, the thrill, the suffocating pressure of decisive moments. To Nishimonji and his teammates, those stories had always sounded exaggerated.
After all, Inashiro Industrial wasn't just a baseball powerhouse. It was also one of the top high schools in the entire country.
Being able to attend this school was a dream for countless students.
Because of that, the chance of Inashiro's invitations being rejected was extremely low. The players they recruited were never inferior. Even if they weren't stronger than the other major powerhouses, they were at least on the same level.
Their training intensity, while not as extreme as Seido's famously obsessive regimen, was still fierce. No one on the team dared to slack off.
And then there was their Director.
Kunitomo had long proven his strength. He was recognized as the best Director in West Tokyo, and even across all of Tokyo, few could rival him.
Looking nationwide, he would still rank among the top.
With all of these conditions combined, Inashiro Industrial High School's Baseball Team should have been nearly flawless.
At the very least, they should never be weak.
Many times, they themselves were the strongest team in Tokyo. Even though this region was crowded with frighteningly powerful schools, Inashiro had always stood at the top.
So why should they be afraid?
Under those circumstances, were the challenges their seniors spoke of really that intense?
Standing on the mound today, Nishimonji finally understood.
They hadn't lied.
Not even a little.
The competition here was truly brutal.
Before this tournament, Seido High School's Baseball Team had faced countless problems. Their main catcher was injured. The team's internal adjustments had been far from smooth. Their Ace Pitcher's condition was unstable.
Almost no one favored Seido.
Even Inashiro Industrial hadn't paid them much attention at first.
To them, the real threat had always been Ichidai Third High School.
The team that possessed Tokyo's number one pitcher.
Before Seido faced Ichidai San, many of Inashiro's players firmly believed Ichidai would be the one to stand in their way.
Even after Seido earned the reputation of having Tokyo's strongest batting lineup, that belief hadn't wavered.
In their eyes, Ichidai Third High School was still superior. Compared to Ichidai, Seido's internal issues seemed far too severe.
A rookie catcher. A pitcher whose dominance was questionable.
A lineup that looked powerful on paper but hadn't fully stabilized.
Yet reality had slapped them hard. Seido High School defeated Ichidai San.
Cleanly. Decisively.
And just like that, the once-arrogant Ichidai San was eliminated. When that result came in, the players of Inashiro Industrial felt their hearts jolt.
This suddenly rising opponent was far more dangerous than expected. Before today's game, Nishimonji and his teammates had already prepared themselves mentally.
They told themselves to stay calm. They warned each other not to underestimate Seido.
But once the game actually began, all of that preparation proved useless.
Facing Seido's batting lineup, even after securing two outs, they couldn't afford to relax for even a moment.
Azuma Kiyokuni.
Yuuki Tetsuya.
One after another, they delivered crushing hits.
Inashiro's confidence, their defense, their teamwork—none of it mattered in the face of overwhelming offensive strength.
The pressure is insane…
Nishimonji felt his breathing grow heavy.
Are these guys all monsters?
He could swear to Amaterasu that during those at-bats, he hadn't held back even slightly. There was no carelessness, no hesitation.
Every pitch had been thrown with full focus and strength. He was giving his absolute best.
And yet, it was meaningless.
There was only one explanation. The two batters who had just stepped up for Seido were simply stronger than him.
Seido High School's batting lineup was terrifying. And it wasn't over yet.
The next batter stepping into the box had shown performance comparable to Azuma Kiyokuni and Yuuki in previous games. Every scouting report said the same thing.
As long as he stood in the batter's box, there was a very real chance of a hit.
Maybe even another run.
In the stands, scattered cheers rang out. Among them were the high-pitched shouts of young girls calling out his name.
From his popularity alone, it was obvious how much anticipation surrounded him.
Seido's supporters clearly believed it too.
As long as this batter was up, Seido still had a strong possibility of scoring again.
And that possibility wasn't small.
Facing such an opponent, Inashiro's pitcher-catcher duo had no room for restraint.
They could only go all out.
They knew from their research that Zhang Han was skilled at hitting fastballs and had a particular fondness for inside pitches.
So they avoided them entirely.
Their strategy was clear: aim for the upper and lower corners of the outside edge of the strike zone.
They wouldn't give Zhang Han anything comfortable to hit. If they could accurately hit those locations, the plan would work. Zhang Han could even guess what they were trying to do.
If the pitches came exactly where expected, he could wait for them like a sitting duck.
But there was a problem. Nishimonji's control wasn't sharp enough. Some of the pitches missed wildly.
Way off.
Zhang Han frowned, shifting his stance slightly as another ball sailed past the target.
What kind of control is this? I can't even tell where the ball's supposed to go.
Feeling irritated, Zhang Han couldn't help but complain out loud. He deliberately raised his voice just enough for the catcher to hear.
He hoped to provoke them. Maybe they'd get annoyed and throw him something straight. Something he could crush.
But Fujita acted as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Calm and composed, he continued calling pitches without reacting.
The count quickly reached two strikes.
Forced to protect the plate, Zhang Han swung and sent the ball foul. In this situation, getting a clean hit felt increasingly difficult. He adjusted his mindset.
If he couldn't hit, then he'd aim for a walk.
On one hand, it would raise the pitch count. On the other, it would let him gather more information about Nishimonji's pitching and pass it along to the teammates behind him.
But Inashiro Industrial didn't give him that option. They went straight for the decisive pitch.
The ball broke sharply as it came in. A high-breaking curveball. Zhang Han read it correctly. But his body reacted just half a beat too slow.
He had been prepared for an outside pitch. Instead, the ball dropped low and cut toward the center.
The bat swept through the air. The white ball slipped past it cleanly.
Pop.
"Strike!"
"Strikeout!!!"
The umpire's call echoed clearly.
Since Zhang Han officially began playing for Seido High School, this was the first time he had ever been struck out.
In Seido's dugout, the air seemed to freeze.
The temperature dropped several degrees in an instant.
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