That night, every floodlight on Seido's field blazed to life.
The entire training ground was illuminated as brightly as day.
For every Seido player who witnessed it, this was a scene they would never forget.
Standing in the batter's box was Coach Kataoka.
Bat in hand.
Sweat pouring down his face.
His chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.
And yet, his back remained perfectly straight.
As though nothing in the world could force him to bend.
His sharp eyes swept across the remaining players.
"Is this as far as you can go?"
One after another, the participants of the special training camp had fallen.
It wasn't because they lacked determination.
Nor was it because they wanted to quit.
Their bodies had simply reached their limits.
Physically.
Mentally.
They had given everything they had.
In the end, only seven players remained standing.
Seven.
Less than half of those who had started.
Yet these seven players would become living proof of why Seido High School Baseball Team was considered invincible.
First Baseman—
Yuki Tetsuya.
Second Baseman—
Kominato Ryosuke.
Third Baseman—
Masuko Toru.
Shortstop—
Kuramochi Yoichi.
Kuramochi looked utterly exhausted.
His uniform was soaked with sweat.
His legs trembled whenever he moved.
Yet he remained on the field.
Again and again, a certain figure appeared in his mind.
Zhou Hao.
If even Zhou Hao could keep going...
Then what excuse did he have to stop?
In the end, Kuramochi defeated his own limits through sheer willpower.
Just like the others.
He remained standing until the very end.
One of the seven players who shone brightest on the field that night.
The remaining three were the outfielders.
Isashiki Jun.
Oshima Shin.
And Zhou Hao.
Although he was merely filling in as a guest outfielder, Zhou Hao persisted until the very end.
He was exhausted as well.
Especially during the latter stages, when Coach Kataoka had practically targeted him.
The baseballs kept coming his way.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Every sprint felt as though his body was screaming in protest.
But he endured.
At that point, the challenge was no longer about physical strength or technical skill.
It had become a battle of willpower.
And after everything he had experienced since joining Seido, Zhou Hao's mental toughness had long surpassed what it once was.
Relying on that determination, he stood firm until the end.
If the other six players were expected survivors...
Then Oshima Shin was the biggest surprise.
A first-year rookie.
Yet he had endured until the very end alongside the seniors.
His expression was twisted with exhaustion.
His movements had become painfully slow.
In the final stage, he had only managed to stop one of Coach Kataoka's hits.
Yet that wasn't what mattered.
What mattered was that he was still standing.
In Seido's history, no first-year had ever achieved such a feat.
"As expected of the nation's greatest prodigy."
"He's completely different from ordinary people."
Listening to the praise around him, Oshima couldn't feel happy at all.
Only he knew the truth.
Before entering Seido, he had never been this strong.
The foundation had already been there.
But the explosive growth?
That only happened after he joined Seido.
Seido had given him the environment he needed to break out of his cocoon.
Unfortunately, nobody believed that explanation.
People preferred to believe he was simply born extraordinary.
That he had always been this strong.
No one wanted to believe a player could improve so dramatically in just over a month.
The next morning, two buses arrived at Seido High School.
Originally, Seido had planned a practice game with Osaka Kiryu.
Unfortunately, Osaka Kiryu declined due to scheduling conflicts.
It couldn't be helped.
The two schools had become each other's biggest rivals.
Once-close allies now stood on opposite sides.
The next time they met, it would be on the Koshien stage.
Since Osaka Kiryu was unavailable, Seido quickly arranged matches against two other powerhouse schools instead.
That was the privilege of being a national powerhouse.
Strong opponents were always willing to answer their invitation.
The first team came from Kanagawa Prefecture.
The moment they saw Seido's players, they noticed something unusual.
"Why do they all look exhausted?"
"Could it be because they just finished Hell Week?"
Unlike ordinary schools, powerhouse programs were familiar with Seido's training methods.
The opposing coach immediately guessed what had happened.
Then a dangerous thought appeared in his mind.
If Seido's players were still recovering...
Didn't that mean they had a chance?
Originally, he hadn't expected to win.
After all, their opponent was Seido.
One of the strongest teams in the nation.
Simply playing against them and learning from the experience would already be valuable.
But now?
Perhaps they could do more than just learn.
Perhaps they could actually beat them.
The coach's eyes lit up.
"Don't hold back."
"Don't show them any mercy."
"Use everything you've got and swing for the fences!"
His words instantly ignited the team.
The players' fighting spirit soared.
Soon, the practice game began.
And right from the start, Seido found themselves under pressure.
Tanba, who started on the mound, surrendered a run in the opening inning.
Fortunately, he quickly regained his composure and escaped further damage.
When it was Seido's turn to bat, the opposing Ace managed to suppress their lineup for two full innings.
The game remained tightly contested.
Then came the third inning.
And Seido finally revealed why they were a national powerhouse.
One hit.
Then another.
Then another.
A relentless offensive barrage erupted.
Before the opposing team could react, Seido had already strung together multiple hits and scored three runs in a single inning.
Just like that, the score was reversed.
The opposing players stared in disbelief.
Logically speaking, Seido should still have been exhausted from yesterday's brutal training.
Their bodies hadn't fully recovered.
Their strength shouldn't have been at its peak.
And yet—
The pressure they generated on the field was still overwhelming.
Despite their exhaustion, Seido only seemed to get stronger as the game progressed.
The first-year players quickly began to understand the true purpose of the special training.
Sometimes, they didn't even need to consciously react.
The moment the ball left the bat, their bodies were already moving.
Before their eyes could fully track the ball, their legs had already started sprinting toward its landing point.
It was as if their bodies had memorized baseball itself.
By the end of the nine-inning game, despite the absence of Ace pitcher Zhou Hao, Seido secured a convincing 7–4 victory.
Furuya Satoru gave up two runs.
Sawamura Eijun surrendered one.
The remaining run came off another relief pitcher.
Yet neither the players nor the coaching staff blamed any of them.
After enduring Hell Week and entering the game in such a depleted state, simply displaying their usual level of ability was already an impressive achievement.
No one expected perfection.
Perhaps Coach Kataoka had intentionally arranged these games to see how his players would perform when pushed close to their breaking point.
The results spoke for themselves.
The only person left disappointed was Kawakami.
He hated admitting it, but the reality was impossible to ignore.
Compared to the other pitchers, his performance had been the least convincing.
Furuya, whose pitching style consumed tremendous stamina, had entered the game in terrible condition.
Even so, he had only allowed two runs.
His growth over the past few months was obvious.
The same was true for the others.
Though fatigue prevented them from fully unleashing their abilities, they still displayed remarkable pitching performances and helped Seido secure victory.
That was the current Seido High School Baseball Team.
Powerful.
Reliable.
Relentless.
The next game featured another first-year sensation.
Unlike the first match, Kominato Haruichi got his opportunity in the second practice game.
This time, Zhou Hao took the mound.
Like the others who had survived until the end of the special training, Zhou Hao's stamina had also been heavily drained.
Yet none of it seemed to matter.
His Fastballs still effortlessly broke the 150 km/h mark.
The opposing batters could barely touch the ball.
Starting in the third inning, Zhou Hao deliberately changed his pitching approach, creating opportunities for the defense to make plays.
As a result, Kominato Haruichi finally had a chance to showcase his talent.
And he did not disappoint.
Every ball hit in his direction was cleanly handled.
At the plate, he collected two Hits and drove in two runs.
By the end of the game, Seido cruised to a 9–0 victory.
Of Seido's nine runs, two came directly from Haruichi's bat.
His impact was impossible to ignore.
Oshima Shin was as steady as ever.
He also recorded two Hits, though he finished with only one RBI.
The difference came down to luck more than anything else.
With the first-years performing so brilliantly, the second and third-year players naturally refused to be outdone.
Everyone contributed.
Everyone fought.
And once again, the most dazzling figure on the field was Zhou Hao.
The Seido players were still suffering from the aftereffects of their brutal training camp.
Even so, Zhou Hao completely shut down his opponents.
Fastballs.
Breaking balls.
It didn't matter.
No matter who stood in the batter's box, Zhou Hao gave everyone the same feeling.
Security.
Confidence.
Invincibility.
As long as their Ace stood on the mound, Seido would not lose.
The players found themselves looking at Zhou Hao with admiration bordering on worship.
By the third day, two additional practice opponents arrived.
The originally scheduled three games became four.
Zhou Hao's performance remained frighteningly consistent.
Although his condition was far from ideal, he still shut out every opponent he faced.
Of course, fatigue was still fatigue.
For the first time in a long while, he actually allowed two Hits.
Normally, that would have been noteworthy.
But with Zhou Hao, even when opponents managed to get Hits, nobody felt he was in danger.
His aura never changed.
The feeling remained the same.
If he wanted to, he could end the threat at any moment.
And that was exactly what he did.
Across two complete-game appearances, Zhou Hao recorded two shutouts while allowing only two Hits total.
Sawamura pitched six innings, surrendering two Hits and one run.
Furuya worked five innings, allowing five Hits and three runs.
Tanba threw four innings, giving up three Hits and one run.
Kawakami pitched three innings, allowing five Hits and one run.
Although Kawakami's ERA wasn't particularly bad, everyone could see the difference.
Among Seido's pitchers, his performance ranked last.
It wasn't because Kawakami lacked talent.
It was because everyone else had become extraordinarily strong.
Even Furuya's performance could be described as nearly flawless.
When the four practice games finally ended, the players were allowed to rest.
Yet no one could truly relax.
Their hearts pounded nervously.
Because everyone knew what came next.
The jersey numbers had already been decided.
The uniforms and numbered jerseys were prepared.
All that remained was the announcement.
The final stage of Seido's internal competition had arrived.
That evening, Coach Kataoka, Manager Oota, Vice Principal Takashima Rei, the assistant coaches, and the team managers gathered together.
Facing them stood twenty-three players.
The managers held the uniforms and numbered jerseys that would determine each player's role in the upcoming Summer Tournament.
Coach Kataoka quietly looked at his disciples.
He knew exactly how nervous they were.
But before announcing the numbers, there were still words he wanted to say.
"Thank you for all your hard work."
"I have been proud of every generation of players I have coached."
"This generation is no exception."
He paused.
Then continued.
"If there is one difference, it is that your excellence has surpassed even my expectations."
"You are my pride."
"And I am proud to have coached all of you."
The moment those words left his mouth, many of the third-years could no longer hold back their tears.
Even Zhou Hao felt his eyes grow moist.
Coach Kataoka was known throughout Seido as an iron-willed man.
Strict.
Uncompromising.
A coach who rarely showed emotion.
Hearing such heartfelt words from him was almost unimaginable.
Yet here he was, saying them openly in front of everyone.
For the players, there was no greater recognition.
"Thank you for trusting me."
"Thank you for continuing to train under me until this day."
Coach Kataoka's gaze swept across every player present.
Then he finally reached the moment everyone had been waiting for.
"Now..."
"I will announce the jersey numbers."
Silence filled the room.
Every player instinctively held their breath.
This was the moment that would determine their future.
If Seido could not walk quietly into history, then they would do the opposite.
They would conquer it.
They were the strongest.
And therefore, they would become champions.
No matter who stood in their way.
No opponent would be allowed to shake them.
"Number One."
Coach Kataoka's voice echoed through the room.
"Zhou Hao."
There was no suspense.
None at all.
No matter how many talented pitchers Seido possessed, nobody could challenge Zhou Hao's position as Ace.
As long as he wore a Seido uniform, the Number One jersey belonged to him.
Zhou Hao stepped forward and accepted it.
Applause erupted throughout the room.
But before it could fully die down—
Coach Kataoka spoke again.
"Number Two..."
The room instantly became silent.
Unlike the unquestioned Number One jersey, the Number Two jersey represented one of the biggest mysteries on the team.
Several candidates had legitimate claims.
Each possessed different strengths.
Each had supporters.
And no one knew which player Coach Kataoka had ultimately chosen.
For the first time that night, genuine tension filled the air.
Everyone waited.
For the answer.