On the dedicated baseball field of the Seidō High School Baseball Team, all eyes were fixed on the soaring white baseball Zhang Han had launched.
The ball climbed higher and higher, refusing to fall. The second and third-year players, even some First-string regulars, felt their hearts being squeezed.
A vague, chilling premonition hit them.
Something bad… very bad… might happen.
This wasn't paranoia. Even if they couldn't articulate the impact it would have, every senior on the field felt it in their bones.
Hidezawa's pitching had been criticized frequently as of late. People said his control was unstable. People said his pitches didn't live up to the standard demanded by the current generation of Seidō batters.
Some even went as far as to say he wasn't worthy of being the team's Ace.
Even within the team itself, not everyone was confident in Hidezawa's pitching.
But regardless of what anyone said, his position as the Ace remained unshakable. A little unstable at times, yes. A little reckless, yes. But still — he was one of the top pitchers in Tokyo, the one Seidō relied on the most.
Seidō was currently in a challenging period. Their overall strength was not at its historical peak. And yet, they still had the foundation of a powerhouse. They still had a real chance to reach the Summer Tournament's final stage.
And Hidezawa was one of the crucial pillars supporting that hope.
Without his presence on the mound, even if the batters scored plenty of runs, Seidō's future in the tournament would be bleak.
Against ordinary teams, Seidō could win easily even by sending the second string. This wasn't boasting. It was pure fact.
The second team often played against the First-string squads of smaller schools… And still won more often than not.
But when the opponents were other prestigious schools — powerhouse schools — everything changed.
With Hidezawa, Seidō still had a fighting chance.
If Hidezawa broke…
Then Seidō would have no chance at all.
The players didn't think this deeply, but the instinctive dread in their hearts told them enough.
If this baseball flew out of the field —
If the newcomer Zhang Han hit two home runs in a row off Hidezawa…
Their Ace might mentally collapse on the spot.
Fortunately—
The nightmare did not occur.
Although the ball flew extremely far, carrying tremendous momentum, it fell just short of clearing the fence. It slammed into the outfield protective wall with a heavy metallic "BANG!" before bouncing back onto the field.
"A super long hit — directly into the outer protective wall!!"
The shout echoed through the stadium.
Everyone was stunned.
But compared to a home run, this result was far easier to accept.
Many second and third-year seniors let out a huge breath, their shoulders dropping in relief.
Manager Ōta even slapped his own chest dramatically.
That scene had been terrifying.
If that ball had gone out of the field… If Hidezawa had been forced to swallow a second home run…
He might have shattered emotionally.
A pitcher's confidence was fragile — no one knew that better than the coaching staff.
And this young man, this Ace Seidō had spent years developing, could be ruined.
"No… I need to tell Coach Kataoka right away."
Ōta muttered urgently to himself.
"We can't let these two keep facing each other. The consequences would be unimaginable…"
"And this kid Zhang Han is too reckless!" Ōta's frustration spilled out. "What does he think he's doing, breaking our Ace?! Is he insane? Even if he wants to show off, there's a limit!"
He moved to take action — but was stopped by a gentle hand.
Takashima Rei.
"We cannot let this newcomer continue like this," Ōta insisted.
"You're only seeing one side," Rei said softly, a faint smile on her lips. "You're worried about our own Ace being broken. But have you considered—"
She leaned slightly forward.
"—that this player might also be able to break the Aces of other schools?"
Ōta froze.
Rei continued, "Hidezawa's condition today is normal. Not perfect, but not bad either. In Tokyo, very few pitchers truly surpass his level."
"If Zhang Han can break Hidezawa…"
"Then in future games, facing the Aces of other powerhouse schools… he can break them, too."
Her eyes sparkled.
Azuma Kiyokuni.
Yuuki Tetsuya.
Zhang Han.
The future cleanup hitters for all three grades — each one a monster of their generation.
Yuuki and Zhang Han especially — two players with top-tier hitting ability before even reaching their senior year.
Just imagining a lineup with those three connected was enough to make Rei tremble with excitement.
Such destructive force… If trained properly…
They could tear through every pitcher in Tokyo.
The only thing missing was pitchers — reliable, standout pitchers to support such a batting lineup.
Rei sighed slightly.
Seidō was suffering from a mysterious drought in pitching talent. Especially Ace-level pitchers. Not a single new one in sight.
"Maybe I should visit a temple and pray," she murmured to herself. "Hopefully the next batch of freshmen will bring us an Ace contender…"
—
On the field, the game continued.
After being repeatedly struck by Zhang Han's bat, Hidezawa's condition deteriorated.
He had lost directly to a freshman. That reality gnawed at him and pushed him further.
Frustration led to force. Force led to stiffness. Stiffness ruined his velocity and destroyed his form.
His pitches grew worse and worse.
His teammates' defense saved him twice, earning two outs. But it wasn't enough.
Zhang Han, who had reached third, charged home on Shirasu's delicate bunt, sliding safely into the plate.
Before the Old-timers could mount a comeback, the Freshmen Team, led by Zhang Han, had punched in another run.
The score became 3–0.
There was no need to check official records.
Ota, Takashima Rei, even Kataoka were certain—
This was the first time in the entire history of Seidō's welcoming match that the freshmen had led by such a margin.
And the ones responsible for rewriting history were Miyuki Kazuya and Zhang Han.
Kataoka's sunglasses gleamed.
"Chris," he said quietly.
"Go get ready."
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