"Ball!"
"Ball!!"
"Ball!!!"
"Walk!"
From the stands, a huge wave of booing erupted.
The pitcher and catcher of Musashi High School had chosen to walk Azuma Kiyokuni in their very first encounter? Such a cowardly move naturally displeased Seido's supporters.
The players of Musashi High School looked embarrassed. Hearing the boos, their faces flushed red.
"We're also trying to win. It wasn't a situation where we absolutely had to face him head-on," the catcher muttered, trying to convince the pitcher, and also himself.
Kuriyama was a mature player. Although the pride in his heart made the decision difficult to swallow, for the sake of the team, he had to make a choice. In that situation, if he challenged Azuma directly, the probability of giving up a home run was terrifyingly high.
Even though he had boasted to Azuma before the game, he hadn't truly believed his own words.
A starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Even if Seido had declined in recent years, compared to Musashi, they still held overwhelming power. Trying to crush strength with weakness was unrealistic. Going head-to-head would only lead to disaster.
A walk was a walk. It looked embarrassing, but if they won the game in the end, any sacrifice was worth it.
His next opponent was Seido's fifth batter.
First baseman Yuuki Tetsuya.
His expression was calm, almost blank, but the quiet confidence around him was unmistakable. Although only a second-year, his record was outstanding. In his first year, he played in official games for a powerhouse team and collected plenty of hits and home runs. Now he had risen to a core position in the lineup.
Even though Azuma Kiyokuni had been walked, Yuuki was absolutely not someone they could take lightly.
Facing Yuuki, Musashi's pitcher and catcher were determined to go all out.
But at first base, Azuma looked smug. He even struck a pose as if he planned to steal a base.
Although Kuriyama had reluctantly accepted the walk, it didn't mean his attitude toward Azuma returned to normal. Especially when that friend used to be weaker than him.
Because of this distraction, the pitch he originally meant to throw outside the strike zone — something to tempt the batter into a foul hit — instead slipped right into the strike zone.
"Oh no!"
Musashi's catcher felt his heart drop.
If the pitch had stayed outside, even if Yuuki hit it, the ball would most likely go foul, giving them a strike. But now it was right in the sweet spot.
What would happen next?
"Buzz!"
Before the catcher could even process it, Yuuki's bat was already there, sweeping through cleanly.
"Ping!"
A sharp, decisive hit.
"Nice hit!"
"You think walking our cleanup hitter solves everything? Keep dreaming!"
"Don't underestimate Yuuki!"
The ball shot past third base. Musashi's third baseman tried desperately to stop it, but it was too fast. He barely got into position before it flashed past him.
"It got through!"
Yamada, on second base, dashed all the way home without hesitation, scoring Seido's first run.
Azuma Kiyokuni, despite his bulk, managed to run to second base. He wanted to push for third, but the Seido base running coach at third signaled him to stop, and he slammed on the brakes. Musashi's outfielder had already recovered the ball in time. The throw to home wasn't possible, but a throw to third would have been close.
Even if Azuma might have been safe, with two outs and a run already scored, it wasn't worth the risk.
Score: 1–0.
Two outs, runners on first and second.
For Musashi's players, this was a heavy blow. They had chosen to walk the strongest hitter, yet still failed to prevent a run.
Their morale dipped.
But at that moment, a discovery restored some confidence.
The sixth batter was a first-year student — Seido's shortstop and a newcomer.
In the Summer Tournament, where the team's future and honor were at stake, Seido's supervisor actually sent in a freshman with no high school game experience?
Even though Musashi was trailing, they couldn't help but look down on Seido's decision.
They truly saw themselves as a powerhouse, completely disregarding their opponent. This was the first game of the Summer Tournament, arguably the most important game. And they sent in a freshman to develop new talent?
Had Seido become arrogant?
Did they not realize how many years it had been since they last made it to Koshien?
With a mindset like this, Musashi's players thought, Seido might not make it to Koshien for several more years.
"Take care of him. Let's finish this inning strong."
Although Musashi's players knew that any first-year chosen to play for Seido in this situation could not be underestimated — they would either have exceptional strength or exceptional potential — a newcomer was still a newcomer. And one who had never experienced the pressure of high school baseball was even less intimidating.
The pitcher and catcher, frustrated from the previous plays, now stared at Zhang Han with fierce, predatory eyes. Their gaze looked ready to swallow him whole.
"Zhang Han!"
When Kuriyama saw the name, he froze for a moment.
That wasn't a Japanese name.
A foreigner?
Seido truly had grown arrogant. After so many years of failing to reach Koshien, they still acted like a top-tier powerhouse. They were even recruiting foreign players now.
Sure, it attracted attention, but for the team itself, this wasn't necessarily good. There were very few players who even came to Japan to study, and among those, even fewer played baseball well.
How lucky would Seido have to be to stumble upon such a talent? Impossible. There was no way he was some super genius. At best, he had some talent and basic skill.
If that was the case, then dealing with him would be easy.
"Whoosh!"
The white ball flew toward the plate.
From Zhang Han's view, the baseball came straight toward his chest.
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