In the fourth inning, Seido scored two runs thanks to the combined effort of Miyuki and Captain Tanaka. The score shifted to 4 to 2. Seido led by two.
By now their advantage was obvious. It was nearly impossible for Musashi High to stop Seido's momentum with sheer effort alone.
In the dugout and in the stands, Seido supporters were buzzing. They had waited far too long for this. Even they had grown impatient, wondering when the team would finally show its true strength.
Now it was happening. In a quiet corner of the stands, Chris, his shoulder wrapped in bandages, stood up and slipped away.
"Musashi played pretty well today."
"Yeah, they did all right. They just ran into Seido."
"Unless a normal team gets a miracle pitcher, they have no business challenging a powerhouse."
"What are you talking about? You think monster pitchers pop up like in a manga?"
Public opinion had flipped. Earlier, many had written Seido off. Now, no one dared say they were weak.
After four innings, Seido had not shown absolute dominance, but their depth and power were clear.
Two things stood out. First was Miyuki Kazuya, who had stepped perfectly into Chris's role and given Seido a new spark. Second was Seido's overwhelming offense. Even scouts from the big schools hesitated to call Seido "nothing special" anymore.
Public perception might have been bad, but Seido's batting order still posed a serious threat to every ace in Tokyo. Maybe they would not beat every powerhouse, but they absolutely had the potential to steal a game.
Even Inashiro and Ichidai Third's scouts, who did not think Seido would beat them, had to admit the possibility existed.
At this point, everyone labeled Seido as "somewhat dangerous."
But the fifth inning would force them to rewrite that judgment entirely.
Bottom of the fourth. Musashi High was on offense.
Their cleanup hitter stepped into the box. Even trailing, Musashi refused to fold. To be fair, they had played well, even on par with Seido at times. Under those circumstances, how could they give up?
No matter how small the chance, they would fight for it.
But Miyuki, who had earned Hidezawa's trust, and Hidezawa himself, who had overwhelming strength, were now in sync. Their combined force was far beyond anything Musashi expected.
Even the cleanup batter could not touch them. He was struck out cleanly.
That strikeout shattered the last of Musashi's confidence. In that moment, they understood the truth. Their momentum was gone. They were destined to lose.
They just did not expect how badly it would go.
Top of the fifth. Seido back on offense.
Leading off was Third Baseman Yamada.
His appearance was… memorable. The teeth flanking his front teeth stuck out like tiny vampire fangs. Some called them "little fangs." On a girl, they might look cute. On a big, burly guy like Yamada, they were simply odd.
His looks gave him nothing to brag about. His skill did.
He was strong enough to be Seido's third batter, and the first man to crack Kuriyama Minami's pitching earlier. When he stepped into the box, he radiated pressure.
Kuriyama and his catcher took their time choosing pitches. It did not matter.
"Ping!"
Yamada swept the ball away with precision, flashed those fangs, and tore down the baseline toward first.
"He's on base again!"
"Nice one, Yamada senpai!"
"Keep it going!"
Excitement rippled through the dugout and stands. Musashi had pushed them around earlier and exposed their weak points. That had embarrassed the team. Now that Seido had momentum, everyone wanted to hit back hard.
"Fourth batter. Third Baseman. Azuma Kiyokuni."
After Yamada, Azuma stepped in. The moment he gripped the bat, his teammates burst into cheers. No one knew what mental battle Musashi's pitcher fought, but in the end, he chose to face Azuma head-on.
"Swish!"
The ball came out with a tricky break. The speed was not high, but the movement was nasty.
Azuma's grin spread the moment he saw it. He was thrilled. They actually dared to challenge him directly? And they even threw into the strike zone?
He could not have asked for anything better.
Bring it.
The instant the ball entered his range, Azuma turned into a monster. The oversized bat in his hands whipped through the air like a toy, throwing out a gust strong enough to make the catcher's cheeks sting.
It was over. The moment the bat connected, the catcher already knew.
"Ping!"
The ball launched high and far, streaking away like a comet.
"It's gone! A two run home run! In the fifth inning, the gap between the teams finally blows open. The score is now 6 to 2! Seido leads by four!"
By the end, the commentator's voice was nearly gone.
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