"Third batter, shortstop, Zhang Han."
For many people, this batting order was within expectations.
After all, Zhang Han was already considered Seido's cleanup hitter. With substitutes playing, their overall strength was naturally lower than his, so placing him in the core lineup made sense.
Still, when Seido actually arranged it this way, scouts from other schools who had come specifically to observe the game found it hard to accept. A first-year batting in the heart of the order for a powerhouse high school—and in an official game, no less.
Why did it feel so strange?
The battery of Metropolitan Third High School did not underestimate Zhang Han just because he was a freshman. On the contrary, they treated him with extreme caution.
Although Zhang Han had no reputation before this tournament, his performance against Musashi High School was far too dazzling to ignore. No team facing Seido could overlook him anymore.
Third High's pitcher and catcher were no exception.
As a result, they threw everything to the corners, refusing to give Zhang Han any hittable pitches.
"That's too ruthless…"
Zhang Han was completely helpless. Even if he could predict where the ball would land, that only mattered if it entered the strike zone. When the pitch stayed outside, he couldn't swing no matter how much he wanted to.
And that wasn't even what frustrated him the most.
What truly annoyed Zhang Han was that they would rather walk him than face him head-on.
Did they even realize who was batting next?
"Haha!"
In the on-deck circle, Azuma Kiyokuni looked like he had just swallowed a mouthful of grass. The batter before him had been intentionally walked?
How impressive.
"Ball!"
"Walk!"
No outs. Bases loaded.
As Zhang Han trotted to first, both the Seido dugout and the stands erupted. Many people couldn't even bear to watch anymore.
They all had the same question as Zhang Han. Were the players from Third High out of their minds?
They actually loaded the bases before Higashi Kiyokuni stepped into the batter's box.
In truth, even the Third High battery was stunned. The pitcher and catcher stared at each other from their positions.
How did this happen?
They replayed everything in their minds but couldn't understand it.
According to their plan, Zhang Han was a freshman—surely eager to prove himself.
If pressured, he would swing. As a so-called genius player, he wouldn't accept being struck out without even trying.
But reality slapped them in the face.
Zhang Han was far calmer than they had imagined. He showed no reaction at all to pitches outside the zone.
What they didn't know was that Zhang Han was playing the same mental game.
The reason he stayed so composed was simple: he was certain they wouldn't dare to walk him.
Unless they were insane.
The result proved him wrong.
"Haha! Hehe!! Humph hum!!!"
In the batter's box, Azuma Kiyokuni began making strange, almost inhuman noises.
As a contender for the strongest batter in all of Tokyo, he had been completely ignored.
Given Azuma's short temper, how could he not be furious?
The Third High battery was now trapped. No matter what they thought, at this point they had no choice but to pitch.
"Whoosh!"
The white ball left the pitcher's hand.
In the batter's box, Azuma Kiyokuni looked like a prehistoric beast awakening from slumber. The instant his eyes sharpened, every Third High player felt a chill crawl up their spine.
That fear was instinctive—like standing before a natural predator.
"Boom!"
The bat swung.
The air around Azuma seemed to twist, as if a small tornado had formed in the batter's box. Within a radius of several meters, the atmosphere felt vacuumed dry.
Even the catcher and the umpire felt their breathing tighten.
"Ping!"
The bat struck the ball cleanly.
The white ball shot into the sky like a rocket fired at full thrust.
"It… it flew out…"
"Bases-loaded home run!!!"
"Seido High School leads 4–0!!!"
The stands exploded.
Some people had expected it. But seeing it happen still sent a shock through everyone's chest.
"Seido! Seido!!!"
"Azuma Kiyokuni! Azuma Kiyokuni!!!"
From that moment on, the game completely fell under Seido's control. Third High became like meat on a chopping block.
To be fair, reaching the third round of West Tokyo meant their strength wasn't bad.
The gap between them and Seido was large, but not normally large enough to result in total annihilation.
Unfortunately, their team style was perfectly countered by Seido.
And the substitutes—players who finally got a chance to play—had no concept of mercy.
Seido went completely wild.
Azuma Kiyokuni alone hit three home runs and drove in seven runs. His personal home run total climbed to forty-two, finally rewarding Kataoka's painstaking planning.
In the first inning alone, Seido scored seven runs off a grand slam.
After that, even Manager Ota couldn't watch anymore. He advised the players to show some restraint, saying that winning was enough.
With a seven-run lead in the first inning, scoring three more across the next four innings was practically guaranteed. A five-inning mercy-rule win was inevitable.
There was no need to humiliate the opponent further.
If the main lineup had been on the field, they might have listened.
But these were substitutes—players desperate to prove themselves.
They ignored him completely. In the end, only Zhang Han showed restraint, finishing with just one hit and two RBIs.
Everyone else showed no mercy. Including Azuma Kiyokuni, who finished with three home runs and seven RBIs.
It was brutal.
Second inning: 5 runs.
Third inning: 3 runs.
Fourth inning: 6 runs.
Seido, as the home team, didn't even bat in the fifth.
Final score: 21–1.
Seido High School's substitutes crushed their third-round opponent.
Tanba pitched all five innings, giving up four hits and one run. It wasn't outstanding, but it passed.
He hadn't disgraced Seido.
"Final score, 21–1. Seido High School advances to the West Tokyo Sweet Sixteen."
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