"Hidezawa! Hidezawa!!!"
The ace pitcher was performing exceptionally.
From the very start, he retired Aoyama High School's batters three up, three down.
In the past, the Seido High School Baseball Team—or more accurately, Hidezawa himself—often struggled with slow starts.
To put it bluntly, he was slow to get into rhythm.
At the beginning of games, he frequently failed to fully unleash his strength due to mindset issues or other factors. But now, Hidezawa had gradually overcome those weaknesses. As they faded, his natural talent shone like a diamond that had finally been polished.
Facing such a terrifying pitcher, Aoyama High School's players couldn't put up any real resistance. They were quickly sent back to the dugout.
In the stands, Seido's fans and cheerleaders erupted with excitement. The team's greatest hidden danger—though not completely eliminated—had been significantly eased.
With this momentum, could Seido's future really be even brighter?
On the opposite side of the stands, the Ichidai Third High School players who had come specifically to observe the game wore grim expressions.
They had already heard through media reports that Seido was strong this year, which was precisely why they came. But back then, it was just hearsay, something easy to discount.
They assumed Seido's dominance came from facing weak opponents—just like Ichidai's own match the day before. No one had expected a team capable of reaching the fourth round to crumble so easily under pressure.
Now, it was clear that Seido was different.
Compared to their encounter in the Spring Tournament, this Seido High School Baseball Team looked far more mature.
"These guys are pretty capable," someone muttered.
The strength Seido was showing now was worlds apart from before.
"Hidezawa himself is an excellent pitcher," Ichidai's ace, Kameshima, said quietly. "His talent is among the best in the country. It's only his personality issues that kept him from standing out. Once he finds the right partner and fully unleashes his potential, he'll become one of the top pitchers in Tokyo."
To be honest, Ichidai Third and Seido shared deep connections.
Hidezawa had once been Kameshima's substitute in middle school. Tanba had been Manaka's substitute.
Even the much-discussed rookie Zhang Han had once been a substitute in the Matsukata Little League.
Seido hadn't reached Koshien in recent years for many reasons.
Inashiro Industrial's overwhelming strength was one. Coach Kataoka's early inexperience was another.
But there was also a crucial issue—lack of talent. Poor results meant they couldn't attract top prospects. To put it simply, Seido's ace pitchers in recent years had been unreliable.
As much as people criticized Hidezawa, he was already the strongest ace Seido had produced in years.
It was precisely this pitching weakness that caused Seido to suffer repeatedly against Ichidai Third and Inashiro Industrial.
Now, Seido's ace had finally risen. Even without thinking hard, Ichidai's players could tell what that meant. Seido's overall strength was bound to surge.
"Pay close attention," Director Tahara said seriously. "Our next opponent is nothing like they were in the spring."
The next game would be critical.
At this moment, Tahara genuinely envied Inashiro.
That Kunitomo guy was too lucky. At almost every crucial juncture, Seido and Ichidai fought each other to exhaustion, and then Inashiro came in to reap the benefits.
If Tahara could turn back time to the day of the draw, he would scrub his hands clean and pray to be placed in another district.
After watching just half an inning, Ichidai Third raised their evaluation of Seido by another level.
On the other side, in Aoyama High School's dugout, morale had taken a heavy hit.
Before the game, they had imagined countless scenarios. They knew facing a powerhouse would be difficult—but they never expected Seido to be this strong.
Even Seido's pitcher, long viewed as their weak point, was overpowering them.
"Haha, that's what makes it interesting, isn't it?" one voice rang out. "If we could beat Seido easily, what would all our hard training mean?"
Among the discouraged players, one man stood tall, eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
"Nishikaze!"
"A-Lie!"
Seeing him, the team slowly steadied themselves.
Their recent string of wins had nearly made them forget who they were. They were the underdogs. Against Seido, thinking about an upset was the only correct mindset.
Bottom of the first inning—Seido High School's turn to bat.
Hidezawa's dominant pitching hadn't crushed Aoyama's fighting spirit. They remained energetic, their steps firm, their movements sharp.
Tanaka stepped up as Seido's leadoff batter.
As both captain and first batter, Tanaka understood his role clearly. He didn't need a home run. What mattered was setting the tone and opening the offense.
Through pregame analysis, Seido had already determined that Kujo was a difficult pitcher.
He had precise control and could mix fastballs with slowballs. His fastest pitch reached nearly 137 kilometers per hour, while his slowest dropped to around 110.
A speed difference of nearly 30 kilometers.
Once Kujo fully settled in, even Seido's batters wouldn't find it easy to hit his pitches.
Objectively speaking, Kujo was very strong.
But strong didn't mean unhittable.
Here it came.
As Kujo released the ball, Tanaka didn't hesitate for even a second. He swung.
"Ping!"
The bat connected cleanly, sending the ball flying.
"He hit it!"
"Swinging at the first pitch?"
"So decisive—just like Tanaka!"
Amid the noise, Tanaka reached first base safely and dug in like a nail.
No outs. Runner on first.
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