"So handsome, Glasses-kun!"
"Miyuki Kazuya, you're the best…"
That three-run timely hit instantly pushed Miyuki's popularity to its peak.
The spectators in the stands, who had specifically come to watch Seido High School Baseball Team, were unsparing in their praise. Compliments poured out nonstop, as if anything less couldn't express the excitement surging in their hearts.
In Aoyama High School's dugout and resting area, however, a heavy silence settled in.
Although they had already sensed how difficult it would be to win today's game, when the moment truly arrived, despair still washed over them. It felt as though all their strength had been drained, leaving them lying flat on the ground, unwilling to rise again.
Not only Aoyama's players were affected. Even Seido's teammates felt emotionally shaken.
One of the third-year seniors nearly groaned,
"Are first-years really this terrifying now?"
Zhang Han's earlier home run had already stunned everyone. No one on the Seido High School Baseball Team could deny his achievements at the plate. His performance, second only to Azuma Kiyokuni's, was something others could hardly hope to match.
And now Miyuki had followed it up with a three-run timely hit, bringing his RBI count to five. Even if that didn't place him firmly in the top three on the team, it was already frighteningly close.
In the stands, countless people raised cameras and phones, snapping photos wildly. Praise for Miyuki came from every direction.
Many believed that the sensation he would cause in the future would be no less than Zhang Han's—perhaps even greater.
The two first-year newcomers had become the absolute focus of the entire stadium.
This scene deeply stimulated Seido's third-year seniors.
The outstanding performance of the newcomers made their own presence feel faint in comparison. A fire ignited in the seniors' hearts, and the way they looked at Aoyama High School changed.
The game entered the fifth inning.
Tanba had fully adjusted to the rhythm on the field and, working together with Miyuki, smoothly retired Aoyama High School three up, three down.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Seido's offense began with their captain, Tanaka.
Tanaka stared fiercely toward the pitcher's mound.
Kujo, standing on the mound, had actually considered giving up after allowing the three-run hit. He wasn't the only one—many Aoyama players shared that thought.
At this moment, Nishi Kaze Retsu stepped forward and spoke.
"We're all second-years. We still have next year, so there's no need to feel disheartened. Being able to witness the strength of a national powerhouse this early is a good thing. From now on, I won't force everyone to chase victory. Just enjoy the thrill of facing a strong opponent."
Those words were unexpectedly stirring.
Aoyama's players were fired up once again.
Kujo was no exception.
He threw aside the burden in his heart and chose to confront Seido head-on, abandoning all complicated tactics and pitching with everything he had.
"Whoosh!"
As Tanaka saw the pitch come in, a look of surprise crossed his face.
Although the game hadn't lasted long, the pressure Seido had placed on Kujo was intense. His pitch count had already exceeded seventy, and fatigue should have been setting in. Earlier, his velocity and power had clearly declined.
But now it was different.
Not only had his ball speed not dropped—it had increased.
Tanaka wasn't the only one who noticed. Many players in Seido's dugout exchanged puzzled looks.
"Did he completely let loose?"
"This isn't the first time… they were behind earlier too."
Discussions broke out quietly.
"He's just clinging to life," Azuma Kiyokuni snorted.
He picked up his bat and swung it a few times hard. In today's game, he was undoubtedly the most frustrated.
Sure, he had reached base, but was Azuma Kiyokuni the kind of player satisfied with that?
As Seido's cleanup hitter, his mission had always been simple.
Home runs.
But without a chance for a direct confrontation, all his strength remained bottled up.
"We can't follow their rhythm," someone muttered. "We need to play steadily, use our strengths, and finish this as quickly as possible."
For Aoyama High School, the rest of the game was about experiencing the pressure of facing a powerhouse—valuable preparation for next year.
For Seido, however, the remaining innings held little meaning. The only question was how long the game would last. More importantly, the Ichidai Third High School players watching from the stands were an eyesore.
To avoid revealing more information and boosting the opponent's confidence, Seido wanted to end this game as soon as possible.
Tanaka Kakuei carried that responsibility.
As Seido's captain, he had only recorded one hit so far—and even that had been nullified. Watching Zhang Han and Miyuki dominate the field weighed heavily on him.
"I'm Seido's captain!"
As the ball came in again, Tanaka swung decisively. From the catcher's position, Nishi Kaze Retsu was stunned.
He wasn't being cornered—how could he swing at such a tricky pitch? Even if he did, shouldn't it be a foul?
"Ping!"
The bat struck the ball cleanly.
By all logic, it should have drifted out of bounds. But it didn't.
The ball was forcefully pulled back into fair territory, landing and bouncing deep into the outfield, just twenty or thirty centimeters inside the foul line.
Tanaka tossed his bat, raised his arm, clenched his fist, and sprinted to second base.
A double.
Seido's dugout erupted in cheers, especially the third-year players, whose voices were nearly hoarse.
Immediately after, Hidezawa refused to be outdone.
Catching an inside straight fastball, he swung without hesitation.
"Ping!"
The ball traced a perfect arc and dropped behind the shortstop.
"Beautiful!"
"As expected of a power hitter!"
"Ace-sama, you're amazing!"
Tanaka rounded third and sprinted home.
"Safe!"
The cooperation between the two third-year players brought in Seido's sixth run.
The score became 6–1.
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