Note: Sorry for the late release today, thought I schedules the timer but clearly not.

Also the first 10 chapters of my new original fanfic One Piece: Edge Of The World is not out on webnovel, please add it to your library if you like it and show support. Much appreciated.

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The score was 13–8.

It had been a hitting battle from the beginning, and a brutally intense one at that. Judging by the score alone, although the gap was not small, it did not absolutely mean that the trailing team would lose.

But when this score appeared in the bottom of the eighth inning, the meaning changed completely.

At this stage of the game, a five-run deficit was no longer just a number. The probability of the trailing team losing increased dramatically.

One could see it clearly from the momentum on both sides.

Osaka Kiryuu High School Baseball Team had long shaken off the instability from earlier innings. They gradually rediscovered their composure and pride as the Cosmic Team. Seido High School had earned their recognition through strength, but recognition was one thing, victory was another.

In their eyes, although Seido was strong, Osaka Kiryuu was stronger.

As the game moved forward, they were convinced that today’s winner would be Osaka Kiryuu.

On the other side, Seido High School Baseball Team’s momentum had dimmed slightly.

Just as Osaka understood Seido, Seido also understood Osaka.

Looking at the scoreboard and the inning number, most Seido players were clear in their hearts that the chance of overturning this game was extremely small.

It was not a lack of confidence. It was a rational judgment born from experience.

At this moment, all they could do was exactly what Director Kataoka had said.

Focus on what they could control.

That was the only foundation for a possible comeback. Even if they ultimately lost, they would not collapse without resistance.

“Go all out!”

“Hit it!”

“Aim and swing, it’s up to you now!”

In the stands, Seido’s die-hard supporters were on their feet, shouting with all their strength. They did not analyze probabilities. They did not calculate scenarios.

They simply cheered.

That simplicity made their voices especially loud in Koshien Stadium.

On the other side, Osaka Kiryuu’s supporters appeared unusually magnanimous. Their cheers were not as intense as before.

One reason was that their team was currently on defense. Another was that they believed the outcome was already decided. There was no need to press further.

Beyond this life-and-death battle at Koshien, the relationship between the two schools was not hostile. They were friendly rivals who would meet again in future tournaments.

During the game, they were fierce enemies.

After the game, they would still be brothers.

On the pitcher’s mound stood Tachi Hiromi.

The young second-year was in a blazing-hot state.

However, his smile was unsettling.

When he did not smile, he looked ordinary, perhaps even decent. But once he grinned, his expression resembled a demon from the Hall of Asura.

It sent chills down the spine.

And right now, he was grinning.

From the previous inning’s confrontation, Seido’s players had already realized that the uglier his smile, the better his condition.

Tachi Hiromi was not a pitcher refined through years of tactical molding. He relied heavily on natural talent. His pitching lacked complex sequencing and deep strategy.

Ironically, that made him even harder to deal with.

Too little information. Unpredictable rhythm. Poor pitch-calling logic.

Such a pitcher could be described as either extremely strong or extremely unstable.

If Seido’s hitters had enough time, they were confident they could adjust and break him down.

But what they lacked most was time.

Matsumoto Takahiro in the dugout had undoubtedly calculated this. He chose the perfect moment to send Tachi Hiromi onto the mound.

Even as opponents, Seido had to admit the timing was ruthless and precise.

They had fallen into that calculation.

And Tachi himself possessed the boldness of a newborn calf that fears no tiger. Facing Azuma Kiyokuni, who had already blasted five Homeruns, he showed no hesitation.

He chose a direct confrontation.

“Whoosh!”

The white ball cut through the air and reached the plate almost instantly.

Even if he lacked maturity, no one could deny his talent.

Velocity. Power. Ball quality.

All were impressive.

If one had to criticize something, it would be his slightly unstable control.

Yet at this moment, that instability was not necessarily a weakness.

Seido’s hitters had already stepped into the box for the fifth time today. They had thoroughly studied Shibata’s pitch-calling tendencies.

If the game had continued under Shibata’s control alone, Seido might have guessed correctly more often.

But Tachi’s unpredictable command disrupted that advantage.

Seido’s batters could only give up on borderline pitches and wait for something more hittable.

In theory, that sounded simple.

In practice, it was extremely difficult.

Tachi’s fastball exceeded 140 kilometers per hour. From release to catcher’s mitt took only a few tenths of a second.

In that brief window, a batter had to judge trajectory, commit to a swing, and make clean contact.

It was not easy.

Azuma Kiyokuni did not swing at the first pitch.

He stood quietly as the ball passed.

“Pop!”

“Strike!”

“Suppress him!”

“Keep it up!”

Osaka Kiryuu’s supporters could not hold back their excitement.

Azuma had been too dazzling earlier in the game. Five Homeruns. Each one a heavy slap.

Now, seeing him momentarily suppressed felt deeply satisfying.

They longed to see Tachi strike him out.

Zhang Han, preparing in the on-deck circle, watched carefully.

In his impression, Azuma-senpai was never quiet.

Whenever Azuma stepped into the batter’s box, he would puff out his stomach proudly, looking almost arrogant. He treated every pitcher like prey.

But today’s Azuma was different.

He was silent.

From the moment he stepped into the box, he had not said a word.

Why?

Because he was completely focused.

At this moment, Azuma Kiyokuni perceived nothing else.

In his world, there was only the pitcher on the mound.

“Amazing.”

Zhang Han understood.

He had once believed he was closing the gap, at least catching sight of Azuma’s back.

But now he realized that was not entirely true.

Yes, since entering Seido and reaching Koshien, Zhang Han’s strength had improved dramatically.

But improvement was not exclusive to him.

Especially Azuma.

From the beginning of the Summer Tournament until now, it was as if Azuma’s previously solidified strength had been stimulated and nourished again.

He had grown.

He was no longer just a strong hitter.

He was approaching first-rate territory.

“Whoosh!”

Tachi delivered the second pitch.

In that instant, the previously motionless Azuma erupted.

Like a volcano.

“Boom!”

The swing was violent, as if he intended to shatter everything in front of him.

“Ping!”

The sound rang clear and sharp.

The white ball soared into the sky, tearing through the air, rising higher and higher.

Then it disappeared beyond the stands of Koshien.

For a moment, the entire stadium fell silent.

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