"The West Tokyo Tournament Quarterfinals: the match between Seidou High School and Sensen High School has officially concluded after five innings with a final score of 10-0!"

"Congratulations to Seidou High School Baseball Team for the overwhelming victory!"

"Seidou now advances to the West Tokyo Final Four!"

"The semifinals will take place at the legendary Jingu Stadium."

With the tournament entering its final stretch, the remaining games would be played at Jingu Stadium—a venue that seats tens of thousands of spectators and broadcasts nationally on television. For most schools, reaching this stage would already be a dream fulfilled.

But for Seidou, this was just the beginning.

They hadn't been able to reach Koshien in recent years. This time, the hunger ran deeper than ever—every coach, every player, was laser-focused on just one thing: the ticket to Koshien.

And that wasn't even their ultimate goal.

Seidou's rallying cry, "Dominate the Nation," wasn't just a slogan anymore.

Once they step onto the sacred ground of Koshien, it becomes a mission.

When the game ended, the players of Sensen High School collapsed onto the field, drained and wordless. Not because they didn't try, not because they made too many mistakes—but because the gap in strength was that overwhelming.

The fans in the stands erupted with cheers for Seidou, but especially for the pitcher who stood tall all five innings.

"Well done!"

"As expected of Zhou Hao—he didn't allow a single hit!"

"He's already pitching like an Ace!"

"We'll be there for the next game! Let's go to Koshien together!"

"Beat Inashiro! Crush Ichidai Third High!"

Even the fans knew: Koshien was the goal. No distractions. No excuses.

Yoshida, the official Ace of Seidou, watched from the dugout. Though he felt a twinge of awkwardness at being overshadowed, he couldn't help but smile. Zhou Hao's brilliance wasn't a threat—it was a blessing. If it brought them closer to Koshien, then so be it.

As the team lined up and bowed deeply toward the stands, gratitude shone on every face.

Then, at last, the Sensen players rose and approached their opponents.

"Thank you for the match!"

"Thank you for the guidance!!"

Unlike most teams who left with frustration or regret after losing to Seidou, the Sensen players were different. Despite the loss, they were gracious—especially their Ace, Nitta.

"Your offense is terrifying. We didn't stand a chance."

Even after being completely shut out, Nitta's cheerful tone and sportsmanship earned respect from all.

The Seidou players couldn't help but admire him.

"If Tanba had this kind of mentality," one Seidou player muttered, "he might be even better on the mound."

Luckily, Yoshida and Zhou Hao didn't need such a reminder. Yoshida was always composed, and Zhou Hao—still a "newborn calf"—was fearless.

Before leaving, Nitta offered parting words that hit Seidou right in the heart:

"You guys better not lose! If we're going to lose to anyone, let it be the national champions."

"You can count on us!" laughed Azuma Kiyokuni, patting his belly with a proud grin.

While the two teams talked, reporters and fans in the stands began buzzing.

"The game ended in five innings, so the official stats might not reflect how incredible Zhou Hao was…"

"Yeah. He struck out eleven batters—if it had gone a full nine innings, he might've broken the strikeout record."

But then, one sharp-eyed reporter realized what everyone else had missed.

"No hits, no runs, no walks… Wait a minute—this was a perfect game!"

That's right. Despite the shortened innings, Zhou Hao had pitched a perfect game: no hits, no walks, no errors. Not a single Sensen batter reached base.

It wasn't just domination—it was total control.

And considering Sensen was a Top 8 team in West Tokyo, that made the feat even more astonishing.

The beautiful reporter who made the discovery smiled.

"Keeping an eye on Zhou Hao… was the right decision."

With a gleam in her eye, she hurried off.

She had a front-page article to write—and she had to beat the others to it.

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