Chapter 125: The Home Run That Shocked the Whole Crowd!
Top of the fourth inning.
Seidou High School's offense.
No outs. Runner on first.
Every player on the Inashiro Industrial defense was locked in, tension thick in the air.
Even more intense than when they were facing Zhou Hao.
It wasn't until Zhou Hao's hit and now Yuki's appearance at the plate that old memories came rushing back—for players and fans alike.
They all remembered the first inning, the chain of events that led to Seidou's first run.
Now, it felt like déjà vu.
"Yuki!!"
From the field to the dugout, all eyes were on Seidou's number three batter.
They knew—this at-bat could shift the momentum of the game.
Up in the press box, the reporters were abuzz.
"Seidou's terrifying offensive power is finally on full display."
Their earlier opponents had been too weak. Seidou often crushed them before they could even break a sweat.
But against Inashiro Industrial—a perennial Koshien powerhouse—they could finally go all out.
Zhou Hao had lit the spark.
Now Seidou's lineup was catching fire.
Yuki Tetsuya stood tall in the batter's box, exuding the presence of a seasoned warrior.
It didn't matter how strong the pitcher was—if the ball came into his zone, he'd crush it.
And when he hit?
The ball didn't fly—it exploded.
Even back in the first inning, Inashiro's defense barely had time to blink before the ball zipped past.
"How much pressure must their Ace be under right now?"
On the mound, Inashiro's Ace took a deep breath.
He knew this moment was critical.
"Stay calm… You're the Ace. Stay composed."
He repeated the mantra in his mind, trying to suppress the pounding of his heart.
No matter how intense the opponent—he had to execute.
"Whoosh!"
With resolve in his eyes, he delivered a near-perfect pitch.
The Inashiro catcher's eyes lit up.
"That's it!"
But just as the thought crossed his mind, Yuki moved.
"Boom!"
A massive gust of wind followed the bat's swing.
"Ping!"
The white baseball rocketed forward like a laser.
In a flash, it bounced hard off the turf.
"He hit it!"
Zhou Hao, already anticipating the outcome, dashed for second base.
Yuki hurled his bat aside and sprinted to first.
Just when it looked like the ball would slip through again...
An Inashiro infielder dove in front of it.
"Slap!"
He smothered the ball with his glove, stopping it cold.
Reacting instantly, the fielder looked to second—hoping for a double play.
But Zhou Hao had gotten a quick jump.
There wasn't enough time.
The fielder grit his teeth and whipped the ball to first.
"Slap!"
Yuki was fast—but just a step too late.
"OUT!!"
One out. Runner on second.
In Seidou's dugout, a sigh went through the lineup.
"So close…"
But over on Inashiro's side?
Cheers erupted.
"We got him!"
"One out! Keep it going!"
Ever since Zhou Hao had gotten on base, Inashiro's players had felt a boulder pressing on their chests.
It had started with Seidou's first-inning run, and the tension hadn't let up.
If Seidou scored again here, Inashiro wasn't sure they could claw their way back.
Now that they'd shut down Yuki, the weight finally lifted.
"As long as we take care of him, we can hold the line."
For years, Inashiro had proudly claimed:
"Our defense is the best in the country."
But facing Seidou today?
Even they didn't believe that anymore.
This was a true showdown between equals.
And the outcome?
Still anyone's game.
The next batter stepped up—
"Cleanup hitter! Number 5! Third baseman—Azuma Kiyokuni!"
Nicknamed the "Monster of West Tokyo," Azuma was one of the most feared batters in the region.
Naturally, Inashiro had studied him exhaustively.
They had a plan.
They believed they could stop him.
"Let's go! One more out!"
"Get the second out!"
On the mound, Yuki took another deep breath.
He steadied his form and delivered the pitch.
"Whoosh!"
Smooth. Powerful. Clean.
In the batter's box, Azuma stood like a general preparing for war.
He said nothing.
He simply waited—watching the ball come in.
Then—
"Boom!"
He swung with everything he had.
"PING!"
The ball exploded off the bat, slicing into the sky like a missile.
It sailed in a massive arc... and just kept going...
All the way into the outfield stands.
"It… it's gone!!"
Home run.
-----------
Support me at patréon com/DaoOfPeeking