Diamond no Ace: My Sharingan

The game progressed to the top of the second inning.

But despite how early it was, the players from Sensen High School looked as if they'd already lost.

The scoreboard read: 4–0, with one out and no runners on base.

Standing in the batter's box was Sensen's fifth batter—one of their three designated power hitters.

Under normal circumstances, such a core player should have stepped up to try and turn the tide.

To swing with confidence.

To inspire his team.

But this batter was different.

The moment he entered the box, his thighs cramped from the sheer pressure. His entire body trembled.

Behind the plate, Chris noticed immediately.

"He's scared."

And honestly, who could blame him?

Zhou Hao's performance on the mound was nothing short of terrifying.

"The batter's already lost the will to fight," Chris muttered. "Let's finish this cleanly—strike him out with sharp, decisive pitching."

That was all Zhou Hao needed to hear.

He gave a subtle nod.

Then, as his front leg lifted high, his entire body shifted with forceful momentum—

"Boom!"

The ball screamed from his hand like a missile.

Although Zhou Hao's Spiral Ball had yet to reach the 140 km/h mark, it didn't need to.

In West Tokyo, where aces were born, it wasn't the fastest pitch.

But it was still enough to crush the will of a batter.

The fifth batter stared as the ball approached.

He didn't swing.

He couldn't swing.

His mind was still stuck on the image of their cleanup hitter earlier—who'd been blasted so hard his bat flew out of his hands.

How could he possibly succeed where that guy failed?

The sound of the pitch slicing the air killed what little resolve remained in his chest.

He stood frozen as the ball zipped by.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

From Sensen's dugout, someone tried to fire him up.

"Swing the bat, dammit! Don't just stand there!"

The fifth batter flinched.

Right.

Even if he couldn't win this battle, he had to show something. Show heart. Show guts.

At least make contact.

For his teammates.

For his school.

He grit his teeth.

Meanwhile, Zhou Hao didn't pause.

His pitching rhythm was merciless—smooth and aggressive.

"Boom!"

Another Spiral Ball flew in.

This time, the fifth batter swung his bat.

But his swing was half a beat too slow.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

Two strikes down.

The batter's face paled.

He knew it now, deep in his gut—

It didn't matter if he swung or not.

He could try his hardest, risk everything.

But the result wouldn't change.

The difference in ability was too massive.

This wasn't a battle—they were in different dimensions.

And just as that realization crushed what little fire remained in his heart—

Zhou Hao threw the third pitch.

"Boom!"

So fast. So clean. So sharp.

The batter's eyes locked on it as if in a trance.

A fleeting thought crossed his mind:

"Why couldn't we have a monster like him on our team?"

He swung his bat, desperate to prove he wasn't useless.

But he missed.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!"

Two outs. Bases empty.

The cleanup hitters of Sensen High School, the so-called backbone of their team,

Had been completely shut down.

Everyone in the stadium was in disbelief.

People had known Zhou Hao was strong…

But this strong?

To dominate the core hitters of one of West Tokyo's top eight teams?

That level of authority wasn't just surprising—it was unreal.

The doubts that once lingered in the hearts of spectators vanished completely.

This wasn't just a hot streak.

This was total domination.

Zhou Hao was the real deal.

Next up, Sensen's sixth batter.

The Seidou fans were still riding the high from the previous strikeout.

But Zhou Hao gave them another gift before they could even settle down.

"Boom!"

His Spiral Ball rhythm was now even faster, even cleaner.

The sixth batter was utterly unprepared.

By the time he realized what was happening, Zhou Hao had already thrown three strikes.

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!"

Side retired.

Another three up, three down inning.

The cleanup trio of Sensen High School had been swept away like leaves in a storm.

Their performance was indistinguishable from the first three batters.

They were supposed to be the heart of the team.

But under Zhou Hao's assault, they had nothing left to show.

The stadium echoed with cheers and disbelief.

"That's... insane!"

Even fans who previously thought Zhou Hao was just a promising rookie now bowed to his sheer dominance.

His mound presence.

His precision.

His aura.

He looked invincible.

Sensen's players knew now:

"We can't score on this guy."

And it wasn't just them.

The fans watching from the stands had also realized the harsh truth.

If Sensen wanted to avoid an early-game mercy rule, they had only one hope left—

Their defense.

In the stands, among the Inashiro Industrial High School team, a commotion stirred.

Narumiya Mei abruptly stood up.

Harada looked at him in confusion.

"What's wrong? The game just reached the bottom of the second. Even if it's a five-inning blowout, there's still time left. Why leave now?"

Narumiya grabbed his gear and answered bluntly:

"This opponent's too weak. I'm going back to practice my pitching."

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