Diamond no Ace: My Sharingan

After four innings, the Seidou High School Baseball Team led Inashiro Industrial by a solid 3–0.

Though only halfway through the game, both the players and supporters of Seidou were already convinced—

Victory was theirs.

They brimmed with confidence.

In recent years, no game against Inashiro had gone this smoothly.

Now, the game entered the top of the fifth inning.

Seidou was on offense.

In their dugout, batters waited like coiled springs—ready to strike.

They held a three-run lead.

On the mound, whether it had been Zhou Hao or Yoshida, Seidou's pitching had completely suppressed Inashiro.

Only one thing remained:

"Crush them."

That thought echoed through every Seidou player's mind.

Like wolves eyeing prey, they glared at the pitcher.

Meanwhile, Inashiro's dugout was heavy with tension.

Everyone there understood clearly:

Even though they were just halfway through a nine-inning game,

if they didn't perform right now, they might never recover.

And worse:

Seidou never showed mercy to Inashiro.

If they could run up the score to 100–0, they would do it without hesitation.

Inashiro's players all turned toward their ace—

Yuki.

He stood at the center of the storm, and he knew it.

They were backed to a cliff.

If he didn't fight back, Inashiro would fall.

This year's Seidou team wasn't just strong.

They were formidable.

But this wasn't just about skill anymore.

It was about momentum—and Seidou had it.

Yuki exhaled deeply, pushing out all hesitation.

He raised his arm and fired the first pitch.

"Whoosh!"

The ball roared through the air.

Seidou's batters stiffened.

That pitch was no joke.

Even after being backed into a corner, Yuki was still rock-solid.

Unshaken by pressure.

Pitching with 100% of his strength.

"Fly out!!"

Seidou's eighth batter swung with everything he had.

But the bat hit nothing.

"Snap!"

The ball landed cleanly in the catcher's mitt.

"Strike!"

The batter froze.

So did the dugout.

"A breaking ball?"

"He can still throw that... now?"

It was infuriating how good Yuki was.

And it wasn't over.

The next pitch came swiftly.

"Ping!"

This time, there was contact—but weak.

The ball spun up, then dropped straight down.

"Snap!"

"Out!"

Two outs. No runners on.

Inashiro looked like they had finally gotten back in rhythm.

"Leadoff batter, number six, shortstop, Matsumoto!"

Matsumoto stepped up—his third plate appearance.

Though he'd been retired twice already, the pitcher didn't dare underestimate him.

Yuki gathered all his power and launched the pitch.

"Whoosh!"

Matsumoto swung hard.

"You only need one hit. Just one."

"Ping!"

Perfect timing. Perfect contact.

The ball dropped behind the first baseman.

"Safe!"

Matsumoto reached first.

Two outs, runner on first.

Inashiro's supporters groaned.

Not because of Matsumoto.

But because of who was coming next.

"Second batter, number twenty, outfielder, Zhou Hao!"

The moment Zhou stepped into the box, a chill ran down Inashiro's spine.

Two hits earlier in the game.

Batting average? Over 85%.

A monster.

The score was still only a three-run difference.

Just within reach.

But if Zhou Hao landed another hit...

Four or five runs? That was a different story.

At that point, even Inashiro's morale might shatter.

Just as the atmosphere tightened—

A call came from Inashiro's dugout.

Manager Kunimoto stood up.

"Substitution!

Yoshida to the outfield.

Narumiya Mei enters as pitcher!"

The stadium stirred.

And that wasn't all.

"Harada Masanori in as catcher!"

The Prince of Tokyo had arrived.

The elite duo of Narumiya Mei and Harada Masanori, long held in reserve, were entering the fray.

Inashiro was done playing conservatively.

They were sending in their strongest battery.

It was do-or-die.

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