Diamond no Ace: My Sharingan

Bottom of the fifth inning — Inashiro Industrial High School was on the offensive.

Their fourth and fifth batters had just connected cleanly, back to back.

At that moment, Inashiro was riding a wave of momentum.

Almost everyone watching believed this was the beginning of their counterattack.

Even Seido's players and die-hard supporters—who had been confident in a victory—couldn't deny it: Inashiro was not about to go down quietly.

They might still lose, but as the reigning kings of West Tokyo, they wouldn't accept defeat without a fierce fight.

And yet...

Just when the tide seemed to be turning in Inashiro's favor, the game took a dramatic turn.

From seventy meters out, Zhou Hao launched a laser-accurate throw that saved Seido from a dangerous situation.

Inashiro's cleanup hitter—who had just smashed a perfect hit—was suddenly declared out.

A twist no one had anticipated.

In an instant, Seido's side of the stadium erupted with wild cheers.

This match against Inashiro had never felt so thrilling.

"As expected from Zhou Hao! That was insane!

"It's almost like he set a trap."

"Almost? That was clearly all planned by Zhou-san!"

The fans now looked at Zhou Hao through rose-tinted glasses.

If he had overheard them, he'd have wanted to bury himself out of embarrassment.

Because in truth, if Zhou could've caught that ball on the fly, there's no way he would've risked that long throw.

But fans don't care about technicalities.

To them, every moment was part of Zhou Hao's master plan.

Zhou Hao is invincible.

That was the narrative now.

Meanwhile, on Inashiro's side, the mood was heavy. It felt like the air itself had grown denser.

For the first time, the players fully realized how overwhelming Seido's pressure truly was.

Everyone had been saying Seido was stronger this year.

They weren't just stronger—they looked like championship material.

"Just one Zhou Hao, and Seido leveled up this much?"

Even though Zhou had performed brilliantly, Inashiro's players weren't ready to believe that a single first-year could suppress their powerhouse lineup.

"Don't let your biases cloud your judgment. Forget that he's a first-year. Think: what has this kid actually done so far?"

Zhou Hao had gotten on base twice and driven in most of Seido's runs.

When he was on the mound, aside from a shaky start against Hanaki, he'd shut Inashiro down completely.

Coach Kunitomo Hiroshige hadn't pointed it out before.

But now that they reflected on it, Zhou Hao had been shining across the field all game long.

Every time he stepped up—at bat, in the field, or on the mound—something unbelievable happened.

Watching his players fall silent in thought, Kunitomo Hiroshige finally broke the silence:

"Accept it. For today's game—we are the challengers."

That was a bitter pill for Inashiro to swallow.

They were West Tokyo's undisputed champions.

But the truth was on the scoreboard.

Whether they wanted to admit it or not, unless they played like challengers—desperate and focused—they wouldn't have a chance to come back.

"Yes, sir!"

The players lowered their heads and answered in unison.

Coach Kunitomo nodded.

"Get back out there. Our chance is still alive."

Despite Zhou Hao's heroics, Inashiro's scoring opportunity wasn't gone just yet.

One out. Runner on second base.

The next batter was the sixth in the lineup.

Seido's catcher, Chris, called for a timeout and jogged to the mound.

He had a quick chat with Yoshida, who nodded.

"I got too locked in on pitching… I forgot the actual game situation."

"I won't make that mistake again."

Yoshida's spirit was solid—but his form was showing signs of fatigue.

He wasn't at his worst, but definitely not at peak condition either.

Chris bit his lip in thought.

Zhou Hao had gone all out on offense in the first three innings.

He'd set Seido up with a strong lead—but had burned a lot of stamina in the process.

If possible, Chris didn't want to put Zhou back on the mound until the final two innings.

If they used him too early, Zhou's unique pitching style might not hold up until the end.

That could be a disaster.

"We have to survive these next three innings—no matter what."

Back in position, Chris stared down Inashiro's sixth batter and signaled firmly.

Yoshida responded with a nod.

Then—he pitched.

Whoosh!

The white baseball cut through the air.

The batter swung decisively.

Ping!

The ball flew toward first base.

Yuki, already anticipating it, leapt and stretched out his glove—

Thwack!

He caught it—just barely.

"Out!"

Two outs. Runner still on second.

Even Seido's fans were holding their breath now.

Their team had the lead on paper—but Inashiro had no plans of going quietly.

This back-and-forth battle might go down to the final inning.

"Next up—Inashiro's seventh batter!"

The new batter stepped up to the plate, eyes burning with determination.

Chris gave a sharper signal than before.

Now wasn't the time for hesitation—he had to draw every last ounce of strength from Yoshida.

On the mound, Yoshida took a deep breath, nodded to the sign, and wound up—

He understood it clearly:

This was Inashiro. Even at his best, there was no guarantee of a clean inning.

And right now—he wasn't at his best.

Whoosh!

The pitch came flying.

Inashiro's seventh batter's eyes lit up.

Good pitch!

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