Diamond no Ace: My Sharingan

Chapter 433 - 433: The One of a Kind Pitch

Since Zhou Hao was on the field—He was part of the team.

Chris's trust in Zhou Hao was absolute.

Not to the blind, almost fanatical level of some Seido players—

who believed that as long as Zhou Hao stood on the field, he could do anything.

But even so—

Chris acknowledged one thing clearly:

Zhou Hao was the strongest piece in Seido's lineup.

As long as he was on defense,

The area he covered became the most secure.

He wasn't the only one who realized this.

The coaches and managers had long come to the same conclusion.

Compared to the outfield—

Zhou Hao's value in the infield was even greater.

But that didn't mean they could simply move him there permanently.

After all—

Zhou Hao's primary role wasn't a fielder.

He was a pitcher.

Keeping him in the outfield wasn't just about defense.

It was about conserving his stamina—

So he could return to the mound at any moment.

The infield demanded far more constant movement and reaction.

If they overused him there, they might compromise the team's overall strength.

And Seido would never make that kind of mistake.

But today…

Was different.

Zhou Hao wasn't the focus of this evaluation.

Since he was already on the field—

Chris intended to maximize his presence.

Seeing Chris's signal—

Kawakami nodded firmly on the mound.

If Chris trusted Zhou Hao—

Then Kawakami trusted him even more.

"I'm sorry, senpai… but I need this out."

Whoosh!

The pitch came fast, slicing toward the plate.

From a batter's perspective, sidearm deliveries like this were notoriously tricky.

Even Isashiki Jun hesitated for a split second before reacting.

"Heh… not bad, Kawakami."

He knew Kawakami well.

Knew his limits—

And his growth.

Seeing him break out of his slump…

Was honestly gratifying.

But—

That didn't mean he would hold back.

That wasn't how Seido's third-years operated.

If the ball came into their zone—

They would hit it.

Without mercy.

Here it comes!

Isashiki's body coiled, every muscle ready.

Then—

He swung.

Ping!!

The instant the bat connected—

Chris felt his heart jolt.

During this entire evaluation, everyone had been focused on the pitchers.

On the stars.

And in doing so—

They had overlooked something.

Isashiki Jun…

Had also improved.

This wasn't the same batter as before.

The ball rocketed off his bat, carrying tremendous force.

It didn't arc high—

But its trajectory kept rising.

Chris's instincts flared.

This ball… is going deep.

If it kept going—

Kawakami would be in serious trouble.

But just as that thought crossed his mind—

Something unbelievable happened.

Zhou Hao—

Moved.

Like a rocket launching from the ground—

He shot upward.

For a split second, it looked unreal.

His feet left the ground—

Higher…

Higher—

At least a meter into the air.

"How is that possible?!"

Even those who knew him best were stunned.

They knew Zhou Hao was strong.

But this?

This was on a completely different level.

That leap—

Even professional athletes might struggle to match it.

Chris's eyes widened.

Since when… was his physical ability this terrifying?

Just moments ago, he had moved like a gymnast—

Fluid, precise.

Now—

He was soaring like a high jumper.

The ball that should have sailed past—

Was intercepted mid-air.

Snap!

It landed cleanly in Zhou Hao's glove.

He dropped back to the ground lightly.

His expression calm.

Almost indifferent.

As if what he had just done—

Was nothing special.

But in truth—

Even Zhou Hao himself was slightly stunned.

That jump…

At least 1.1 meters.

Maybe more.

Before he could even process it—

The field erupted.

Clap! Clap! Clap clap clap!!!

"That was insane!"

"As expected of Senior Zhou Hao!"

"But seriously—how do you always become the center of attention?!"

This was supposed to be a duel.

Two pitchers.

Two catchers.

A fair evaluation.

Even Coach Kataoka had wanted to observe them carefully.

But now?

Zhou Hao had stolen the spotlight completely.

Everyone's eyes were on him.

Only him.

It wasn't until the cheers died down that Zhou Hao seemed to realize what he had done.

He glanced apologetically toward Miyuki and Sawamura.

His play might have embarrassed the batter—

But the ones most affected weren't the batters at all.

It was them.

What should have been a fair contest…

Had been tilted by his overwhelming presence.

"Three outs. No runners. Switch!"

Acting as the umpire, Kataoka gave the call after a brief pause.

Even he had been momentarily stunned.

And now—

Everyone could see it clearly.

This "evaluation" was no longer entirely fair.

Whispers spread among the players.

"…Did you see that just now?"

"Of course we saw it. But who could've expected something like that?"

"This is way too unfair to Miyuki and Sawamura."

"It wasn't fair to begin with, okay?"

"Besides, in this situation, it's not really unfair. When Sawamura pitches, Zhou Hao will still be there. If he's good enough, he should just make the ball avoid Zhou Hao's range—"

That, of course, was easier said than done.

Kawakami could barely pull it off—

and only because he had trained with the Seido team for over a year, with solid control to back it up.

Even then, it wasn't guaranteed.

But Sawamura?

He had only just joined the team.

How could he possibly manipulate his pitches to that extent?

Coach Kataoka and the rest of the coaching staff clearly understood this as well.

Strictly speaking—

this evaluation had already tilted out of balance.

This wasn't a real game.

It was supposed to be a direct comparison between two pitchers.

Now, with Zhou Hao's overwhelming presence influencing the field—

the outcome became harder to judge.

Kataoka said nothing.

But the silence itself carried weight.

It was clear—

he had already made his decision.

"Switch!"

At the Coach's command, the players rotated.

Kawakami and Chris stepped off the field.

Taking their place—

Miyuki Kazuya and Sawamura Eijun.

Their first opponent…

Kuramochi Yoichi.

Back in the batter's box, Kuramochi smirked.

"Hey, Sawamura. We might be roommates, but don't expect me to go easy on you."

"If you get crushed, don't go crying back in the dorm. Room 5 doesn't take in crybabies."

Even now, he didn't forget to provoke him.

Miyuki, crouched behind the plate, narrowed his eyes.

He knew Kuramochi too well.

That mouth of his—

wasn't just trash talk.

It was pressure.

Deliberate pressure.

You're really going this far… even against your own roommate?

But Miyuki didn't interfere.

Instead—

he raised his glove and gave the sign.

"We're not holding back either. Let's teach your senpai a lesson."

Trust your pitch.

Trust your teammates.

Even if most of the fielders were substitutes—

they were still Seido players.

Their skill was real.

Sawamura felt it.

More importantly—

Kuramochi's words didn't feel like provocation.

They felt like a challenge.

An expectation.

A push forward.

"I'm strong too, Senpai!"

Whoosh!

The pitch came fast—

cutting through the air toward home plate.

Kuramochi's eyes lit up.

A grin spread across his face.

Just like I thought…

This guy—

was no ordinary pitcher.

Even under pressure, he didn't shrink back.

This kind of mental strength…

Was something only true pitchers possessed.

The ball arrived.

Kuramochi didn't hesitate.

He swung with full force.

Ping!

The moment the bat connected—

His expression changed.

I messed up!

That wasn't a fastball.

It wasn't even close.

It was—

"Jerk Pitch?!"

In an actual game, this pitch was this nasty?!

He hadn't expected it at all.

The ball bounced weakly off the ground—

rolling straight toward first base.

Yuki didn't even need to move.

He calmly fielded it.

Snap!

"Out!"

Silence.

The players watching the match fell completely quiet.

Among the first-years this year—

three monsters had stood out from the start.

Two of them—

Oshima Shin and Furuya Satoru—

had already been promoted early.

The third…

was thought to be slightly behind.

Otherwise, why hadn't he been promoted immediately?

But now—

that assumption shattered.

Sawamura Eijun—

Was a genius too.

His talent simply needed to be seen in real combat to be understood.

Behind the plate, Miyuki smirked slightly.

"That natural Jerk Pitch… without enough power, hitting it is pure luck."

Coach Kataoka.

The managers.

None of them made careless decisions.

For Sawamura to be pushed forward at this critical moment—

meant only one thing.

He had something others didn't.

"One out! No runners!"

"Next batter!"

Kominato Ryosuke stepped into the box.

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

This wasn't his first time facing Sawamura.

But this time—

The pressure he exuded was completely different.

"If I swing normally, even I can't guarantee control…"

"So sorry, junior."

A devilish smile crept across his face.

Miyuki's eyes sharpened.

Is this really necessary…?

Sawamura was just a first-year.

And yet—

Kominato had never gone this far, even against Kawakami.

Still—

a duel was a duel.

Whoosh!

Sawamura delivered.

The ball tore through the air.

Kominato adjusted his stance—

and swung.

Ping!

The ball shot upward—

then dropped behind the catcher.

"Foul!"

The players watching widened their eyes.

What… was that?

Kominato Ryosuke—

Was going all out?

Opponents who forced him into this mode—

were usually elite rivals.

Did Sawamura really warrant that level?

No one understood.

Ping!

"Foul!"

Ping!

"Foul!"

"Ball!"

Pitch after pitch—

Kominato struck every hittable ball foul.

He wasn't holding back.

But he wasn't finishing it either.

Eight pitches.

The count—

Two strikes. Two balls.

Kominato still smiled.

Calm.

Unhurried.

"Come on."

"Keep going."

The words were light—

But the pressure behind them was suffocating.

Even the spectators felt a chill run down their spines.

Let alone—

Sawamura, standing on the mound.