Diamond no Ace: My Sharingan

Chapter 445 - 445: Hitting Someone with a Bat

First game of the Kanto Tournament.Seidō High School vs. Kōhoku High School.

By the end of the top of the third inning, the scoreboard read 1–0.

Compared to the other national powerhouses that had been crushed during the Tokyo Spring Tournament, Kōhoku had actually done well to keep the gap this small against a Seidō team going all out.

They were just beginning to think about how to hold the line in the coming innings—

when Seidō suddenly made another move.

They sent in a first-year pitcher.

And the most infuriating part?

They couldn't do a single thing against him.

That alone was frustrating enough.

But what came next…

was even worse.

Seidō announced a pinch hitter—

and sent in yet another first-year.

"Oshima Shin!"

The moment the tall, burly figure stepped into the batter's box, the Kōhoku players nearly exploded with anger.

They had seen arrogant teams before—

but never anything like this.

Were they really being treated like pushovers?

Like a team that could be toyed with at will?

If this could be tolerated, then what couldn't?

Just as their anger reached its peak—

someone in the dugout suddenly blurted out:

"Wait… it's him?"

"Who?"

"You seriously don't recognize him? That's Oshima—one of the strongest first-years this year! A middle school superstar!"

"…He actually joined Seidō?"

Even as they said it, they already knew the answer.

Of course he did.

Seidō was the hottest powerhouse in the country right now.

For a player like Oshima, there was no better stage.

"So what if he's famous? He's still just a first-year."

"He might not even keep up with high school pitching."

"Let's show them Kōhoku isn't to be underestimated!"

The Kōhoku players and supporters shouted in unison, trying to boost their morale.

If things kept going like this…

they could already see how miserable the ending would be.

At this point, going all out—even recklessly—was their only option.

And yet—

their voices lacked conviction.

Because deep down, they knew.

Seidō had already sent out one first-year earlier—

and that "rookie" had struck out three batters in a row.

Clean. Effortless. Dominating.

Three up, three down.

Now, even facing another first-year…

they couldn't help but hesitate.

In contrast, Seidō's supporters stood tall, their confidence overflowing.

"You're talking big for people who can't even handle a first-year."

Seidō's players ignored the noise completely.

All eyes were on Oshima.

"Knock it out!"

"You're our strongest rookie—don't lose to anyone!"

Hearing the cheers, Oshima allowed a faint smile to curl at his lips.

He understood perfectly.

They wanted him to prove himself.

To live up to the title of "strongest rookie."

"Yeah, yeah… don't put so much pressure on a first-year. It's exhausting."

Despite his casual tone, he raised his bat.

His stance was explosive—

like a raging bear, ready to tear into its prey at any moment.

Behind the plate, Kōhoku's starting catcher immediately felt a headache coming on.

Just from Oshima's stance alone…

there wasn't a single opening.

—

These Seidō players…

are way too troublesome.

Even their first-years are monsters.

If they wanted to stop him—

they would have to take risks.

Taking a deep breath, the catcher gave the sign.

"Go for it."

The pitcher didn't hesitate.

Whoosh!

The ball screamed through the air—

cutting dangerously close to Oshima's face before snapping into the mitt.

Pop!

"Ball?!"

The Seidō side erupted instantly.

"That was aimed at him!"

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"You trying to bully a first-year?!"

Even the home plate umpire was momentarily shaken.

That pitch had passed less than five centimeters from Oshima's nose.

Even his heart skipped a beat.

But Kōhoku's ace merely licked his lips and casually raised a hand.

"Sorry. My hand slipped—sweaty grip."

The umpire frowned.

He wanted to say something.

But there was no clear evidence it was intentional.

Pitching always carried risk—

unless it happened repeatedly, there was no basis for a penalty.

"…Are you okay?"

He turned to Oshima.

The rookie hesitated slightly before answering:

"I—I'm fine."

That hesitation only made things more ambiguous.

In the end, the umpire could only let the game continue.

Kōhoku's ace glared coldly at Oshima.

Then—

he wound up again.

Whoosh!

This pitch was even faster.

But this time—

Oshima didn't flinch.

He swung.

Clean. Decisive.

And then—

something unexpected happened.

The bat slipped from his hands.

Spinning wildly through the air—

it flew straight toward the mound.

Right at the pitcher's head.

In that instant—

Kōhoku's ace's pupils shrank.

Instinct took over.

He ducked.

The bat spun through the air—

and flew clean over the pitcher's head.

Even if he hadn't ducked, it wouldn't have hit him.

At most, it would've brushed past his shoulder.

But the Kōhoku ace was still drenched in cold sweat.

The rest of his teammates weren't any better.

"You did that on purpose!"

Kōhoku's players exploded in anger.

If anyone tried to claim that Oshima hadn't meant it, they might as well twist their own heads off and use them as baseballs.

The catcher, along with several infielders, rushed forward and surrounded him.

Even the home plate umpire looked at Oshima with obvious suspicion.

If this had been an isolated incident, maybe it could be overlooked.

But first, a pitch nearly hitting his face—

and now this?

It was hard not to question his intent.

In Seidō's dugout, the players immediately stood up, ready to step in.

"Hold it."

Coach Kataoka raised a hand, stopping them.

Both sides were already on edge.

If everyone rushed in now, even the side in the right could lose its footing.

Better to wait and see how the umpire handled it.

Besides—

Kataoka had a feeling.

Oshima wouldn't leave things like this.

As a seasoned player, Oshima had far more big-game experience than most of Seidō's starters.

He wasn't just experienced—

he had been a starter on the national youth team.

A player like that…

would definitely have his own way of dealing with situations.

Surrounded by Kōhoku's players and facing the umpire's doubtful gaze—

Oshima looked utterly wronged.

Despite his towering build, he now resembled a bullied housewife.

"I… I was just too nervous. I couldn't hold onto the bat…"

Liar.

Every Kōhoku player present thought the same thing.

And yet—

they couldn't refute it.

That excuse was too perfect.

Too clean.

Even though they knew he was lying, they had no way to expose him.

The Kōhoku players exchanged glances.

They had thrown that dangerous pitch to intimidate him—

but instead of backing down, he had turned it around on them.

Now, they were the ones stuck in an awkward position.

If they could claim their pitch wasn't intentional…

then how could they deny that Oshima had simply been "too scared"?

"Don't let us catch you pulling that again."

"Next time, we won't go easy on you."

Grumbling, Kōhoku's players returned to their positions.

Just like that—

they swallowed it.

In Seidō's dugout, the younger players looked at Oshima differently now.

Before, they had thought themselves impressive.

After all, earning a place on a powerhouse like Seidō was no small feat.

It was something countless players could only dream of.

But compared to Oshima…

their pride suddenly felt a little shallow.

Take what just happened.

They all understood Kōhoku's intention—

to intimidate the batter.

Given the situation, it wasn't hard to understand.

In fact, if they were in the same position someday…

they might do the same.

If it worked, it would be a huge advantage.

If it failed, there was little to lose.

The only real risk…

was borne by the batter.

A pitch like that—

no one could guarantee it wouldn't cause an accident.

But in baseball, danger was part of the game.

And for the pitcher?

It wasn't their body on the line.

Human nature could be that ugly.

But Oshima—

he had returned it instantly.

An eye for an eye.

Everyone knew that bat was retaliation.

But Kōhoku had been the ones to cross the line first.

And the excuse he gave…

left the umpire with no choice but to accept it.

After all, the umpire had already sided with Kōhoku once.

If he pressed Seidō now, his own fairness would be questioned.

Oshima had read the situation perfectly—

and acted without hesitation.

How could anyone not admire that?

Even Zhou Hao watched the scene without blinking.

For a moment, he found himself questioning things.

Had he been doing it wrong all this time?

Why did watching these first-years feel so… satisfying?

He had faced dangerous pitches before.

With his "Sharingan," he had always avoided them.

But this—

this was a completely different kind of response.

"…Lesson learned."

Zhou Hao silently made a note to himself.

Next time someone tried that on him—

he would return the favor properly.

With his vision, he could guarantee accuracy.

No misses.

One pitch returned for one received.

Ball for ball.

Back on the field—

the count stood at one ball, one strike.

The duel resumed.

This time…

Kōhoku's ace was noticeably more cautious.

It seemed that one flying bat—

had taught him a lesson.