Diamond no Ace: My Sharingan

Chapter 446 - 446: Smoking the Opponent!

What had just happened felt like a brief interlude.While the fans in the stands were still buzzing about it, the players on the field had already reset.

The real battle was beginning.

Kōhoku's ace stood on the mound, his eyes fixed warily on the bat in Oshima's hands.

This guy…

was dangerous.

The force behind that last swing—it had looked like he was trying to split someone's skull open.

The Kōhoku ace had already resolved to give everything for his team—

but risking his life?

That was a different story.

"Against a monster like this, tricks won't work… I'll beat him head-on."

Through subtle eye contact and signs, he conveyed his decision.

Behind the plate, Kōhoku's catcher gave a small nod.

He understood.

That last swing had shaken their ace badly.

At this point, asking him to continue with risky tactics like provocation was unrealistic.

Their opponent might be just a first-year—

but he was bold, experienced, and completely unfazed.

If they pushed too far…

they might not be the ones in control anymore.

So there was only one choice left.

Face him directly.

"Then… use your best breaking ball."

The catcher gave the sign.

Kōhoku's ace was confident in that pitch.

Without hesitation, he delivered.

Whoosh!

In the stands, Seidō's supporters instinctively tensed.

They couldn't help but worry—

would Kōhoku try something reckless again?

That last exchange had been too dangerous.

Even if things had calmed down…

both sides were clearly on edge.

If it escalated—

if it turned into a full-blown confrontation—

both teams would lose face.

Two national powerhouses clashing and getting disqualified mid-game…

Just imagining the headlines was enough.

But this time—

nothing unexpected happened.

Kōhoku's ace had regained his composure.

The pitch was clean.

A breaking ball, sharp and controlled—

dropping neatly into the strike zone.

In fact, it drifted slightly toward the center.

The moment Oshima saw it—

his eyes lit up.

He had been waiting for this.

"Here it comes!"

Others might not have noticed—

but Oshima had already anticipated it.

After that earlier mistake, the pitcher would want to regain control.

He would rely on his best pitch.

And more importantly—

he would aim for the strike zone.

It was the mindset of someone trying to "correct" himself.

And that—

was exactly the opening Oshima had been waiting for.

He raised his bat high.

The instant the ball left the pitcher's hand—

he stepped in.

No hesitation.

"Get out of here!"

Ping!

The ball shot off the bat.

For a split second, Oshima's expression froze.

He had thought the pitcher was already shaken—

that this hit would soar deep into the outfield.

But—

Kōhoku's ace still had bite left in his pitch.

The late break kicked in.

The ball didn't travel as far as expected.

It slammed into the ground and bounced forward.

Kōhoku's fielders rushed in desperately—

but they couldn't stop it.

The ball slipped right past them.

"It got through!"

Hit!

In Seidō's dugout, Coach Kataoka pressed his lips together in quiet satisfaction.

This—

was exactly what he wanted.

From start to finish, Oshima's performance had been flawless.

A true batter's approach.

From handling the earlier provocation—

to decisively capitalizing on the opportunity—

he had shown the composure of a seasoned player.

Even among Seidō's starters, he didn't fall short.

From this moment on—

Oshima Shin had earned his place.

"Safe!"

With Oshima reaching first base, the situation became:

No outs, runner on first.

And now—

Seidō's lineup cycled back to the top.

"First batter, number six—shortstop, Kuramochi Yoichi!"

For Seidō, this was the real beginning.

On the field, everyone could feel it—

the powerhouse was about to surge.

"Heh… hyaha!"

Standing in the batter's box, Kuramochi's eyes gleamed with excitement.

The first-year had already set the tone.

As a senior—

how could he fall behind?

He lowered his center of gravity, gripping the bat tightly, eyes locked onto the pitcher.

Ready.

Waiting.

Hunting.

On the mound, Kōhoku's ace felt the pressure instantly.

This batter—

was dangerous.

But could he back down?

No.

If he retreated now, Kōhoku would collapse entirely.

If it were Zhou Hao, they might still find an excuse.

Even avoiding him could be justified under certain circumstances.

But this?

This was Seidō's leadoff hitter.

If they couldn't even face him head-on—

what would they do when Zhou Hao or Yuki stepped up?

Surrender?

That was unacceptable.

Not to him.

Not to his team.

So—

even if the path ahead was difficult—

he chose to stand his ground.

He raised his arm—

and threw.

He had already faced Kuramochi once before.

That gave him confidence.

But very soon—

he realized something.

He had underestimated his opponent.

Whoosh!

After the pitch was released—

Kuramochi, standing in the batter's box, moved like a coiled spring.

Like a cheetah poised to strike.

The moment the ball approached—

he swung without hesitation.

Ping!

The ball shot off the bat and bounced sharply into the infield.

"Stop it!"

From the mound to the stands, Kōhoku shared the same desperate wish—

If they could stop this ball…

If they could even turn it into a double play…

Then the momentum would swing back.

They might still have a chance!

But that fragile hope—

was crushed almost instantly.

Kōhoku's shortstop reacted quickly.

Too quickly.

In that split second, he realized the truth—

he couldn't reach the ball in time.

So he adjusted, aiming for the second bounce.

The hit wasn't particularly strong.

If he timed it right, he could still field it cleanly.

But—

that delay would cost them.

Stopping Oshima from advancing was already impossible.

The runner was already charging toward second at full speed.

There was only one option left—

get the batter.

Making his decision, the shortstop fielded the ball and fired it to first base.

Snap!

The throw was perfect.

Clean. Precise.

A textbook defensive play that drew admiration from the stands.

But—

it wasn't enough.

Kuramochi was already there.

Like a predator in full sprint, his legs blurred, leaving afterimages behind him.

Before the ball even reached the first baseman—

his foot had already touched the bag.

Safe!!

No outs.

Runners on first and second.

By now, it was still only the bottom of the third inning.

The score remained 1–0.

On paper, Seidō's lead wasn't overwhelming.

And yet—

everyone could feel it.

The game was starting to slip away.

"So fast!"

"That's Seidō's speed demon!"

"Kōhoku's in serious trouble now…"

Even Seidō's own players could imagine the pressure their opponents were feeling.

Facing Kuramochi in the batter's box was manageable—

you could still fight him head-on.

But once he reached base—

he became a nightmare.

A constant threat.

Even his own teammates found him troublesome.

Let alone Kōhoku.

The more Kōhoku's players and supporters watched, the heavier their hearts became.

Through three innings, their ace had only allowed one run.

Against a team like Seidō—

that was already impressive.

They had even begun to believe—

that maybe, just maybe, they could hold on.

But they also knew—

Seidō wouldn't let things stay that way forever.

The real attack would come.

Maybe in this inning.

Maybe when Zhou Hao came up to bat.

They had prepared themselves for the worst.

And yet—

they were still caught off guard.

The one who ignited the offense—

was a first-year rookie.

And right after him—

came Seidō's speed demon.

Now, with both of them on base—

Kōhoku's expressions changed completely.

Like a chess game three moves ahead—

they could already see what was coming next.

And that realization made things even worse.

"Second batter, second baseman—Kominato Ryosuke!"

After him—

the third batter, Zhou Hao.

And the cleanup hitter, Yuki.

Kōhoku hadn't even given up a second run yet.

But the pressure—

was suffocating.

They were being slowly "smoked" by it.

At this point, no one needed to spell it out.

Everyone on Kōhoku's side understood—

they had reached a critical moment.

One mistake—

and the game could collapse completely.

The thought alone made their ace's breathing grow uneven.

And standing before him now—

was an even more troublesome opponent.

Kominato Ryosuke.

Don't be fooled by his gentle smile.

To outsiders, he looked harmless.

Easygoing.

Kind.

But anyone who truly knew him—

understood just how dangerous he was.

Standing in the box, looking at the shaken pitcher—

Kominato smiled softly.

"Whoosh!"

"Ball!"

"Strike!"

"Ball!"

"Strike!"

Five pitches in—

and he didn't swing once.

He waited.

Observed.

Pressed.

Only when the count tightened—

did the "devil batter" reveal his fangs.

Ping!

"Foul!"

"Foul!!"

"Ball!"

"Ball!!!"

The duel dragged on—

pitch after pitch.

Twelve in total.

By the end—

Kōhoku's ace had nothing left.

"Ball four! Take your base!"

A walk.

Bottom of the third.

Score still 1–0.

But now—

the situation had completely changed.

No outs.

Bases loaded.

And that wasn't even the worst part.

The worst part—

was the batter stepping up next.

"Third batter, number one—outfielder, Zhou Hao!"