Diamond no Ace: My Sharingan

Chapter 432 - 432: The Shining Zhou Hao!

"Right now… we're rivals."Miyuki Kazuya had always believed he was calm enough when facing competition.

But even he hadn't expected Sawamura to be this… carefree.

At a moment like this, Sawamura was still sincerely admiring his opponent's performance.

There wasn't even a hint of pretense on his face.

"…You're right!"

Sawamura suddenly snapped back to reality.

His opponent wasn't just Kawakami—

It was also Chris.

That meant this was a direct competition.

"So what should I do?"

The panic on his face was completely genuine.

Seeing that, Miyuki finally relaxed.

Seems like I was overthinking it.

Sawamura wasn't calculating anything—

He simply hadn't thought that far ahead.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be praising his opponent at a time like this.

"Deal with it as it comes," Miyuki said.

Even he couldn't predict how things would unfold.

A duel like this wasn't just about skill—

It was also about momentum… and even luck.

Under those circumstances, there was only one option:

Face whatever came.

On the mound—

Kawakami stood ready.

In the batter's box, Kuramochi Yoichi adjusted his grip and stared him down.

"Don't think I'll go easy on you just because we're both second-years."

He raised his bat, coiled like a spring ready to snap.

The pressure he gave off was real.

This wasn't an act.

For Seido's players, this was standard.

They were a national powerhouse.

Every player had been tempered through countless battles.

And now, as one of the team's core members, Kuramochi could feel himself improving day by day.

Stronger.

Sharper.

More deserving of the Seido name.

Right now, he only had one thought—

Crush the ball.

Friendship didn't matter on the field.

Fair was fair.

Especially with Sawamura watching from the side.

"Hyah!"

Kuramochi's eyes gleamed with intensity.

Chris studied him briefly, then gave his signal.

"Don't be provoked. Trust me—just throw."

His voice was calm, steady.

"And don't forget how you got here."

Kawakami understood.

Nothing about his journey had been easy.

Every step forward had been earned.

And now—

This was his moment to prove it.

Even if the odds were against him—

As long as the final moment hadn't arrived,

He wouldn't give up.

Never.

With that resolve, Kawakami gathered his strength and delivered the pitch.

Whoosh!

Here it comes!

Kuramochi's eyes sharpened.

Although he didn't often face sidearm pitchers, he had studied them.

As a batter, simulation was everything.

Different pitch types.

Different release points.

Different reactions.

All of it had been practiced in his mind countless times.

So when the ball came—

He didn't hesitate.

He swung.

Ping!

At the moment of contact—

A flicker of surprise crossed his face.

This… isn't what I expected.

There was a world of difference between imagination and reality.

Kawakami's pitch had far more movement than he anticipated.

But it was too late.

The ball bounced sharply off the ground.

At first base, Yuki reacted instantly.

Glove down.

Clean catch.

A quick step back—

"Out!"

One out.

Bases empty.

Out of the six batters—

Kawakami had taken down the first.

For him, it was a huge relief.

The pressure that had been building inside his chest finally burst free.

"Ahhh!!!"

He threw his head back and roared.

Like a wounded wolf baring its fangs—

Ready to fight to the very end.

The Seido players watching were visibly shaken.

"Whoa… he's incredible."

"I didn't know he had this in him…"

"Kuramochi really got shut down…"

Kuramochi himself, however, recovered quickly.

He gave a thumbs-up toward Kawakami and nodded firmly.

An out was an out—

But that pitch?

It deserved respect.

Still…

His gaze shifted toward Sawamura.

This just made things harder for you.

Out of six batters, Kawakami had already secured one clean out.

For Sawamura, who would pitch later—

That result became a form of pressure.

A chain.

If his own start wasn't just as smooth—

What then?

How would it affect his mindset?

And once that doubt crept in…

How could he face the rest of the duel?

Just thinking about it was enough to make things complicated.

Actually stepping onto the mound would be even worse.

"Next batter!"

The second batter stepped forward.

Kominato Ryosuke—

Seido's second batter.

The moment he stepped into the batter's box, Kominato Ryosuke gave off an unmistakable aura—

Do not underestimate me.

He raised his bat, lowering his center of gravity.

Just standing there was enough to put pressure on anyone facing him.

Chris watched him carefully.

Even he had to admit—

Taking down Kominato Ryosuke would be extremely difficult for Kawakami.

If they were strangers, Kawakami might still have a slim chance.

But they were teammates.

They knew each other too well.

Once that familiarity canceled out any tricks—

The outcome would come down to pure ability.

And in that regard…

Kominato Ryosuke held the advantage.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"I'm sorry, Kawakami-kun."

Even he had to admit—

Kawakami's previous pitch had been excellent.

But that didn't change anything.

Seido didn't choose players based on effort alone.

Everyone here was excellent.

So they had to choose the best among the excellent.

Right now—

He wasn't a teammate.

He was an evaluator.

And he would show no mercy.

Kawakami felt the pressure instantly.

It was heavier than anything he had faced before.

But when it was time to pitch—

He didn't hesitate.

All the effort he had poured into baseball since joining Seido—

He condensed it into this one throw.

I will get him out!

Whoosh!

The ball tore through the air.

Even Chris's eyes sharpened.

That pitch—

It was good.

Very good.

But—

His opponent was Kominato Ryosuke.

The "Devil Batter."

The moment the ball entered his zone—

Kominato swung without hesitation.

"I've got it."

Ping!

The ball soared in a clean arc, slicing toward an open gap.

Perfect placement.

Everything had been calculated.

Kominato had already determined—

No one could reach it.

Especially not Zhou Hao.

He released the bat and sprinted toward first.

But suddenly—

Gasps erupted across the field.

The reaction was so intense that even Kominato instinctively turned his head.

And what he saw—

Burned itself into his memory.

Zhou Hao—

Who shouldn't have been able to reach that ball—

Was already diving.

He stretched out, body fully extended.

Even so, it should have been impossible.

At best, he could only stop it.

There was no way to make a play at first base.

But then—

Zhou Hao did something no one expected.

Instead of trying to catch the ball cleanly—

He flicked it upward with his glove.

Slap!

For a split second, it looked like a mistake.

Like the ball had slipped.

But no one truly believed that.

Because it was Zhou Hao.

And Zhou Hao… didn't make mistakes like that.

There had to be a reason.

The answer came instantly.

The ball arced perfectly—

Landing straight into the hands of the second baseman.

Not Kominato Ryosuke—

But his substitute.

The player froze for a fraction of a second.

Then reacted.

Quick throw to first—

Slap!

"Out!!"

Yuki Tetsuya caught the ball just before Kominato reached the base.

Silence.

Then—

Explosion.

"My god… what did I just see?!"

"A relay play like that actually worked?!"

"That looked like something straight out of a movie!"

"It's hard to believe we're playing against high schoolers…"

"He's not just any high schooler—he's Zhou Hao!"

The field erupted.

No one could stay calm after witnessing that play.

It took several seconds before everyone fully processed what had happened.

And when they did—

Excitement surged through them.

That was insane.

Now they finally understood—

Why Seido's die-hard fans never missed a game.

If every match had moments like this—

Who would want to miss it?

"Senior Zhou Hao… he's shining."

"No matter where he stands, he's always the center of attention."

Without realizing it, everyone's focus had shifted.

From the evaluation—

To Zhou Hao.

It couldn't be helped.

What he had just done completely stole the spotlight.

And yet—

He wasn't even one of the players being evaluated.

Originally, this was a contest between four people.

But now, because of Zhou Hao's brilliance—

Everything felt different.

Even as spectators, the players were captivated.

The scene felt alive—

Almost perfect.

Except…

For the two pitchers being evaluated—

It wasn't exactly fair.

On the sidelines, Miyuki and Sawamura both wore strained expressions.

Two batters.

Kawakami had already taken down two.

That alone exceeded expectations.

Which meant—

When it was Sawamura's turn…

The pressure would be even greater.

"Next batter!"

Isashiki Jun stepped into the box, grinning.

"Not bad, kid."

His tone carried genuine approval.

Taking down Kuramochi and Kominato in succession—

Even with some luck and Zhou Hao's help—

It was still impressive.

No one could deny Kawakami's performance.

But—

"That just means we can't afford to hold back."

He raised his bat high, like a bow pulled to its limit.

Ready to fire.

No matter who stood on the mound—

He intended to crush the ball.

Kawakami took a deep breath.

To outsiders, he might seem fortunate.

Two quick outs.

A strong start.

But he knew the truth.

This wasn't enough.

If he wanted to survive—

He had to go further.

He had to complete the entire round.

And that meant—

Taking down Isashiki Jun.

Only then could he grasp even the smallest chance.

"Make him hit it toward Zhou Hao."

Chris's signal came calmly.

It was a calculated choice.

Yes, it meant relying on Zhou Hao's defense—

But so what?

That previous play had already proven it.

Without Zhou Hao, that ball would have been a clean hit.

As a pitcher—

It wasn't just about throwing good pitches.

It was about using everything available.

Including—

Your teammates.