Diamond no Ace: My Sharingan

Chapter 447 - 447: Super Home Run Cannon!

No outs.Bases loaded.

Zhou Hao stepped into the batter's box—

And yet, in the stands, one die-hard Seidō supporter wasn't even looking at him.

His eyes were fixed on Kōhoku's ace.

…That kid was pitiful.

From Oshima—

to Kuramochi—

to Kominato Ryosuke—

Three batters.

Three completely different methods.

Three merciless advances.

Each one like a blade driven straight into the pitcher's heart.

And each strike—

more ruthless than the last.

By now, how many wounds had that heart endured?

And just as he was pushed to the brink—

Zhou Hao stepped up.

The man who had already blasted a home run.

What did that mean?

It meant—

this inning could end everything.

It meant—

Seidō was ready to send him off the mound completely.

And the cruelest part?

Kōhoku couldn't even afford to switch pitchers.

If a relief pitcher came in now—

and got crushed by Zhou Hao?

Then they'd lose not just one pitcher—

but two.

Even for a national-level team, having one or two elite pitchers was the limit.

If both collapsed—

the rest of the tournament would become a nightmare.

Even if they fought with everything they had—

they'd still be crushed.

Just imagining it made the Seidō fan feel uneasy.

"What… can they even do?"

If even an opponent felt this way—

what about Kōhoku?

Their players stood in silence.

Their gazes empty.

Of course, they understood their ace's situation.

They should cheer for him.

Encourage him.

Help him think of a plan.

Anything—

anything at all—

should have helped.

But no one spoke.

Because they all knew—

it wouldn't matter.

Even their coach—

usually sharp, decisive—

stood frozen like a statue.

If even he had no answer—

what could they possibly say?

At this moment—

their ace stood alone.

Completely alone.

Whether to face Zhou Hao head-on—

or walk him intentionally—

the choice was his.

And whatever he chose—

they would accept it.

On the mound, the ace understood that.

And that only made it heavier.

Because the truth was—

even he didn't know what the right answer was.

Zhou Hao's presence, as always, ignited the crowd.

"Zhou Hao! Send it flying!"

"It's all on you!"

Excitement surged through the stands.

Recently, Zhou Hao's bat had felt almost unreal.

Like a cheat code.

He had never been known for overwhelming power before.

But now—

if he found even the slightest opening—

he could send the ball into the stands.

His home run rate…

was beginning to rival his hit rate.

Bases loaded.

Zhou Hao at bat.

It was only natural for Seidō's supporters to expect something spectacular.

But for Kōhoku—

this was a nightmare.

And yet—

they said nothing.

They could only watch.

And hope.

Hope that their ace—

would find an answer.

And this time—

he did.

He chose—

to fight.

"No matter if it's Zhou Hao… even if he hit a home run before."

So what?

Nothing in baseball is absolute.

Nothing is guaranteed.

Even if they walked him—

they couldn't guarantee they'd escape without damage.

They might even give up more runs.

So—

why run?

Why retreat?

If there was no escape—

then face it head-on.

At the very least—

he would prove one thing.

That he wasn't afraid.

Even against Zhou Hao—

he would stand his ground.

For his team—

for their pride—

they would fight.

No tricks.

No retreat.

They would seize the initiative—

and challenge him directly.

With his decision made—

his hesitation vanished.

The Kōhoku ace lifted his leg—

drove forward—

and unleashed the pitch with everything he had.

Swoosh!

The Seidō supporters in the stands—

and even the players in the dugout—

were momentarily stunned.

Moments ago, they had been shouting confidently…

but deep down, they hadn't truly believed Kōhoku would dare challenge Zhou Hao head-on.

Yet now—

their ace had done exactly that.

No hesitation.

No fear.

He attacked the strike zone directly.

"…He actually threw it?"

"Into the strike zone?!"

"When is Zhou Hao going to swing?"

No one could tell.

All they saw—

was Zhou Hao letting the pitch go.

Clack!

"Strike!"

Kōhoku's ace…

was ahead in the count.

For a moment, even Seidō's players were confused.

What was Zhou Hao doing?

Normally, anything in the strike zone wouldn't escape his bat.

Was the breaking ball just that sharp?

But wasn't Zhou Hao best at hitting breaking balls?

Nothing made sense.

On the other side—

Kōhoku felt something entirely different.

Hope.

A fragile, desperate hope—

flickering back to life.

Could it be…

their ace had found a weakness?

The possibility was slim.

After all, Zhou Hao had dominated as the nation's top player.

But—

what if?

What if they were the first to break him?

Then this wouldn't just be a game—

it would be history.

The team that brought down the country's number one.

Just imagining the headlines was enough to make their blood surge.

On the mound, Kōhoku's ace felt it too.

That spark of belief.

His fastball hadn't worked—

so he bet everything on his breaking ball.

And now—

it was working.

Zhou Hao didn't swing.

That alone was enough.

Confidence surged through him.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward and threw again.

In the batter's box—

Zhou Hao's state was different.

Ever since realizing that relying too much on skills might limit his growth,

he had deliberately stopped using them.

He had even begun imitating Sawamura's style—

perfect control.

Perfect mechanics.

The results had been obvious.

His pitching had improved.

His batting power had increased.

Everything was evolving.

But—

this breaking ball…

snapped him back to reality.

Fastballs were manageable.

But without the Sharingan—

tracking breaking balls became difficult.

If he relied purely on power—

there was no guarantee he'd hit the sweet spot.

Or even make contact.

It was… awkward.

Like walking confidently down a path—

only to realize it might be the wrong one.

So what now?

Zhou Hao didn't hesitate for long.

Two seconds—

maybe less.

That was all it took for him to decide.

The second breaking ball came.

And this time—

Zhou Hao activated the Sharingan.

In his vision—

the world slowed.

The spinning ball…

became clear.

Predictable.

Perfect.

"Got you."

He gripped the bat tightly.

Stepped in—

and swung.

BOOM!!

The catcher's heart skipped a beat.

This swing—

wasn't as sharp as before.

But somehow—

it felt even more dangerous.

As if everything had already been decided.

As if the result—

was inevitable.

Ping!!

Perfect contact.

Dead center.

The ball exploded off the bat—

soaring high into the sky.

Tens of thousands of eyes followed it instinctively.

"The ball is—!"

The umpire's voice cut off.

His mouth hung open—

just like everyone else in the stadium.

The ball traced a massive arc—

rising higher…

and higher…

before descending—

deep into center field.

Into the stands.

"It's out of here!!!"

The call finally rang out.

Loud.

Clear.

Undeniable.

For Seidō's supporters—

this was the moment everything settled.

That brief unease from the first strike vanished instantly.

"Grand slam!!"

"Four runs!!!"

"Zhou Hao never disappoints!!!"

The stadium erupted.

For those watching—

this was unforgettable.

The kind of moment that burned itself into memory.

The kind that made your blood boil.

The score—

jumped instantly.

From 1–0—

to 5–0.

On the mound—

Kōhoku's ace stood frozen.

That brief hope—

was gone.

Completely shattered.

From heaven—

to hell.

In an instant.

Kōhoku's coach reacted immediately.

Earlier, he hadn't dared to change pitchers.

Not because of the runs—

but because of the risk.

If a substitute pitcher came in—

and got crushed too—

they'd lose both arms.

And with that—

the entire game.

Even the rest of the tournament.

Now, with the score at 5–0—

strangely—

both the coach and players felt a trace of relief.

At least…

they had avoided the worst-case scenario.

They could still fight.

But for everyone else—

there was only excitement.

Zhou Hao's grand slam—

was the spark.

Seidō's offense—

had ignited completely.

The crowd roared.

"Attack! Attack! Attack!!"

"Swing! Swing! Swing!!"

"Crush them!!"

"Zhou Hao is unstoppable!!!"

And then—

the next batter stepped up.

Seidō's cleanup hitter.

"First baseman—Yuki!!"

A batter whose power rivaled Zhou Hao himself.

The moment he appeared—

Kōhoku's players tensed again.

Because they knew—

this storm…

was far from over.