Diamond no Ace: My Sharingan

Chapter 424 - 424: Awakening

"Seido High School requests a pitching change."That single announcement carried tremendous weight.

For Kawakami—

it was cruel.

But for Seido…

it was necessary.

They couldn't rely solely on Zhou Hao's presence to carry them through every crisis.

Each player had to grow stronger.

Each had their own path to walk.

And besides—

Seido had always followed one rule:

The strongest player takes the field.

Coach Kataoka's decision to send in Tanba was based entirely on that principle.

Two outs.

Runner on second.

In this situation, what the coach wanted was clear—

Tanba Koichiro had to deliver.

This was both an expectation…

and a test.

Standing on the mound, Tanba's expression was ice-cold.

He understood exactly what it meant to take the mound at a moment like this.

From the field, Seido's third-years called out to him.

"Two outs!"

"Pitch with confidence—we've got your back!"

Their voices rang out with full support.

Tanba understood.

He nodded once toward his teammates—

then drove forward and released the ball.

Mid-motion, his eyes flicked toward second base.

Carlos.

The man known as the "Speed Demon."

Even faster than Seido's own Kuramochi.

With a runner like that on base, ignoring him was impossible.

And that—

was the problem.

Tanba had always been vulnerable to distractions from base runners.

Under this pressure, his focus wavered.

By the time he realized it and tried to adjust—

it was already too late.

A tiny flaw crept into the pitch as it left his hand.

Behind the plate, Miyuki frowned instinctively.

If he were the batter—

he would never let an opening like that slip away.

And in the batter's box, Shirakawa was thinking the exact same thing.

The moment he saw the pitch wasn't as sharp as expected—

his eyes lit up.

An opportunity, handed to him on a silver platter.

With two outs already on the board, Inashiro's lineup had nearly given up on scoring this inning.

They had already begun thinking ahead to the next.

But now—

the situation had changed.

"Didn't expect a gift like this… If their ace doesn't come out, this game is ours."

Shirakawa muttered under his breath.

His body reacted before his mind could even finish the thought.

The bat moved on its own, slicing toward the weak point in the pitch.

And it wasn't just him—

This was Inashiro Industrial.

A national powerhouse.

Former kings of West Tokyo.

Their starters didn't hesitate when they saw an opening.

They acted instantly.

Crack!

The moment the ball left the bat—

Miyuki felt his heart sink.

He already knew where it was going.

"These Inashiro guys… they really don't give you a single inch."

His eyes flicked toward Shirakawa.

Both of them were elite second-years.

Miyuki knew exactly how dangerous Shirakawa was.

If Zhou Hao hadn't appeared, Seido's next few years would have been a nightmare.

Those thoughts flashed by in an instant.

The ball soared—

then bounced into the outfield.

"It got through!"

The Inashiro stands erupted.

The score had been tied at 3–3.

Even after catching up, Inashiro's supporters hadn't been able to relax.

The title of "national powerhouse" weighed too heavily.

Even remembering it made their hearts tighten.

No matter how evenly matched the game had been—

even with their victory last autumn—

Seido's presence still felt suffocating.

But now—

that pressure shattered.

They no longer needed to fear it.

On the field, Shirakawa had already reached first safely.

"Safe!"

But that wasn't the real problem.

Carlos.

The runner on second.

He tore around third like a race car at full throttle.

No hesitation.

No need for signals.

Straight for home.

"Cut him down!!"

From the dugout to the stands, every Seido player and supporter watched with bated breath.

They couldn't accept Inashiro taking control of the game on their field.

But—

before that thought could even settle—

Carlos crossed home plate.

The throw came in late.

Not by a step—

but by several.

Miyuki didn't even get the chance to make a play.

"Safe!"

"Run scores! Inashiro Industrial takes the lead, 4–3!"

"And a clutch hit from Shirakawa!"

In a single play, the game flipped.

The newly substituted pitcher hadn't stopped the bleeding—

he had allowed the go-ahead run.

The Inashiro stands exploded with excitement.

"Thought anyone could handle us? If it gets bad, bring Zhou Hao out!"

The constant mention of Zhou Hao revealed their wariness—

but also their confidence.

Against a Seido team without him on the mound, they were growing bolder by the second.

Meanwhile—

on Seido's side—

the atmosphere turned heavy.

Coach Kataoka's decision had been met with immediate failure.

And his expression…

was anything but pleasant.

More crucial—

was what came next.

Even with two outs, Seido couldn't afford to relax.

Inashiro Industrial's offense was terrifying.

Usually composed and restrained, once they seized momentum, their attack surged like a flood—

capable of scoring three, four… even five or six runs in a single burst.

Seido had seen situations like this before.

Only back then—

they were the ones crushing their opponents, leaving no room to breathe.

Now, the roles had reversed.

"Wasn't that pitching change a bit too hasty?"

In the dugout, Manager Ota rubbed his hands nervously.

He had always held high expectations for Kawakami.

As for Tanba…

he couldn't help but worry.

After all, Tanba Koichiro had stumbled more than once in past games. Those repeated failures had chipped away at the trust placed in him.

"If Zhou Hao hadn't appeared, he'd still be our true ace."

Coach Kataoka's voice was calm—

but carried both warmth and cold resolve.

"If he can't rise to the occasion, then someone else will take that spot."

He was willing to give Tanba chances.

Willing to let the former ace grow.

But Seido's principles would never change.

If Tanba failed—

then the opportunity would pass to the first-years.

They were Seido's future.

Manager Ota understood that all too well.

"…I guess there's no other way."

As they spoke, Inashiro's third batter stepped into the box.

Bat raised high.

Presence overwhelming.

It was as if he had already decided—

he would send this pitch flying.

Inashiro's momentum was building.

Tanba, freshly on the mound, had already shown a crack.

If they didn't capitalize now—

it would be a wasted opportunity.

Especially against Seido.

The third batter's eyes burned with determination.

Whoosh!

The pitch came in fast.

But the moment he tracked it—

his expression changed.

Tanba… was different.

Just moments ago, he had shown a flaw.

But now—

that flaw was gone.

He had adjusted.

That quickly?

The third batter refused to accept it.

No—

he wouldn't allow it.

This was their chance.

If he crushed this pitch cleanly, he could completely shatter Tanba's momentum.

And once Tanba started spiraling, Inashiro would tear the game wide open.

With that thought, he gripped the bat tightly—

and swung.

Ping!

The ball shot off the bat—

but instead of soaring, it bounced weakly across the infield.

For a moment, the Inashiro dugout and their fans froze.

No one had expected their cleanup-level batter to produce such a weak grounder.

It was almost unthinkable.

But reality didn't care.

Smack!

Seido's shortstop charged forward without hesitation.

Clean fielding.

Smooth transfer.

A sharp throw to first.

Smack!

"Out!"

Three outs.

Side retired.

The Seido dugout and their supporters erupted in applause.

"That was beautiful!"

"No wonder he's Seido's Speed Demon!"

"Inashiro's not so scary after all!"

To most fans, the credit went to Kuramochi's defensive play.

But those who truly understood the game saw the truth.

Kuramochi had simply done his job.

The real difference—

was Tanba Koichiro's pitch.

He had forced a rushed swing.

He had shut the door on the inning.

And just like that, the fifth inning came to a close.

Bottom of the fifth inning.

Seido stepped up to bat.

Looking at the order, their chances of immediately turning things around didn't seem high.

Most likely, they would enter the late innings still trailing.

In the dugout, the players discussed Inashiro's pitcher.

"Didn't realize before… Arata's pitching is this tricky."

"They ruled West Tokyo. Of course they gathered top talent. A third-year pitcher on that team can't be weak."

Thinking about it that way, Arata's performance made perfect sense.

It was just that Narumiya Mei's brilliance had overshadowed everyone else.

"We've seen his stuff now. The next few innings won't be easy for him either."

"I wonder if they've got more pitchers in reserve…"

That question weighed heavily on Seido.

If Inashiro still had fresh arms left—

this game could slip out of their hands.

After all, Seido's remaining options were limited.

Only Tanba…

and Zhou Hao—

whom Coach Kataoka had no intention of using.

His strategy was clear.

He would not send Zhou Hao to the mound.

Losing a game was acceptable.

But losing the team's fighting spirit?

That would be far worse.

As these thoughts lingered, the game continued.

"Now batting, ninth—Tanba!"

Tanba stepped into the batter's box.

He raised his bat high.

His stance—

aggressive.

Every Seido player knew the truth.

As a batter, Tanba was far from reliable.

Purely in terms of hitting ability, he wouldn't even make the First String.

And yet—

right now, his eyes were locked onto Arata with fierce intensity.

As if he intended to crush the ball.

"What's gotten into him?"

"He's really taking this seriously…"

"It's like he's—"

"—awakening."