Diamond no Ace: My Sharingan

"1–0!"

Seidou High School had taken the early lead.

From the stands, a thunderous wave of cheers erupted. Fans were on their feet, clapping and shouting.

But even louder than the roar of the crowd—was the explosion of emotion inside Seidou's dugout.

Especially among the third-years.

"We're leading!"

"We're ahead at the start!"

It had been years since Seidou felt this kind of momentum.

Sure, they had beaten Inashiro in the past—but always by a hair's breadth, dragging themselves to the finish line through sheer will and luck.

Never dominance.

Never confidence.

They had never walked away from those games feeling they were the stronger team.

But now?

Now the tide had turned.

This run wasn't scored through attrition.

It wasn't a fluke or a fielding error.

Zhou Hao and Yuki Tetsuya had each ripped clean hits off Inashiro's Ace.

"This is different."

"This year… we win it with strength."

When Zhou Hao jogged back into the dugout, his reception was unlike anything before.

The seniors who once viewed him cautiously now looked at him with warmth and admiration.

"Great run, man!"

"That was beautiful."

"Next time up, punish them again!"

Zhou Hao accepted their praise calmly, not getting carried away—but inside, something in him tightened.

Not with pressure.

With purpose.

Back on the field, the cleanup hitter stepped up:

Azuma Kiyokuni.

The proud number four of Seidou. A lefty powerhouse known for sending baseballs into orbit.

Meanwhile, across the field, the Ace of Inashiro was breathing heavily.

The first inning had barely begun, but it felt like the momentum was slipping fast.

His uniform was already damp with sweat.

He had come prepared for a hard game—but not this hard.

They scored in the first inning?

This early?

And Seidou didn't look like they were slowing down.

Still—he clenched his fist.

He was the Ace of Inashiro Industrial. He wouldn't break from one run.

He raised his hand.

"One out!"

The infielders nodded. Their captain still stood strong. Confidence flickered back into their eyes.

"One out!!"

"Let's reset!"

They chanted in unison, lifting their morale.

In the Seidou dugout, Coach Kataoka approached Zhou Hao, who had just sat down.

"Watch Yuki closely."

Zhou Hao blinked.

"Huh? But Yuki's a batter, not a pitcher."

Kataoka didn't flinch.

"His pitching may not be Tokyo's strongest… but as an Ace, he's the most qualified."

"The mindset of an Ace is what defines him."

Zhou Hao fell silent.

The Inashiro Ace had just given up a run. There was a runner on first. And now he had to face Azuma—the monster cleanup hitter.

Any other pitcher might buckle.

But Yuki?

He stood tall, eyes sharp, heartbeat steady.

His first pitch came screaming in—

Whoosh!

Azuma coiled, then swung with terrifying force.

BOOM!!

The impact of the bat sent a tremor through the field. For a moment, even Inashiro's catcher panicked, imagining the ball flying out of the stadium.

But—

Ping!

The ball didn't soar. It hit the dirt hard, a sharp grounder.

It bounced once, twice.

Inashiro's defense sprang into action.

Second baseman scooped it cleanly.

A quick throw to short.

The shortstop spun and fired to first.

Snap!

"Out!"

"Double play!"

The crowd burst again—this time from Inashiro's side.

Just like that, the Ace had shut the inning down with a perfect double play.

Inashiro fans, who had been on edge after giving up a run, erupted with renewed confidence.

"So what if they scored first?"

"This is Inashiro's game!"

They shouted down Seidou's cheering section, trying to drown them out.

The atmosphere inside Jingu Stadium became electric.

A battlefield not just on the field—but in the stands.

The reporters on both sides were stunned.

They had expected a war—but this?

This was an all-out clash of titans.

Both teams refusing to blink. Neither yielding an inch.

Three outs. Change sides.

Bottom of the first inning—Inashiro's turn to bat.

Seidou's players sprinted onto the field.

In Inashiro's dugout, players stood, fists clenched, eyes blazing.

They weren't fooled by Seidou's single run.

This isn't the Seidou we knew.

This offense was fluid, clean, ruthless.

They weren't just lucky this year—they were dangerous.

And that meant one thing:

If they wanted to win, they'd have to score more.

Even giving up three runs was no longer a safe ceiling.

"We might have to allow five, maybe even more..."

So we have to hit.

Before sending his batters up, Coach Kunimoto gave one last reminder:

"Zhou Hao. First-year pitcher."

"You've already trained against his pitch type. Just trust your rhythm."

The Inashiro lineup nodded.

They had practiced against Zhou Hao's velocity and delivery style using pitching machines.

They were prepared.

"First batter—number four, second baseman—Hanaki!"

The announcer's voice rang out.

And with that—

The leadoff batter for Inashiro, sharp-eyed and burning with energy, stepped up to face Zhou Hao.

The battle had truly begun.

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