Diamond no Ace: My Sharingan

Chapter 425 - 425: Demon!

Tanba Koichiro had changed.Standing in the batter's box, he looked like a predator stalking its prey.

It felt as though the moment the ball entered his range—

he would strike without hesitation.

By all logic, that kind of presence belonged only to true power hitters.

For Seido's players, this was the first time they had ever seen Tanba like this.

And almost everyone had the same thought—

What kind of stimulus did Tanba-senpai receive?

"He didn't get stimulated."

Zhou Hao spoke calmly.

"He awakened."

Everyone turned to look at him in shock.

Awakened?

Thinking back, Tanba's pitching earlier had felt the same.

That sudden sharpness—

that pressure—

it had caught Inashiro's third batter completely off guard.

"We are the national champions."

Zhou Hao didn't elaborate further.

Those who understood… understood.

Those who didn't—

no explanation would be enough.

"This is the kind of presence we need. No matter who steps into the box, they must become someone the opponent fears."

On the mound, Inashiro's pitcher Arata clearly felt that pressure.

"…This guy?"

He knew Tanba's batting ability wasn't anything special.

And yet—

standing there now, Tanba radiated an overwhelming sense of threat.

It wasn't just Tanba anymore.

It was Seido.

He wasn't facing an individual—

he was facing a regular player from the reigning champions.

"You think you can scare me like this?"

Arata tightened his grip on the ball.

"You're underestimating me."

With that, he delivered the pitch.

Whoosh!

The ball exploded toward the plate in an instant.

Tanba didn't back down.

Instead—

he remembered.

All those past games.

All those battles Seido had fought.

It wasn't like they had never faced stronger pitchers.

Manaka.

Teito's ace.

Compared to them, Arata wasn't superior in pure pitching ability.

And yet—

back then, Seido had overwhelmed those pitchers.

But now?

Against Arata—

they were being suppressed at every turn.

Struggling.

Even… looking somewhat helpless.

The difference wasn't skill.

It was presence.

Because their opponent was Inashiro Industrial—

everyone had been subconsciously restrained.

Unable to fully let go.

Meanwhile, Inashiro had embraced that pressure—

and turned it into momentum.

If they could do it—

then so could he.

As Seido's primary relief pitcher—

how could he, of all people, fall behind?

Ping!

The ball was struck cleanly and lifted high into the air.

Seido's players immediately reacted.

"That was solid!"

"He's completely different!"

"If we didn't see him every day, I'd think Tanba-senpai was a different person!"

Even his own teammates couldn't hide their surprise.

But—

it wasn't enough.

The ball didn't drop.

Inashiro's second baseman moved into position and secured it cleanly.

Thud!

"Out!"

One out. Bases empty.

Even without a hit, Tanba's at-bat ignited something within Seido.

Just seeing him like that—

was enough.

As long as he maintained this pitching form—

even if they gave up a run or two—

they could still fight.

Because they had already seen enough of Arata.

They knew—

they could score off him.

"First batter, shortstop—Kuramochi Yoichi!"

Next up was Kuramochi.

Seido's "Speed Demon."

If he got on base, their chances of scoring would skyrocket.

Arata understood that perfectly.

His eyes narrowed as he studied Kuramochi.

At the same time, he caught the signals coming from behind the plate.

They had to be careful here.

They couldn't afford to give up the lead they had just fought so hard to earn.

Especially in this inning—

where Seido's core power hitters weren't up yet.

This was their chance to stabilize the game.

If they could hold the lead here—

everything afterward would become much easier.

It wasn't just about the scoreboard.

It was about belief.

Because when facing Seido—

the real battle wasn't just physical.

It was mental.

Against the strongest team in the nation—

the biggest question was simple:

Do you truly believe you can beat them?

And the answer to that question—

would decide everything.

This—

was exactly what Inashiro wanted.

As long as they could hold the lead for even a single inning, it would plant something crucial in their hearts—

belief.

The belief that they could defeat Seido.

No matter how powerful Seido was, they would no longer fear them.

Thinking back to Tanba's performance just now, Arata tightened his grip on the baseball.

He couldn't lose.

Not here.

Not to Seido—

their greatest rival.

With that resolve, he set his stance and delivered the pitch.

Whoosh!

The ball sliced through the air.

In the batter's box, Kuramochi frowned.

By this point, Arata should have been nearing his limit.

This was already Seido's third time facing him.

Logically, they should've been able to break through by now.

But—

that wasn't what it felt like at all.

Arata's pitching still carried the same oppressive force.

If anything, it felt even sharper.

Is this guy really just a substitute?

Kuramochi couldn't help but question it.

This level of pitching was already comparable to the aces of powerhouse schools.

Before he could think further—

the second pitch was already on its way.

Whoosh!

With a strike already taken, Arata's presence only grew stronger.

Kuramochi had no choice.

He swung.

Ping!

The moment the bat made contact—

his expression changed.

It wasn't just a feeling.

Arata's pitching hadn't weakened at all.

If anything—

it had improved.

Fortunately, Kuramochi had come prepared.

After facing him twice already, he had gathered enough information.

Even though the pitch surprised him, he still managed to put the ball in play.

The ball hit the ground and bounced forward.

But Inashiro's defense reacted instantly.

Shirakawa charged in, fielded it cleanly, and fired to first.

Snap!

"Out!"

Two outs. Bases empty.

The crowd buzzed with excitement.

"Even that got stopped?!"

"That's Shirakawa for you!"

"He's been a star since middle school!"

"He was already a core player in his first year—no way he's inferior to Kuramochi!"

The discussion in the stands grew louder.

And without anyone realizing it—

the momentum on the field had shifted.

At the start, Seido had held overwhelming control.

But now—

more and more attention was turning toward Inashiro.

Kominato Ryosuke, stepping into the box for his third at-bat, noticed it immediately.

His eyes narrowed slightly, a faint smile on his lips.

He had to admit—

Inashiro was impressive.

Down by two runs, they had clawed their way back step by step.

And now—

they had even taken the lead.

Their performance was undeniably outstanding.

But—

so what?

Against Seido—

the outcome wasn't something they could decide.

Kominato raised his bat, eyes locked firmly on Arata.

Ready to strike at any moment.

On the mound, Arata felt the pressure immediately.

Among Seido's lineup, there were only a handful of truly terrifying batters.

And Kominato Ryosuke—

was one of them.

Aside from Zhou Hao and Yuki, he might be the most troublesome of all.

The title "Devil Batter" was no exaggeration.

He was a nightmare to face.

Because of that, Arata used everything he had.

He set his stance—

and pitched.

Whoosh!

Snap!

"Strike!"

"Strike!"

Two quick strikes put Kominato on the defensive.

But Arata didn't feel relieved.

If anything—

his expression grew even more strained.

Despite being ahead in the count, he felt uneasy.

As if Kominato was waiting…

planning something.

To be safe, Arata threw two more pitches outside the zone.

Kominato didn't move.

Not even a twitch.

The count became two strikes, two balls.

A full showdown.

Arata had no choice—

he had to throw a strike.

Ping!

Foul.

Ping!

Another foul.

Ball!

Seven pitches.

Full count.

Kominato stood there like a demon dragged straight out of hell.

Again and again, he fouled off the ball, dragging the duel out to its limits.

Facing Seido's batters was already exhausting.

Arata was running on pure willpower at this point.

And now—

he was being slowly pushed to the brink.

Finally—

he gritted his teeth and threw a pitch that barely clipped the edge of the zone.

Snap!

"Ball!"

"Walk!"

Two outs. Runner on first.

The Seido dugout fell silent.

Everyone had witnessed it—

Kominato's terrifying batting technique.

"Fouling off pitch after pitch…"

"With Arata pitching like this… how did he even manage that?"

On the other side, Inashiro's players and fans felt a chill creep up their spines.

They were still leading.

4–3.

And yet—

an inexplicable sense of danger was rising.

Maybe it was because Arata's pitching had started to falter.

Maybe it was something else entirely.

But one thing was certain—

they were approaching a breaking point.

If something went wrong here—

it wouldn't just be losing the lead.

It could turn into a complete collapse.

We're still ahead…

It won't come to that…

But doubt had already taken root.

Two outs.

Runner on first.

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

At that moment—

everything changed.

No matter what anyone was thinking—

for Inashiro, the true test had arrived.

Their hearts began to race.

Even with a one-run lead—

no one felt safe.

Facing Zhou Hao—

was its own kind of pressure.

In the dugout, Inashiro's director couldn't help but glance toward the head coach.

Even he could tell—

Arata was reaching his limit.

If they left him out there to face Seido's lineup now…

the consequences could be disastrous.

If they wanted to win—

they needed to make a change.

Aside from Narumiya Mei and Arata, they still had other pitching options.

But—

those two were their strongest.

And Narumiya couldn't take the mound.

So what now?

Should they switch?

Coach Kunimoto cracked his neck slightly—

then gave a signal.

Stay in.

Arata would continue.

Because in a situation like this—

sending in another pitcher who wasn't their ace could be even worse.

It might not solve anything.

It might even collapse everything faster.

That was a risk they couldn't take.

Even at this critical moment—

Coach Kunimoto remained calm.

Arata would stay on the mound.

But—

a direct confrontation?

That was out of the question.

If they challenged head-on now—

they might give up two runs in an instant.

And the game—

would flip completely.