Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter Has Arrived

Chapter 458: The Third Home Run

"Four balls, take your base!"

Kominato Ryosuke had forced Mogami Takeshi into another walk.

Never mind a pitcher lacking experience. Even a seasoned veteran would have found it difficult to stay composed after that.

Although the Seido High School Baseball Team hadn't scored yet in this inning, Todoroki Raizo in the stands had already seen enough.

If he hadn't wanted to watch what else Seido's other players could do, he would have left right then.

The outcome of this game had no suspense.

When Zhang Han stepped up to the plate, he found an opponent who had lost their composure entirely.

Mogami's control, which had been decent enough, had completely fallen apart.

From the very first pitch, the baseball kept drifting outside the strike zone.

Zhang Han, who was ready to swing, watched the incoming ball. It was at least four or five centimeters outside the edge of the zone.

He held off.

Even if he had reached for it, the most likely result was a foul ball. Better to let the pitcher self-destruct than to help him by swinging at bad pitches.

"Pop!"

"Ball!"

In the stands, the row of young fans in the front had not stopped calling Zhang Han's name since he stepped up.

Now, seeing that he hadn't even swung, and the pitcher was so rattled that he couldn't find the zone, they cheered even louder.

A reporter nearby noticed the scene, and something shifted in his expression.

He had heard before that magazines featuring Zhang Han on the cover had seen significantly higher sales.

It seemed this young man not only possessed outstanding baseball ability but also real commercial appeal. Combined with his background and the market that came with it, any professional baseball team that recognized his talent and signed him would be making a very sound investment.

Fame and profit, both at once.

The reporter found himself taking more photographs of Zhang Han without quite deciding to.

He wasn't alone. Most of the reporters at the game were doing the same thing, almost without realizing it.

Even the Tokyo Television crew gave Zhang Han a long close-up at that moment.

"Keep the focus on Zhang Han as much as possible. The image has to be sharp."

The reporter in charge kept pressing his team.

The success of the program was tied directly to his own future.

And Zhang Han was his biggest card.

Choosing the Seido High School Baseball Team as the program's primary subject had been largely because of Zhang Han's presence.

But Zhang Han was going to disappoint the cameras this time.

He never swung.

Not because he felt sorry for his opponent.

Against an opponent who still had fight in them, Zhang Han would not ease up regardless of the score.

The problem was simply that he never had a chance to swing.

Kominato Ryosuke had done too much damage to the pitcher.

Mogami Takeshi's rhythm was completely broken.

For four consecutive pitches, not one found the strike zone.

Even though Zhang Han had made up his mind that the moment a pitch entered the zone he would swing without hesitation, that moment never came.

"Ball!"

"Ball!!"

"Ball!!"

"Ball!!!"

"Walk!!"

Mogami Takeshi had been forced by Seido's batters into two consecutive walks.

No outs, runners on First and Second Base.

Their most trusted pitcher had been completely broken.

The Hongmo High School Baseball Team was not willing to accept it.

Their coach sent a player to the mound to steady him.

As a first-time starter, Mogami Takeshi had a significant weakness. He was particularly prone to losing his composure under pressure.

Three innings in, and Seido had already broken him twice.

But being a first-timer also had its advantages.

As the saying went, a newborn calf feared no tiger.

Precisely because he didn't fully grasp the standing of the Seido High School Baseball Team, or the true extent of his opponents' strength, a little encouragement from his coach or teammates was enough to bring him back.

Facing Yuuki, even with runners on First and Second Base, Mogami Takeshi did not flinch.

He chose to go straight at him.

"Whoosh!"

When the pitch was released, Sanada of the Yakushi High School Baseball Team in the stands felt a genuine respect for it.

"Hongmo High School's pitcher has some nerve. With runners on First and Second, he's still going right at Seido's Fourth Batter."

Logically, he could have put him on base intentionally and set up a bases-loaded scenario instead.

"It wouldn't matter either way. Seido's Fifth and Sixth Batters, while not as imposing as their Fourth, both have good swings. Against any of them, Hongmo's pitcher doesn't have much of a chance."

Todoroki Raizo said flatly.

Walking Yuuki would only add a runner. It would accomplish nothing.

Given that, going all out and taking a chance was the right call. At least there was a slim possibility.

So Mogami faced him without hesitation.

Yuuki, at the plate, stayed perfectly still.

He waited until the ball was completely within reach before transferring all his body's power from his waist and hips, through his torso, shoulders, arms, forearms, wrists, and into his palms.

"Boom!"

As the bat came through, the Hongmo catcher saw a dark shape blur past his eyes.

Then.

"Ping!"

The ball was hit without the slightest hesitation.

It flew high and far.

Hongmo's outfielder had been expecting this. He had retreated to the very back of the field well in advance, quietly relieved that he had thought to do so.

Even so, it might not be enough.

He kept his eyes on the ball as it climbed, continuing to drift backward, searching for a position where he could make the catch.

"Thud..."

His back met the wall.

By the time he registered the impact, the baseball had already cleared his head and landed heavily in the outfield stands.

The Seido High School Baseball Team had hit their third Homerun of the game.

Three runs scored, and the lead grew to seven.

The total score became 7-0.

In the stands, the Yakushi High School Baseball Team players rose one by one and began making their way out.

They had no interest in watching Seido put on a show.

Staying any longer would only affect their mindset going into tomorrow's game.

Their departing backs were framed against the cheering crowd rising behind them.

The Seido High School Baseball Team's supporters were celebrating wildly.

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Note: Decided to do a mini drop as the Volumn 3 Just wrapped up in our latest chapter in patreon, i.e 508. The Next Volume brings in our beloved Sawamura and Furuya. Subscribe to read ahead.

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