Diamond No Ace: Echoes Of The Ace

Chapter 6: Provocation

"Eijun, Ms. Takashima is here to pick you up. Get up already."

"Hm…" Eijun groaned as his mother called out to him. Rubbing his eyes, he shook his head groggily. "Something feels… weird."

"Come on, hurry up, Eijun."

As Takashima Rei glanced at the quiet boy sitting beside her in the car, she found it unusual. From what she'd observed, this kid was usually bursting with energy.

"Sawamura-kun, are you feeling car sick? Just hold on a bit longer; we're almost there."

"No, it's not that. I just have this strange feeling."

"Oh?"

"It's nothing," Eijun muttered, brushing off the unease. But deep down, he felt something inexplicable, a sensation growing stronger as they neared Seidou.

Was it excitement?

Resistance?

The sound of his pounding heartbeat filled his ears, growing louder and faster with each passing moment.

"We're here, Sawamura-kun. This is Seidou."

Eijun stared blankly at the distant baseball field.

His racing heartbeat suddenly calmed, replaced by an unexpected sense of peace, comfort, and a strange familiarity.

As they walked closer, the sounds of the field grew louder—the crack of bats meeting balls, the thud of pitches landing in gloves, and the energetic shouts of players.

These sounds filled Eijun's heart with a sense of belonging.

This is it… This is where I belong, he thought.

But alongside this newfound feeling, a hint of sadness lingered.

Takashima, noticing the peculiar expression on his face, assumed he was in awe of the high school baseball environment.

A faint sense of pride swelled in her chest.

"So, what do you think? This is our school's prized baseball facility. Over there is our indoor training field for rainy days, and most of our players live together in the dormitories."

Snapped out of his thoughts by Takashima's voice, Eijun suddenly panicked internally.

---Why do I feel such a strong sense of belonging to a place I've never been to before?

--Is this divine intervention? Or… is this some restless spirit tied to this land? So scary—Seidou is terrifying!

Takashima couldn't help but chuckle as she observed Eijun's ever-changing expressions.

This kid is definitely thinking about something ridiculous.

After calming himself, Eijun began taking a serious look around.

His eyes fell on a strange machine on the sidelines.

---What is that? I've never seen anything like it.

More than the equipment, though, what truly impressed him were the players on the field—their powerful shouts, precise movements, and relentless practice swings.

Even though he'd come here with a critical mindset, he had to admit this baseball club was extraordinary.

Takashima wasn't surprised to see the curiosity and wonder in Eijun's sparkling eyes, nor the slight blush spreading across his cheeks as he watched.

It brought her immense satisfaction.

Eijun, feeling her strange gaze, quickly tried to compose himself, though the blush on his face remained.

"I-I'm not impressed or anything! I just got startled, that's all. Just a little bit!" he stammered.

Takashima smiled knowingly. "Oh, is that so?"

"Anyway, you don't need fancy equipment to play baseball. I bet you just recruit strong players from all over, right? Of course, you'd be good with a team like that. But I'll never lose to your perfectly prepared elite squad!" Eijun declared, his jealousy and frustration evident.

Takashima smiled at his challenge. "You're not entirely wrong. About half of our players come from other regions—what you might call baseball transfers."

Eijun's expression showed he'd expected this answer, but what Takashima said next caught him off guard.

"But did you know Japan's high school baseball is considered the best in the world? Even scouts from Major League Baseball come to Koshien to find new talent."

"A 15-year-old leaving their family and hometown to push their limits—that's not just ambition. It's resolve. I deeply admire players with such a strong will to win."

Resolve.

The word struck a chord in Eijun as he glanced at the players on the field.

They were just a year or two older than him, but their determination and skill were unparalleled.

And me? What do I want to do? he wondered.

Playing baseball with my friends?

Sure, but it's more than that.

---I want to go to Nationals with them, to fulfill the dreams we couldn't achieve in middle school.

Yet the players before him—so skilled in both offense and defense—were far beyond what he could have imagined.

This team hadn't made it to Koshien in six years. Did they still have a chance?

"Kawakami! What kind of half-assed pitching is that? Can't you throw with more power? Getting tired after just a few pitches? No wonder you can't even make the bench!"

"I'm sorry," Kawakami mumbled.

"If you don't want to play, then go back to the countryside, idiot. We already have more pitchers than we can name."

"I'm sorry! I'll keep trying!" Kawakami replied desperately.

A towering, muscular senior shouted at the pitcher during practice, his booming voice full of authority.

The other underclassmen murmured amongst themselves.

While everyone acknowledged that Azuma was a good person, his "tough love" approach was something few could get used to.

Eijun frowned at the scene before him, but his thoughts were interrupted by Takashima Rei's calm voice. "You should pay attention to that batter. He's a monster with 42 home runs in high school—Azuma Kiyokuni. He's one of the top prospects for this year's draft."

With a sharp crack, Azuma sent another ball flying for a home run. "Tch, no feel for the bat at all. Kawakami, you're done. Someone get this guy out of here and ship him back home in a box!" Azuma laughed heartily, showing off his dominant aura.

Eijun was impressed by the display of power but couldn't hold back his thoughts.

"What's with this guy? You think that physique is going to get into pro baseball? What a joke!"

His voice started quiet but grew louder until the entire field heard him.

"Look at that big belly! He's like a middle-aged man! Are you even in high school?"

The entire field fell silent as all eyes turned to Eijun.

Takashima hurriedly tried to stop him, but it was too late.

"Who said that? Who's been criticizing my charming physique this whole time?" Azuma's voice thundered.

"Charming? That's a flaw if I've ever seen one! Hahaha!" Eijun retorted, laughing.

Infuriated, Azuma shoved past several teammates to confront Eijun.

"Sawamura-kun, apologize now!" Takashima urged.

Eijun, unfazed, stood his ground. "What's so great about baseball transfers? Sure, determination and ambition are admirable, but does that mean having talent lets you do whatever you want?"

"You insult your teammates, tell them to go home—how's that acceptable? Even if the world doesn't care, I won't accept it. Baseball isn't something you can play alone."

Azuma's imposing figure loomed closer, bumping Eijun back a step with his stomach.

Eijun quickly steadied himself, glaring defiantly. "This school that's supposed to be a powerhouse—have you forgotten such basic principles?"

Takashima, seeing Eijun's misunderstanding of Azuma's character, smiled knowingly.

She realized how deeply Eijun cared about his teammates, even to the point of rejecting a prestigious school. But Azuma wasn't as bad as Eijun thought.

"Sorry, Azuma-kun. This kid's from the countryside; he doesn't know much yet. But since he's a pitcher, why not take this chance to show him what real batting looks like?"

Eijun flinched at the words countryside kid who doesn't know much, knowing they were painfully accurate.

Azuma, however, chuckled good-naturedly. "I don't mind, but…" He turned to Eijun, his gaze sharp and menacing. "I won't let him leave the mound until I've made him cry."

Eijun bristled at Azuma's provocation but didn't want to face him.

Takashima seized the moment. "Sawamura-kun, remember, this is a baseball field. If you've got something to say, say it with baseball! Go on, change into your uniform."

From the sidelines, Miyuki watched the commotion with interest. "This kid looks intriguing, Rei-san. Can I catch his pitches?"

"Who is that?" Eijun asked suspiciously.

"Miyuki Kazuya. He's a catcher," Takashima replied.

"Miyuki, this isn't a place for first-years to speak up," a senior interjected.

"Haha, sorry," Miyuki said with a grin. "But Azuma-senpai, playing against a fresh face might remind you why you love baseball."

"What did you just say, punk?!"

And so, Eijun's visit to Seidou spiraled into an impromptu showdown—a fateful match between him as the pitcher and Azuma as the batter, with Miyuki as his catcher.

...

Standing on the mound, Eijun regretted every decision that had led him here.

---Damn it, what am I doing? I knew I shouldn't have come!

He loosely gripped the ball, eyeing the catcher ahead with growing uncertainty. Not only is this place weird, but the people are weird too!

After a brief warm-up with Miyuki, Eijun began to notice the difference between high school and middle school baseball.

The ball felt harder, the seams rougher under his fingers.

Twirling the ball in his hand, he felt an inexplicable confidence surge through him.

---Maybe today I'll throw something amazing.

"Have you never pitched with a hardball before?" Miyuki teased, watching Eijun's fascination with the new baseball.

Eijun, ready to retort, realized it was true and held back.

Instead, he threw the ball back to Miyuki, sulking in silence.

Miyuki chuckled to himself.

---This pitcher's pretty amusing.

Once warm-ups were done, Miyuki approached the mound to discuss pitch types.

Reluctantly, Eijun admitted he could only throw fastballs.

Miyuki laughed, finding it amusing, but Eijun felt belittled.

---What's wrong with only throwing fastballs? That's my style!

He sulked, feeling misunderstood.

---Seidou players are too intense and mocking. I just want to leave already, Eijun thought, his frustration mounting.

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