Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 114: Winners and Losers

"It looks like the next batter might be the final batter of this game! Two outs, bases loaded, and one out away!"

"Just one more!"

"One more!"

"One more!"

"One more!"

Aside from Tokugawa Junior High's cheering section, nearly the entire stadium echoed with this chant.

The defeat of a reigning champion and the underdog's comeback—this is the kind of drama spectators love to see.

But for Fukushima, who now stood in the batter's box, the pressure was immense.

He had no hits in the game so far and was an ordinary player on the team.

Now, the team's pride, the outcome of the match—everything rested on his shoulders.

It was a golden opportunity to become a hero, but the weight of such a moment is not something anyone can easily bear.

Fukushima's hands trembled uncontrollably as his heart raced.

"Idiot! Fukushima! Pull yourself together, you fool!" Egawa's furious voice bellowed from first base.

After being intentionally walked moments ago, Egawa, who had wanted a showdown against Akagi, was now watching his teammate falter, and it was infuriating.

This is the cruel beauty of baseball: no matter who the batter is, there are moments when the fate of the team rests on their shoulders.

And in this moment, the team had no other choice.

As a student baseball team, Tokugawa didn't have the resources of a professional team to keep a power hitter on the bench for such situations.

"Egawa!" Fukushima turned to look at him, meeting his bloodshot eyes.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down.

"You're right, Egawa. I'm a fool!

For our seniors, this might be their final middle school game. If we lose, it can't be because I was too scared to perform!" Fukushima thought, gradually steadying his trembling hands.

"That's it, Fukushima! Right now, you're our hero! Whether you cry or laugh, give it your all and swing with everything you've got! If we lose because you were scared, I'll never forgive you!" Egawa encouraged him one last time.

He was right—whether he cried or laughed, as long as he gave his all, no one could blame him.

But this is baseball, and sometimes, there's no choice but to step up.

"Let's do this!!!" Fukushima roared, his voice echoing across the field.

"Don't be intimidated by their momentum! There's just one more out! Both sides have no retreat left, so let's give it our all!" Sendo shouted, rallying his teammates to ensure they didn't crumble under the pressure.

"Let's go!!!"

"Now it's time, Ei-chan! Let's attack!"

The entire field buzzed with encouragement as players on both sides tried to motivate each other. The pressure wasn't just on the offense—the defense felt it just as strongly.

The closer a baseball game gets to its end, the heavier the pressure becomes. At this point, victory and defeat often come down to mental strength.

Pop!

"Ball one!"

"The first pitch was an inside ball!" the commentator quickly announced.

Sawamura had reined in his wild throws, opting for controlled pitches instead.

A wild pitch now could cost them the game, and Shin would struggle to stop it.

Pop!

"Strike!"

"A swing and a miss! Fukushima swung and missed at an outside pitch!"

"One more!"

"One more!"

The crowd roared again as Akagi recorded a strike. Both sides were shouting encouragement to their players.

"Third pitch! Here it comes!"

"Ahhh!!!"

Fukushima swung with all his might.

Even with a short grip on the bat and an early swing, his strength was enough to send the ball through the infield.

Whoosh!

But after his swing, he spun completely around.

He hadn't made contact.

"A straight pitch right down the middle! Another swing and a miss! That makes it two strikes and one ball. Tokugawa is just one strike away from defeat!"

"We're in the driver's seat now!" thought the nine Akagi players, especially those other than Wakana and Sawamura.

Their hunger for victory had grown wildly since Sendo's speech the day before.

They were desperate to win and dedicate the victory to Sendo, proving his brilliance to everyone.

"Tokugawa is on the brink of collapse!"

"Damn it!!!" Egawa clenched his fists tightly, his frustration boiling over.

In this situation, no one could blame Fukushima. His poor timing was well-known, and now, they could only watch as he prepared for one final swing.

"Don't be afraid. Just one more pitch, and we win!" Sawamura thought, exhausted but still driven by adrenaline.

"Don't..."

Pinh!

"...be afraid!" The sound of contact rang out. Sawamura snapped his head forward in shock.

"The ball flew past the catcher! He's chasing it—can he catch it? No! The ball hits the backstop netting, and the game isn't over yet!"

"So close!!!" Disappointed sighs echoed from the stands.

"It's still one ball and two strikes. The batter barely extended his at-bat! What an intense game. Even I feel like my heart's about to leap out of my chest!"

Not just the commentator—everyone on Tokugawa's team was trembling.

Just one more pitch, and the game could've ended.

"At this point, Akagi must end the game in this inning," the commentator analyzed. Akagi clearly held the upper hand.

"One last pitch, and we make the top eight! Focus and finish it!" Sawamura thought as he wound up.

Ping!

In the next instant, Sawamura stared in disbelief.

"It's a hit! The batter looks just as stunned! The ball isn't fast, but it lands in a tricky spot!"

"Catch it!!!" Akagi supporters shouted.

"Let it fall!!!" Tokugawa's bench and fans yelled simultaneously.

This was the final chance. No matter the outcome, the runners sprinted wildly.

"No!!!"

Thud!

"It's down!!!"

"The ball passed between the shallow outfielders in left-center! The runner from third scores—it's tied!!!"

"The center fielder throws directly to home, but it's too late. The runner from second scores—Tokugawa takes the lead!!!"

"It's a walk-off! A two-run, bases-loaded hit for the comeback victory!!!"

"The game is over!!!"

"Tokugawa Junior High advances to the top eight!!!"

The commentator, despite favoring Akagi earlier, professionally called the final moments.

At home plate, Tokugawa's runners hugged each other, sobbing uncontrollably.

The bench players stormed the field in celebration.

In their most desperate moment, the unlikeliest hero saved the day.

Meanwhile, the focus shifted to Akagi's players, who had been so close to victory.

Unbelievable? Yes, but this is baseball—the only sport where such improbable twists can occur.

In that moment, Sawamura covered his face with his cap.

Wakana quietly wept.

Infielders Ohno and others, as well as outfielders Omura and Aoki, collapsed to their knees, tears streaming down their faces.

Their bodies lacked even the strength to stand.

Even Sendo was momentarily stunned, unable to believe what he had just witnessed. He had been so sure that the strikeout was inevitable.

Nearby, Sano was in tears.

While Akagi had faced devastating losses before, this was their first time losing in such a shocking and heartbreaking manner.

The umpire, showing great empathy, allowed both teams time to process their emotions.

He understood how much this game had impacted these young players.

Even if Tokugawa had lost, it likely wouldn't have hurt them as much as this defeat hurt Akagi.

Smack!

A sharp sound broke the silence from Akagi's nearly empty bench.

Smack, smack, smack!

Sendo slapped his forehead repeatedly.

"Damn it! We lost! I really thought we had it in the bag!" he muttered in frustration. After a moment, he accepted reality, stood up, and began walking toward the field.

From the sidelines, Sendo gazed evenly across the field.

Two minutes passed, and Tokugawa's players were still huddled together, crying tears of joy.

Meanwhile, Akagi's players were either kneeling or lying on the ground.

Sawamura stood on the pitcher's mound, and Wakana crouched with her knees together.

A few minutes later, Wakana ran toward Sawamura.

Aoki slowly stood up, his eyes still lifeless, and moved to help Omura, who was nearby.

"Get up; we need to line up," Aoki said, pulling Omura up by the arm.

Seeing this, Sendo gave a faint, resigned smile and walked onto the field.

"Line up!!!" Sendo called out as Akagi's outfielders returned. He began helping his teammates to their feet as the umpire blew his whistle.

Not only were Akagi's players leaning on one another for support, but Tokugawa's players were doing the same. Egawa, who had shouted the loudest earlier, was now crying the hardest.

"Bow!"

"Thank you for the game!" both teams said in unison.

Sawamura, by now, had mostly recovered. After all, no one on Akagi was retiring—they still had next year.

"Wait for us! Next year, we'll win for sure!!!" Sawamura shouted loudly, leading the others back to the bench.

"Good luck! Carry our hopes with you!" Sendo said quietly to Tokugawa's Takase as they left.

"Got it!" Takase responded, though his emotions were too overwhelming for him to say more.

"By the way, most of your main players are second-years, right? Looks like we'll still have to deal with you next year!" Sendo joked as he walked away.

Tokugawa's players, too, returned to thank their supporters. This was no longer Akagi's concern.

Last year, no one had supported Akagi. But this year—no, today—was different.

"Sendo!"

"Sawamura!"

"Eijun!"

"Wakana!"

"You all did great! Do your best next year—we'll always support you!"

"Thank you so much for your support!" Sano was the first to bow deeply in gratitude.

"Thank you!!!" the team echoed.

In the stands, Fumino watched Sendo anxiously.

She knew he wouldn't be too shaken, but she couldn't stop worrying about him.

As they left, Sendo reassured everyone, "Don't cry! It's not like we're graduating. We'll win it back next year!"

"But..." Ohno started to speak.

"Hm?"

"But we really wanted to prove Sen-chan's coaching!" Aoki chimed in.

"What?"

"Sen-chan, didn't you say you wouldn't play baseball after graduating middle school? We wanted to show everyone how much we've grown under your leadership—to prove how amazing you are!"

"You guys..." Sendo trailed off, unable to continue.

In his mind, he added, So that's why you were so determined to win? What a ridiculous reason.

Aloud, he said, "I've never needed you to prove anything, you idiots!"

Even after such a crushing loss, Sendo showed no sign of sadness.

He feigned exasperation, tilting his head back and sighing dramatically—to hide the tears threatening to fall.

"Is that true?" Sawamura, fully recovered, interrupted with his usual cluelessness. His simple mindset meant his frustration had already faded.

Despite his antics, no one laughed.

"You're such a handful! Let's go," Sendo said, dragging Sawamura along.

Later, Sano tried to lift the mood. "Even though we lost, you all did great. Let me treat you to some barbecue!"

But his offer had little effect.

Most remained silent, except for Sawamura, who eagerly responded.

Sendo pretended to be cheerful, but only Fumino, who knew him well, could sense his hidden sorrow and gratitude.

On the way back, Sendo stared out the window, pretending to nap to hide his tears.

Finally, he suggested they cook their own meal at school, sensing no one had much of an appetite.

Back at school, everyone ate the barbecue mechanically, as if trying to vent their emotions through food.

There was no attempt to hide their feelings—they had nothing to hide.

"Take the next two weeks off from training. Use the time to rest and recover," Sendo eventually announced, realizing they needed the break.

...

"Are you okay?" Fumino asked as they walked home together.

"Of course. Do you think a loss like this would affect me? Do you know who I am?" Sendo replied confidently.

"No," Fumino said, shaking her head and staring straight at him.

"Ugh, I don't know," Sendo finally admitted, unable to withstand her gaze.

"Well, if that's the case, then there's no problem!"

"What? What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Fumino said, her tone much lighter now.

"You're unbelievable!" Sendo muttered.

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