Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 212: I'll Help You Win Back Every Point

July 23rd.

On this day, Seidou only went through defensive drills and some simple exercises like hitting, base running, and so on before Coach Kataoka called for a team meeting.

"Rest up for tomorrow's game. That's it for today!

The game starts at 10 AM. After you warm up, get to the field by 8:30 AM.

The temperature will likely go over 30°C tomorrow, so keep practice light and make sure to get enough sleep.

Dismissed!"

"Thank you for your guidance!!!"

After that, the players went off for individual practice.

"That's it? We're playing tomorrow!" Sawamura looked at the others, clearly surprised.

"No! It's exactly because of the game tomorrow!" Haruichi explained helplessly.

Furuya watched them quietly...

"So, what now? Tetsu! Should we watch the video of Akikawa again?"

"No need! The simulation practice is done!

Now, we just need to focus on observing our swings!" Yuuki confidently replied to Isashiki.

Kuramochi took the initiative to watch the video, and Pudding-senpai wanted to study fast pitching!

This surprised everyone. Although Masuko used a bunt yesterday, they didn't expect him to actually consider using it in the game.

"Sendo! You're joining too!" While everyone volunteered, Jun-san decided to force someone else.

"I'm going to sleep!"

"Sleep? What sleep? It's still early! You're just trying to slack off!" Jun-san grabbed Sendo's neck and said threateningly.

At that moment, when Ryousuke invited Haruichi to practice soft swings, Jun-san and the others turned to look, and Sendo slipped away!

Sawamura kept looking around, trying to spot Miyuki, and it seemed like Miyuki also had the same idea, crouching down and sneaking away.

"Stop right there! Miyuki Kazuya!!!"

"After my evolution, don't you want to catch my fastball?"

"Shut up! Don't use my full name!"

"Didn't you catch it yesterday? The 'fake fastball.'"

"Fake? What's that?"

Everyone else was left with a look of resignation, and then Miyuki noticed that Furuya wanted to pitch as well.

After realizing Furuya couldn't handle the Tokyo summer heat, it was decided that he would pitch indoors after sunset.

So he plainly said it to Furuya.

"Let's go too, Sendo!" Jun-san and the others had been distracted by the series of events, and after most of them had left, he turned back and said.

"Sendou!!! He ran away!" Jun-san looked at him in disbelief.

"He really ran away!" Yuuki echoed.

"Ooga!"

"Yahaha! Sendo's got some nerve!"

...

After dinner, Sendo was dragged out of his dorm by Sawamura.

Unable to resist Sawamura's persistent pleading, (Who could stand this? He's climbing all over you!) Sendo had no choice but to follow him and catch his fake fastball.

However, on the way, they ran into Chris and Kanemaru, who had come looking for Sawamura.

After hearing that Chris was willing to catch his ball, Sendo's role as a tool became irrelevant, and Sawamura abandoned him.

Later that night, Sawamura showed his four-seam grip when they threw the ball.

Coach Kataoka arrived at the field while Sawamura was showing off his enthusiasm.

He was specifically there to check on Sawamura's condition.

As for the result, anyone with good judgment could tell that he was satisfied.

With all the preparations for the game completed, all that was left was to play and see the outcome.

....

The next day, at 9 AM.

The coach started the pre-game briefing, and because of what happened the previous night, Sawamura's name was also called.

It was already quite hot by this time, and this was the true fear of Furuya – fighting in such a harsh summer. However, for Seidou, who had been trained for this, the current temperature was already considered normal.

"Ah! They're coming out!"

"Seidou!"

"Yuuki-san!"

"Isashiki!"

"Sendo!"

"Miyuki!"

As soon as Seidou stepped onto the field, they were met with cheers from the crowd.

Famous schools have their loyal fans, and with the personal fans of the players, the scene was even hotter than the scorching summer heat.

"At least it's still morning, before the temperature gets too high, we should be able to pitch like usual, right?" Before the game, Miyuki teased Furuya.

"I'm planning to pitch until the very end today!" Furuya, as always, was completely straightforward.

"But! You need to think carefully about managing your stamina!"

Furuya ignored him.

"Then let's wrap it up quickly! Before the temperature rises too much!" Sendo said with a relaxed expression.

"Huh? Sendo, you're in a good mood today!" Miyuki turned to look at him.

"I slept well last night! Plus, You Shunshin's fastballs are mostly straight!" Sendo answered.

He couldn't exactly admit he was a bit happy to see him.

"Line up!" The umpire had entered the field.

"We're up!!!" Both teams shouted together. What they shouted didn't matter as much as the sheer force of their spirit.

Sawamura and Jun-san were the kind of people who gave it their all.

"The top of the first inning, Akikawa Academy's turn to bat!

Leading off, center fielder, Ninomiya-kun!"

"Watch the ball carefully, Ninomiya!"

"No ball will be faster than that machine's!"

Right from the start, Akikawa Academy revealed a bit of their strategy, but only Furuya and Sendo seemed to notice.

Miyuki was also puzzled, as the batter wasn't holding a bunt.

"Boom! Whoosh!"

"Bang!"

"Ball!"

While the crowd was still in awe of Furuya's speed and pitch power, the umpire made his call.

"Bang!"

"Four balls!"

The second batter, Hashimoto, wasn't holding a bunt either, and the runners didn't seem to be planning to steal, making Miyuki realize that the opponent wasn't intending to swing at all.

Furuya couldn't land the ball in the strike zone, and all seven of his pitches were balls.

The count and the situation were unfavorable for Seidou.

After Miyuki walked the second batter with a quick-fingered pitch, Furuya's control settled down, turning his bad pitches into strikes, and the batter failed to swing, striking out.

After striking out the third and fourth batters in a row, he faced his first real challenge – You Shunshin.

That was when the game truly began.

After missing the first pitch, You Shunshin started speaking rapidly in his home language. Miyuki didn't understand, but he could see the determination in You Shunshin's eyes.

Furuya seemed to feel that same intensity from You Shunshin, causing him to push himself and lose control of his pitches.

"Ping!"

"Left field!!!" Furuya threw a bad pitch.

"Boom!"

"It's gone! A three-run home run!"

It was almost as if fate had corrected itself, or perhaps Lady Luck was on Akikawa's side that day, as You Shunshin hit a three-run homer.

This three-run shot was a heavy blow for Seidou, who had been cruising so far.

"Don't worry about it, Furuya!"

"Two outs! Let's secure the next one!"

However, Furuya was stronger than everyone had expected. Or perhaps, he just wanted to live up to his seniors' expectations.

"Boom!"

"Strike! The batter is out!"

"Three outs, change sides!"

...

"This pitcher is surprisingly resilient! Even that three-run homer didn't cause as much damage as I imagined. And the catcher, who asked the pitcher to throw the same pitch that got hit, forcefully guiding him through it. That three-run lead was really important for us." You Shunshin thought to himself, grateful for the three runs they scored.

"Don't worry about it, Furuya! Three runs is nothing! I'll help you get them back, one by one!" After returning to the bench, Sendo patted Furuya's shoulder.

Furuya, surrounded by a strong aura, immediately recovered his composure.

"Change your mindset! What matters is how you pitch after allowing a hit!" Tanba, handing over a cup of water, made Furuya feel warm and determined to contribute to the team.

"Listen carefully! If a hit happens, it's Miyuki's fault for guiding you wrong. Thinking that way will help you stay calm!" Tanba was clearly still holding a grudge against the sly glasses-wearing Miyuki.

"I see!" Furuya believed him.

"Pfft, pfft, pfft! This is fun! Didn't expect you to have your turn today!" Sendo laughed while pointing at Miyuki.

In the bottom of the first inning, Seidou's offense still struggled.

Kuramochi failed to deliver, and You Shunshin's control forced Ryousuke to experience the "thrill" of a referee being bought off again.

Even with the psychological preparation, it was still hard for the Seidou players to accept.

"This is the precision of You Shunshin's pitching!" Even with Sendou's pitching on the mound, it couldn't stop Miyuki from being impressed by You Shunshin's control.

And while Sendo was giving his all, You Shunshin was throwing with full force, making the control much harder than Sendo's.

Next, Jun-san, one of You Shunshin's nemeses, hit a double into right field, while Yuuki was, as expected, taken out by the luck-driven three outs.

"So this is fate?" Sendo watched the scene silently.

"I love crushing fate," he thought, turning back toward the bench.

"Looks like you'll have to wait a little longer, Furuya!"

"No!" Furuya was about to say something but wasn't sure how to respond.

"Heh! Please, hold them down for one more inning!" Sendo was charmed by Furuya's aura, then squinted and smiled gently.

"I got it!"

"Boom!"

"Tone down your aura!"

...

"Boom!"

"Good pitch!"

"Strikeout!"

"Three outs, change sides!"

Though a bit bumpy, Furuya still managed to finish with three up, three down.

"Bottom of the second inning, Seidou High's turn to bat!

Fifth batter, center fielder, Sendo-kun!"

"Fifth batter! Center fielder, Sendo-kun!"

"Hit it, Sendo!"

"A hit! Come on, Sendo-kun!"

"Great job, Sendo-kun!" This was Takako's voice from the sidelines.

"Sendo-san!"

"Sendo!" At this moment, a special guest appeared on the sidelines, wearing the uniform of Ichidaisan High and standing there, watching the game.

He had requested to come and observe.

With a strange look in his eyes, he watched as Sendo walked toward the batter's box.

"Just as I thought, it's really you. No matter how hard I try, you always seem to be one step ahead. I already have to fight just to not be left too far behind."

"You know, one of our second-year seniors is a genius."

"But no matter how talented they are, they look just like regular people in front of you!"

"Good luck, Sendo! Don't let my dream fade!"

...

In fact, the understanding of Sendo by Akikawa Academy is extremely limited, and their attitude towards baseball is vastly different from Sendo's.

They've only witnessed Sendo game firsthand in the previous match, and the only other games they have data on are just the two in which Sendo participated, showing how poor their intelligence work was.

Despite this, the possibility of an underdog victory still exists, and that's the brutal nature of high school baseball.

"This batter is very good at hitting fastballs, and he often manages to turn bad pitches into extra-base hits. On the surface, he might seem like he doesn't choose pitches, just like the third batter."

"However, whether that's true or not, it doesn't seem to be a weakness for this batter. And unlike the power hitters behind him, he rarely swings at breaking balls, which shows he has a solid ability to read pitches."

"He's even harder to pitch against than that third batter. And I also have to be wary of his bunt attempts! Though he's never bunted in an official game, there's no way his speed hasn't made him practice it."

"Aside from the cleanup hitter, he's a bigger threat than that third batter!"

If we talk about who benefited from You Shunshin's control, besides Akikawa, it's probably Sendo.

Even if it was a ball outside the strike zone, if the umpire calls it a strike, Sendo can't tell the difference. It's just about half a ball outside the strike zone, and he's always treating it as a strike. Sometimes, even if the pitch is slightly off, if Sendo thinks he can hit it, he'll swing.

Pop!

"Ball outside!" That pitch almost went to the batter's box on the right.

"Quite a distance!" Sendo murmured.

"The pitcher's scared now!"

"Attack! Shun!"

"Shut him down! Shun!"

"Crush him! Sendo!"

"Second pitch!"

Pop!

"Ball outside!"

"That one was a little closer! Where's the next pitch going?" Sendo unconsciously extended his gaze a bit further forward (meaning the right side of the batter's box).

"Third pitch!"

"Damn!" Sendo, slightly leaning forward, suddenly realized before You Shunshin even released the ball, but it was already too late.

Pop!

"Strike!"

"Is that strike zone huge or what? Damn it!" Jun-san, watching the pitch, felt somewhat frustrated.

"Fourth pitch!"

Pop!

"Strike! TWO!"

"Outside curveball!"

"Close call! Almost swung at that!"

"By the way, the slower the pitch, the harder it is to distinguish between a curve and a fastball!"

"Well, if I miss it, it's just a matter of my skills being lacking! A pitch without speed can't overpower top-tier batters." Sendo, expressionless, stared deeply at You Shunshin.

"Now I'm being pressured!"

"He's on the ropes!"

"Attack! Attack, Shun!"

"Don't worry about it!"

"Change your mindset!"

"Sendo!!! Crush him! That guy's not even your match!" The man standing by the sidelines in the Ichidaisan uniform was the most excited person in the whole place!

Even though he didn't speak, his intense eyes made it impossible for anyone to ignore his enthusiasm.

"Will the next pitch miss the zone? No! If I think like that, I'll lose! No matter what, good or bad pitches, if I can hit them, I'll swing!"

"Fifth pitch!"

"It's do or die!" Sendo and You Shunshin both thought the same words in their minds.

"Huh?"

Sendo realized he had swung at a pitch that was clearly a ball. Normally, this would have been a tough pitch to hit.

But with his decision to swing at anything he could hit, Sendo's range of contact was wider than ever before.

Even if it was a ball that almost missed the batter's box on the right side, Sendo took a step forward, letting go of his right hand to avoid hitting a pitch that could be easily dealt with, relying only on his left hand.

Ping!

Yet, even with just one hand, using only the strength of his wrist, he managed to barely send the ball past the infield.

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