Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 231: The Rhythm of the Battle Against Ikuei

Due to the impact of the first forkball, Yuuki's swing on the second pitch deviated slightly. He failed to fully read the ball's trajectory, and his timing was just a fraction off.

"Whoosh!"

The ball shot forward after contact, ricocheting sharply toward third base.

"Bang!"

It struck the ground near the third baseman, who reacted but couldn't reach it in time. The ball rebounded past him before he could extend his glove.

"Foul ball!"

So fast…

Ikuei's third baseman swallowed nervously, his heart still racing.

He glanced at the mark the ball left on the ground and then back at Yuuki, whose calm demeanor in the batter's box hadn't wavered.

A chill crept over him.

This batter's swing speed was unbelievable. If that ball had landed in fair territory, he couldn't imagine the outcome.

Complete defeat in terms of power?

At home plate, Ikuei's catcher narrowed his eyes, his expression growing serious.

Sato, you saw that last pitch, didn't you? You absolutely cannot throw anything easy to hit. Against a monster like this, it's only a matter of time before he sends one flying. Keep the pitches low and aim for tricky spots. Even if we can't take him out, we can't let him get on base easily.

Sato took a deep breath, steadying his shaken nerves. He nodded firmly.

This wasn't the time to falter.

Backing down now would only further diminish their chances of winning.

This was the moment to stand his ground.

As long as the worst-case scenario could be avoided, anything else was acceptable. Even a walk wouldn't come easily.

This was a battle of youthful spirit—if it ended in a walk, it would be on the path of attack, not surrender.

"Whoosh!"

"Ping!"

"Bang!"

"Foul ball!"

"Whoosh!"

"Ping!"

"Bang!"

"Foul ball!"

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Ball!"

Ikuei's pitcher stuck to precise, challenging pitches, refusing to offer anything easy to hit.

Though Yuuki managed to overpower Sato's pitches each time and send the ball flying, slight deviations in angle and timing prevented him from achieving the desired result.

Moreover, Sato's control exceeded Yuuki's expectations.

His precision on the edges of the strike zone forced Yuuki to swing at even borderline pitches, fearing that if the umpire's judgment shifted slightly, a close call could be ruled a strike.

"Whoosh!"

"Ping!"

"Whoosh!"

The hit stretched across the entire field, landing in the left outfield stands, just barely missing the foul line by a hair's breadth.

"Plop."

"Foul ball!"

Yuuki furrowed his brow slightly once again.

That swing had been executed with precision, finding the perfect angle and force, yet it still veered off just enough to miss.

A small wave of frustration rippled through his mind.

"Ahhhhh!"

"So close!"

"Just a little more, and it would've been a home run!"

In the dugout and stands, Seidou High School's players and fans couldn't suppress their regretful groans.

On the other side, Ikuei High School collectively broke into a cold sweat. Just a little more—if that ball had been fair, it would've been catastrophic.

On the mound, Sato's face was a mixture of emotions, shifting between pale and flushed.

Sato, that pitch was unacceptable. You should know our goal by now, don't you?! The Ikuei catcher's eyes flashed with a stern glare.

Sato's expression changed, but he nodded lightly in response.

Now's the time. End this duel with the next pitch.

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Ball four! A walk!"

Though the catcher had crouched in a conventional stance, it wasn't a complete intentional walk.

However, the pitch's obvious deviation from the strike zone didn't escape Yuuki's notice. Swinging at such a pitch would have been risky.

Weighing the pros and cons, Yuuki chose to let it go.

After the umpire's call, Yuuki tossed his bat aside but cast a long, deliberate glance at Ikuei's catcher before jogging toward first base.

"So, they decided to walk him after all?"

"Sato's velocity and power are lacking. His control is decent, but without more speed or an additional breaking ball, he's just not competitive enough."

"To make it this far is already impressive. Walking Yuuki was inevitable."

"At least it wasn't a retreat. That final pitch still carried the spirit of competition."

"The key now lies with the next batter. Even though Seidou is trailing by one run, they've got the momentum this inning. If Ikuei can't suppress them, the tide might turn in Seidou's favor."

"Facing a powerhouse team like Seidou must be exhausting for Ikuei."

"Yeah, that surprise attack in the first inning was lucky. Since then, it's been a pure battle of skill."

In Seidou's dugout, there wasn't much surprise at Ikuei's decision to walk Yuuki.

To be fair, there are probably only five or six pitchers nationwide who can hold their own against Yuuki Tetsuya.

And among them, perhaps only one or two can truly dominate him.

Completely defeating Yuuki?

That's likely an impossible task. Even Narumiya Mei struggles against him. Their confrontations in the original matches were a toss-up—neither side could claim clear superiority.

So Ikuei's walk here made sense.

Moreover, the preceding duel had demonstrated the pitcher's skill and composure.

This decision wouldn't dampen Ikuei's morale much. It was just one base, after all, a situation Ikuei could still manage.

"Batting fifth, third baseman, Masuko-kun."

Still, for Seidou, this wasn't the most favorable situation.

At that moment, Eijun felt a growing sense of unease deep within.

Gripping his bat tightly as he prepared to step up, his eyes gleamed with a peculiar light as he stared at the field ahead.

This is fine.

Keep the offensive rhythm steady.

Don't obsess over victory or defeat.

Just focus on controlling the pace and limiting runs.

Getting on base is enough—there's no need to be reckless.

In the dugout, coach Natsume nodded slightly in agreement.

Having walked Yuuki, Ikuei's battery found it relatively easier to deal with Masuko.

Of course, this was in comparison to facing Yuuki. While Masuko had power, he lacked finesse.

He didn't exert the same subtle yet overwhelming pressure that Yuuki did.

And it was only the second inning. In recent practice games, Masuko had shown slower adaptability to Ikuei's style of pitching compared to Yuuki.

"Whoosh!"

"Ping!"

"Bang!"

Struggling to keep up with the fastball, Masuko couldn't react in time to the forkball that darted straight down the middle.

The edge of his bat barely grazed the ball, but the contact lacked the power needed for a solid hit.

The ball slammed hard into the ground and bounced up, only to be intercepted by Ikuei High School's third baseman.

"Whoosh."

"Pop."

"Out!"

Though the process was a bit tense, Ikuei High School managed to secure the out against Masuko with precision.

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