Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 257: Eijun's Offense Against Kiryuu

Sawamura Eijun stepped into the batter's box, his determined expression catching the attention of Kiryuu High's battery.

Although Eijun wasn't considered one of Seidou High's strongest hitters, his keen sense for the ball and quick reaction time made him a batter to be wary of.

In this summer tournament, he had already delivered several standout performances at the plate, including hits off Narumiya Mei—a feat not to be underestimated.

No ace pitcher could afford to take Eijun lightly.

If he could get a hit off Narumiya, one of the best in the country, there was every reason to believe he could do the same against others if they let their guard down.

Thus, caution was the order of the day for Kiryuu's ace, Tachi, and catcher Shibata.

...

With the umpire's signal, Tachi once again unleashed his trademark fearsome grin.

Taking a powerful stride forward, he raised his arm high, while Eijun's sharp eyes focused intently on every movement.

The moment Tachi's arm whipped downward, a blistering pitch cut through the air like a blade of ice.

"Whoosh!"

The pitch's piercing velocity was startling, and by the time Eijun realized its trajectory, it was already too late.

His bat barely moved when the ball zipped past him, landing cleanly in Shibata's mitt.

"Strike!"

The scoreboard displayed a speed of 144 km/h, prompting gasps from the crowd.

Eijun's eyes flickered with recognition.

This fastball… it's on par with Narumiya-senpai's, and its unique movement feels even more threatening.

That pitch just now felt like it was trying to overpower me.

Gripping his bat tighter, Eijun's expression grew even more serious.

...

The second pitch came swiftly.

"Whoosh!"

A fastball aimed for the inside corner. Without hesitation, Eijun swung instinctively.

"Swoosh!"

"Ping!"

The bat connected, but the force of the pitch was overwhelming.

A sharp pain shot through Eijun's hands as vibrations traveled up from the bat, leaving him wincing.

The ball weakly bounced into foul territory near third base.

"Foul ball!"

Eijun exhaled sharply, his brow furrowed.

This guy… His pitches are even tougher than last time. Has he improved, or was he holding back before?

The thought reinforced Eijun's resolve: he would avoid swinging at tricky pitches, even if it meant letting them go.

Forcing a bad swing could result in more than just a bad hit—it could cost him his grip strength.

However, if the pitch fell within his strike zone, he wouldn't let it go.

Tightening his grip on the bat, a glint of determination flashed in his eyes.

...

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Ball!"

The third pitch missed the zone.

...

The battle dragged on as Tachi continued to attack with fastballs.

"Whoosh!"

"Ping!"

"Thud!"

"Foul ball!"

Eijun's hands throbbed from the repeated impacts, but his persistence was unwavering.

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Ball!"

Bit by bit, Eijun began to adapt.

Drawing on techniques he had recently learned from Haruichi,

Eijun adjusted his swings to redirect Tachi's power. By leveraging the momentum of the pitch rather than relying solely on his own strength, he began to match Tachi's overwhelming ball quality.

The at-bat was turning into a war of attrition, with both batter and pitcher refusing to yield.

In terms of pure strength, Eijun currently surpasses Haruichi.

Thanks to his pitching experience, Eijun has better control over his arm strength and a superior ability to utilize his whole body's power.

Combined with the batting techniques he learned from Haruichi, Eijun had developed a way to handle even the intimidating pitches of Hiromi Tate.

While Hiromi's heavy, forceful pitches were undeniably challenging, Eijun could still manage to respond effectively.

However, he completely avoided swinging at tricky pitches.

Even if he managed to make contact, his stance would leave him unable to properly apply force, let alone utilize the pitch's momentum.

Worse still, mishandling such pitches could injure his hands, compromising his grip and sensitivity—something Seidou absolutely couldn't afford.

Fortunately, the umpire seemed particularly strict about calling low pitches in this game.

Eijun, fully prepared to strike out, was surprised when two borderline pitches were called balls.

This outcome reaffirmed an important lesson: while skill and strength are crucial in any sport, luck can often become a decisive factor.

...

At home plate, Shibata, Kiryuu's catcher, began to grow visibly agitated.

What he'd thought would be a straightforward out was now turning into a drawn-out battle, and his frustration showed.

He even considered arguing with the umpire—a foolish notion that, of course, he quickly dismissed.

Any player with a shred of common sense knew that arguing with the umpire was asking for trouble.

...

Tachi's next pitch was another low, outside fastball.

Eijun's eyes narrowed as he watched its trajectory.

It was slightly closer to the plate than before, tempting him to swing, but an audacious thought flashed through his mind.

Deciding to take a gamble, he let the pitch pass.

Shibata, seeing this, allowed a smile to creep across his face.

However, it vanished in an instant when the umpire's call rang out.

"Ball!"

The call turned Shibata's face as dark as soot.

Are you kidding me?

Even that's a ball? he thought angrily.

On the mound, Tachi's expression grew strained, while Coach Matsumoto furrowed his brow in frustration.

The frequent low pitches, combined with the umpire's subjective judgment, were tilting the game in Seidou's favor.

While the calls were technically within the rules, they created a palpable sense of unfairness that left Kiryuu High without an outlet for their frustration.

...

Eijun exhaled deeply, a glint of excitement flickering in his eyes.

Luck!

If even that was called a ball, the pitcher and catcher are going to have an even harder time now.

This is my chance!

Gripping the bat more firmly, Eijun subtly shortened his hold, sacrificing a bit of power to improve his precision.

It was a risky move, but he trusted his instincts.

Unbeknownst to him, Shibata, still distracted by the previous call, failed to notice this subtle adjustment.

His focus remained on the umpire's decisions, leading him to make a call he would later regret—a curveball.

...

Tachi wound up and released the pitch.

"Whoosh!"

The ball spun toward the plate with a deceptive arc.

Eijun's sharp eyes locked onto the pitch, his body moving instinctively. His swing came down with perfect timing.

"Ping!"

The explosive sound of solid contact echoed across the field.

As the ball soared skyward in a brilliant arc of white, Eijun's triumphant grin reflected the rising energy in the stadium.

At home plate, Shibata's face froze in disbelief, while Tachi stood on the mound, his expression dark with frustration.

Eijun, however, stood tall in the batter's box, his fiery spirit shining brightly against the backdrop of his towering hit.

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