Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 191: Pain and Joy Combined

"That really scared me just now!"

"Hahaha! You were so funny just now, Eijun!"

"What are you laughing at? You've been laughing at me this whole time!"

"Just saying you're cute or something!"

"Really? (Whether it's said about a guy or a girl, 'kawaii' is always a compliment!)"

"Really, really! The way you dropped to your knees just now—world-class! Hahaha!"

"Argh! I'm going to get you for this!"

"Don't push yourself too hard! You're clearly exhausted! Go take a bath and sleep already, baka!"

No matter how annoyed Eijun was at Sendo's teasing, he could only grit his teeth and bear it.

...

The next day marked the joint practice between the First and Second Strings.

"Next up, Sendo!"

"So soon? Ha…ha…ha…"

"What are you dawdling for? Get to the batter's box already!" The assistant coach completely ignored Sendo's panting and exhausted state.

There was no doubt this was one of the sunglasses-wearing coach's plans.

"Yes, sir!"

During today's training, Sendo began questioning his existence. While everyone else barely broke a sweat, he was already on the verge of collapsing!

"Begin!"

Ping!

Thud!

"Didn't you eat, Sendo? That hit has no power! Send it over properly, idiot!" Jun-san sneered as he caught Sendo's hit.

"I'm exhausted! Ignoring you!"

The ball had flown to the outfield.

Sure, it was a slow fly ball, but calling it powerless?

That's ridiculous! I'm not falling for that!

Sendo thought as he glanced at the outfield where his senior stood.

What Sendo didn't realize was that his seniors, having grown used to his powerful hits—whether slamming into the back net or launching home runs—finally saw a chance to give the "kid" a hard time.

The seniors were well aware this was part of Coach Kataoka's plan.

The summer tournament would be grueling, and Sendo's physical condition in the latter stages could impact his performance.

This training was to push him to feel the exhaustion of hitting while completely drained and learn how to tap into his strength under those circumstances.

Before practice, Coach Kataoka even secretly spoke to a few seniors to prepare them.

Ping!

This time, the ball turned into a grounder.

"Hahaha! Too much strength, Sendo!" The infielders, like sharks smelling blood, joined in on the taunting.

After all, it wasn't every day that Sendo, who was usually protected by the coach, found himself flustered. Today was payback!

If others knew what Sendo was thinking, they'd probably mock him even more: You call this ignoring? Not falling for it? Then why did you swing so hard?

Sendo had a stubborn streak—if the consequences weren't serious, he'd often fall into traps on purpose.

Coach Kataoka, knowing this, allowed Sendo to act freely during official games because he trusted that Sendo wouldn't let impulse override logic in critical moments. That's why Sendo enjoyed so much autonomy.

Currently, Sendo was undoubtedly the team's favorite.

"Can't take it anymore? If so, go rest! The coach won't blame you!" The taunt from the outfield came just as Sendo felt his brain lacking oxygen, instantly reviving him.

"Huff…huff…huff…" Sendo forced himself to stand.

"One more ball!"

Hearing his demand, the assistant coach signaled to the second-year pitcher on the mound.

"Alright…"

Whack!

"…A swing and a miss!"

"Seriously? Missing entirely now?" Even the onlookers joined the mockery.

"You…!" After missing the ball, Sendo dropped to his knees, gasping for air.

Even though he knew gasping would only make him more tired!

A few seconds later, he forced himself to stop panting and switched to deep, controlled breaths.

"Inhale…exhale…inhale…exhale…"

After several repetitions, his breathing steadied. Initially, he thought there was no need to push himself so hard during practice, but with everyone mocking him, he couldn't let it slide!

Coach Kataoka watched in silence, observing the entire process. When he saw Sendo adjusting his breathing and taking the situation seriously, he nodded almost imperceptibly.

This was exactly what he wanted—to see how well Sendo could perform in such conditions. A person's ability to control their body directly impacted their ability to perform under duress.

Like Michael Jordan, the basketball legend, whose willpower and years of training allowed him to perform beyond his peak even when exhausted or ill.

The earlier training sessions didn't count; Coach Kataoka knew Sendo wouldn't give his all during practice when fatigued.

That's why he instructed the seniors to provoke him. Now his plan was bearing fruit!

"Unbelievable! He looked like he was about to die just a moment ago, but now his breathing is steady? And he's not even panting anymore! You'd never guess he's completely drained!"

"Such incredible self-control! It's hard to believe he's only 15!"

"Hmph! He's just holding his breath and slowly exhaling through his nose to force himself into peak condition! Didn't you see him breathing through his mouth earlier? That's proof his nose couldn't supply enough oxygen to his lungs!"

Though Coach Kataoka's tone sounded critical, his words were full of praise.

"…" Even Club Manager Ota couldn't help but feel helpless about Coach Kataoka's hidden fondness.

Whoosh!

Seeing the incoming pitch, Sendo gripped his bat tightly.

"Don't focus too much on arm strength; use your whole body! Swing with everything!"

Ping!

Whoosh! The ball shot out like a streak of white light.

Bang!

"Straight off the right field wall!!!" One of the idle seniors nearby exclaimed in shock.

"What just happened? All of a sudden? With that idiot's speed, he could make it to third base without even needing to slide!"

"This brat!!!"

Coach Kataoka's lips curled into a faint smile, though he couldn't hide his surprise. That swing was just as powerful as when Sendo was at full energy and strength!

"Yosh!" Even Sendo, who was usually indifferent to home runs, couldn't help but sneak in a little celebratory fist pump, just like Yuuki's signature move.

"That rascal! I can't compete with him at all!" Jun-san, gave a satisfied smile.

"Whew~!" After finishing his swing, Sendo slowly exhaled the breath he'd been holding in his mouth.

"Huff! Huff!" Then, he greedily took in several deep breaths of fresh air.

But Coach Kataoka didn't call a stop.

This was a rare opportunity!

Today, he intended to push Sendo's limits and draw out his full potential.

After a few seconds, Sendo steadied his breathing again.

Ping!

"So fast!" The ball easily broke through Jun-san's defense, leaving Fox Senior stunned.

"Oh ho ho! Another big hit! What's gotten into him all of a sudden?"

"Rascal! Fox Senior, we're even now!"

Even the best batters can't precisely control the direction of their hits to the outfield, but they can still aim for general areas like left field, center field, or right field.

This time, Sendo abandoned his usual flyball swing and opted for a line drive—low and fast.

Sendo's hitting speed wasn't any slower than Yuuki's. Even for outfielders, catching such a low, fast ball was nearly impossible.

Sendo himself would need the ball to land close to him to have any chance of intercepting it.

Even with his reaction time and dynamic vision, starting early wouldn't help if the ball sped past the defense.

Coincidentally, this ball landed in a spot where it broke through Jun-san's defense but could have been stopped by Sendo's.

Sendo considered teasing Jun-san about it, but the thought was so dangerous it only lingered for a second before he abandoned it.

There was no need for Sendo to speak; Jun-san was already well aware of the awkward reality—that the ball easily got past him but would've been an easy stop for Sendo.

"One more ball!" Exhilarated, Sendo felt completely refreshed! His back no longer hurt, his waist felt fine, his arms were full of energy, and he wasn't even panting anymore… Well, it was a bit of a stretch, but his current state matched the sentiment.

Sendo felt great, so…

Ping!!!

The next ball flew easily over the fence. Meanwhile, some first-years were silently praying they'd be able to find the ball afterward and not lose another one.

Lately, every lost ball at Seidou was because of Sendo's monster hits. No one else could send the ball that far!

Even Masuko, with his terrifying power, couldn't clear the fence without sacrificing his dignity.

Seidou's fence was at least 10 meters high! And in terms of distance, Masuko's hits probably couldn't match Sendo's, who relied on his superhuman explosiveness.

"Alright, Sendo, take a break. Next!" Coach Kataoka finally called a stop. He had achieved his goal and could see that Sendo was genuinely nearing his limit. Any more, and it might risk injury.

Hearing this, Sendo instantly felt his body relax, and then… the pain hit him.

At that moment, Sendo wondered if his body operated on game logic.

As long as he had even a sliver of energy, he could use his previous life's experience with body control to prepare himself and maintain peak performance for a short time.

It was just like a game where, once your stamina bar hit zero, you couldn't even stand, but as long as there was a tiny bit left, you could perform like you were at full strength.

Of course, this ability was "fake," as it required a few seconds of preparation. But still, it was impressive.

Feeling like his arms and legs didn't belong to him anymore, Sendo trudged to the outfield gate and slumped down, zoning out.

Why didn't he sit in the dugout? Because from here, he could observe (and tease) Sawamura.

"My poor back!" Sendo heard Sawamura mumbling nearby as he found a place to sit.

"Right wall power! Transfer the strength to the body…!"

"Right wall power? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's right wall power!" Sawamura shot back when Sendo, sitting ten meters away, teased him.

"Right-side turtle power?"

"Kurraa!!!"

"Hahaha! Cough, cough, cough! Oh, no!" Teasing Sawamura lifted Sendo's mood, but his worn-out body couldn't handle the laughter.

A few laughs later, he started coughing, and as he laughed through the pain, his entire body began to ache.

"Hey! The ball's flying over here!!!" a Second String outfielder shouted toward Sawamura.

Bang! The ball struck the fence near Sawamura.

"Ah!" Sawamura let out a high-pitched yelp, sounding like a startled girl.

"Who… Who hit the ball over here?! You scared me so much I screamed!"

"It's you, kid!" He spotted Furuya standing in the batter's box.

"Huh? Oh! Sorry! Did it go too far?" Furuya finally realized what had happened.

"Hahaha! Oh, ouch!" Sendo found himself once again in that strange blend of pain and happiness.

"Seriously! First-years are so strong these days! Sendo, that monster, doesn't count as human, but Furuya too?!" Sendo overheard a trio of third-years chatting nearby.

These seniors were like the background music for Yuuki's big moments—they always set the stage for him.

"It's true! We led our teams in middle school, and here we can't even make it to the bench!"

"And those monster players work harder than anyone. It's so frustrating!"

At this point, they'd subconsciously excluded Sendo from the discussion. In their eyes, he was no longer human.

"We can't compare. Every single one of them trains like a maniac!"

"But we don't want to regret anything either!"

"Even if we can't play in games, we still want to fight alongside them in the end!"

"Seriously, how could we give up now?" Their voices grew louder, and Sendo, who was eavesdropping, thought the seniors sounded adorable.

"Why did we endure three years of hard training?"

"And I didn't even get a girlfriend in those three years!!!" Suddenly, the conversation derailed.

"Idiot! Don't bring that up! ×2"

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Is this the rage of single people? Pfft!" Sendo couldn't stop laughing at their antics.

"Get back to practice, first-years!!!" The rage of the single seniors erupted.

"Practice so hard you don't have time for girlfriends!!!"

The clueless first-years wondered why the seniors were suddenly so fired up.

Meanwhile, Sendo, having overheard everything, was rolling on the ground laughing.

Truly, a day filled with both pain and joy!

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