Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 193: Summer Training Camp (1)

After the game, Sendo briefly exchanged words with Zaizen.

To put it simply, Sendo mentioned that he knew a bit about Zaizen and expressed a desire to face him in the future.

Thanks to Sendo's communication skills, Zaizen gave him the nickname "an interesting little brat." While it seemed like Zaizen didn't take it seriously, the words still lingered in his mind.

Unbeknownst to Sendo, this short conversation planted a seed of doubt in Zaizen, who had originally planned to quit baseball after high school.

In the original storyline, Zaizen did indeed give up baseball after graduation. This was a small but significant change.

Another reason for Zaizen's hesitation was his growing curiosity about facing Sendo someday.

Sendo had mentioned that some people thought Chris and Zaizen weren't as good as him.

For someone like Zaizen, who highly valued his friendship with Chris, such a remark was impossible to ignore. (Chris, knowing Sendo's potential and talent, didn't mind the comment, but Zaizen had no such understanding.)

As a result, Zaizen even exchanged LINE contacts with Sendo, vowing to witness firsthand what made him supposedly superior.

...

After bidding farewell to Kokushikan, Coach Kataoka called everyone together.

"The day has finally come! Summer qualifiers—what will they bring?" Sendo thought to himself as he gazed at the sunset.

By chance, he noticed Chris's satisfied, almost content expression. Shaking his head, Sendo turned his attention back to the gathering.

....

"The list of players promoted to the First String will now be announced! Based on performances in practice matches up to now, I've made my decisions."

"To those selected, remember your responsibility and the honor of representing our school. Those who weren't chosen, I hope you'll assist the First String players in their preparation over the next month.

"The players promoted to the First String are: first-year Kominato Haruichi and first-year Sawamura Eijun! That's all!"

"With these two added, our First String now consists of 20 players who will represent the school in the summer tournament. We'll disband for today to prepare for tomorrow's practice. Seniors who weren't selected, please stay behind for a moment."

As soon as the coach finished speaking, the players began dispersing.

"Let's go!"

Seeing Sawamura frozen in place, Sendo knew this was something he had to handle himself. Placing an arm around Sawamura, he gently led him away.

Nearly in tears, Sawamura instinctively followed.

Later, Sendo accompanied Sawamura to listen outside the door as Coach Kataoka addressed the unselected seniors.

When Sawamura tried to re-enter, Miyuki spoke up.

"What do you think you're doing? Are you trying to forfeit your spot?"

"No matter what anyone says, the coach has already recognized you. You're now part of our arsenal."

"What could you possibly say to those who weren't chosen?"

'We can only do one thing—to grow stronger for those who weren't selected."

Hearing Miyuki's firm yet inspiring words, Sendo couldn't help but admire his voice, remaining silent as Miyuki continued.

"And with that, we have no choice but to keep moving forward. For me, for you."

With those words, Miyuki left, followed by the others.

...

Once everyone had gone, Sendo stayed behind, watching Sawamura cry his heart out.

When it seemed the seniors inside were about to finish, Sendo took Sawamura to the spot where he had previously practiced batting with Chris.

"You heard Miyuki's words, didn't you?"

Sawamura didn't respond, continuing to cry silently.

"Seriously, you haven't changed a bit!"

"Listen, being part of the First String isn't something we can control. What we can control is how we face the future."

'Summer is almost here, and Chris-senpai's injury hasn't fully healed. This isn't your fault!"

Knowing that Sawamura was listening, Sendo pressed on.

"If we lose even once, it's over. That's what summer tournaments are like."

"I don't know what Koshien feels like, but as long as we keep winning, our seniors' summer won't end!"

At this, Sawamura's sobs began to subside.

"Look, Eijun! The stars in the sky are beautiful tonight!" Sendo said lightly, using it as a segue into another heavy topic.

"Eijun, do you remember last year when we vowed to reach the national stage?"

Sawamura's eyes widened in surprise.

"Do you remember the faces of everyone when we boarded the train to Tokyo? Do you remember what they said? Do you remember your determination back then?"

"Right now, it's not just the seniors who have no way out!"

"We have to win! If we don't make it to Koshien, how will we face our teammates back home?"

Even Sendo felt emotional after saying this, having unearthed all the painful truths in one go.

...

For a moment, there was only silence.

"Sendo!"

"Hmm?"

"What should I do?"

"Hah!" Hearing this, Sendo finally felt relieved.

"Just like Miyuki said—get stronger! You're not only carrying the dreams of the seniors but also the hopes of our friends from Nagano. Take us to Koshien!"

"Got it!"

"By the way, Eijun, aren't you curious why you were chosen for the First String?"

"Yeah! Why?"

"Because you're a pitcher! And not just any pitcher—a great one! Besides, we don't have a true ace yet. That's all there is to it!"

"..." Sawamura didn't reply.

"Please, Eijun—be our ace!" Sendo said sincerely.

"An ace, huh..." Sawamura felt embarrassed. It was the first time Sendo had made such a serious request.

"Let's head back." Sendo, while wanting to catch some pitches from Sawamura, knew today wasn't the right time.

Letting Sawamura cry it out was the best thing for now.

...

The next morning, Sawamura appeared listless, but during the day at school, he managed to sort out his feelings. By the time classes ended, he was giving his all once again.

Meanwhile, Sendo spent the day conserving energy for practice. (By sleeping through classes...)

As the week progressed, the weekend arrived, bringing heavy rain.

"That Eijun is probably out running again today," Sendo thought as he stared out the window.

"Not going out today?"

"Watanabe-san! Let's check out the indoor practice facility later. Where's Miyauchi-senpai?"

"He's outside, practicing on his own!"

"I see... Well, I'll head out first!"

"Alright!"

Sendo stepped out and greeted Miyauchi briefly before heading straight for the indoor practice facility.

...

"Yo, Chris-senpai! Furuya, what are you doing? Is your finger better now?" Sendo called out as he entered and saw Furuya bending and stretching his fingers.

"I was about to ask the same thing," Chris chimed in.

"It's completely fine now! I really want to start pitching, but the coach..." Furuya began, frustration evident. His natural airheadedness soon became apparent as well.

"The coach is only thinking of your well-being. Even if your finger is healed, it's better to rest for a few more days," Sendo advised.

"Miyuki probably told you this too: if you don't take care of it, you'll risk chronic injuries," Chris added, their comments coming together like a rehearsed act.

"Besides, you need to work on your stamina and control. And you, Sendo, your stamina has always been a concern!"

Just as Sendo felt he was perfectly in sync with Chris, he found himself being lectured too.

"Ugh, fine!" Sendo replied reluctantly, dragging his words.

"You're hopeless! If you don't build your stamina, summer training will be brutal!"

"Huh?" Sendo had almost forgotten about the intense training ahead.

"Plus, with everyone watching you, there'll be no chance to slack off!"

"...!"

"The coach might even assign someone to keep an eye on you the whole time!"

"Chris-senpai!" Sendo whined, his face scrunched up.

"This summer, you'll be one of our key players, Sendo. If you're on the field, the chances of us giving up big hits drop significantly, and the impact of any hits we do give up will be reduced!"

"Ugh... So there's no escape, is there? Chris-senpai, did that sunglasses-wearing coach say how he plans to torture me during training?"

"No, he hasn't mentioned that yet," Chris-senpai replied, unfazed by Sendo's nickname for Coach Kataoka.

"What should I do?" Sendo muttered, frowning.

"I brought him here! As I expected, that guy's out running in the rain!" Miyuki's unmistakable voice rang out, immediately grating on Sendo's nerves. He really didn't want to deal with Miyuki right now.

"Bring it on!" Sawamura shouted, pumping his tiny fists as he charged into the room, clearly mentally prepared for what lay ahead.

"Knew it," Chris remarked with a smile. Since recovering from his injury, he had become a much more cheerful figure, radiating a healing presence within Seidou.

Even just looking at Chris-senpai seemed to uplift everyone around him.

"Good morning, Chris-senpai!" Sawamura greeted with a ninety-degree bow, his respect evident.

"When you're with me, your attitude is so much worse! This idiot..." Miyuki grumbled, feeling slightly jealous. He sighed, resigning himself to being called the "scheming glasses guy" by Sendo all the time.

...

Chris soon shifted back to explaining techniques, while Sendo half-listened, his mind wandering to strategies for surviving the upcoming training camp.

Before long, Kuramochi, Masuko, Maezono, and Haruichi arrived to join in the simulated defensive drills for the two pitchers.

As a pitcher, there was so much to learn. Without a photographic memory, one could only take it step by step.

After accepting his fate regarding the training camp, Sendo also joined the drills.

...

Seidou High School, both familiar and yet slightly different, was making its final preparations.

In the second week of June, summer training officially began.

This year's Golden Week was tight, and as soon as the training camp ended, the summer tournament would start. Even Sendo, who was usually confident, steeled himself for the challenge ahead.

But it was truly grueling!

On the first morning, they started with running drills, followed by defensive practice. It seemed Coach Kataoka had instructed that every ball hit in Sendo's direction required him to sprint like mad.

From the very start, it felt like entering hell.

As Chris had warned, with only 20 players on the field, nothing could go unnoticed. Slacking off wasn't an option.

Several third-year seniors even volunteered to keep a close eye on Sendo, declaring they wouldn't let him out of their sight.

Sendo could feel the overwhelming "malice" from his seniors.

For these third-years, their summer had already ended, yet it hadn't. Their sense of collective honor was so strong that as long as the team kept fighting, their summer wouldn't truly be over.

...

"Kura! Sendo! Run faster! You eat so much every meal—where does all that energy go?"

"Want to switch with me?"

"Don't say that! It won't work on that kid!"

Sendo felt like his seniors were taking pleasure in torturing him.

By the end of the defensive drills, he felt utterly spent, unwilling to think about anything.

When he mentioned this, the seniors said, "That's exactly right! This isn't about strategy—it's about training your body to instinctively react to any ball."

...

After defensive drills came base-running practice. Sendo, as the team's all-rounder and rising star, was receiving immense attention and care from both the coaches and seniors.

As Seidou's secret weapon for the summer, his recent improvement in batting had been startling. Even the seniors were taken aback, prompting Coach Kataoka to explain:

"He's finally adapting to the pace of high school baseball. This progress is only natural. The Sendo you've seen so far hasn't been at his full potential. Now, he's becoming complete. There's still plenty of room for growth before the summer qualifiers."

Hearing this, the seniors practically roared with excitement, their gazes toward Sendo turning fervent.

This marked the beginning of Sendo's misery.

Whether it was base-running, batting, or fielding, a group of seniors "attended" to him relentlessly.

Being monitored by a pack of older guys all day was an experience only those who've endured it can understand.

It didn't help that none of these seniors had girlfriends, a fact Sendo wisely kept to himself—he valued his life too much to comment on it.

By noon, Sendo, who should have had the lightest workload as a first-year, had done the most physical activity.

In the original story, Sawamura and the others only started to collapse in the evening, but Sendo was already on the verge of breaking by midday.

"What's with these third-year seniors?" he gasped, lying on the ground, panting heavily and questioning his life choices.

He had no idea how he would survive the week. Thankfully, it was Sunday, and with classes resuming the next day, he could at least catch up on sleep during lessons. Without that, he wasn't sure he'd make it through.

--------------------

If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21