Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 287: The Ferocious Stance in the Finals

Direct and brutal.

A pure fastball with no frills or unnecessary complexity, yet it was a pitch that left a lasting impression.

Standing in the batter's box and watching from the sidelines were two entirely different experiences.

This No. 2 pitcher from Komadai Fujimaki High School—how interesting!

The shock in Eijun's eyes quickly faded, replaced by a barely contained excitement.

Facing such an opponent, such a pitch—it was enough to get his blood pumping.

"Sawamura, don't push yourself too hard."

From second base, Miyuki glanced toward home plate with a look of concern.

Having watched videos of Komadai Fujimaki's games, Miyuki knew well how terrifying this substitute pitcher's fastball could be.

Forcing it could lead to disastrous results. But knowing Eijun, he trusted him to weigh the risks and benefits carefully.

Even so, worry was inevitable.

"Second pitch."

The catcher, Kanemoto, gave a subtle finger movement behind his glove.

On the mound, Kumo's eyes gleamed with sharp intent as his body moved into motion.

His powerful strides and the wind-up of his arm sent a gust of wind howling past Eijun's ears.

Whoosh!

A blazing streak of light hurtled toward the plate.

The sharp, roaring energy and gleaming chill of the pitch froze Eijun in place.

Holding his breath, he adjusted his stance and aimed for a point where he could exert the most force.

He planted his foot, twisted his body, and poured all his strength into his arms. Reducing air resistance as much as possible, he swung his bat with precision and power.

Swish!

The bat cut through the air, chasing the icy metallic glint of the ball. The two collided with a thunderous crash.

Ping!

The intense impact sent vibrations through Eijun's arms, the sting making him wince.

Even with his force-dampening swing, the ball's sheer power was overwhelming!

Whoosh!

Barely holding onto his bat, Eijun gritted his teeth and held firm. The ball spun off, narrowly missing the field of play.

"Foul!"

The sheer force of the pitch was astounding.

The ball seemed unrefined, devoid of intricate techniques, yet its overwhelming power crushed everything in its path.

Although its weight wasn't as heavy as Tachi's, and its speed maxed out at 145 km/h with an average of 142 km/h, it was far more challenging to deal with.

The sensation of facing this pitch left Eijun feeling as though it was even harder to handle than the ace of Kiryuu High School.

Whoosh!

Eijun found himself entirely outmatched, unable to even aim for the trickier pitches.

Smack!

In the end, he could only watch as the third pitch zipped past, leaving him struck out without a swing.

"Strike three, batter out!"

After Eijun's strikeout, the eighth batter, Sakai Ichiro, stepped up.

While he had more raw power than Eijun, his lack of finesse left him vulnerable.

After two strikes, he was forced into a high fly ball to right-center field by Kumo's cutter and was caught out.

Seidou High School's offensive momentum had been effectively shut down by Kumo's ferocious pitching.

"Three outs! Change of sides!"

"Nice one, Kumo!"

"That's it! Shut them down!"

"Good job! Keep this pace up!"

"There's still five innings left! Stay calm!"

Kumo's relentless style of pitching, securing two quick outs, gave Komadai Fujimaki a moment to breathe.

If Seidou had scored again here, their chances of winning the finals would have been slim.

Fortunately, the game was still within reach.

In Seidou's dugout, Coach Kataoka turned to Eijun and Sakai with a serious expression.

"So, what's your take on that pitcher?"

The team captain and Isashiki looked on intently, waiting for feedback from the only two batters who had faced Kumo so far.

"He's got an oppressive fastball," Eijun began.

"If I had to compare, it's slightly weaker than Tachi's, but his presence on the mound makes his pitches more intimidating. And since he doesn't rely on precision control like Tachi, he can focus solely on maximizing the power of his throws. Without enough raw strength, it's almost impossible to take him on."

Eijun furrowed his brows and spoke in a serious tone.

"The cutter has a strong late spin. Compared to mine, it doesn't have as sharp an angle, but its power makes it much harder to handle."

Sakai Ichiro, who had just been struck out by the cutter, chimed in with his observations.

Their comments caused the rest of the Seidou team to adopt a somber expression. As expected, Kumo was a tough opponent to deal with.

"Power, huh? Then we'll use even greater power to crush him," Isashiki said confidently, letting out a low hum and speaking boldly.

"Agreed," the team captain replied simply, his eyes glinting with determination.

"What an interesting pitcher," someone muttered with a grin.

"Grrr!!!"

The flow of the game was temporarily in Seidou High School's favor, and the players' morale was soaring.

Coach Kataoka nodded in satisfaction, feeling reassured by their performance.

"Sawamura, Miyuki."

Coach Kataoka shifted his gaze to the pitcher and catcher duo. His expression made it clear what he expected, and both of them nodded in understanding.

"Yes, Coach. We've got this," Miyuki and Eijun replied in unison.

...

"Top of the fifth inning, Komadai Fujimaki High School's turn at bat. Batting fourth, center fielder, Akito-kun."

"It's already the fifth inning. If Komadai can't break through now, it's going to get even harder for them."

"This is the second time through the lineup. Will Eijun maintain his dominance, or will Komadai find their breakthrough? This inning will be critical."

"The key lies with the cleanup hitter. His last at-bat wasn't bad; he was just a little unlucky."

"Exactly. The question is whether their No. 4 can pave the way for the team."

In the batter's box, Akito took a deep breath, gripping his metal bat tightly.

He slowly exhaled, his resolve firm.

He had to get on base—no matter what.

It was already the fifth inning, and as the cleanup hitter, he knew the burden on his shoulders.

In such a tough situation, if he didn't step up, it would only make things harder for the team.

"!!!"

Come on! Bring it on! This time, I'll take you down!

Akito assumed his batting stance, his sharp eyes locked on the pitcher's mound. His intense gaze seemed almost predatory, like he was ready to devour Sawamura.

At home plate, Miyuki subtly shifted his footing and signaled a pitch with his fingers.

On the mound, Eijun leaned forward slightly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Miyuki-senpai is as sharp as ever.

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