Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 190: Iconic Scenes from the Original Story

After dinner the next day, Sawamura barged into Sendo's room, staring at him on the bed with wide, puppy-like eyes.

"If you've got something to say, just say it already! Geez!" Sendo sighed, exasperated by the staring.

"Is your foot okay?" Sawamura asked hesitantly.

"Are you an idiot? If it were serious, would I have been in the cafeteria eating dinner?"

"That's true... but why didn't you tell me earlier? As your best friend, I should've been the first to know! How dare you!"

"What are you even angry about?"

"Because... when I first heard you were injured, I thought you might never play baseball again!"

"Hey!" Sendo interjected, shocked. "How did you jump from a sprained ankle to a career-ending injury?!"

"Seeing you're fine now, I feel relieved! I can't be the ace without my cleanup hitter by my side! Ahahaha!"

"Idiot!" Sendo muttered, his tone a mix of helplessness, warmth, and slight amusement.

"Sendo, don't move around too much if you're injured!" Sawamura insisted.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Sendo felt a tiny bit touched by the concern.

But in the very next moment, that bit of emotion evaporated into thin air.

Sendo noticed Sawamura rummaging through his mini-fridge.

This gluttonous friend of his wasn't worried about him at all—he was on a mission to raid Sendo's stash of snacks!

"What are you doing, you idiot?" Sendo got out of bed and yanked Sawamura by the ear.

"Sendo, you're injured! You shouldn't be moving around or eating random things!" Sawamura protested.

"If moving around delays my recovery, then I get more days off, right? And who told you injured people shouldn't eat snacks? You moron! I haven't disciplined you for three days, and now you're out of control!"

"Let go already!"

"No way! You're trying to empty my fridge, aren't you? I'll teach you a lesson so you remember who you're dealing with! Give me back my feelings of gratitude, you little thief!" Sendo tightened his grip.

...

Ten Minutes Later

Sawamura lay on the floor, looking half-dead, his breath shallow and raspy.

"Fine! I'll share half of my snacks with you, but take them and get out! And don't even think about the rest, got it?"

"Really? You're giving me some? Then why did you beat me up?!" Sawamura miraculously recovered, protesting indignantly.

"You were planning to take everything, weren't you? Did you even ask me before you started? You think you can fool me with such a lame excuse?" Sendo's anger reignited.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry!" Sawamura pleaded, his voice breaking as Sendo grabbed him again.

"Hmph! If you have time to steal from me, why not go for Masuko-senpai's puddings? You've stolen plenty of those before!"

"Masuko-senpai's puddings are getting harder to steal!" Sawamura admitted, which earned him another squeeze from Sendo.

"So, you think my stuff is easier to take, huh? Don't underestimate me, you idiot!"

"Why are you so mad?!"

...

After Sendo returned to the team, Coach Kataoka increased the intensity of his training, especially his batting practice.

With Furuya sent to the Second String, there weren't many live pitchers available, so Sendo had to rely on the pitching machine.

Since Sendo had shown signs of adapting to the rhythm of high school pitching, Coach Kataoka focused on honing this skill further.

Sendo's transformation also inspired the seniors to train harder.

For those without exceptional talent, hard work was their only path forward. At Seidou, talent and determination went hand in hand.

Even players like Shirasu, who held the right field position, faced competition. His main rival was third-year Sakai-senpai, making their battle for the spot fiercely intense.

Meanwhile, Sendo's performance only kept improving. His batting average skyrocketed past .900, a superhuman level that even Yuuki had to respect.

Part of this was due to weaker opponents, but another factor was the lack of scouting reports on Sendo.

Seidou rarely allowed outsiders to observe their practices, let alone record them.

The only person allowed to record was Sendo himself—an unusual privilege earned through his excellent relationships with everyone on the team.

Even when criticizing or pointing out flaws, Sendo had a way of making others feel comfortable. In contrast, Miyuki's bluntness often came across as nitpicking or arrogance, making it harder for others to accept his feedback.

...

For example, when discussing the importance of fastballs, Miyuki might say something like:

"No matter how great your breaking balls are, don't forget the value of a fastball."

While well-intentioned, his tone often carried a condescending edge, making it difficult for others to take positively.

Sendo, on the other hand, would phrase it like this:

"Tanba-senpai, your forkball is incredible—it really keeps hitters guessing. But I'd recommend strengthening your fastball a bit more. Even though your fastball is already powerful, the margin for error is still high, so being cautious is better. Plus, improving your fastball will enhance the effectiveness of all your pitches."

The difference in tone made Sendo's advice feel more like a thoughtful suggestion than a command.

Combined with his logical explanations and strong relationships, it only deepened the bond between him and his teammates.

...

Time flew by, and the competition for the final two First String spots became heated.

Haruichi's performance continued to shine, especially his defensive skills, making him a near-guaranteed pick for one of the spots.

Haruichi wasn't just immediate support; he represented Seidou's future.

The last spot, as Sendo predicted, would likely go to a pitcher.

Seidou's strategy for the summer didn't rely on a single ace but instead on a bullpen depth similar to professional teams.

In modern professional leagues, pitchers often weren't the most valuable players because every team had a deep roster of capable arms.

The focus shifted instead to strong hitters and catchers with elite defensive skills.

For Seidou to emulate this strategy, they needed a large pool of pitchers to rotate through games.

Sawamura eventually earned the final spot, not because of his overwhelming ability, but due to his mental fortitude—a "big heart" that allowed him to perform under pressure without being crushed by the moment.

For another pitcher, the pressure of coming in as relief might have led to a meltdown. But Sawamura's big heart ensured he wouldn't crumble under the spotlight.

Under Chris's guidance, Sawamura was eager yet able to settle down and focus on his training.

Recently, Sendo had been accompanying Sawamura for extra practice, mainly by catching his pitches.

"That's enough for today. Let's call it a night," Sendo said.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Just ten more pitches! You're not busy anyway!" Sawamura insisted, panting.

"What do you mean I'm not busy?" Sendo retorted, exasperated. Strictly speaking, Sawamura wasn't wrong—Sendo's daily routine often looked like free time to him.

"Your pitching form changes every time, and when you throw fastballs, your movements become exaggerated," came a sudden voice.

"Huh? Sunglasses coach?!" Sendo and Sawamura shouted in unison.

Coach Kataoka's temple visibly twitched in irritation.

"N-Nothing, thank you for your hard work, Coach-sama!" Sawamura immediately dropped to his knees, adopting the most subservient posture imaginable.

"Pfft!" Sendo couldn't help but stifle a laugh, earning a sharp glare from Kataoka. But the coach knew this was just Sawamura's natural personality, not something Sendo had taught him.

"Do you even know what time it is? Blindly practicing like this will only lead to injuries, you fool!"

Hearing this, Sawamura raised his head abruptly, his gaze dropping to the ground in realization.

"Hasn't Chris taught you the importance of building a strong foundation? And you, Sendo, how could you indulge him in this nonsense?"

Kataoka, having learned from Chris's cautious approach, was now extra vigilant. Sendo, however, believed Sawamura's current workload wasn't enough to cause injury but wisely kept his mouth shut.

"There have been many who couldn't understand Chris's methods and gave up on pitching. But his foundational approach, based on personal experience, is by no means wrong. If you can't take your catcher's advice seriously, maybe I should end your pitcher-catcher partnership!"

Kataoka's final line was more of a scare tactic, but Sawamura took it to heart. His determination to repay Chris's faith was unwavering, and he passionately declared his desire to prove himself, even moving Kataoka slightly.

The coach, now convinced that Sawamura had completely forgotten about the two open spots on the First String roster, relented.

"In any case, no more reckless pitching practices! From now on, if you want extra practice, do it with imaginary pitching!"

Hearing this, Sendo's eyes lit up as he recalled what was about to happen next. Silently, he pulled out his high-end camera, the "aibo," and positioned it perfectly to capture the scene. (Sendo, you're really walking a fine line here… recording the coach's potential embarrassing moment.)

Sendo's aibo wasn't to be underestimated. It was a top-tier device capable of recording even in low-light conditions, let alone under the bright moonlight.

Thankfully, no one noticed Sendo's sneaky actions.

"Listen carefully! No matter how much force you exert, you can't throw a proper fastball without proper mechanics. The key is the hand holding the glove!" Kataoka began his explanation.

Sendo nodded along enthusiastically. While he understood and applied these concepts naturally, he wasn't great at articulating or teaching them.

"Watch closely! To channel all your body's power to your fingertips, as a left-handed pitcher, you need to use your right hand to create a 'wall.' Your right foot supports your body weight during the motion, and your right hand ensures you don't lose any power. Think of it like drawing a bowstring, holding the tension until the final moment. Then, release all the power from your lower body in one explosive motion!"

In short, it was a technique to unleash the body's full power in an instant.

Sendo had mastered this intuitively, relying on his natural explosiveness and finger technique to generate incredible velocity and movement on his pitches.

But Kataoka's detailed explanation highlighted just how profound his pitching foundation was, a testament to his training under Coach Sakaki.

The demonstration was breathtaking. Kataoka's movements created a powerful wind as he illustrated the technique, leaving a strong impression.

Finally, Kataoka handed a towel to Sawamura. At this point, Sendo was already covering his mouth with both hands, desperately trying not to laugh. If he let it out now, it would be a disaster.

Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for—or at least Sendo had been.

Sawamura, in all his earnestness, swung his arm as instructed, and the towel, flying at full force, smacked Kataoka squarely in the face.

Even the sunglasses that Kataoka rarely took off were nearly knocked off.

"Pfft! Hahaha!" Sendo burst out laughing, the only one on the team who dared openly mock the coach.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I really didn't mean to!" Sawamura dropped to his knees again, apologizing profusely.

"Hahaha! My stomach hurts from laughing!" Sendo clutched his sides.

Kataoka, clearly exasperated, chose to leave.

Seizing the opportunity, Sendo quickly packed away his aibo without anyone noticing.

"This can't fall into that scheming glasses-wearer's hands, or I'm doomed," Sendo muttered under his breath.

And so, another chaotic training session came to an end, with Sendo pushing the boundaries of humor and Sawamura once again proving to be a magnet for trouble.

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