Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 334: Sharpening, Transformation, and Progress

That night, inside and outside the Seidou High indoor training facility, four figures stood—three active high school baseball players and one coach.

A conversation unfolded, igniting two hearts, stirring three profound realizations, and intertwining four waves of emotion.

The cunning "old fox," Coach Ochiai, envisioned meticulously refining Eijun over the next two years, transforming this raw gem into a dazzling treasure that would astonish not only Japan but the global baseball world.

The crafty captain, Miyuki, marveled at his ace's untapped potential and growing self-confidence.

He wondered just how far this genius underclassman's future ceiling could reach.

As a catcher, the excitement of witnessing firsthand the terrifying growth phase of a pitcher brought him great joy.

The powerhouse pitcher, Furuya, felt a surge of competitive drive.

This moment further fueled his determination. His unwavering goal was clear—to surpass Sawamura and prove himself.

The position of Japan's number one pitcher was something he would never back down from, standing tall with unyielding conviction.

Unlike Furuya, the generational ace Eijun gained unprecedented clarity about his future goals.

He resolved to give everything he had, sparing no effort, to achieve his ultimate dream—standing at the pinnacle of baseball's sacred grounds.

A legend in Japanese baseball was quietly taking its first steps toward a journey destined to forge a legendary era.

That night was undoubtedly a transformative one for Eijun—a night filled with growth and inspiration.

In the ten days leading up to the official matches, under Ochiai's daily guidance, Eijun gradually perfected his fastball-based pitching system.

Previously, his unique pitching style revolved primarily around a diverse array of breaking balls.

Now, Eijun had established a new system centered on pitch speed, forming a three-tiered progression of slow, medium, and fast pitches.

This new framework was beginning to take shape.

If Eijun could eventually merge these two systems into one unified style, it would become his exclusive battle strategy.

At that point, Ochiai's prediction of him becoming Japan's number one pitcher would be well within reach. Of course, the path would be filled with extraordinary challenges and difficulties.

Each pitching system—moving from its initial framework to a fully developed and perfected state—required extensive time, relentless training, and refinement.

The mental and physical toll would be immense.

Eijun's dream might seem simple on the surface, but it would demand his lifelong dedication and unwavering pursuit.

At the current high school level, however, simply advancing and refining this system further would already be enough to dominate.

As for complete mastery, that would likely only come after Eijun entered professional baseball, where his physical condition would undergo further strengthening.

But those were matters for the future.

For now, Eijun's sole goal was crystal clear—leading Seidou High to defend their glory as champions. The breathtaking view from the top was something Eijun would never allow anyone else to touch.

That spot belonged exclusively to Seidou High!

Time flew by as Eijun and the rest of the Seidou High baseball team continued their intense training.

Thanks to the early involvement of Coach Ochiai and the well-planned training schedule he established, the team managed to compensate for the more than one-month gap in their formation process.

After the trials of the preliminary matches, the team's chemistry improved significantly.

Ochiai provided targeted guidance to key players like Haruichi, Kuramochi, Toujou, Maezono, and Kanemaru, who all had areas for improvement.

One notable change was with Maezono. Initially, Maezono favored hitting by pulling the ball aggressively.

Under Ochiai's advice, he adopted a different technique—delayed pull hitting.

By waiting until the ball was at the extreme edge of the strike zone before making his move, he utilized his strength to its fullest.

The technique required a slower buildup during the swing but a rapid final release, almost as if the bat stuck to the ball for a fraction of a second before driving it forcefully.

What surprised even Ochiai was how quickly Maezono stabilized his batting performance using this method. It made the experienced coach view him in a new light.

A player capable of quickly recognizing and correcting their weaknesses was far from untalented.

Ochiai began to understand why Coach Kataoka valued Maezono so much—his strength, diligence, and natural talent were undeniable.

"Hmm, maybe he's not a bad option as a starting player after all," Ochiai muttered to himself.

What Ochiai didn't realize was that his own perspective was slowly changing within Seidou's unique environment.

However, the greater transformation lay in how Ochiai himself was shaping the new Seidou team.

Under his influence, the team became more rational, tactical, and strategic. Not only did individual players improve, but the team's overall style matured.

The chemistry sparked by Ochiai's involvement was beginning to show real results.

On September 26, a clear sunny day, the Seidou team continued their training under the supervision of Coach Kataoka and Coach Ochiai.

However, two key members of the team were absent from school.

Those two were none other than the core duo—Eijun Sawamura and Kazuya Miyuki.

Their absence wasn't due to any special reason other than attending an important event: the draw ceremony for the October main tournament of the Autumn Championship.

After surviving the preliminary rounds in September, schools that advanced would now draw lots to determine the match schedule for the main tournament.

One major difference between the Autumn and Summer Championships stood out—unlike the Summer Tournament, the Autumn Championship did not divide teams by East and West Tokyo. This was evident even in the preliminaries, where Seidou faced opponents from East Tokyo, like the Metropolitan Sano High School.

This meant that the champion of the Autumn Tournament would reign supreme over all of Tokyo's 200-plus high schools.

Another crucial difference? There were no seeded teams in the Autumn Tournament.

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