Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 348: Teito Battle – The Ace of Diamond

"Bang!"

The deafening sound echoed across the stadium, leaving everyone stunned. This outcome—truth be told—was beyond anyone's expectations. Even the Seidou players blinked in disbelief, wondering if their eyes were deceiving them.

"It's… It's out!!! A home run!!!"

"A straight shot to center field, smashing into the scoreboard! With two outs, the No. 3 batter, the ace, Sawamura Eijun, despite being down two strikes, perfectly read the third pitch and sent it flying! The Ace of Diamond strikes first!!!"

The commentator's passionate call ignited the previously hushed stadium into a frenzy.

Gasps filled the air.

They had already thought highly of Eijun. But reality proved they had still underestimated him.

His first-ever plate appearance as the No. 3 batter in an official match—against none other than Teito High, a powerhouse whose ace had already battled through Koshien—

And yet, he launched a home run on his very first at-bat?!

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! A solo homer in the first inning?! This is insane!"

"Wait, wait, wasn't his batting weaker during the summer tournament?"

"Damn, sure, he had a 100% batting average in the preliminaries, but those were against weaker schools! This is Teito High! Mukai Taiyou is no pushover!"

"It's just one at-bat. Maybe it was luck? Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"Shut up—if you're not excited, why's your voice shaking?"

"Uhh…"

"Golden Battery, the Ace of Diamond… Could it be that this era belongs to him—Sawamura Eijun?"

"Too soon to say! Way too soon! But one thing's for sure—over the next two years, this kid is going to grow into one of the scariest monsters in high school baseball."

As Eijun rounded the bases, a flurry of heated discussions erupted from the stands. Scouts from powerhouse schools exchanged uneasy glances—especially those from Inashiro Industrial.

The two Inashiro scouts exchanged a look and both felt a headache coming on. Having this kind of rival in the same region was nothing short of a nightmare.

Yakushi, Sensen, and Ichidaisan's scouts all had similarly grim expressions. The stronger Eijun became, the more pressure they would have to endure.

"Incredible, Sawamura-senpai! Not only is his pitching top-tier, but his batting is this strong too?! He crushed Mukai-senpai's pitch! And it went the farthest distance possible—a straight blast!"

In the left-field stands, Seto's admiration was evident as he clicked his tongue in amazement.

Beside him, Okumura was visibly moved.

That hit… had shaken the entire stadium.

"That was a beautiful shot, Eijun-kun!" Haruichi shouted from the dugout, his face flushed with excitement.

"Yahaha! As expected from our pride and joy, the ace! Well done!" Kuramochi laughed heartily.

"Sawamura! That was a perfect home run!" Kanemaru, Tojo, and the others cheered. In the dugout, coach Kataoka gave a slight nod.

Even Ochiai, who rarely showed much emotion, had a faint smile in his narrowed eyes.

A two-way ace—a player who could both pitch and hit—was a rare treasure in any team. And in the professional world, such talents would be chased after by every baseball organization.

Seidou High's Ace of Diamond—Sawamura Eijun.

A flawless first at-bat.

On the Field

Teito's captain, Kengo, quickly called for a timeout and made his way to the mound.

Standing before Mukai, who had pulled his cap down low, Inui didn't show any signs of worry. Instead, he simply watched him silently.

"That guy's incredible." Mukai let out a self-deprecating chuckle, lifting his head slightly.

"We knew he was good, but even after preparing for it, we still underestimated him."

Despite his words, there wasn't a single trace of discouragement or despair on Mukai's face.

His eyes still burned with determination.

"Yeah… That hit was flawless. For a second, it felt like a lightning bolt struck my brain."

"How many times a day do you get struck by lightning, Inui-senpai?" Mukai smirked.

"That was unexpected, but it confirmed his skill. Next time, we need to be even more cautious. It's only the first inning, Taiyo. Stay steady and take it one pitch at a time."

"Yeah, I got it, Inui-senpai."

Mukai smiled and nodded, but as Inui turned away, his hands—hidden behind his back—clenched tightly.

The veins on them bulged slightly, revealing that his outward composure didn't match his true feelings.

His gaze flickered toward Eijun's back as he returned to the dugout.

The cold glint in his eyes grew sharper.

Next time… Next time, I'll take you down!!!

"Batting fourth, catcher, Miyuki-kun."

Miyuki stepped into the batter's box, tapping the plate lightly with his bat.

He cast a glance toward the dugout, where Eijun was being swarmed by his teammates.

Shaking his head internally, he sighed.

"This damn kid… Always putting pressure on his seniors."

Well—since the rookie was stepping up…

It was only right that his seniors followed suit.

As a senior and team captain, how could he possibly fall behind his junior?!

"Whoosh!"

"Ping!"

Miyuki swung at the very first pitch. Against a pitcher with such precise control, he clearly knew how to handle the situation with ease.

One swing—and a clean hit.

He precisely captured the low outside pitch.

"Whoosh!"

"Plop!"

The ball sailed over the second baseman's outstretched glove, landing safely in front of the center fielder.

Following No. 3 batter Eijun's home run, No. 4 batter Miyuki kept the momentum rolling with a sharp single to center field.

Seidou's bench erupted in cheers once again, and in the dugout, Eijun's lips curved into a smirk.

"That footwork—so decisive. This guy…"

On the mound, Mukai gritted his teeth, his expression darkening in frustration.

"Batting fifth, first baseman, Maezono-kun."

Two outs, runner on first.

Like a true master of face-changing theater, Maezono stood in the on-deck circle with a perfectly normal expression just a second ago.

Then, the moment he stepped onto the field—

Accompanied by the roaring cheers of Seidou's supporters—

His entire demeanor changed.

Rain poured from the sky.

Like a raging beast crashing into a calm lake—

The Gorilla-Style Batter had arrived.

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