Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 180: Summary

"Sorry for bringing up something so painful for you today," Rei said sincerely after the game, pulling Sendo aside to offer a formal apology.

"It's fine! You didn't do it on purpose, Rei-chan. What's happened can't be changed anyway," Sendo replied with a calm smile.

"Thank you!" Rei responded gratefully.

"The practice game just ended, so you must be busy, right? You should focus on your work. I'm heading back to the dorm now. See you later!" Sendo waved goodbye casually as he walked away.

"Cool as ever," Rei muttered with a smile, hands on her hips as she watched him leave.

...

"Show us Wakana's picture! Now!"

"My pudding…!"

As Sendo walked past Room 5 on his way back to the dorm, he stumbled upon this chaotic scene.

Sawamura was sprawled on the ground while Kuramochi pinned him with a scorpion hold, gripping his legs.

Meanwhile, the "Pudding Senpai" was pressing down on Sawamura's back, crying angrily while choking him in a rear-naked chokehold.

Don't ask how Sendo recognized all of this.

"What on earth are you guys doing?" Sendo asked from the doorway, feigning confusion.

"This guy has a girlfriend back home and won't show us her picture!" Kuramochi growled.

"My pudding…!"

"I see," Sendo said with a glance at the pudding wrapper on the ground, as if everything now made sense.

"Sendo! Help me explain!" Sawamura gasped, trying to call for help.

"Oh, right! Sendo, you went to the same junior high as him!"

"Hm…" Sendo pretended to think deeply as he looked at the chaotic scene.

"Use your imagination!" he said, then walked off without hesitation.

"Hey! Don't just leave me here, Sendo!" Sawamura stretched out a desperate hand, but Sendo had already disappeared.

"Huh?" Kuramochi froze for a second after hearing Sendo's comment.

"SA-WA-MU-RA!" he shouted, tightening his hold.

"My pudding!!!" The choking hold from Pudding Senpai became even more aggressive.

Hearing the shouts of anger from his senpai and Sawamura's cries of despair, Sendo couldn't help but feel that this was what life should be like.

"This guy is so flexible—just toss him out already, Masuko-san!"

"Got it!"

"Noooo!!!"

Feeling completely satisfied, Sendo returned to his dorm room. With classes and practice tomorrow, he decided to get a good night's rest.

...

"Where's Sendo?" Jun appeared in Sendo's room later that evening.

"Humph! That guy went to the bathroom. Why? What's up, Jun?" Miyauchi replied, snorting through his nose before speaking.

"I had plans to watch Inashiro's game footage with Miyuki, but now I can't find him. So, I figured I'd ask Sendo to come along and learn something."

Miyauchi wanted to comment on Jun's heavy-handed logic but decided to hold back.

"Got it!"

At that moment, he noticed Sendo peeking in from the doorway, his expression practically screaming, You didn't see me, and I didn't hear anything!

But Jun turned his head before Sendo could escape.

"You're back just in time! Come watch the footage with me!" Jun wrapped his arm around Sendo's neck and started dragging him away, giving him no chance to refuse.

I'm doomed!

"Wait, wait! Jun-san, let me go! I know where that scheming glasses guy is! Just let me go first!" Sendo desperately tried to negotiate.

"That sneaky glasses guy is probably at the indoor practice field right now. With Furuya getting promoted to the first string today, I bet he's testing Furuya's pitches, trying to catch for him."

Better you than me, Miyuki Kazuya!

You probably enjoy this kind of stuff anyway, Sendo thought as he sold Miyuki out.

"Ah, I see!" Jun relaxed his grip slightly.

"But they'll likely be a pitcher-catcher duo in the future, so it's good for them to get familiar early."

"Huh?" Sendo suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Then I shouldn't interrupt them. You'll just watch the footage with me!" Jun tightened his grip again and dragged Sendo off.

...

Meanwhile, in the coach's office:

Rei and Ota, having finished their tasks, returned to discuss the takeaways from today's practice game.

"How do you think the game went?" Ota asked diligently.

"Although the scoreline was a blowout, there was still plenty to take away from it."

"That short second baseman—he's Kominato Ryousuke's younger brother, isn't he? No wonder his form looks so similar."

"And Furuya Satoru—just one pitch was enough to silence the entire field…"

"If he performs well tomorrow, I'm considering putting him on the roster for the Kanto Tournament," Kataoka added.

"Furuya, huh?" Ota was visibly surprised. Watching from the sidelines was one thing, but experiencing it directly was entirely different.

"That powerful, semi-fastball gives batters the illusion that it's rising—though in reality, it actually does rise."

"There aren't many batters in the country who could hit a pitch like that!"

"For the upcoming games before summer, I plan to rely on both Furuya and Tanba," Kataoka stated, summarizing his thoughts on the game.

The assistant coaches understood—Kataoka had personally felt the impact of that pitch.

"What about Sawamura? Can he be useful?" Rei asked, advocating for her favorite player.

"Sawamura? Didn't Masuko hit him earlier?" Ota, sticking to surface-level observations, questioned.

"Other than a few unlucky hits that fell between fielders and one missed catch by the catcher, only one solid hit was made off him," Rei explained.

"In modern high school baseball, which emphasizes power training and conditioning, a left-handed moving ball is incredibly valuable."

"While we lack left-handed pitchers…"

"His overly straightforward style, lack of tactical execution, and poor field coverage make him unusable for now. However, his raw talent—his bold pitching mechanics and joints flexible enough to disguise his pitches—puts him above the other two in terms of natural ability."

"In conclusion, Furuya will join the first string, and Sawamura will gain experience in the second string for now."

"What?" Ota was still skeptical about Sawamura being relegated to the second string.

"Yes," Kataoka affirmed.

"And Sendo?"

"What about Sendo?" Ota asked, puzzled.

"For the Kanto Tournament, I plan to give him a single-digit jersey number."

"What?!"

"Huh?"

"Isn't it too early for a single-digit jersey number, even though Sendo is already considered a key player?"

"Moreover," Coach Kataoka continued, dropping an even bigger bombshell, "I plan to move him to the starting lineup as the fifth batter and officially assign him to center field."

"Really?" Even Rei couldn't help but confirm, finding it hard to believe.

"Yes, the Kanto Tournament isn't as crucial as other competitions, so it's a good opportunity to test things out. Sendo's batting approach is more mature and clear-cut than Masuko's. He also has decent power. This is just an experiment—it doesn't mean he's permanently our fifth batter or center fielder."

"I understand," Rei nodded, acknowledging the plan.

"Haha, that's quite the promotion! So, what about Masuko?" Ota asked, a mix of surprise and excitement on his face.

"He'll move to the seventh spot," Kataoka replied.

"How luxurious!"

"Sendo's high on-base percentage and ability to get into scoring position easily will also help that brat in the cleanup spot focus better in the batter's box," Kataoka added with a laugh.

Coaching such a team full of talented but problematic players was, in its own way, enjoyable.

"Haha, speaking of Sendo and Miyuki, they're definitely the most troublesome pair of problem children!" Ota chuckled, joining in on the lighthearted banter.

"That said, add more batting practice for Sendo. There's no need to worry about his outfield defense—it's so good it makes you envious. Honestly, even bringing up his outfield ability feels like an attack on everyone else's confidence!"

...

"Listen up! There are only two months left until the summer tournament! Practicing without a clear goal is a waste of time! The first step to climbing a small hill and the first step to climbing Mt. Fuji may both be a step forward, but the mindset required is vastly different! So, which are we aiming to climb?"

"Goals give meaning to your daily life! Keep your aspirations high and train diligently every day!"

"Yes, sir!!!"

Following the intra-squad practice game, the final eighteen players for the team had been confirmed. It was now time to shift their focus toward the summer tournament.

...

"With the addition of the first-years, there are 94 players in total," Kataoka explained to the school's principal and director as practice began.

"What a massive training session!"

"Do you think we'll make it to Koshien this year?"

"Our goal has always been to dominate the nation!"

"But we haven't made it to Koshien in five years! If we can't make Seidou's name known nationwide again soon…" The director, ever the practical figure, voiced his concern.

"Don't worry. Every player on this team is far superior to the ones who made it to the semifinals last year!" Kataoka responded confidently.

At that moment, an impressive double play between second base and shortstop drew audible gasps from the principal and director.

"With ironclad defense in the middle infield: First batter, shortstop, Kuramochi Youichi!

Second batter, second baseman, Kominato Ryousuke!"

"With an incredible arm, strong batting ability, and a love for shouting: Third batter, center fielder, Isashiki Jun!"

"With an unshakable determination and a strong sense of victory: Fourth batter, first baseman, and captain, Yuuki Tetsuya!"

"With immense power and long-hitting ability, having just reclaimed his spot in the starting lineup: Fifth batter, heavyweight third baseman, Masuko Tooru!"

"And supporting the team from behind the plate, a key player: Sixth batter, catcher, Miyuki Kazuya!"

Just when the principal and director thought the introductions were over, Kataoka delivered one final twist.

"And as this year's surprise addition, someone who is still adjusting to the pace of high school baseball:

The final key player, temporarily batting seventh and playing left field: Sendo Akira!" Kataoka glanced at Sendo, still running laps on the field.

"Temporarily?"

"Yes," Kataoka confirmed. "That's why Sendo is this year's big prize. Once he fully adapts to high school-level competition and improves his defensive attitude, both his batting and fielding will take a qualitative leap forward.

"If he meets my expectations, he might even become the fifth batter and center fielder by summer."

"What?!"

"Seriously?"

For the first time, Kataoka revealed his genuine thoughts about Sendo:

"That guy's talent isn't on the same level as the others—he's a true genius. It's hard to imagine his full potential since he lacks formal training. Even now, his batting ability is already in the team's top tier.

"Honestly, he's our good fortune this year."

Kataoka recalled the first time he heard Sendo's name last year and how impressed he had been.

"Although we haven't finalized a right fielder yet, with this roster, we're already capable of standing above the rest of the nation."

"Hahaha! This year looks promising! If that… Sendo-kun reaches the level you're hoping for, our lineup will be terrifying!" the principal exclaimed, thrilled at the thought of having five middle-order caliber batters, or seven if you count the top of the lineup.

"Now it's just a matter of the pitchers! Let's see how much the former ace, Tanba, can recover."

...

On the sidelines, the first-years were buzzing with chatter.

Seeing two first-string players also running laps didn't seem all that unusual.

With the Kanto Tournament just a week away, practice games for the second string would increase to prepare for the summer.

The remaining two spots on the first string were still up for grabs, and even current first-string players risked being bumped out.

Internal competition was as intense as ever.

"First-years Sawamura and Furuya! Please report to the bench!"

The announcement echoed across the field.

"Looks like Chris-senpai will be working with Eijun now! I can't wait to see that. Chris-senpai's been so lifeless lately—Eijun's little angelic presence might cheer him up!

"Then again, these two pitchers are in for a tough time. With their training ramping up, their workload's going to double, isn't it?" Sendo muttered to himself, letting his imagination run wild after hearing the broadcast.

Unaware of the coaches' expectations for him, Sendo didn't care too much. He was the type to focus on doing his best during games and leaving the rest to fate.

Though if he did know, he probably wouldn't be happy—such high expectations usually came with grueling challenges.

Furuya and Sawamura were prime examples.

Enjoying his carefree moment, Sendo was blissfully unaware that his own "last supper" was about to begin.

After the two pitchers left, the broadcast called Sendo over as well, catching him off guard.

"I'm just a first-year outfielder! Isn't my training supposed to be simple?!" he thought, perplexed.

He assumed his performance during regular practice had already exposed his stamina issues, so endurance training seemed like the logical focus.

What he didn't know was the coach's plans for him, and while he didn't mind being called over, Sendo was secretly excited—it likely meant batting practice, his favorite part of training.

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

If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21