Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 325: Shifting Thoughts

Bang!

Dazzling and radiant.

In that fleeting moment when the ball sped through the air, the bat swung brilliantly.

Eijun's energetic figure leapt into motion.

The next second—

A deafening sound exploded, resonating across the stadium. The dazzling trajectory of the ball shot high into the sky, crossing more than a hundred meters before slamming fiercely into the netting above.

The ball then fell beyond the fence.

As Eijun raised his left hand triumphantly and sprinted around the bases, the entire crowd erupted into thunderous cheers.

"Three-run home run!!! The ace's decisive strike! Bottom of the seventh inning — game over! Seidou High wins!!"

"Whoa, Sawamura! This kid is on fire!"

"Wow, he already had home runs in the summer tournament, and now he kicks off the autumn with another one? Is he planning to be both ace and cleanup hitter in the future?"

"Honestly, with how things are going, that seems very likely. Once Miyuki and the others graduate next year, Sawamura could really become the No. 4 batter."

"Not just that—he's got the presence and character to take over as captain too."

"An ace, cleanup hitter, and captain? That's a bit much, isn't it?"

"Haha, that's next year's problem. Too early to say."

"Heh, true."

Eijun's game-changing hit had clearly left a lasting impact. Although Furuya had already performed impressively with his dual pitching and batting skills, Eijun's seventh-inning home run stole the spotlight.

With a three-run homer securing half of Seidou's total points, Eijun's presence as the ace became even more undeniable.

The crowd was filled with admiration, the media buzzed with amazement, and scouts beamed with satisfaction. Meanwhile, members of rival powerhouse teams observed with somber expressions.

A formidable pitcher and batter—a true ace.

This autumn, Seidou High was bound to be a tough opponent once again.

In Seidou's dugout, Coach Kataoka and Coach Ochiai nodded in satisfaction.

"This is the kind of ace who anchors a team," they thought.

Even Miyuki, sitting on the bench, shook his head with a wry smile.

"Who's going to be the cleanup hitter now? This kid's performance is just too good. Is he venting all the energy he couldn't use on the mound?"

"Beautiful hit, Sawamura!" Kuramochi shot out from the dugout, wrapping his arms around Eijun's back with a mischievous grin.

"Well done, Ace!"

"Awesome job, Eijun!" Haruichi said, blushing with a smile.

"Sawamura-kun, that was perfect!"

"Careful, Ace, you're stealing our spotlight!"

"You looked so cool, Sawamura-kun. That ace number suits you perfectly."

On the sidelines, Haruno, the team's slightly dazed manager, watched Eijun surrounded by his teammates. A knowing smile curved at her lips as budding feelings quietly spread within her heart.

What she didn't know, however, was that from this very moment, she had already fallen behind at the starting line.

Of course, neither she, Eijun, nor someone else in a distant place could foresee what would unfold in the future — a story that would span over ten years.

It wasn't until much later, when Eijun became the starting pitcher and cleanup hitter for the Chicago Cubs in the U.S. National League, that he would fondly recall this youthful chapter of his life, always with a warm, knowing smile.

Because whether sweet, bitter, sour, or spicy, these experiences were all unforgettable parts of Eijun's most cherished and memorable youth.

"Salute!"

"Thank you for the game!"

The result of the seven-inning match was self-evident. Seidou High School secured a decisive victory with absolute dominance. The score alone made this fact clear.

However, the issues exposed during the game were just as significant.

Even without Coach Kataoka and Coach Ochiai pointing them out, the players themselves were fully aware of their shortcomings—especially Maezono, the team's No. 3 batter.

Initially, Maezono had been confident about performing well and securing his spot in the lineup when placed as the third batter.

Unfortunately, by the end of the first game, his self-image as a powerful, ape-like player had taken on a new buff: the "unlucky non-pro" buff.

He looked as if he'd carried around a decades-old charred pot bottom—thick layers of black soot still waiting to be scraped off.

After the game, Coach Kataoka gave a brief post-match summary. Overall, he was satisfied with the new team's performance.

The existence of shortcomings was perfectly normal.

No team could perform at 100% right after being formed.

Improving the team's overall level required constant adjustments. In that sense, the main purpose of these three preliminary matches for Seidou High was precisely to achieve that.

...

The following Saturday:

After defeating Toyosaki High School, Seidou High faced its second preliminary opponent: Tokyo Metropolitan Sano High School.

In terms of strength, Sano High was about the same as Toyosaki High.

If one had to nitpick, Sano High might be slightly stronger. Their ace pitcher not only excelled at curveballs but could also throw forkballs, with a fastball speed exceeding 135 km/h.

For a Tokyo public high school ace, those were rare stats. Moreover, this ace reportedly had decent control, though hitting all four corners was challenging.

Still, he demonstrated clear distinctions between inside and outside pitches, often throwing sharply into difficult inside corners.

Just this aspect alone made them stronger than Toyosaki High.

However, for Seidou High, this difference didn't matter much.

It was like playing an RPG at max level—did it make any difference whether you fought Level 1 or Level 2 monsters?

Either way, it was a one-hit kill.

There was no visible difference.

Especially in this second match, Coach Kataoka had clearly learned from the first game's experience and made strategic adjustments to the lineup.

Notably, he moved Maezono from the No. 3 position to the No. 5 spot.

This adjustment successfully linked the top batting order.

In this second match, the lineup no longer broke down starting from Shirasu.

The team's transitional capabilities were much better.

During the previous summer tournament, Shirasu had been placed in the No. 9 position—not because his batting skills were weak but because he could effectively connect the lower batting lineup to the top order.

This placement was a testament to Shirasu's skills.

This time, moving him to the No. 3 position was a solution to the first game's problem of the batting lineup breaking down at the No. 3 slot, preventing smooth transitions.