Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 393: The Fierce Assault of the Golden Battery in the Ugumori Battle

"Bang!"

Another sharp outside fastball.

Eijun swung his bat sideways.

Sending the ball flying.

"Whoosh"

"Thud"

"Foul ball!"

No, this can't go on. If we keep being led by the nose like this, we might get overwhelmed by their relentless attacks. If that's the case...

Amid the continuous offensive pressure,

Eijun realized that to break through the current situation,

What's needed is the element of surprise—to strike where they least expect it.

"Whoosh"

As another flash of light appeared,

A glint of determination flickered in Eijun's eyes. In a move that caught everyone from Ugumori High and even the entire audience off guard, he quickly crouched and assumed a bunting stance.

"Tap"

A clear, crisp sound rang out.

Eijun expertly bunted the ball toward third base. As the ball bounced away,

He immediately dropped his bat and sprinted toward first base.

This was one of Eijun's signature moves.

A perfectly executed bunt.

"Thud"

The ball bounced along the ground,

Precisely rolling along the third base line.

By the time the third baseman, Takagi, managed to pick up the ball,

Eijun was already closing in on first base. His speed was second only to Kuramochi's in Seidou High.

"Whoosh"

Despite his surprise, Takagi quickly whipped his arm.

The ball shot toward first base.

"Snap"

As the first baseman, Inubushi, caught the ball,

A heavy thud echoed behind him—the sound of Eijun's foot hitting the base. The sensation made Inubushi's expression darken.

Sure enough,

The next moment.

"Safe!"

The first base umpire's voice rang out.

It was a close call.

Just as the ball reached the glove,

Eijun had barely made it to the base.

A successful safety bunt!!!

A bunt!? This guy actually went for a bunt here?

The moment Eijun stepped onto the base, everyone from Ugumori High, including their ace, Umemiya Seiichi, nearly had their eyes pop out of their sockets.

Hey, hey, hey, come on, you're the invincible ace of the reigning champions.

And the third batter, no less.

How could you have no shame and bunt to get on base?

It had to be said, Eijun's move here completely caught Ugumori High off guard. Even the Seidou High team was somewhat surprised.

But that didn't stop them from cheering.

After all, he got on base, right?

"Nice job, Sawamura!"

"That's the way, one step at a time."

"Keep it going, Captain."

"Furuya, bring him home. Hit one here."

In the on-deck circle, Miyuki glanced at Eijun, who was handing his gear to at first base, and let out a wry smile. Even Miyuki hadn't expected Eijun to bunt in this situation.

But this also highlighted one thing.

We must score, absolutely must score, no matter what.

This was the most intense signal Eijun had ever sent, emanating from the depths of his being.

Miyuki could keenly feel the resolute determination radiating from his team's ace.

"Fourth batter, catcher, Miyuki-kun."

Miyuki stepped into the batter's box with a calm demeanor.

Beneath his composed exterior, his mind was a whirlwind of activity, simulating every possible scenario for the upcoming at-bat. He considered every conceivable probability.

In a strict sense,

Miyuki was a cerebral hitter. Many of his game-winning hits were the result of half-guessing, half-swinging. However, Miyuki's guesses weren't baseless.

They were more akin to a data-driven approach to hitting.

Hitters like Miyuki,

To be precise,

Were the polar opposite of instinctual hitters like Yuuki and Raichi.

These two types of hitters,

Never bothered to think about what pitch the opponent might throw. They relied purely on feel and experience to swing, then adjusted mid-swing using their keen instincts and physical abilities.

In the original story,

Yuuki managed to catch Narumiya's changeup, securing a game-changing two-run hit.

Raichi repeatedly crushed the aces' decisive pitches of strong teams.

These were the best examples.

Miyuki, on the other hand, leaned more toward a rational approach to hitting.

He used data analysis to determine the most probable outcomes.

Combined with Miyuki's immense power, refined technique, strong physique, and exceptional in-game adaptability, these qualities allowed him to climb to the pinnacle of hitting.

Just like now,

In the few seconds Miyuki stood in the batter's box,

He ran through every possible scenario he could think of, including all the data on his opponent. The rest would depend on his in-game adjustments and execution.

Meanwhile, Eijun, standing on first base, took a large lead off the bag.

While he couldn't match Kuramochi's exaggerated lead,

Eijun's distance from the base was enough to put Ugumori High on alert and draw the attention of their ace, Umemiya Seiichi.

The golden battery of defense,

Was equally in sync on offense. With just a glance, Eijun and Miyuki could understand each other's thoughts and intentions.

"Watch the runners on first and second. Sei, focus on the batter."

From the dugout, Matsubara calmly issued instructions.

On the field, the Ugumori High players nodded with stern expressions.

"Play ball!"

As the umpire's sharp call rang out,

On the mound,

Seiichi's expression hardened.

With a powerful stride,

He swung his arm.

"Whoosh"

A bright white light streaked across the sky.

Miyuki stepped forward decisively, his eyes locking onto the speeding ball.

"Swish"

With a forceful swing of his bat,

Outside fastball!

Miyuki's sharp instincts and excellent dynamic vision,

Allowed him to quickly discern the ball's precise trajectory.

"Whoosh"

However, Umemiya, now in his peak form, had slightly increased his pitch speed compared to before.

This caused Miyuki's judgment to be just a fraction off.

"Snap"

The ball slipped past the bat a split second earlier, landing in the catcher's mitt with a crisp sound.

"Strike!"

The pitch speed increased?

Miyuki narrowed his eyes slightly, a thoughtful glint flashing in his gaze.

Instinctively, Miyuki tightened his grip on the bat.

He adjusted his grip slightly, lengthening his hold to increase the bat's coverage area.

Miyuki recalled the advice Coach Ochiai had given him earlier.

Taking a deep breath, he reset his stance for the next pitch.

The second pitch: a slow curveball.

"Whoosh"

The ball floated toward the plate.

Even though this was his second at-bat,

Miyuki still felt a bit unsettled by the change in pace.

"Swish"

The bat swung.

The ball drifted.

"Tap!"

The collision occurred at a delicate point.

"Whoosh"

The ball ricocheted off the bat,

Slamming into the ground with a dull thud.

Indeed, against a pitcher like this, adapting to the drastic change in pitch speed was the key.

"Whoosh"

"Tap"

"Thud"

"Foul ball!"

"Whoosh"

"Snap"

"Ball!"

"Whoosh"

"Tap!"

"..."

Pitch after pitch, unlike his first at-bat,

Miyuki's adaptability and reflexes were on full display this time.

He gave it everything.

Umemiya seemed to realize that he was struggling to overpower this batter.

It was at this moment,

While Umemiya's attention was fully focused on Miyuki in the batter's box,

Miyuki and Eijun exchanged a glance.

A spark flashed in both their eyes.

As Umemiya lifted his left leg once more,

In that fleeting moment,

Near first base,

Eijun's eyes gleamed with determination, his body coiled like a drawn bow.

"Whoosh"

In that split second,

He took off.

"Whoosh"

As the ball shot toward the plate,

Eijun's figure sprinted forward.

The roaring pitch.

The sprinting runner.

As Umemiya's eyes widened in realization on the mound,

Miyuki swung his bat with full force.

"Bang!!!"

A thunderous crack echoed.

This was the counterattack of the golden battery!!!