Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 396: The Deeper Meaning Behind Ugumori's Fury

This was what Eijun had told Miyuki before taking the mound.

When Eijun gets serious, there's no telling how deep his abilities truly go.

Since the summer tournament, no one had seen Sawamura go all out. Even against Teito, it felt like he was still holding something back.

But today—right now—Eijun was pitching with a paradoxical mix of fury and cold precision, unleashing his full power.

If the ace himself had made up his mind, how could his catcher hold him back?

Besides, Miyuki wanted to see it for himself—the true upper limits of a fully unleashed Eijun.

With complete synchronization, this golden battery was now in full force.

To put it bluntly, at this moment, only elite powerhouse teams like Yakushi, Komadai, Hakuryuu, Inashiro, Seihou, and Kiryu could even hope to challenge them.

For any other high school lineup?

They simply weren't on the same level.

"Ninth batter, left fielder, Nagami-kun."

Eijun had struck out Nishi, the eighth batter, using three different pitches.

By the time Nagami stepped into the batter's box, an unease had already settled in his heart. Should he still aim for a fastball?

Not just Nagami—Ugumori's dugout was equally tense.

Sitting in his wheelchair, Matsubara gripped the armrests so tightly that veins bulged on his hands. His deeply furrowed brows made it clear how conflicted he was.

He realized he had miscalculated two crucial things.

First, Eijun's skill level was beyond what he had anticipated.

Second, what kind of ace goes all out against the bottom of the lineup?!

Eijun wasn't following the script, and it was driving Ugumori crazy.

Sure enough, the memory of the previous batter's three pitches lingered in Nagami's mind. Even though he tried to prepare for a fastball, flashes of those different trajectories kept distracting him.

And so, the result was inevitable.

"Whoosh."

"Pop!"

"Strike! Batter out!"

Three fastballs, perfectly placed on the inside and outside corners.

Nagami had no chance.

It was like a child trying to compete against an adult—completely powerless.

A three-pitch strikeout was the only possible outcome.

"First batter, center fielder, Kondou-kun."

This level of dominance… is unreal.

Kondou Daiki's expression turned serious as he stepped into the batter's box.

Eijun's performance over these last three batters had completely stunned Ugumori.

They had already held him in the highest regard.

Yet somehow, they had still underestimated him.

No, at the very least, I have to make contact with the ball.

Kondou's eyes burned with determination as he tightened his grip on the bat.

No matter what it takes—I have to get on base!

Eijun noticed that resolute fire in Kondou's gaze.

His only response was a faint, almost mocking smirk.

A hit? Getting on base?

No, you won't even get the chance.

"Boom!"

A powerful gust of wind erupted from the mound as Eijun raised his right leg high and whipped his arm forward.

"Whoosh."

A pitch brimming with overwhelming pressure soared through the air.

Its trajectory was as sharp as a blade slicing through space.

A dazzling flash of brilliance.

In the batter's box, Kondou's pupils shrank sharply as his foot instinctively stepped forward.

The ball, bearing down with a low trajectory—

And then—

"Clang!"

A sharp metallic sound rang out.

Kondou's face twisted, his expression stiff.

A subtle twitch at the corner of his lips revealed his shock—this pitch carried far more force than he had imagined.

His bat wavered under the oppressive weight of the ball.

His arms sank.

"Whoosh—"

"Bang!"

The ball, escaping his control, shot forward.

And in the next moment—

"Pop!"

A shadow flashed before his eyes.

It was Eijun.

A calm, composed figure standing tall, right hand effortlessly securing the ball.

"OUT! Side retired!"

"OOOOHHH!!! A line drive straight to the pitcher! Sawamura-kun gets the first batter out with just one pitch! Three up, three down! Change of sides!"

Damn it!!!

Kondou clenched his fists, gritting his teeth in frustration.

But then, as he looked toward the mound—

He met Eijun's gaze.

Those deep, abyss-like eyes.

For a brief moment—just a second—Kondou felt a chill crawl down his spine.

Eijun's sheer presence had completely overwhelmed him.

"Great pitch, Sawamura!"

"Hahaha! Three up, three down! Well done, Ace!"

"That's the way, Eijun-kun!"

"Did you see that?! This is our team's pride—our Ace!"

"The Ace of Seidou!"

"Incredible, Eijun-kun!"

"OOOOHHHHHH!!!"

"SEIDOU! SEIDOU! SEIDOU!"

It was as if all the frustration and suppressed emotions from giving up four runs had been released in an instant.

With Eijun utterly dominating and securing three outs, Seidou's cheering section erupted into wild applause and cheers.

So what if they allowed four runs?

They had a far stronger Ace leading them.

And four runs?

They would take them back in no time.

That was the pride of a champion.

Inside Seidou's dugout—

As the teams switched sides—

Miyuki had been watching Eijun with a rather peculiar expression.

He kept staring—until Eijun felt goosebumps rising all over his body.

Finally, Miyuki spoke in a slow, deliberate tone.

"You're acting kind of weird today."

"Huh?"

Eijun had been waiting, expecting Miyuki to say something important.

But instead—he got this baffling statement?

"Weird? What the hell does that even mean?"

Eijun rolled his eyes and shot Miyuki a glance, but he didn't say anything.

"You seem kinda pissed off."

Miyuki tilted his head, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Then, with a sly grin, he leaned in closer.

"Hmm... Could it be because Furuya got taken deep?"

That one sentence—hit Eijun like a punch to the gut.

His heartbeat skipped a beat.

Damn it.

Miyuki's instincts were way too sharp when it came to things like this.

It was true—Eijun's all-out pitching, his underlying anger beneath his cold focus—most of it was because Furuya got rocked.

Past life or present—Eijun had always seen Furuya as his greatest rival.

Just like that so-called "Prince of Tokyo."

This frustration, this anger—it wasn't just directed at Furuya for failing to hold his ground.

It was also aimed at Ugumori's lineup, for their brazen, unrestrained offense.

But this was something buried deep inside him.

How the hell did Miyuki figure it out so fast?!

Eijun was at a loss for words.

At a time like this... yeah, silence was golden.

So he kept his mouth shut and maintained a perfectly calm exterior.

But his silence?

Completely useless against Miyuki.

With a knowing smirk, Miyuki patted Eijun's shoulder.

"I never expected you to be this kind of person."

That dragged-out tone, that oh-so-meaningful voice—

Eijun's eye twitched.

Goddamn it.

Being stuck with this kind of catcher and captain?

That was really just a matter of perspective, huh?!

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