Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

The Second One!

With every pitch thrown at full power, Eijun's fierce form was on full display for all to see.

And yet, he was enduring pain and numbness far worse than before. This was no time to hold back—there were still four outs left.

He had to shut them down completely.

This was his mission.

His eyes burned brightly, a golden glint flickering in his pupils like radiant fire.

"Batting third, first baseman—Yamaoka!"

Hang in there, my left arm...

Rinichi clenched his teeth. Sweat poured from his forehead, and his face was starting to pale.

"You're looking sharp, Sawamura. First pitch—low and outside. Make sure it's right on the edge," Miyuki called out behind the plate, still unaware of Eijun's condition.

At this distance, it wasn't surprising that Miyuki hadn't noticed. Even if he had seen the sweat and pale face, he wouldn't have suspected anything too serious. After all, it was already the sixth inning—fatigue was normal.

But if anyone had gotten close to Eijun now… if they had touched him…

They'd realize the sweat was ice cold. They'd notice the subtle tremble in his body. They'd see the vibrant shine had faded from his eyes.

Still—

"Mm!"

The catcher gives the signal.

And the pitcher must respond with everything he's got.

"Boom!"

Eijun's tall frame stood firm. His left arm rose high once more.

"Whssh!"

Dust kicked into the air.

A white flash flew from his fingertips.

It whistled through the air and shot toward the plate.

Yamaoka's eyes narrowed, feet shifting quickly.

"Whoosh!"

The bat swung with a sharp crack, slicing the air with a loud sonic boom.

The ball just barely evaded the barrel—by a hair's breadth it curved away, landing squarely in Miyuki's glove with a sharp, clear snap.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

So fast. So much movement. That sound… that feeling.

Just like Carlos said—this was a different level of pitching altogether.

Yamaoka frowned, tightened his grip, and reset his stance, taking a deep breath.

"Huff… huff… huff…"

Eijun bent slightly, his breathing now clearly labored.

Partly from exhaustion.

But mostly from the stabbing pain that drained his energy.

"I can still hold out!"

"Second pitch—fastball right down the middle!"

Another subtle gesture from Miyuki.

Eijun gave a slight nod.

His steps surged forward again, and a pained grimace flashed across his pale face.

From the dugout—

Ochiai narrowed his eyes, concern flickering across his face.

"Coach Kataoka, after this inning, we need to pull Sawamura. He's at his limit. We can't let him go on like this."

With a veteran's insight, Ochiai quickly reached a conclusion: while they initially expected Eijun could last two or three innings, that was no longer the case. If this weren't such a crucial phase of the game, he would've already pulled him.

"This is suicide," he muttered bitterly. "We warned him not to push it… This is exactly why high school kids are so reckless!"

A mix of frustration and worry showed on Ochiai's face.

"I understand," Coach Kataoka responded, voice grave, nodding deeply. His gaze toward the mound was filled with concern.

"Whoosh!"

"Ping!"

Damn it… Was I late on the swing?

Yamaoka frowned, the bat vibrating in his hands.

"Whssh!"

"Thud!"

"Foul!"

"Another two-strike count!"

"Ace Sawamura Eijun continues to dominate the inning, completely stifling the batter—there's no room to breathe out there!"

"Seidou! Seidou! Seidou!"

"Ace! Ace! Ace!"

"Sawamura-kun!"

"The Ace of Diamond!"

"Let's go! One more pitch—finish him off!"

"Eijun-kun!!!"

Yes…

This is what I've been waiting for.

This is the moment I've wanted to answer.

This is my home field.

This is my battlefield.

"Boom!"

His right leg lifted high.

A gleaming arc swept the mound.

His foot drove forward.

His presence surged upward, burning.

"Whssh!"

His left arm raised overhead—And the moment he forcefully brought it down—

A wave of pain, sharper than ever, tore through his body.

As if every bit of accumulated ache and numbness had all exploded at once, flooding his limbs in waves of agony.

Eijun's expression changed drastically.

In that instant, his fingers trembled.

He couldn't hold the ball.

The pitch flew out of his hand—

And in that moment—

All the energy was gone.

The dazzling brilliance that once wrapped his fastball dimmed into a dull, pale gray.

Huh...?

Both Yamaoka and Miyuki widened their eyes as the weak pitch came into view.

The trajectory was clearly too high.

"Damn it!"

"Got it!"

In that instant—one was filled with horror, the other lit up with delight.

"Whoosh!"

Yamaoka stepped in hard, unleashing all his strength into the swing.

The weak pitch, with no late life, no intimidation—

"Ping!!!"

A resounding blast echoed through the stadium as a blinding white light shot skyward from home plate.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!!!"

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

The crowd roared in shock.

The brilliant arc carved the sky.

As it lit up everyone's face, Eijun stood on the mound, his face twisted in pain.

"Center field!!"

Miyuki shot up and shouted toward the outfield.

But it was already too late.

It was a mistake pitch—

No velocity, no bite, no movement.

High in the zone.

Pure power met the sweet spot.

The result had been sealed the moment it left his hand.

"Whoosh..."

The soaring ball traced a perfect arc through the sky—

"Bang!"

And slammed directly into the massive electronic scoreboard.

Over ten thousand fans gasped in unison.

Cheers erupted from Inajitsu's side.

While Seidou's dugout was frozen in stunned silence.

All eyes turned to the trembling left arm of the Ace on the mound—To the lonely figure who now kept his cap brim lowered to hide his face.

His brilliance—

It began here.

And it ended here.

Like fireworks, he burned bright in color—But like fireworks, he lasted only for a moment.

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