Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 308: The Calm After the Tournament

After the match, the faces of everyone from Seidou High were filled with joy.

The scene of exuberant laughter on the field was forever captured in that moment when they lifted the championship flag.

In the center of the photo was Eijun's smiling face, holding the flag along with the captain, Yuuki, and Coach Kataoka, a moment that would be etched in everyone's memory forever.

This was an unforgettable summer, a summer of harvest. Not only for the third-year seniors, but also for Eijun, this summer of growth and achievement would become an inseparable part of his life.

At the same time, Seidou High's victory became a hot topic across the country.

Their powerful batting lineup, highly anticipated pitching staff, the young coach, and the outstanding ace pitcher—all of these aspects were the talk of baseball enthusiasts nationwide.

To them, this prestigious school from West Tokyo was both familiar and unfamiliar.

After this victory, Seidou High was firmly placed at the peak of national baseball.

At the hotel where Seidou High was staying, after finishing the match and various post-game matters, the team returned with excitement still palpable in their hearts.

It was impossible not to notice the throngs of people surrounding the hotel.

The crowd, with flushed faces, shouted the names of players like "Yuuki," "Eijun," "Miyuki," and "Coach Kataoka," reflecting the massive impact Seidou High's championship victory had on the nation.

Isashiki Jun and Kuramochi, being the eager ones, stuck their heads out of the windows along the way, waving and greeting the fans with excited expressions.

This victory was, of course, the realization of the dream for the third-year seniors, especially for them.

But when the dream actually came true, they couldn't help but feel a bit caught off guard.

Jun, in particular, looked as though he couldn't believe it, with a goofy smile that was a far cry from his usual fierce demeanor.

"Although we won and claimed the national title, there's no regret for the third years anymore. For those who want to participate in the national sports festival, feel free to do so, but for everyone else, arrange your time as you like. However, after the tournament, the excitement can only last for a while. September is almost here, and the regional qualifiers for the Autumn Tournament start in September, with the main tournament in October. Seidou may have dominated the nation, but in the Autumn Tournament, I hope we can continue our brilliance. We can't be satisfied with just one victory. Our time is already running out."

Back at the hotel, as they were about to pack and head home, Coach Kataoka, with a solemn expression, gathered the 18 main players in a meeting room and delivered this speech.

Strictly speaking, it was directed at the seven remaining starting players.

This upcoming Autumn Tournament was going to be a huge challenge for Seidou High.

Not to mention the other issues, they would be missing 11 starting players, and out of the remaining starters, only Miyuki, Kuramochi, Eijun, and Shirasu were still active.

All other starting positions would need to be replaced.

Most critically, the top of the batting order and the crucial cleanup hitters were all vacant.

While the defensive pressure was another concern, the new lineup and team strength would inevitably drop a level.

In the original story, this was also the case.

It wasn't until after the spring tournament of the second year, when Seidou began adjusting in the spring tournament in the Tokyo region, that the batting lineup gradually strengthened.

For Seidou High, losing these players was indeed the same as in the original story.

However, the key difference was that this time, Seidou High had made it to the very end of the summer tournament.

Much like the original story's Inashiro Industrial, there was hardly any time to allow the new team to fully gel.

Once they returned, it would be the end of August, and the selection for the new team would begin immediately.

Then came the allocation of positions, the choice of batting order, and the most they could do to adjust would be the three regional qualifiers in September, which could provide some opportunities to fine-tune the new team.

In the original story, Seidou High performed terribly in the regional qualifiers.

In fact, when the main tournament began, their first match was against Teito High, and they almost suffered a disastrous defeat.

Right now, the situation for Seidou High was even more challenging.

Naturally, while the joy of their victory still lingered, Coach Kataoka was the first to calm down.

As the coach, he couldn't be satisfied with simply getting the team into Koshien once.

That kind of fleeting achievement would have little value.

Fortunately, the defense core's presence and growth, along with some information from the school, gave Coach Kataoka some confidence. Now, the important task was to push the remaining seven starters to their limits.

These were all players who had been through the Koshien grind.

Except for the unfortunate Kawakami, who never got a chance to play, even Haruichi had experience as a pinch hitter in Koshien.

With these players at the core, the Autumn Tournament still held promise.

Coach Kataoka glanced at Eijun and Miyuki, silently thinking that with these two defensive pillars, at least there wouldn't be any major concerns about the defense once the new team took shape.

Moreover, Haruichi could fill in for his brother Ryousuke's absence, and the chemistry between him and Kuramochi was evident during practices and in occasional defensive plays when subbing in.

Also, the growth of Furuya was something to look forward to.

Defense-wise, there shouldn't be any major issues.

"Yes!!!"

The players, no fools, quickly calmed down after the excitement, especially Miyuki and Eijun, who knew that Coach Kataoka's words weren't exaggerated in the least.

The Autumn Tournament was a major event that unified both the Eastern and Western regions.

The teams from West Tokyo weren't the only challenge—teams like Ugumori from East Tokyo and Teitou High were no small matter either.

"Haha, after we go back, it's time to focus on the new team. Miyuki, Kuramochi, Shirasu, Kawakami, as seniors, it's your responsibility to guide the team!" Isashiki Jun said, tilting his head and smiling.

He patted Miyuki's shoulder with a strong hand, making Miyuki grimace in pain. Isashiki's strength was not something anyone could withstand.

"Heh, don't let the Autumn Tournament come, and we don't even make it into the main tournament," Ryousuke said with a playful smile.

"Mind your words, and give it your all," Yuuki said with a slight smile.

"Ugh!!!"

"Yes, senpai," Miyuki replied with a bitter smile.

His shoulder was sore from the pat, and even someone with Miyuki's build could barely handle the force.

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