Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 404: Ouya's Countermeasures

"Our first priority is to figure out how not to lose the game, not necessarily how to win it. In my opinion, trying to crack Seido's 'Diamond' ace is too difficult. Rather than wasting energy on that now, it's better to look for opportunities during the game itself. On the other hand, suppressing Seido's batting lineup will yield much better results. If we can limit their offense, our chances of scoring will undoubtedly increase. Don't forget, Seido's ace is also a cleanup hitter."

Wakabayashi Gou remained calm, a faint smile playing on his lips as he spoke with a hint of implication. His words prompted thoughtful expressions from Yamazato and Hiro, who were sitting nearby.

A team known for its cerebral approach isn't just about having a smart coaching staff. At Ouya High, a public school with high academic standards and an impressive deviation score, the players themselves are exceptionally intelligent. Ouya's intellectual style is reflected in every member of the team.

While Wakabayashi didn't spell everything out, what he said was enough for Hiro and Yamazato to grasp his meaning.

"Wakabayashi is right. Our primary goal is to suppress Seido's batting lineup. And most importantly, in this regard, Seido's previous opponent, Ugumori High, has already given us a good direction to follow," said the handsome coach, Araki Ichirou, with a bright, confident smile.

"Each member of Seido's lineup has clear characteristics, and more importantly, they all have small habits and tendencies in their swings. If we can pinpoint these, dealing with Seido's lineup won't be as difficult as it seems," Coach Araki explained as he wrote the names of Seido's starting players on the whiteboard, annotating each with their specific traits. His eyes gleamed with intelligence as he spoke.

This meticulous approach to analyzing opponents and devising countermeasures was deeply ingrained in Ouya's DNA. In the original storyline, Ouya had used this method against Seido, and this time was no different.

"Of course, while most of Seido's hitters can be handled, their third and fourth batters are a different story. There's almost no way to crack them. The ace is manageable, but the fourth batter is the real challenge. However, I've prepared a secret weapon specifically for him," Wakabayashi said, a smug smile spreading across his face.

"A secret weapon?" Hiro and Yamato exchanged curious glances.

"Well, you'll find out tomorrow. I was planning to show you the effects of this secret weapon anyway," Wakabayashi teased, leaving them in suspense.

"Haha, that's so like you, Gou," Hiro and Yamazato chuckled, not pressing further.

"Alright, for the next few days, we'll focus on defensive drills. As Wakabayashi said, only by ensuring we don't lose can we create the possibility of winning. Seido is a formidable team, so we must proceed with caution, rationality, and intelligence. Use your minds to control your bodies—rational defense, calculated offense. That's our style, and that's how we'll win," Coach Araki said in a calm yet firm tone.

"Yes, sir!" Wakabayashi, Hiro, Yamazato, and the others responded with serious determination.

...

"Whoosh"

"Thud"

"How was that pitch just now?" Eijun asked, breathing heavily as he turned to Kariba, who was standing a short distance away.

"The angle was good, but the speed seemed a bit slower than before," Kariba replied after a moment of consideration.

"Yeah, I felt like I didn't put enough power into it," Eijun nodded in agreement.

"Alright, next up is the changeup. Kariba, I'll try to control the trajectory a bit more, aiming more toward the outside corner. Can you watch the movement and the timing of the speed drop for me?" Eijun said after a brief pause, his expression firm as he spoke to Kariba.

"Got it," Kariba nodded, putting on his catcher's mask and crouching back into position.

Now, why had Eijun chosen to practice with Kariba today? The main reason was that, aside from the team's two main catchers, Kariba was the one who could best handle Eijun's pitches.

Even after Eijun had joined the first string and become the team's ace, Kariba remained one of his regular practice partners.

Usually, Eijun only practiced with Kariba when Miyuki and Ono were unavailable.

As for why he didn't ask Chris-senpai, Eijun knew that Chris was currently in an important period of studying for exams. While Eijun was aware that Chris was a straight-A student, he still tried not to bother him unless absolutely necessary.

Moreover, in terms of catching ability, Kariba, who had endured countless sessions catching Eijun's pitches, was undoubtedly the best first-year catcher.

After all, it wasn't common to find a catcher who could handle, let alone consistently catch, most of Eijun's pitches.

Many of Eijun's current pitches and trajectories were difficult for an average catcher to handle, and missed catches were not uncommon.

Of course, when it came to Eijun's true decisive pitches—like the ones still in development as part of his "Numbers" series—even Eijun himself didn't have full control over them yet.

It was even harder to expect Kariba to catch those reliably. As for the more refined pitches, like the improved cutter and the five-seam fastball, Kariba still had a chance of missing them occasionally.

No matter how you look at it, the movement on those two pitches was just too sharp.

However, as time went on and Kariba's adaptability improved, the day when he could consistently catch those pitches wasn't far off.

This was also why Eijun still often practiced with Kariba. Of course, it wasn't just because Kariba was the kind of catcher who was always available at a moment's notice. The so-called "Diamond" ace of Seido High couldn't possibly be that kind of person, right?

Absolutely not!!!

"Whoosh"

With each step and swing of his arm, Eijun's pitches grew more powerful. His physical conditioning had improved, his mechanics had become more refined, and his control over his pitches had reached a level of near-perfection.

"Thud"

The sharp trajectory of the ball, the low white streak cutting through the air, and the explosive sound as it slammed into the mitt—all of it was a testament to Eijun's growing prowess. Kariba, crouching behind the plate, looked up at Eijun with admiration in his eyes.

"Eijun-kun is getting better and better," Kariba thought to himself.

"Nice pitch!!!"

"That's enough for today, Kariba. Thanks for your hard work."

"No, it's an honor to catch for the ace," Kariba replied with a grin.

"Haha, since when did you become so funny?"

"Maybe it's from spending so much time with you, Eijun-kun?"

"What kind of answer is that?"

"Next time, I'll have to trouble you again, Kariba."

"Of course, feel free to trouble me anytime. It's a great opportunity for me to improve too."

As a fellow first-year, Eijun realized that Kariba had decent potential and that he might just be able to mold him into a future star catcher. Watching Kariba from a distance, Eijun couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he stroked his chin.

"Ah, a personal catcher. It's important to start nurturing one early. This could be a very meaningful and significant project!"

The autumn wind blew coldly, and as Kariba packed up the baseballs and gear near home plate, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, causing him to shiver.

"It's not that cold today, is it?"

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