Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 218: The Yakushi Battle (1)

In the end, Coach Kataoka appeared just in time to call a timeout while also giving some sharp criticism to Tanba.

As Jun-san had said, "Another devil has arrived!" However, it was precisely this kind of comment that made Tanba's performance improve rapidly, and his control stabilized at an accelerating pace.

Unfortunately, in his previous life, from this point until the match against Inashiro, Tanba's pitching went from occasionally throwing good pitches but mostly losing control, to sporadically delivering hittable balls—a significant evolution.

Yet, he was still hammered whenever opponents seized the opportunity. When the coach suggested helping him with stretching exercises, and the seniors started making crazy demands, Sendo couldn't help but laugh.

Several hours earlier, Yakushi High School.

"No matter how many times I look at it, isn't this lineup just plain unfair?! This batting order of Seidou! Aside from the pitchers, every batter here could form the top-tier lineup of any prestigious school in previous years. And if that Furuya starts, wouldn't that mean the entire lineup is at an elite level? The core of this batting order includes second batter Ryousuke Kominato , third batter Isashiki Jun, fourth batter Yuuki Tetsuya, fifth batter Akira Sendo, sixth batter Masuko Tooru, and seventh batter Miyuki Kazuya. There are two batters at the cleanup level! Who would've thought that brat who spoke so arrogantly the other day really is a monster!"

"Just like Raichi, he's only a first-year student, though admittedly not as strong, but his growth in recent games has been unbelievable. All we can say is that we're lucky—he's still a work in progress."

"However, this is just the summer preliminaries. Is it really okay for you to have such an all-star batting lineup? Where on earth did you find such an outrageous lineup, Seidou?!" Raizou ranted endlessly about the unfairness of Seidou's batting lineup in the footage.

"It's insane! Only after watching the footage do we realize how tough tomorrow's game will be! Even in a hitting battle, we're at a disadvantage. It's the first time I feel like we don't stand a chance of winning. What's going on with West Tokyo?"

Sanada also fully agreed, complaining about how increasingly monstrous the West Tokyo region had become in recent years. "What's been happening these past few years? Monsters keep popping up one after another!"

"Looks like you might have to step onto the mound earlier than expected tomorrow! Everything depends on you, Sanada! Tomorrow, our batting lineup will support you guys. Try to suppress their batting order as much as possible. When a lineup like this explodes, it's even scarier than a real all-star team! Their long-term chemistry is no joke!"

"Don't put so much pressure on me, Coach! If it were me, I'd probably throw a hit-by-pitch!"

"You definitely would!"

"And you guys! Make sure to perform well tomorrow! If we can't score runs crazily, once this lineup finds its rhythm, we're done for. Honestly, if Seidou had even a decent pitcher, our summer could practically be declared over already." On the surface, Raizou always maintained his carefree attitude.

...

July 27th, City Stadium.

"Coach Kataoka!"

"Furuya!"

"Miyuki-kun!"

"Sendo-kun!"

"You must make it to Koshien this year!" Even before the Seidou team had stepped off the bus, fans were already waiting to greet them.

"Alright! Let's go!" As soon as they got off the bus, Sawamura, with his cap tilted to the side, eagerly led the way into the stadium.

As spirited as always, but still so irreverent.

Every time, Sawamura tries to rush ahead while Sendo always lingers behind.

"There are a lot of spectators coming in!" Akiko remarked as she watched the growing crowd.

"This is the match that will decide the top four teams in West Tokyo! It's only natural for it to attract so much attention! Yakushi High School, who defeated Ichidaisan and became the center of attention, and Seidou High School, aiming to return to Koshien after six years!" Reporter Mine Fujio explained.

"Who do you think will win, Mine-san? In terms of momentum, it's Yakushi, but only in terms of momentum. Unless it's a slugfest like against Ichidaisan, Seidou is clearly stronger. Even in a hitting battle, Seidou's lineup appears to have the upper hand on paper, though batting orders can be unpredictable. Tanba from Seidou hasn't even appeared yet. If Seidou's pitching staff can't contain Yakushi, it'll come down to how both lineups perform today."

"This year's highly anticipated first-year fifth batter from Seidou, Sendo! With him, Seidou's entire batting order has become as solid as a steel fortress. I'm leaning towards Seidou winning." Mine's analysis had shifted significantly due to Sendo's presence.

What Mine Fujio said wasn't wrong either. Seidou's lineup was now almost flawless at every position, brimming with offensive power, whether it was explosive hitting or sustained pressure. It was hard to find any real weaknesses.

If one were to nitpick, Kuramochi's ability to get on base could be an issue, as it was exposed against Akikawa. Masuko's batting average during this summer tournament, just like in the original story, wasn't particularly high.

But these were minor flaws in an otherwise overwhelming lineup. There wasn't another lineup in the country that could match it.

However, if one could still find fault in the batting order, the fielding defense could only be described as perfect.

At first and third base, there was Yuuki and Pudding-senpai—rock-solid defenders. The middle infield was an impenetrable wall.

In the outfield, Sendo patrolled center field effortlessly, and Isashiki was also a top-tier center fielder with an enormous defensive range.

In the original story, he often covered left and right field positions as well. Right field was manned by Shirasu, whose all-around skills, speed, and strong arm made him a formidable opponent. This defensive lineup was truly unparalleled.

The opposing batters would not only have to face the pitcher but also contend with this all-star caliber defensive unit, which operated with seamless chemistry.

While the two reporters were discussing, the Seidou team had already noticed Yakushi's changes in their starting lineup.

"What kind of starting lineup is this? Are they joking? It's completely different from when they faced Ichidaisan!"

"Jun-san! It means they know they're weaker than us, so they're resorting to these tricks. All we need to do is crush them head-on!" Sendo said with a serious tone, but with a hint of playful arrogance.

After hearing Sendo's words, Ryousuke also agreed with this reasoning.

The same message, delivered differently, can have varying effects. With just a simple sentence, Sendo had neutralized the psychological impact of the opponent's strategic changes.

"You're absolutely right! Crush them head-on—I like it!" Jun-san gave Sendo a pat on the shoulder.

"Hahaha! That bastard finally came down from the cleanup spot!" Sawamura blurted out innocently.

"No, he was intentionally moved down from the cleanup spot! To give him more chances to step up to the plate."

"Wha…? What's the connection between those two things?" Sawamura broke out in a sweat, clearly nervous. So even he knows fear!

"Because he's a leadoff hitter!"

Then Miyuki spoke up, calming them down and telling them not to get too excited—they had fallen for it!

"WE MUST WIN!!!" Sawamura shouted loudly.

"We will win..." Furuya began, but before he could finish, Sawamura interrupted him.

"WE WILL WIN!"

Today, Sendo remained relatively quiet overall. He kept glancing toward the opposing team's bench.

Due to his habit of zoning out, he couldn't focus his attention on one thing for long, so his gaze shifted back and forth between the opponent's bench and the name of Yakushi's pitcher displayed on the scoreboard.

Suddenly, that father-son duo from the other side started arguing again!

"What's it about this time? They seem to be having fun."

"Still, their happy time won't last much longer."

"The semi-final match between Seidou High School and Yakushi High School will now begin!"

"Listen carefully! It's time for you to do your job! Swing the bat for yourselves! Play defense for yourselves! And then savor the taste of victory!" Raizou still preferred to let his players operate with a hands-off approach.

"OOH!!!"

"Every pitch! Every step, every swing of the bat—it reflects everything about you! Don't hesitate, believe in your baseball!!!"

"OOH!!!"

During the lineup introductions, everyone from Seidou, including Yuuki and even the usually good-natured Tanba, glared fiercely at Raichi.

"They're glaring at you pretty hard!" Sanada teased, starting the conversation.

Raichi's mouth hung open in surprise. Even after Sendo's appearance in this life and his bold declaration, this naive kid still couldn't connect the dots.

"Did you do something, Raichi?" Mishima chimed in, his tone laced with amusement.

Though sweat poured down his face from the intense stares, Raichi managed to laugh it off with his signature chuckle.

After Sawamura charged back to the dugout full of energy, the game officially began.

"Take him down, Furuya!!!" Isashiki cheered in his unique way.

It's worth noting that Sendo was in decent form today.

Setting aside past grievances, Sanada's pitching style didn't mesh well with Sendo. His fastball-like breaking balls were close in speed to his fastballs, making it difficult for Sendo to differentiate between them.

Still, despite being in good form, there was no telling how Sendo would perform.

Moreover, though the details were hazy, Sendo vaguely remembered that both teams scored fairly high today. Of course, memories could be unreliable, but because of this impression, Sendo felt a strong desire to attack today.

Amidst Sawamura's unintentionally self-deprecating cheers, Furuya threw the first pitch.

It was another high, outside pitch—Furuya's fastest and most powerful pitch, and the cornerstone of his pitching arsenal.

Thud!

The second pitch was a sharp forkball. However, Raichi unusually refrained from swinging, instead observing the ball carefully.

At this point, Furuya only had these two pitches in his arsenal. The only option now was to overpower the batter with sheer force.

As always, they couldn't afford to lose in terms of momentum!

Ping!

Another high-speed fly ball soared into the air.

"Center fielder!"

Unlike the original story where the ball went to right-center field, this one was headed straight for center field.

"That baka! Didn't I tell him…" Just as the ball left the plate, Raizou began to say something about instructing not to hit the ball to center field—but he stopped himself mid-sentence because of this very play.

Sendo quickly retreated backward at high speed...

"Damn it, I won't make it in time! But..."

Ping!

The ball slammed hard against the fence. The rebound bounced off the ground and landed perfectly into Sendo's glove.

As Sendo caught the ball with his upper body, his lower body had already begun turning to take a step forward. Despite the awkward-looking posture, he completed the throw with incredible fluidity.

Whoosh! A flash of white streaked through the air.

Thud!

"Safe!"

In the original story, if Raichi hadn't slid headfirst into second base, this would have been a triple. Instead, it turned into a legitimate double. Sendo's throw was only about a second slower than Raichi's arrival at the base.

"I told him! If the ball went to left or right field, it'd be a triple!"

Coach Todoroki's face underwent another dramatic shift as he watched the outcome. Of course, he didn't realize that if his instructions had been followed, his foolish son wouldn't have even attempted to run to third base.

That said, Coach Todoroki was still utterly astonished by Sendo's entire defensive sequence.

It wasn't just his incredible speed or precise judgment—his turn and follow-through were exceptionally smooth, saving precious time.

His balance allowed him to pivot earlier than most people could, making the motion even more efficient.

The velocity of the throw was also absurd.

Raizou even doubted his own eyes, as he felt that Sendou's throw wasn't any slower than Furuya's…

Although Raichi successfully reached second base, the subsequent batters couldn't help but glance nervously at the guy in center field who, after making the throw, resumed his usual indifferent expression. It seemed they were genuinely afraid to hit toward the middle anymore.

Raichi's speed wasn't slow to begin with!

Sendo, having forgotten the finer details, never imagined that the opponent was targeting Furuya's high, outside pitches.

After intentionally swinging and missing the first pitch—a sharp forkball—even Miyuki fell for the trap.

If the second pitch had also been a sharp forkball, the batter might have hesitated.

Akiba forced a hit to left field, but the ball went out of bounds upon landing.

Even though such hits are automatic doubles when they occur, there's nothing anyone can do about it since the ball has to be retrieved from outside the field before being thrown back in.

However, because the batter only started running after the ball landed, he only made it to first base.

With their pre-planned script, Yakushi successfully scored the first run.

Now everyone understood Yakushi's strategy: their batting lineup's plan revolved around getting Raichi on base.

By forcing Furuya to pitch in a fixed stance, his fastball speed and effectiveness would decrease, and the upward movement of the ball would be far less pronounced.

This way, even without hitting home runs, they could consistently score one run.

More importantly, repeatedly targeting and hitting Furuya's most confident pitch would deal a massive psychological blow to the pitcher.

If he collapsed mentally, who knows how many runs they might give up—and he could even be taken out of the game entirely.

Of course, this was the ideal scenario they envisioned while formulating their plan.

Seidou called a timeout to regroup.

When they returned, it was Miyuki's moment to shine.

First, a fastball was hit deep into right field, but it went foul.

On the second pitch, Akiba attempted to steal second base. Miyuki, facing another sharp forkball, caught it with his backhand while simultaneously jumping off the ground.

Using the momentum from the catch, he passed directly toward second base and tagged Akiba out, stunning the entire stadium.

As Miyauchi had predicted, after being tricked once, Miyuki wasn't about to let the opponent get away with anything.

This play greatly boosted Seidou's morale. Facing such a formidable catcher, the opposing team became hesitant to act recklessly.

Just as Coach Todoroki had said the day before, the only real weakness in Seidou's defense lay in the frailty of their pitching mound.

The consecutive brilliant defensive plays by Sendo and Miyuki made Seidou's momentum absolutely terrifying.

Losing just one run didn't matter much, especially considering Seidou's powerful batting lineup.

Moreover, they couldn't afford to start Sanada, who had only recently recovered, against Seidou's hitters.

With their momentum shattered, Yakushi's batting lineup managed to score only this single run in the inning.

Now all the pressure shifted onto them. Their starting pitcher had given up six runs in the very first inning against Ichidaisan High…

-----------------

If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21