Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 293: The Essence of Offense in the Finals

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

"Batter out!"

The sudden inside pitch took Shirasu by surprise, leading to his out.

At the start of the bottom of the fifth inning, Kumo revealed his fangs. His aggressive pitching style, even with outside pitches, demonstrated his relentless offensive mindset.

Shirasu's out seemed to trigger a domino effect.

"First batter, shortstop, Kuramochi-kun."

Kuramochi fared no better against Kumo.

After two fastballs, he was quickly backed into a corner.

A breaking ball on the outside corner caught him off guard, resulting in a routine infield pop fly that was easily caught.

Next up, Ryousuke stepped into the batter's box.

Despite his best efforts to extend the at-bat to five pitches, Ryousuke grounded out to the infield, leading to a perfect out at first base.

The bottom of the fifth ended in a quick three-up, three-down fashion, with Seidou High's offense completely stifled.

The momentum of the game had temporarily shifted to Komadai Fujimaki High, who now held control.

From Seidou's bench on the first base side, the players watched Ryousuke's out with somber expressions.

"This pitcher is in incredible form," someone muttered.

"He's really tough to deal with," Miyuki remarked while strapping on his catcher's gear.

"Well, he is Komadai Fujimaki High's pitcher, and it's only his second inning on the mound. It's normal, right, Miyuki-senpai?" Eijun responded calmly, his expression steady.

"You've got a point," Miyuki said with a smile, his worries slightly eased.

Honestly, Miyuki had been concerned about Eijun's recent performance drop and the run allowed in the previous inning.

After all, this was Eijun's first national tournament. Miyuki feared he might falter under pressure, a common occurrence for first-year players.

Just last year, Narumiya Mei had burned out during the Koshien, causing his team to lose in the third or fourth round.

However, seeing Eijun's steady mentality despite the slight dip in performance, Miyuki felt reassured.

"I was probably overthinking things," he thought, his smile widening.

At that moment, Coach Kataoka's voice broke through.

"Miyuki, Sawamura."

Both players immediately straightened up, turning their attention to the coach.

"Yes, Coach."

"The opponents will likely go all out to score in the next inning. You can afford to slow down the pace and avoid rushing to settle things. We still have the lead; there's no need to be overly hasty." Kataoka placed a hand on both their shoulders, his tone calm yet filled with unwavering trust. "Believe in yourselves. Stick to what you've practiced. Victory will undoubtedly belong to us."

"Understood, Coach," Miyuki and Eijun responded in unison, their voices firm.

"Top of the sixth inning. Komadai Fujimaki High's offense begins. First batter, second baseman, Nishi-kun."

"Go for it, hero!"

"Nishi-kun, we're counting on you here!"

"You can do it! Be our hero in this moment!"

"Get a hit, Nishi! One solid hit!"

"Komadai! Komadai! Komadai!"

The run scored in the fifth inning had given Komadai Fujimaki High a noticeable boost in morale.

Coupled with Kumo's stellar performance on the mound, their momentum had reached a peak, temporarily putting Seidou High on the defensive.

"!!!"

Momentum aside, the players of Komadai Fujimaki High knew better than to let their guard down, especially at this critical juncture.

They were well aware of just how fearsome the pitcher from Seidou truly was.

Nishi took a deep breath, standing firm in the batter's box. With a determined expression, he prepared his stance, his sharp gaze locked on Eijun on the pitcher's mound.

Behind home plate, Miyuki glanced coolly at Nishi, a flicker of sharp insight flashing in his eyes. His fingers subtly moved, signaling a pitch.

"First pitch—an aggressive inside cutter. At this point, we absolutely cannot surrender control. Maintaining momentum is key, and we must not lose ground."

The more intense the situation, the clearer Miyuki's judgment became.

On the mound, Eijun nodded calmly, his slightly crouched posture seemingly charged with immense energy. Straightening his stance, he lifted his right leg.

"Whoosh!"

As his left arm whipped forward, a streak of dazzling light shot forth, heading straight for the batter's box.

The searing white streak carried Eijun's commanding presence as a pitcher, exuding a fierce and wild intensity, like a roaring beast.

When the white flash entered Nishi's view, his breath caught slightly. He could feel the overwhelming force and sharp precision behind the pitch.

Stepping forward, Nishi tightened his grip on the bat and swung with all his might.

He knew that against this pitcher, nothing less than his full power would suffice.

Even a weakened pitch from Eijun had enough force and spin to be a formidable challenge.

"Swoosh!"

Nishi's bat cut through the air, but the ball's sharp inward break sent it curving even deeper inside.

A cutter!?

Nishi's eyes widened in shock. He adjusted his swing, trying to intercept the ball earlier, but his bat's speed wasn't enough to match the sudden movement of Eijun's pitch.

"Ping!"

The bat barely made contact, but the cutter's vicious break disrupted the trajectory, sending the ball weakly bouncing away.

"Shortstop!"

Eijun quickly turned and shouted to Kuramochi.

"Ha! Leave it to me!" Kuramochi responded with ease. A quick side-step later, he intercepted the ball, his left hand smoothly scooping it into his glove.

"Pop!"

In one swift motion, Kuramochi pivoted and hurled the ball toward first base.

Yuuki caught the throw cleanly.

"Out!"

"An excellent play! The inside cutter, executed perfectly, allowed Sawamura Eijun to take down the first batter with just one pitch. Even after facing intense pressure from Komadai Fujimaki High's offense in the previous inning, Seidou's left-handed ace showed no signs of backing down. Relentless aggression truly defines his style!"

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