Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 265: Kiryuu's All-or-Nothing Battle

"Play ball!!!"

As Yuuki stepped into the batter's box and assumed his batting stance, the head umpire swept his eyes over the field before his booming voice echoed throughout Hanshin Koshien Stadium.

At the umpire's signal, Shibata, standing at home plate, had a glint of cold determination flash through his eyes.

Whoosh!

Simultaneously, Tachi on the mound swiftly swung his arm, sending a streak of icy light hurtling toward the batter's box.

Boom!

The powerful swing of Yuuki's bat created a shadow that briefly cut through the air.

Ping!

An icy chill seemed to pierce the air as the bat made contact with the ball, sending a deafening sound reverberating through the stadium.

Before Shibata could even react, the white blur shot toward third base.

The Kiryuu third baseman froze for a split second before the streak of light sped past him.

Bang!

The ball struck near the edge of third base with a resounding impact.

It ricocheted sharply, soaring past the bag and leaving only the stunned expressions of the third baseman and the rest of Kiryuu's infielders in its wake.

"Foul ball!"

So fast!

The third baseman, still shaken, glanced at Yuuki in disbelief.

That swing speed, that precision—if the ball had been even slightly more inside, it would have been a clean hit.

He had faced many powerful hitters before, but none had been as fearsome as Seidou's cleanup batter—except perhaps Seihou's monstrous slugger, Shuuzou Sano. Yet somehow, Yuuki seemed even more composed and dangerous.

What if the next ball comes toward me?

For a fleeting moment, a trace of fear crossed the minds of Kiryuu's infielders. But almost immediately, their pride and resolve replaced it.

Their goal had never wavered, and their belief would never crumble.

With their ace fearlessly standing on the mound, facing such a monstrous hitter, how could they allow themselves to falter now?

No matter the cost, even if it meant sacrificing their bodies, they would stop that ball. Victory was just two steps away; they couldn't afford to give up.

Though fear lingered momentarily, their pride as Osaka Kiryuu players burned it away.

They were Kiryuu High! No obstacle could intimidate them.

A powerful sense of determination ignited within every Kiryuu player at that moment, not just from the terrifying presence of Yuuki but from the towering figure of Tachi, still battling on the mound with unwavering courage.

"Second pitch!!!"

Whoosh!

Once again, a piercing streak of light shot from Tachi's hand.

The blazing white ball roared as it tore through the air.

Yuuki, focused solely on the incoming ball, relied on his exceptional experience, athleticism, and sharp instincts. In a split second, he read the pitch—a fastball on the outside corner!

Swish!

The bat swung once more.

But this time, a slight misjudgment in timing caused him to miss.

The icy ball streaked past, untouched by Yuki's bat.

White light pierced through to home plate, narrowly avoiding the bat and landing firmly in Shibata's glove with a sharp, crisp sound.

Pop!

"Strike!!!"

Yuuki furrowed his brows slightly and glanced up at the scoreboard.

The displayed pitch speed caused his pupils to contract momentarily.

"147 km/h."

This was clearly beyond Tachi's usual top speed.

At this critical moment, Tachi had pushed past his limits, delivering his fastest pitch yet.

No wonder Yuuki's previous swing had been fractionally off in timing.

The difference between Tachi's usual max of 145 km/h and this 147 km/h was only 2 km/h, but when dealing with speeds over 140 km/h, even a 1 km/h difference could be significant.

A flash of respect and wariness crossed Yuuki's eyes. Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his stance slightly forward.

"He's moving closer to the plate?"

Shibata's expression shifted slightly.

However, it was understandable—Tachi's explosive fastball had even startled Shibata himself.

A surge of power under pressure?

Perhaps this speed was just a fleeting moment of brilliance, unlikely to be sustained. But it was enough to keep the batter on edge, opening up possibilities for mixing in different pitches.

Tachi, you truly are the ultimate ace!

A small smile crept across Shibata's face.

"Let's do it. Let's take down this cleanup hitter once and for all!"

"Next pitch, curveball. Focus on creating a sharp vertical break. It doesn't need to hit the strike zone; just create a deceptive trajectory."

Shibata's mind was set. They had the upper hand now—there was no need for hesitation or fear.

Tachi's menacing grin grew wider as he nodded firmly.

Whoosh!

With a sweeping motion of his arm and a firm step forward, dust swirled around the mound. A streak of white light shot out.

In the batter's box, Yuuki's eyes sharpened, locking onto the ball's trajectory as it approached.

Swish!

The bat swung again, the overwhelming presence of Yuki's shadow filling the air.

Ping!

The ball met the metal bat with a resounding impact, shooting upward into the sky.

The bright white ball soared past first base's foul line and landed far into the stands.

"Foul ball!!!"

"Whoa!!!"

The crowd erupted in an uncontrollable wave of awe and excitement.

Be careful, Shibata, Tachi.

Yuuki's strength was enough to counter Tachi's velocity and late movement—and even overpower it. Extreme caution was necessary; there was no room for carelessness.

In the dugout, Coach Matsumoto tightly clasped his hands behind his back. On the surface, he appeared calm, but inwardly, he was tense.

He knew there was nothing more he could do as a coach at this moment. It was all in the hands of the players now.

This was a battle where both sides had staked everything.

Whoosh!

Ping!

Bang!

"Foul ball!!!"

Whoosh!

Pop!

"Ball!!!"

The relentless back-and-forth continued.

Every Kiryuu High player had their nerves stretched to the breaking point, while the three Seidou runners on base watched home plate intently, focusing on every movement and detail.

Every motion, every fraction of a second—they wouldn't let anything slip past.

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