Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 158: Post-Game and First Meeting with Rei Takashima

"Game Over!"

The final match for Akagi came to an end, marking not only the conclusion of their summer but the end of Akagi's baseball team altogether.

With the school set to merge with another next year, Akagi would cease to exist.

Though the game was over, the umpires were patient, not rushing the teams to line up for the customary post-game bow.

What surprised everyone was Akagi's reaction—no one cried.

Instead, they quietly supported one another, some walking alone, others heading toward the pitcher's mound in silence.

Seeing this, the umpire made the call.

"Line up!"

Unbeknownst to the players, they had only been informed that Sendo was fine, as relayed by their Sano during the game.

Without specific details about his condition, they could only assume the best and maintain their focus.

Still, Sawamura stood motionless on the field, unable to accept the loss.

"Hey, you! Please join the lineup!"

"Ei-chan!"

"Eijun!"

Finally, Sawamura raised his tear-streaked face, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Everyone... I'm sorry! I couldn't take us to Nationals!"

It was a stark contrast to the carefree Sawamura of last year, who had managed to shrug off a crushing defeat.

This time, in what would be their final game, his tears flowed freely.

"Eijun..." Wakana called out softly, her voice trembling with emotion.

"Senpai!"

Unlike in the original timeline, the players of Susabano, Akagi's opponents, felt only respect and sympathy for their rivals.

They knew just how formidable Akagi was when at full strength, having been thoroughly defeated in practice games during the off-season.

This victory was a narrow one, owed largely to Sendo's absence and Akagi's unsteady mental state.

"Senpai, we'll carry your spirit with us and keep moving forward!" Takase called out to the Akagi team.

Whether or not Akagi's players heard him, he couldn't bring himself to do anything less than his best in the game.

Anything else would have been an insult to both his team and Akagi.

Seeing Sawamura break down in tears finally pushed the rest of the team over the edge, and soon everyone was crying—including Wakana, who couldn't stop wiping her tears.

In the end, Kondou and Aoki helped Sawamura to his feet and back to the lineup.

"Susabano Junior High School vs. Akagi Junior High School: 8-7. Susabano Junior High School wins!"

With the final announcement, both teams bowed to one another.

"Thank you for the match!"

...

AThe Akagi team, leaning on each other for support, returned to their dugout to face their supporters.

The crowd, overwhelmingly pro-Akagi, cheered them on.

Scouts from various high schools were also present, drawn by Akagi's star players.

"Don't cry! Failure is part of life!"

"Keep your heads up, Akagi!"

Though they had lost, no one blamed them.

Everyone understood how much this meant to the 14- and 15-year-old players.

They also knew this would be the last time this team would play together, given the school's impending closure.

Scouts had already set their sights on Sendo and Sawamura.

While some of the top baseball programs weren't entirely convinced of Sawamura's potential yet, he was already a standout for most high schools.

As for Sendo, should his health be confirmed, the competition to recruit him would be intense.

Little did they know, Seidou High School, one of Tokyo's top three baseball programs, was determined to claim both players. If Seidou couldn't secure them, no one else could.

...

The Akagi team left the stadium as quickly as they could, eager to head to the hospital.

When they finally learned that Sendo's condition wasn't life-threatening and that he'd recover in three days, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Though the game had been important, nothing mattered more than their cherished teammate.

However, Fumino, seeing how Sendo was still grappling with guilt and emotional turmoil, decided to decline everyone's requests to visit him.

She knew that Sendo, in his current state, couldn't face his teammates.

...

After his condition stabilized, Sendo returned home with Fumino and his grandparents.

As they left the hospital, he spoke for the first time that day.

"Fumino..."

"What is it? Are you feeling unwell?" she asked, her own nerves still on edge. She knew Sendo's physical condition had improved, but his emotional state was another matter entirely.

"Did we... lose the game?"

"...Yes."

"I see..." he replied, his voice trailing off. He said nothing more.

The day's events had shaken Sendo to his core.

The mix of emotions—guilt, crushed confidence, and the inability to face his teammates—left him paralyzed.

He knew no one blamed him, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that he had let everyone down.

Most of all, he didn't know how to make it up to them.

This summer was meant to be their final chapter together, but now it felt like he had stolen that dream from them.

...

Fumino supported Sendo as they made their way back to his room. Sendo's grandparents, understanding the depth of their bond, entrusted Fumino with the task of staying by his side.

...

"Dear, let's request a week off for him," Sendo's grandfather said after a long silence.

"But... fine, I understand," she replied, relenting with a sigh.

At the same time, Fumino called her homeroom teacher to request a week off for herself.

She couldn't bear to leave Sendo alone, not when he was so devastated. This was the first time she had ever seen him so shaken.

...

However, they had underestimated Sendo.

By the time he had asked about the match's outcome, he had already resolved to move forward.

In high school, he would dedicate himself to becoming Sawamura's ultimate weapon—a blade in his hand to support him with every swing of the bat.

Yet, for now, he didn't want to speak.

Nor did he want to face his teammates.

When he heard Fumino had already requested a week off for him, he didn't object.

To him, school wasn't something he took seriously anyway—whether he went or not didn't matter.

And so, while Sendo remained silent, Fumino stayed by his side, equally quiet.

...

Monday Arrives

As news of Sendo's absence spread, his teammates grew concerned. Though Fumino had asked them not to visit him yet, they gathered after school to discuss the situation.

...

"Do you think Sendo will be okay?"

"Relax, Ei-chan. Fumino's with him," someone reassured.

"Well, if Fumino's there, then it's fine!" Sawamura said, his trust in her absolute.

"Now that we're talking about it, it's time to start thinking about high school plans. What about you, Eijun?" Wakana asked.

"Don't worry! I'll go to the same high school as everyone else. Isn't that the point? Even if the school merges and Akagi disappears, as long as we're together, the spirit of Akagi will live on! Let's aim for Koshien together and fulfill the dream we couldn't achieve in middle school!"

It was as if things had returned to their original course.

Sawamura's inspiring words brought a nostalgic warmth, and his usual motivational speeches worked their magic once again.

"Wait for us! We'll definitely make it there!" he shouted, laughing with his teammates.

"But how are you going to get into high school without a recommendation? The school we're aiming for has a high academic standard!" Wakana quipped, her sharp tone cutting through the warmth.

Sawamura froze, his spirit seemingly leaving his body.

If Sendo had been present, he would have teased,

"There's something strange floating out of your mouth!" But Sawamura could only think, You guys are bullying me too much!

Having spent years around Sendo, Sawamura had even picked up some new vocabulary.

"Right now, your academics are the biggest concern. You scored two points on a retest and got dragged into winter break tutoring, Eijun!" Wakana continued her teasing.

Sawamura looked at his teammates, hoping for some support, but they all nodded reluctantly.

This only deepened his despair, leading to the classic line:

"When did you guys secretly start studying?!"

Somewhere, Sendo thought to himself, I almost forgot about this moment. I wish I could see it... but I don't have the face to show up yet.

...

After taking full advantage of the week-long break, Sendo returned to school. He was immediately surrounded by his classmates, each one expressing their concern.

"I'm so sorry! It's all my fault we lost the match!" Sendo bowed deeply, apologizing with all his heart.

"Don't do that, Sendo! It's not your fault. If anything, we're the ones who feel ashamed. Being without you made us realize just how weak we are!"

The conversation quickly turned into a "blame game," with everyone trying to take responsibility.

Embarrassed, Sendo decided to drop the subject.

"Next time, even if it kills me, I'll be on the field!" he declared solemnly, quoting a classic line from his memories.

"We're not letting you die!" Ohno replied casually, bringing a lighthearted end to the conversation.

...

Everyone finally realized what Sendo had said—"Next time!"

"Huh?"

"Yeah! I'm not leaving, and I can't just leave it like this!" Sendo confirmed their suspicions with a resolute tone.

"Eijun! I've made up my mind. I'm going to the same high school as you, and I'll support you with my bat!" Sendo declared, looking directly at Sawamura and emphasizing every word.

Sawamura didn't say anything, but the wide grin spreading across his face betrayed his emotions.

...

"Speaking of which, can you even get into the high school everyone's aiming for?"

With his heartfelt declaration out of the way, Sendo immediately delivered a fatal blow to Sawamura's confidence.

Sendo remembered Wakana's scathing remark from the original storyline and, since she hadn't said it yet, decided to take the honors himself.

What he didn't realize was that this was actually the second time Sawamura had been roasted over his academics in this way!

...

"Cough!"

Sure enough, after a brief silence, Sawamura clutched his chest as if he had been struck by an arrow.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" This time, instead of worrying, everyone burst into laughter.

Sendo looked around, confused by their reaction.

This isn't the group I remember! Since when did everyone become so mean-spirited and gleeful about misfortune?

Seeing Sendo's puzzled expression, Wakana recounted the events from a week ago, leaving Sendo scratching his nose awkwardly before joining in on teasing Sawamura.

Sawamura, meanwhile, was on the verge of a meltdown.

...

The days following the summer tournament were devoid of baseball, replaced instead with books and study sessions.

Sendo, knowing that Sawamura wasn't planning to attend the same high school, decided to at least maintain appearances for now.

He thought there was still plenty of time to steer things in the right direction.

Despite the focus on academics, Sendo continued to push Sawamura to run daily, while other training routines had already become habitual for him.

Sendo also saw this as a chance to help Sawamura broaden his horizons—or at the very least, prevent his mom from losing her sanity later on.

What worried Sendo most was the possibility that if Seidou didn't step in to recruit Sawamura, he might end up being the one stuck tutoring him—a scenario that would surely drive him crazy.

Every time this thought crossed his mind, he silently apologized to Sawamura before metaphorically arming himself with a feather duster—no, a paper fan—to keep him in line during study sessions.

The goal was simple: train Sawamura to tackle problems independently rather than rely on Sendo.

Seeking help from Sendo would only result in mockery, a light smack, and no actual assistance.

...

While pondering how to torment Sawamura further with study material, Sendo was interrupted by his grandmother calling out to him.

"Someone from Tokyo is here to see you!"

Sendo's first thought was:

"She has finally come!"

Approaching the guest room, Sendo's mind began racing.

...

As Sendo stepped into the room, he immediately spotted a beautiful woman seated there.

Though he had his suspicions, this was his first time meeting Takashima Rei, so he wasn't entirely sure.

Still, recalling his grandmother's mention of a visitor from Tokyo, he figured it must be her.

Before he could say anything, the woman spoke.

"Nice to meet you! You must be Sendo Akira, correct?"

Caught in his thoughts, Sendo nodded slightly, acknowledging her.

"I'm Rei Takashima, the assistant director of Seidou High School's baseball team. I've come here today to invite you to join our team!"

Though he had anticipated this, Sendo feigned ignorance and replied, "I'm sorry, but I've already decided to attend the same high school as Eijun."

His response carried a dual purpose.

Firstly, Sendo wasn't sure which games Takashima had watched and whether Sawamura had displayed the kind of talent that would catch her eye.

Sendo recalled that the final game, where he was absent, wasn't exactly a showcase of Sawamura's potential.

However, Sendo, having reviewed footage, knew Takashima's sharp eye would undoubtedly recognize Sawamura's talent after witnessing that wild pitch.

Secondly, Sendo wanted to test whether Takashima had any interest in recruiting Sawamura as well.

"Oh, I see. You must mean Sawamura Eijun. Well, it's a coincidence because I've just extended an invitation to him as well!" she replied with a confident smile.

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