Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 360: Teito Battle – The Sun's Afterglow

"Clutch hit!"

"Haha! Maezono-senpai, that was brilliant!"

"A perfect swing! I knew you could do it, Maezono!"

"No outs, runners on first and third! Zono, keep it going! Keep pushing forward!"

"Let's widen the gap! Let's decide the game right here!"

"Go, Seidou!"

Unlike the original timeline, where the game dragged into the bottom of the eighth inning before Maezono's bases-clearing hit secured the decisive three runs, this time, with Eijun's evolution strengthening the lineup, Seidou's offense had become far more synchronized from the very start of the season.

Maezono had also found his ideal batting approach earlier than before.

Mukai, for all his precision in control, still had noticeable weaknesses in other areas.

Against Seidou's increasingly complete batting lineup, he was starting to buckle under pressure.

"Batting sixth, left fielder, Furuya-kun."

Seidou's relentless offensive barrage continued.

Teito High was now teetering on the brink of disaster.

Whoosh!

Ping!

Thud!

"Foul ball!"

Aggressive, powerful, swinging with full force at every pitch—this was the approach Coach Kataoka had instructed Furuya to take.

And while simple, this strategy was putting immense pressure on Mukai.

The dull, resounding echoes of each swing.

The sheer force behind every motion of the bat.

The mounting tension was suffocating Mukai. After all, this was Teito's ace—a true first-year pitcher, just 16 years old.

And now, the very fears Coach Okamoto had harbored before the game were becoming reality.

Whoosh!

Ping!

Another outside fastball.

Furuya swung wildly, caring little for anything beyond making contact—whether it became a pop fly or a ground ball seemed irrelevant to him.

Meanwhile, on third base, Miyuki was prepared. No matter the type of hit, unless it resulted in a strikeout or a sharp infield liner, he was going to sprint home without hesitation.

This only added to Mukai's frustration, and even Teito's catcher, Kengo, wore a grave expression.

The score gap was widening.

If Teito wanted to stay in the fight, they had to hold Seidou here.

Any more runs allowed, and the game would be decided this very inning.

"Next pitch, Taiyou, be careful. Aim it here."

Kengo meticulously planned the pitch sequence, while Mukai steeled himself, pouring every ounce of his concentration into this moment.

Every pitch, every trajectory, every timing adjustment, every ounce of velocity, movement, and spin—he was pushing himself to the limit.

Whoosh!

A gleaming streak cut through the air.

The whistling sound of the ball carried Mukai's determination.

But in the end, even the sun must set.

The twilight will come.

And even the sun must cast its final afterglow.

Ping!

A piercing, metallic explosion echoed through the stadium.

A hit that drained the color from Mukai's face.

Whoosh!

A dazzling arc traced across the sky.

And then—a violent collision against the left field wall.

BOOM!

The stadium erupted in a roar.

The entire Teito High team stood frozen in shock, their expressions blank. In contrast, Seidou erupted into thunderous cheers.

A towering hit off the left-field wall.

Even Maezono, who had been on first base, managed to round the bases and score.

On the electronic scoreboard for the fourth inning, the number "3" flashed once again.

Seidou had added two more runs.

The lead instantly stretched to four.

"Ohhh! A direct hit off the wall! Damn, Furuya really came through!"

"Haha, this kid must be venting all his frustration from not being able to pitch."

"Damn… a two-run clutch hit. Looks like Mukai has been completely figured out."

"He's got talent, no doubt. But man, Seidou this year is just on another level."

"Yeah, he's just a little short of what's needed. What a shame for Mukai."

"That's right. Now that their ace has been cracked, the game is pretty much decided."

"There are still five innings left, but at this rate, the odds are probably 80-20… maybe even 90-10."

"A powerhouse team that made it to Koshien in the summer—eliminated in the first round? Crazy how things turn out."

"Well, that's what happens when you run into Seidou."

"Hey, hey, the game's not over yet. Isn't it a bit early to be talking like this?"

"That's what I'm saying! There have been games where teams made a nine-run comeback in the bottom of the ninth. It's only a four-run difference, and there are still five innings left. Plenty of time."

"Uh… yeah, but still…"

There was no denying it—Furuya's monstrous hit felt like the nail in the coffin. The discussions in the stands had shifted overwhelmingly in Seidou's favor.

Because Teito's backup pitchers… likely stood no chance against Seidou's relentless lineup.

More importantly, not a single spectator could see Teito scoring against Eijun.

Even Eijun himself believed it—among all the teams in Tokyo, Teito's lineup wasn't even in the top tier of offensive power.

Mukai stood atop the mound, staring blankly at the scoreboard. His face was pale, drained of all confidence.

Teito High.

Mukai Taiyou.

By the second time through the lineup…

They had been completely overpowered by Seidou's might.

The sun—

Had finally reached its inevitable twilight.

...

Whoosh!

Pop!

"Out! Three outs! Change of sides!"

"Nice pitch, Kuriyama-kun!"

"The game isn't over yet! We still have a chance!"

"Yeah! Let's go!!!"

In the bottom of the fourth inning, after surrendering three consecutive runs and visibly shaken, Mukai was finally pulled from the game by Coach Okamoto.

Taking the mound in his place was second-year relief pitcher Kuriyama.

Relying on his experience and stronger chemistry with his teammates, he barely managed to stabilize the situation—preventing things from spiraling further out of control.

Although Seidou still managed to tack on another run, that was the extent of their offensive surge.

After securing an out against leadoff batter Kuramochi, Teito High finally put an end to Seidou's relentless fourth-inning attack.

On the surface, Teito's morale seemed intact.

But anyone with a keen eye could see it—they had reached their breaking point.

Top of the Fifth Inning

Teito High's offense.

As expected, facing the dominant Eijun, Teito had no way to break through. Just as the spectators predicted, they struggled to put runs on the board.

Their fifth batter, using sheer power and instinct, managed to punch a single into right field and reached first base.

But that was it.

Despite throwing everything they had into the inning, Teito barely managed to advance the runner to third base—only to hit a dead end. Even scoring a single run felt out of reach.

Eijun shut down the following batters one after another.

Just like Mukai's helpless exit from the mound, Teito High's lineup seemed utterly powerless against Sawamura's pitching.

The top of the fifth inning ended with another dominant performance from Seidou's ace.

Victory for Seidou—

Was now just one step away.

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