Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 131: So the Aura Can Be Switched Too?

The morale of Seiwa Junior High School remained unshaken—they were incredibly dominant!

In the third inning, Akagi's lineup began with their 8th batter, the chubby Takada!

Despite his heft, Takada wasn't a power hitter and lacked speed on the bases.

Without landing a lucky hit, he was practically ineffective.

The opposing team, wary of his weight, dealt with him swiftly using breaking balls.

Understandable—after all, even if it's mostly fat, someone with that much mass can generate significant power.

Not to mention, Sendo had been forcing him to lose weight, so despite his high body fat percentage, Takada had developed some decent muscle.

Combined with his size, letting him make solid contact with the ball could be disastrous.

Once the naive Takada was taken care of, it was time for the 9th batter, Shin, Akagi's backup catcher now playing right field.

Seiwa's strategy was evident—they didn't want Akagi securing a hit this inning.

Their pitching was cautious.

After all, if they couldn't achieve a three-up, three-down this inning, they'd struggle to contain Sendo's speed on base in the next.

However, if they cleared this inning cleanly and dispatched the first two batters of the next, they could afford to intentionally walk Sendo without worrying about him wreaking havoc.

This calculated strategy aimed to reach two outs before Sendo's turn, effectively limiting his ability to execute a sacrifice bunt.

According to the rules, if there are two outs, the batter must reach first base safely; even if a runner scores before the batter is put out, the run is invalid.

The intent was straightforward, leaving both sides to clash head-on.

Shin soon found himself in a tough spot, quickly falling behind in the count.

"Two strikes already! Use the slider to finish him off!"

Clink!

"Huh?"

"A bunt? With two strikes?"

The Seiwa catcher was stunned and angry. "Don't they know that if a bunt foul on two strikes counts as an out? What are they thinking?!"

Thud!

"Safe!"

"Yes!" Shin roared in triumph as he safely reached first base.

"As expected! Akagi's bunting and baserunning skills are truly exceptional! Not only that, but their players are remarkably composed. Pulling off such a perfect bunt with two strikes takes incredible focus and stability!" Coach Takei chuckled from the sidelines. "A momentary lapse in concentration, and they've seized the opportunity."

No one had anticipated Shin would take such an aggressive approach in this situation. Still, it didn't dampen the team's enthusiasm.

Tap!

"What are you spacing out for?! Your teammate just made a great play, and you're daydreaming!" Even Fumino couldn't help but tap Sendo on the head lightly.

"Don't hit my head! It'll make me dumber!"

"If you were dumber, it'd be better! Need my help?" Fumino retorted in her unique sharp tone, her words delivered in a low, quick, and slightly eerie voice—a manner she thought was adorable in anime.

"Uh, no thanks! Calm down!"

"Then cheer for your team properly!" She softened her tone, lowering her gaze to her legs as she spoke gently.

"Cheer?"

"If you can't say it out loud, just cheer in your heart. But don't be so rude anymore!"

"Got it!" Sendo couldn't bring himself to argue against such a gentle Fumino.

Her deep blue eyes, in that moment of tenderness, seemed to radiate a soft, flowing emotion that made resisting her feel like committing a grave sin.

While they exchanged words, Ohno, Akagi's leadoff batter, stepped into the box, signaling the start of their second trip through the lineup.

"Infield, shift up to guard against the bunt! Outfield, align centrally!" Coach Takei barked orders.

Akagi's ability to disrupt opponents was formidable, and their top lineup was polished to perfection.

The Seiwa pitcher was visibly flustered, throwing a couple of wild balls due to the threat of a fake bunt.

However, the team adjusted quickly, choosing a balanced approach that wouldn't easily give way to short bunts.

Shin wasn't as fast as Ohno, after all.

In the dugout, Fumino gently held Wakana's hand to calm her down as she watched Wakana's nervous expression, unsure of what to do.

Ping!

"Foul ball!"

Thud!

"Ball!"

Thud!

"Strike!"

Utilizing breaking balls and precise corner pitching, the Seiwa pitcher quickly put Ohno into a tough spot.

"Fastball!"

Ping!

"Slider!" Ono gritted his teeth.

The ball ricocheted near the pitcher's mound and was easily fielded.

Thud!

"Out!"

Thud!

"Out!"

"Three outs! Inning over!"

"Yes! Double play!"

The seamless sequence from pitcher to second base to first base sealed a double play, undoing the momentum Shin had painstakingly gained with his bunt. Once again, the game's pace swung back in Seiwa's favor.

"Ah, what a shame!" Sawamura shouted, clutching his head in frustration.

Wakana frowned deeply, while Fumino tightened her grip on Wakana's hand for reassurance.

"There's nothing to regret! Let's go, Eijun! The game is far from over!" Sendo, oblivious to everyone's expressions, instinctively interrupted Sawamura's noisy complaints.

Strangely enough, Sendo's words seemed to restore the team's composure. His role as a mental pillar for the team was undeniable.

In the third inning, while Akagi's bottom lineup faced challenges, Seiwa's lineup wasn't much better, featuring their 7th, 8th, and 9th batters—all of whom struggled as lower-order hitters.

Their first trip through the lineup concluded quickly, with all three batters retiring in just six pitches.

Despite Sendo's pride and confidence, he never underestimated his opponents.

Even when fully aware of their weaknesses, he gave his all, showing no mercy.

Once he engaged his mind, there was no holding back—this man simply didn't know how to go easy.

"There's no way to adapt to the pitcher in the first round of at-bats."

"Yeah, something about his pitches is just… unsettling," one Seiwa batter remarked as they returned to the dugout.

"The real threat isn't the pitcher—it's the catcher," added Sakura, another catcher on Seiwa's team. "He's not letting us settle in at all."

"Huh?"

"Did you notice? That slower pitch threw in the last inning? He hasn't used it against us yet. It's as if he knows we don't need to face that pitch to struggle against the fastballs and sliders. By the time we start adjusting to pitches, he'll throw in that speed variation to mess us up. That catcher is meticulous—and devious."

Hearing this, the Seiwa players realized just how tricky their opponent was, especially given the one-run deficit.

While Sendo and his team fought as if the game were tied, Seiwa's players couldn't forget the pressure of trailing.

The longer the game went on, the heavier that one run would weigh on them.

Coach Takei clapped his hands to rally his team. "Don't worry about the score! Focus on breaking down the pitcher! It's just one run—we'll find the opportunity to score. But make sure to hold this inning and don't let runners pile up before Sendo gets back to bat!"

"Yes, Coach!" the players shouted, snapping back to focus.

The fourth inning began, and Akagi's leadoff batter, Aoki, stepped into the box.

A left-handed batter with tricky tendencies, he immediately made Seiwa's infield tighten their defense, wary of a surprise bunt.

"Let's start by testing his reactions."

"Got it."

After the pitcher and catcher agreed on the signal, the game resumed.

Whoosh!

Thud!

"Ball!"

"He didn't swing? That outside fastball was perfectly placed," Sakura muttered, feeling drained already.

"Let's see how he handles this."

"Almost swung at that one. That pitch was dangerously close!" Aoki thought to himself, but he didn't have much time to ponder as the pitcher quickly delivered the next pitch.

Whoosh!

Thud!

"Strike!"

"A slider! The trajectory before breaking is so similar to a fastball—it's incredibly hard to hit," Aoki lamented. Even for Akagi's top hitters, the slider's quality was challenging to handle.

The pitcher stepped up for the third pitch.

Thud!

"Strike!"

"Another slider?" Aoki's eyes widened as he realized the pattern.

Thud!

"Strike three! Batter out!"

"Three consecutive sliders…" Aoki was stunned after swinging and missing at the last one.

"This batter is smart but lacks the power to decide the game in one swing. Before he adjusts to the slider, we can dominate him with it," Sakura noted, relieved after the strikeout. "But be careful—the next batter might try to disrupt us with more aggression. Stay sharp!"

The next batter, Kondou, received a mix of breaking balls and fastballs, ultimately succumbing to a strikeout. Sakura's strategy was proving effective—clearing the bases before Sendo's turn at bat.

When Sendo finally stepped into the batter's box, Seiwa's catcher didn't hesitate, signaling an intentional walk.

After all, the memory of Sendo's home run—a seemingly bad pitch—still haunted them.

Thud!

"Ball four! Take your base!"

Sendo strolled to first base without even considering stealing. With the defense shifted up, they gave Sawamura no room to execute his signature bunts.

Thud!

"Strike three! Batter out! Three outs—change sides!"

And just like that, Sawamura went down swinging—his strikeout as flashy as it was inevitable.

Sawamura's wide, exaggerated swing was undeniably full of flair! However, what stood out even more was his expression after striking out.

"As expected! Hahaha! That face is just too funny!" Sendo burst into laughter, watching Sawamura's comically wide-mouthed reaction as he walked back to the bench.

"Nice! We held him off!"

"Great job!"

"Amazing!"

The Seiwa bench was filled with excitement. Surviving an at-bat against that monster, Sendo, without conceding a run was a massive victory in itself.

...

Even after returning to the bench, Seiwa's starting players continued high-fiving in celebration.

"Don't get too carried away! The opposition isn't the type to be fazed by a small setback. Keep putting pressure on their pitcher, and opportunities will surely come!" Coach Takei's tone was calm and composed as he observed Sendo's demeanor, showing no sign of letting his guard down.

"Damn it!" Back on the Akagi bench, Sawamura turned his back on his teammates, his earlier lightheartedness replaced with frustration as he gritted his teeth.

"Let's stay positive, everyone! We're still in the lead!" Fumino's cheerful encouragement lifted the team's spirits.

For some reason, her words always carried an inexplicable sense of authority.

"Don't worry, it's fine!" Sendo added, placing his large hand gently on Fumino's head.

"Oh!" Fumino's cheeks turned slightly red, but she quickly turned away, masking her embarrassment with a feigned haughty expression.

Sigh.

Seeing this, Sendo chuckled and ruffled her hair playfully.

"Alright! Get your gear on and get ready for the next inning!" Despite her shyness, Fumino managed to maintain her composure and spoke firmly.

"Sure thing!" Sendo replied with a smile.

To Fumino, the interaction seemed like that of lovers from her perspective, but to Sendo, it was more akin to treating a younger sister or daughter. Truly a dense man.

After all, Sendo had watched Fumino grow up from a young age and had always seen her through the lens of an adult's mindset.

This deeply ingrained perspective wasn't something he could easily change.

"Do your best!" Fumino called out, watching Sendo's back as he walked away.

"You should be saying that to Eijun. The real challenge lies with him," Sendo remarked without even turning around.

A small hashtag symbol (#) practically popped up above Fumino's head as she smiled with a serene yet unsettling calmness. But Sendo remained blissfully unaware of her subtle shift in mood.

"Eijun! The second round of their top lineup is coming! Don't chicken out!" Sendo teased Sawamura.

"Who's scared, you jerk—huh?" Sawamura suddenly froze, noticing a dark, ominous aura radiating from Fumino. Sweat poured down his face as he stared at the unnerving sight.

And he wasn't the only one sweating—several others were visibly shaken.

The only one completely oblivious was Sendo, who had his back turned.

"What's wrong, Eijun?" Sendo asked, confused.

"Uh, nothing! Nothing at all!" Sawamura waved his hands frantically.

However, Sendo, sensing the strange atmosphere among the others, turned to look behind him.

By the time he did, Fumino had already returned to her usual warm and radiant smile, exuding an air of serenity.

Sawamura's jaw dropped as he realized, "So the aura can really switch on and off at will!"