Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 171: Cooperation with Shirasu

Why mention "flying"? Because Sendo's speed is clearly leagues ahead of Kuramochi's.

Especially his explosive initial acceleration—it's practically inhuman!

In the first 20 meters, under the perception of the spectators, it might not have even taken two seconds.

If that's not "flying," then what is?

Of course, human perception isn't always accurate...

"What was that just now?" someone whispered on the sidelines, stunned by the display of speed.

The comment was followed by complete silence.

Then, after a brief pause, the crowd erupted.

"What was that?"

"That speed—like lightning!"

"Amazing! That guy's a real bakemono!"

"I've never seen speed like that before!"

"And he's only a first-year! Hey!!!"

"Also, didn't he just hit a home run earlier? He's a monster at batting too. Where did Seidou find this guy?!"

Previously, Kuramochi's speed had already shocked neutral spectators, but now, this newcomer was even more extreme.

The umpire near first base felt it most acutely. In the blink of an eye, Sendo was already there after starting his run.

Coach Kataoka had already guessed what Sendo intended when he swung, but the speed he displayed afterward even surprised him.

He regretted not having tested him earlier.

But then, considering Sendo always positioned himself last during lineup drills, the result likely wouldn't have been much different.

He probably wouldn't have gone all out in a simple test anyway, so Kataoka dismissed his regret.

"I told you, didn't I? He's even faster than Kuramochi-senpai," Fumino said with an innocent expression, her tone devoid of any pride—just a straightforward statement.

But her adorable, squirrel-like look, with her cheeks slightly puffed, made her seem even cuter.

"He really is fast!" Haruno eagerly chimed in, like a little sidekick.

"Like an elite track athlete on TV! And this is a dirt field!" exclaimed senior Takako in amazement. To her, Kuramochi's speed had already seemed out of this world.

Meanwhile, Rei adjusted her glasses confidently with a sly smile.

"That bastard! No wonder he wasn't surprised when I mentioned Kuramochi's speed earlier!" Miyuki laughed proudly, baring his teeth—a smile similar to Eijun and Sendo's.

But for some reason, his expression carried a hint of fatherly pride, as if his own child had achieved something remarkable.

"Yeah, yeah, but his baserunning skills are trash," Kuramochi interjected, avoiding any comment on Sendo's speed and instead criticizing his technique.

Typical of Kuramochi—to encourage teammates when they felt down but tease them when they excelled.

However, his comment about Sendo's lack of technique made Coach Kataoka frown slightly.

In reality, the time it took Sendo to go from swinging the bat to reaching first base was comparable to Kuramochi's.

But the perception of Sendo being faster stemmed from the fact that his initial acceleration phase had been so spectacular that everyone selectively focused on it.

Once Sendo stabilized and started accelerating, his stride length gave him an advantage over Kuramochi.

It was similar to how Usain Bolt's longer stride helped him overcome slower starts.

Sendo's speed compensated for his flawed start.

Baserunning after a swing required entirely different techniques from a prepared run from first to second base.

Without proper technique, a player's own body could hinder their initial acceleration.

For left-handed batters like Sendo, who needed to turn slightly after hitting, the lack of technical understanding was evident.

During his turn, he almost tripped himself but managed to recover due to his reflexes and flexibility.

If he had fallen flat at home plate, it would've been utterly embarrassing.

Kataoka's frown didn't go unnoticed by Kuramochi, who chuckled to himself.

Miyuki, puzzled by Kuramochi's amusement, wanted to ask why he was so entertained but chose not to.

Regardless, Sendo had reached base, so his lack of technique mattered less for now.

Stealing bases required prediction, observation, and calculation, none of which would be hindered by awkward running form.

While his start might still be a little clumsy compared to seasoned players, in baseball's lateral motion, the impact would be minimal.

With a runner on base, the pitcher would need to switch to a slide-step motion, which reduced the ball's velocity—an advantage for the batter.

If the pitcher dared to stick to a full windup, with Sendo's displayed speed, even Miyuki wouldn't be able to stop him from stealing a base.

As for Shimizu? He doubted even he could stop Sendo at this point.

"Batter 8, right fielder, Shirasu!"

...

"Don't rush. Let me test them first," Sendo signaled to Shirasu with a hand gesture while taking a sizable lead off first base.

Knowing Shirasu was batting after him, Sendo had earlier coordinated a few signals with him.

Shirasu glanced back at the bench.

Coach Kataoka, noticing Sendo's actions, seemed to understand his intentions and nodded in approval.

At Seidou, players were encouraged to think for themselves during games.

The players on the field had the clearest grasp of the situation.

Sendo's willingness to think strategically and take bold actions aligned perfectly with Seidou's philosophy of baseball.

"That lead is even more daring than the leadoff batter's!" shouted a spectator from Ichidaisan's side as Sendo took a lead of more than five meters.

Meanwhile, Shirasu prepared for a bunt.

"Manaka-senpai is a right-handed pitcher, so his pickoff moves to first and second bases are relatively weaker. If I can predict his pickoff attempts in advance, they won't disrupt my steal!" Sendo muttered to himself while observing Manaka from first base.

He slapped his face lightly with both hands to stimulate himself, heightening his concentration for a brief moment. His extraordinary dynamic vision allowed him to analyze every move the pitcher made.

"Heh!" Sendo chuckled softly.

Manaka straightened his stance, prompting Sendo to lower his center of gravity and focus his attention.

"Swish!"

"Ku, ku, ku."

Pop!

A swift pickoff move!

However, Sendo's reaction and turn were almost simultaneous with the pitcher's pickoff attempt.

By the time the first baseman, Hoshida, caught the ball and began to make a move, Sendo had already returned to first base without even sliding!

"What kind of explosive power and reflexes are these?" the commentator exclaimed in rapid speech.

"Heh!" Sendo let out a low chuckle. "Looks like I've been too cautious."

"Sendo is leading off even farther now! The earlier pickoff attempt allowed him to gauge Manaka's pickoff speed, giving him even more confidence!" the commentator shouted.

Sendo realized he had underestimated himself or, rather, had been overly cautious.

Though, being cautious and probing the situation had its merits—getting thrown out on an overly aggressive lead-off would have been no laughing matter.

After all, the perspective from the sidelines was vastly different from facing the pitcher at first base.

"Damn it!" Manaka muttered under his breath, glaring at Sendo.

Speedsters like Sendo were incredibly disruptive to the defense, especially when they were smart runners.

"Don't let it get to you, Manaka. Focus on the batter," Shimizu signaled to calm him down. "Whether he's at first or second base, it makes no difference—it's inevitable."

Shimizu's words were partly self-comfort.

The feeling of helplessness gnawed at him, too.

Manaka glanced at Shirasu, standing deep in the left-handed batter's box, and nodded firmly.

Coach Kataoka signaled for Shirasu to fake a bunt to distract the defense, giving Sendo a chance to steal.

This was quintessential Seidou baseball—giving players the freedom to think, attack boldly, and take calculated risks. It aligned perfectly with the strategy of "winning through adaptability and unpredictability."

Manaka tried two consecutive pickoff attempts, but neither had any effect on Sendo, whose explosive speed and reflexes were far superior.

Instead of disrupting Sendo's rhythm, these attempts allowed him to refine his lead-off distance, becoming even more precise.

However, Sendo was well aware of his own limitations.

His sliding skills, for example, were rudimentary at best, relying entirely on natural athleticism—reaction speed, explosive power, and dynamic vision.

He avoided overly risky lead-offs, leaving just enough room to recover if his timing faltered slightly.

After all, he wasn't yet a seasoned player whose movements were ingrained in muscle memory.

Seeing this, the Ichidaisan pitcher and catcher shifted focus to the batter. But Sendo's aggressive lead-off was relentless, making it hard for them to ignore him.

"First pitch—a slider on the inside corner. If he bunts, let him. Prioritize getting the batter out," Shimizu signaled.

However, Shimizu couldn't help but imagine that Seidou had likely predicted this strategy.

Letting Sendo take second base to concentrate on the batter seemed like a necessary evil in this situation.

The inning was crucial.

A defensive hold would shift momentum in Ichidaisan's favor, but conceding runs would devastate their morale and likely lead to an insurmountable comeback by Seidou.

Manaka nodded, raising his arm to begin the pitch. Just as he was about to throw, Shirasu's decisive movement startled him—he pulled back the fake bunt, and Sendo dashed for second base.

"Steal!" Hoshida shouted.

Manaka had no choice but to deliberately miss the strike zone. If Shirasu made solid contact, it could easily lead to a run, given Sendo's speed.

"Ball!" the umpire declared just as the catcher threw to second.

"Safe!" The umpire at second base confirmed.

"Stolen base successful!" the commentator yelled.

"This is bad for my heart!" Ota exclaimed, clutching his chest as if having a heart attack. Though the success rate of this steal was practically guaranteed, the tension of this inning was too much.

"Phew…" Sendo exhaled deeply upon reaching second base.

And then—

"Look at that lead-off!" the commentator cried again.

Sendo's lead-off from second was even more exaggerated. With unrestrained confidence, he signaled to Shirasu: "I'll fake a steal next pitch to disrupt them."

"What an impressive junior," even the reserved Shirasu couldn't help but admire his teammate's initiative.

Shirasu cooperated by faking another bunt.

Having a runner like Sendo on base was a nightmare for the opposing team—concentrating on the batter became nearly impossible, especially in this high-pressure situation with few outs and runners in scoring position.

"What should we do?" Shimizu was at a loss.

Speedsters like Sendo were incredibly frustrating, especially when paired with skilled batters like Shirasu, who excelled at hit-and-run and bunting strategies.

Worse still, Shirasu was a left-handed batter, adept at exploiting gaps in the infield and giving the defense headaches.

As Shimizu pondered, Manaka tried another pickoff attempt at second. However, with the larger turning radius required for second base, it was even less effective.

"Let's go all out! If he bunts, aim for the strike zone but keep it low!" Shimizu finally decided—they couldn't afford to self-destruct.

Manaka, now cautious of Sendo, refrained from using a full windup. However, as he stepped into his delivery, Sendo bolted for third base.

"Steal!" the second baseman shouted.

This time, Sendo's timing was impeccable. He took off the moment Manaka's weight shifted, making it impossible for him to adjust.

Paired with Shirasu pulling back his fake bunt, Sankou's battery was on the verge of breaking down.

Sendo slid into third base with perfect timing, and the umpire's voice echoed through the field: "Safe!"