Diamond No Ace: Echoes Of The Ace

Chapter 25: The Return

"Sawamura Eijun, you take the field as well," Coach Kataoka said with satisfaction as he watched the latest group of freshmen.

His gaze lingered on Eijun.

This kid had been scouted by Rei Takashima as a special recruit, and given the excellent performance of this batch of freshmen, Eijun seemed to have played a part in their success. But how strong was he really?

Hearing his name, Eijun thought he might have misheard. Only when he met Coach Kataoka's eyes did the excitement hit him.

"Finally! This moment has come! Thank you, Coach, for your wise decision. I won't let you down!" Eijun shouted tearfully, his voice booming as he eagerly ran toward the pitcher's mound.

"Haha, this kid's got some spirit!"

"Is he worth watching?" The observing alumni chuckled as they watched Eijun's boisterous antics.

Coach Kataoka, however, began to doubt Takashima's judgment.

Could this loud, excitable kid really be the ace she envisioned?

As Eijun stretched his arms, ready to embrace his dream position on the mound, he thought to himself, "This is the moment I've been waiting for. I will definitely shine!"

"Where do you think you're going? You're playing right field," Coach Kataoka said flatly, delivering what felt like a thunderclap to Eijun. His toes were just inches away from the mound.

"Damn it," Eijun muttered, standing in right field while glaring at Kaneda, who was practicing on the mound.

"Why won't they let me pitch?"

Meanwhile, the catcher and Kaneda tried to focus on their practice, doing their best to ignore the ominous aura emanating from right field.

Poor Kaneda was on the verge of tears.

---It's not my fault I'm pitching right now! Don't look at me like that!

Despite his frustration, Eijun took his position in right field seriously. Observing the game closely, he spotted a ball heading his way.

Judging its trajectory, he took a few steps back, then leapt lightly, catching the ball in his glove.

Although he successfully caught the batter out, the runner on base was signaled to advance.

Eijun quickly reacted, taking a small step forward, planting his right foot firmly, and hurling the ball with a powerful swing of his shoulder.

With a sharp "thwack," the ball reached the glove just before the runner, securing the out.

As Eijun raised his glove high in triumph, the onlookers finally recalled his long throw record of 113 meters.

Overshadowed by Furuya's brilliance, this detail had been overlooked.

But on the field, Eijun's radiance could not be ignored.

Standing there, illuminated by the sunlight, he exuded a courage that inspired everyone watching.

"Two out! Two out!" Eijun's voice rang out, gradually echoed by his teammates.

The freshmen realized they could still push forward.

Kaneda's performance was about as expected.

While his curveballs remained unscathed, his fastballs started to yield hits.

Yet, no runs had been scored.

"Pitcher change. Furuya Satoru, you're up," Coach Kataoka announced, swapping pitchers as the freshmen struggled against the upperclassmen's relentless offense.

From the outfield, Eijun watched Furuya walk toward the mound, his eyes filled with jealousy and frustration. "Damn it, he beat me to it."

"He's finally here."

"I'll take down this monstrous rookie!"

The upperclassmen glared at Furuya with vengeance, their hostility almost tangible.

Meanwhile, the freshmen defenders could practically see the anger emanating from their seniors.

Only Furuya, oblivious as ever, calmly adjusted the pitcher's mound.

Eijun frowned as he watched Kariba catch for Furuya during their warm-up throws.

Furuya wasn't throwing at full power yet, but as he prepared to pitch, he glanced at the catcher before him and thought about Miyuki, the reason he came to this school.

Raising his arm above his head, he positioned himself carefully, planted his left foot firmly, and unleashed a powerful pitch.

Kariba, who had never seen Furuya's full-power throws, was unprepared for the soaring fastball.

As the ball zipped past him, it brushed his glove, ricocheted upwards, and struck Coach Kataoka, who was standing behind him as the umpire.

Everyone on the field froze at the shocking scene.

"What was that pitch?" Kariba thought in disbelief. "It looked like it was going low, but it suddenly rose."

"Coach, are you okay?" Concerned voices rang out, but Coach Kataoka merely smiled.

"You're qualified, Furuya. Starting tomorrow, you'll join the first-string team."

The announcement stunned everyone, including Furuya himself.

It caused unease among the second-string seniors, while Eijun, standing in the outfield, kept his head low, his expression unreadable.

In the dugout, Haruichi wiped his bat as he muttered enviously, "I wish I could make the first-string team too."

"Pitcher change," Kataoka declared, but before the substitution could be finalized, Furuya stepped forward.

"Please let me continue pitching, Coach. I promise I'll get a hit off him," Furuya insisted.

"No," Kataoka said firmly. "No first-year player can catch his pitches."

Kariba gritted his teeth and clenched his fists but could not argue. Furuya, however, seemed unconcerned and grinned. "Now Miyuki-senpai can catch for me."

"Tanba, Miyauchi, you two can rest now," Kataoka continued. "Tanba, if you regain your original form, you'll be on par with national-level pitchers. Be confident in your throws."

"Yes, Coach!" Tanba replied with renewed determination as he stepped out of the dugout.

After being substituted, Furuya didn't stay in the dugout.

Instead, he asked for permission to leave and began searching for Miyuki.

His departure drew skeptical and dissatisfied glances from the other freshmen.

Furuya eventually found Miyuki in the indoor training facility. Seeing him, Miyuki looked surprised. "Furuya? Aren't you supposed to be playing?"

"Coach said I could join the first-string team," Furuya replied.

"What!?" Miyuki, along with the other players nearby, exclaimed in unison.

"Miyuki-senpai, I didn't let anyone hit my pitches today. Can you catch for me now?" Furuya asked eagerly.

"Wait a second, kid," Jun Isashiki interrupted, glaring at Furuya. "Did you just say the coach promoted you to the first-string team?"

"Yes," Furuya confirmed.

"What's Tanba doing, letting a first-year get promoted ahead of him?" Isashiki grumbled. The thought of Tanba falling short irritated him.

"Tanba-senpai was promoted too," Furuya clarified, hoping to pacify Isashiki. "But he stayed behind to watch the game."

"A new catcher on the field? Could it be Chris?" someone asked.

"Chris is playing?"

"Chris-senpai!?" the others echoed.

Hearing this, the first-string players couldn't sit still.

One by one, they rushed back to the field, leaving Furuya alone in the training facility.

Searching for Miyuki with his eyes, Furuya realized the room was now empty.

He stood there, frozen in place.

Miyuki, however, couldn't contain his excitement.

As soon as he heard that Chris had joined the intra-squad game, he dashed toward the field faster than anyone else.

On the other side, Eijun was equally thrilled, his eyes glued to Chris.

If it weren't for the ongoing game, he might have sprinted over.

Disappointed at not seeing Chris at the start of the match, Eijun was now bursting with excitement, as if electrified.

From the opposing dugout, Chris, now suited up, noticed Eijun and waved gently, flashing a warm smile.

Eijun, initially trying to stay composed, was instantly captivated by the smile, forgetting himself.

"Chris-sen~~pai... cough cough," Eijun shouted in excitement, his voice cracking. Seeing this, Chris raised a finger to his lips in a "shh" gesture. Receiving the cue, Eijun covered his mouth and nodded vigorously.

Noticing Eijun's enthusiasm, Kariba asked curiously, "Is that Chris-senpai?"

"That's right," Eijun replied, a hint of pride in his voice.

The freshmen, intrigued, turned their attention to the senior whom Eijun clearly idolized.

Though Eijun respected all his seniors, Chris was the only one he consistently praised.

In contrast, Kanemaru clicked his tongue, masking his disdain for Eijun.

Sharing a dorm with Chris, Kanemaru had known about Chris's return but had been sworn to secrecy, enduring the frustration until now.

On the opposite side, the seniors were teasing Chris.

"Chris, your charm is still as strong as ever. Even though you didn't join the training camp, the freshmen still seem to care about you so much."

"No, it's probably because of what that kid Sawamura said to them that they're interested in me," Chris replied with a gentle smile.

Seeing Chris's warm demeanor, the seniors decided not to tease him further.

His return alone was a blessing, and they knew they had Eijun to thank for it.

We should treat him to a drink sometime, they thought. Or maybe help him with extra training.

As soon as Eijun saw Chris take the field, his intensity skyrocketed. It was as if he were shouting at the coach with his actions, "Look at me! Watch me, Coach!"

The alumni watching from the sidelines couldn't help but be impressed as Eijun made another stunning throw from the outfield.

"Whoa! A laser throw."

"Haha, this kid's really eager to show off. His outfield defense is solid—he must've trained well in middle school."

In reality, Eijun had only ever been a pitcher in middle school.

His overwhelming desire to impress the coach fueled his stellar defensive plays.

The moment the inning ended, he put on his helmet, grabbed his bat, and stood in the on-deck circle, his eyes burning with determination as he stared at the coach, waiting for his turn to bat.

Coach Kataoka, who initially thought about ending the game early, decided to give it one more inning after seeing Eijun's eagerness.

"Hahaha, I'll create opportunities for us to win. It's up to you guys next," Eijun declared to his teammates before stepping up to the plate.

They all nodded in acknowledgment.

Standing in the batter's box, Eijun couldn't help but chat excitedly with Chris. "Chris-senpai, you came back for the intra-squad game! Why didn't you tell me?"

Seeing Eijun's slightly pouty expression, Chris smiled warmly to reassure him. "Sorry. I didn't think I'd make it in time. When the doctor gave me the green light, I decided to surprise everyone. I didn't even tell the third-years."

"Okay, I'll forgive you this time. But next time, promise to tell me, okay?"

"Alright, alright," Chris said with a chuckle.

Their animated conversation was interrupted by a light cough from Coach Kataoka.

Realizing the situation, Eijun immediately straightened up and gave a deep 90-degree bow. "Please take care of me!" he shouted, his voice so loud it made the coach and Chris wince.

"Watch me hit a big one!" Eijun exclaimed, exhaling deeply and focusing on Kawakami, the pitcher. He struck a pose that looked almost like he was glaring at his opponent.

"This kid never changes," Kawakami thought. "He's cute off the field, but as soon as he's on it, he's all fire and intensity, even glaring at his seniors."

Following Chris's signals, Kawakami pitched, and Eijun took a massive swing, missing completely.

The same thing happened with the second pitch.

Watching Eijun's aggressive swings, Chris couldn't help but smile indulgently.

On the third pitch, Kawakami delivered, but this time, Eijun abruptly shifted into a bunting stance.

The ball rolled perfectly along the third base line.

Reacting a split second too late, the third baseman's throw was just short, allowing Eijun, who wasn't slow to begin with, to dive safely onto first base.

The field was momentarily filled with Eijun's triumphant laughter. After a while, the third baseman shouted angrily, "Damn it, Sawamura! Weren't you going for a big hit!?"

Scratching his head with a mischievous grin, Eijun replied, "I don't have that kind of power." Then he turned toward the dugout and thought, I'm on base now. It's up to you guys to bring me home.

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