Diamond No Ace: Echoes Of The Ace

Chapter 26: One Point

Chris watched Eijun, who was grinning brightly at home plate, and felt a strange sense of connection.

No amount of information exchanged through messages could compare to the clarity of seeing someone face-to-face.

Eijun, noticing Chris looking at him, waved cheerfully in his direction, his smile radiant.

Chris couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation.

That boy's face practically screamed, "Praise me! Come on, praise me!"

Chris shook his head lightly, deciding he'd have a talk with Eijun after the game.

If he kept acting like this in front of opponents he might know in the future, people might think he was showing off.

The first-string players, who had just arrived, happened to catch Eijun's impressive bunt.

"Not bad. That bunt was pretty skillful."

"And his base-running speed isn't half bad either. Maybe Dumb-mura can take after me, huh? Hahaha!"

Unaware of the new spectators, Eijun's attention was completely focused on second base.

As he inched closer to the bag, Kawakami threw a pickoff to first, forcing Eijun to dive back to the base.

Once Kawakami resumed pitching, Eijun immediately began edging closer again.

Chris, noticing his antics, gave him a sharp look to hold him in place before signaling to Kawakami.

"Outside slider. If the batter or runner makes any suspicious moves, throw it wide. Leave the runner to me."

Kawakami nodded, shifting his focus to the batter. As soon as he began his pitching motion, Eijun took off for second base.

"Steal attempt!" the shortstop shouted.

Kawakami deliberately threw wide, allowing Chris to receive the ball cleanly and fire it to second base.

Eijun, realizing the throw was on target, quickly scrambled back to first.

"Whew, that was close. I thought I had it."

Chris gave Eijun another stern look, but Eijun wasn't fazed.

This time, the batter openly squared up for a bunt, leaving Chris and Kawakami guessing what kind of trick Eijun and his team were planning next.

To play it safe, Chris called for another wide pitch, which the batter, let pass, earning a second ball.

Now with a 2-0 count in their favor, Chris began to piece together Eijun's strategy. "Ah, I see. They're trying to disrupt our rhythm and force a walk, giving their batter a chance to observe the pitches and decide whether to bunt or run-and-hit." Resolving not to let them succeed, Chris signaled for Kawakami to throw two strikes, quickly putting the batter into a 2-2 count.

Chris then issued another signal, this time to the fielders, instructing them to play shallow defense. "No way are we letting them score, even if Sawamura's only on first base."

Noticing the defensive adjustment, Eijun realized his intentions had been uncovered. But he wasn't discouraged. Standing on first, he discreetly signaled to the batter, who acknowledged with a slight nod.

As Kawakami pitched, Eijun sprinted for second again.

The batter shifted from a bunt to a run-and-hit, barely making contact with the ball.

Though the hit was weak and jammed, it dribbled down the first base line.

The first baseman fielded it cleanly, but by then, Eijun was already halfway to second.

With no hesitation, the first baseman stepped on the bag to tag out the batter, but Eijun managed to slide safely into second.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Eijun thought, "Lucky. If Chris-senpai had fielded that, I definitely would've been out."

He gave the batter a thumbs-up as the latter returned to the dugout, momentarily lifting his teammate's spirits despite the out.

After encouraging the batter, Eijun turned to the dugout and nodded confidently. "It's time."

"Substitution, Coach. The freshmen are putting in a pinch-hitter," someone called from the dugout.

"A pinch-hitter?"

"Wow, this batch of freshmen is gutsy. Sending someone up to pinch-hit already?"

Without waiting for approval, Haruichi Kominato made his way to the on-deck circle.

Locking eyes briefly with the batter he was replacing, Haruichi stepped into the batter's box.

The team had planned this in advance during practice, identifying players with high batting averages to handle potential scoring situations.

Though their previous attempts against Tanba had been unsuccessful, Kawakami's pitches lacked the same heavy presence, making him a more viable target.

"Haruichi, this one's all yours. Just make sure to hit deep enough for me to make it home," Eijun thought.

"Hey, Ryousuke, that's your little brother, right?"

"Yeah, that's him."

"Do you think he can pull it off?"

"If he couldn't, he wouldn't have come to Seidou," Ryousuke replied with a smirk.

"Strict as ever, huh?"

Standing in the batter's box, Haruichi thought about his older brother watching him from behind the net and felt a surge of determination. "Big brother, watch me. I'll show you what I can do."

Chris, observing Haruichi, noticed his slight frame but also his choice of a wooden bat, which was harder to handle than a metal one. "He must have a lot of confidence in his batting ability," Chris thought.

"Kawakami, throw a tricky pitch. Aim for the edge of the strike zone."

The pitch came in aggressively inside, brushing past Haruichi's elbow.

"Strike!"

Unfazed, Haruichi adjusted his stance and waited for the next pitch.

As the ball came whistling in, Haruichi stepped forward, twisting his body to send it toward right field.

Though the pitch had followed the trajectory he anticipated, his swing was slightly off, and the ball didn't connect perfectly.

"He outsmarted me," Haruichi thought, realizing Chris had anticipated his target and set up a defense accordingly.

Chris had signaled to the right fielder to stay alert and guided Kawakami to throw a breaking ball, ensuring Haruichi couldn't make solid contact.

As Haruichi's bat connected with the ball, Eijun didn't hesitate for a second. He dashed off at full speed, racing past third base and heading straight for home.

The right fielder, who had fielded the ball, noticed Eijun's audacious sprint.

"Kid, don't underestimate me!"

The white ball shot through the air like a laser, perfectly aimed, and bounced into the catcher's mitt just as Eijun barreled toward home plate. Sliding at high speed, Eijun kicked up a cloud of dust around the plate.

As the dust settled, Coach Kataoka surveyed the scene: Eijun's hand firmly touching home plate and Chris still poised in his tagging stance.

"Safe! Safe!" Kataoka declared.

The field fell silent for a moment before erupting in cheers.

The freshmen gathered in front of the dugout, draping their arms over each other's shoulders and roaring with excitement.

They had done it—they scored a run. Compared to the nine runs scored by the upperclassmen, their single point might seem insignificant, but—

"The game isn't over yet. The real battle always begins in the ninth inning, with two strikes on the board," Eijun declared confidently.

Though it wasn't the ninth inning yet, Eijun's words rang true: the game was far from over.

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