Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 151: Rei's Evaluation and the Interaction Between Two Club Presidents

"What's wrong?" Sendo asked after the match as he went to pick up Fumino. Seeing her flushed cheeks, staring at him intently, he couldn't help but ask.

"That was amazing!!" Fumino exclaimed with excitement.

"Not really," Sendo replied modestly.

"What are you saying? Didn't you hear it? The entire crowd was chanting your name in unison!" Fumino said, her excitement bubbling over.

"Yeah, I did." Seeing her enthusiasm, Sendo decided not to argue and simply smiled, placing his hand gently on her head.

"I get it now. Isn't this nice as well?" he said softly.

"Mm... You seem happy too, aren't you?" Fumino, feeling Sendo's hand on her head, started to feel a little shy.

"I'm not talking about that. I mean, isn't it great to just be yourself?" Sendo explained.

"Huh?" Fumino froze for a moment, surprised by his words.

"You don't need to pretend or act differently around me," Sendo added.

Fumino didn't say anything but understood exactly what he meant.

"Mm," she responded quietly in agreement.

"That's good. If it feels unfamiliar, take it slow. Even your clumsy side is adorable," Sendo said with a smile.

"I'm so sorry for being clumsy! I feel as bad as a bug!" Fumino suddenly shifted gears and started apologizing frantically.

No matter how strong and confident she tried to appear, her true nature couldn't be completely hidden.

The truth was, for a long time, Fumino had been trying to adapt and change to match Sendo's expectations.

The real her was gentle, carefree, optimistic, a bit scatterbrained, and deeply insecure.

"Ha-ha! It's fine, really. This is great just the way it is," Sendo said, his mood improving as he saw Fumino return to her original self.

Fumino had this charm that was impossible to resist, even for other girls.

...

Seidou Dormitory

"I'm back!"

"Welcome back, Takashima-sensei! Where were you today?" Ota, the club president, greeted her in the office.

Since Coach Kataoka wasn't around, only Ota and Takashima Rei were present. Ota knew that Rei had been busy scouting players recently, given the looming summer qualifiers.

"I happened to go to Nagano to watch a regional junior high tournament," Rei replied honestly.

"Oh? You've been working hard scouting talented players!" Ota remarked. He understood the challenges Rei faced.

For five years, their school hadn't made it to Koshien.

While still maintaining its status as one of the "Big Three," their school struggled to attract top-tier youth baseball players compared to Inashiro Industrial, the reigning powerhouse, and Ichidaisan, which occasionally made it to Koshien.

Last year, they had only managed to recruit Chris, and this year, it was Miyuki Kazuya—both standout players secured thanks to Rei's relentless efforts.

Without her, they might not have even attracted a single top-tier player in West Tokyo.

In contrast, the other two powerhouses consistently landed top players every year.

To bridge the gap, Rei began scouting nationwide, focusing on remote areas to uncover undiscovered talent.

Last year, she recruited Kuramochi, a player with decent potential.

Although not on the same level as Miyuki, Narumiya Mei, or Carlos, Kuramochi still had the talent to become a top high school player.

"I saw a very exciting match today," Rei said, aware that Ota was trying to avoid directly discussing the results of her scouting.

After all, in Japan's baseball system, finding overlooked talent was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Genuine talents who hadn't already gained national recognition were incredibly rare.

"Oh?" Ota was intrigued by Rei's tone, sensing that she might have found someone promising.

Even if the player wasn't on par with Kuramochi, Ota believed that anyone with solid potential would be a great addition.

His gentle nature and concern for the players' mental well-being were well-known.

For instance, he often supported Kawakami, a second-year pitcher with the ability to stand on his own but struggled with self-expression and confidence.

Ota's kindness extended to everyone.

He often spoke reassuring words to players during tough times, like Sawamura and Furuya, when they were in a slump.

He even defended Sawamura against harsh criticism from Coach Ochiai when the pitcher faced his fear of throwing.

"Yes. A 10-0 shutout that ended early," Rei confirmed with a confident tone.

"Really? That means there was a player worth watching. Nagano, huh? There shouldn't be many top-tier schools competing with us there," Ota deduced.

Rei smiled knowingly. "Exactly. That's why I want to watch next week's match as well. If my instincts are correct, our school might just gain a monster player who could rival Chris."

Rei didn't know much about Sendo's past, so she assumed he had been playing baseball all along, just without professional guidance.

In just two at-bats, even though the pitcher-catcher combination was far inferior to Sendo's level, making it hard to conduct a detailed analysis of his abilities, it was clear enough—Sendo's batting skills were at least on par with, if not superior to, Chris when he was in his third year of junior high.

"Oh? Really? That's an incredible find!" Ota's eyes lit up. "But how could a player of this caliber remain undiscovered until now? Nagano isn't exactly known for producing top-tier players, is it? Historically, Nagano's representative school, Tokugawa Junior High, has performed poorly in the Kanto Tournament, let alone at the national level."

While Ota refrained from directly criticizing others, it was evident from his tone that he considered Tokugawa Junior High to be an unremarkable team.

"That kid is a catcher," Rei Takashima explained, addressing the question. Ota, though not highly skilled tactically, had been around long enough to grasp her point.

In weaker teams, without a good pitcher, even a non-pitcher of exceptional skill wouldn't be able to lead the team to victories—especially in amateur-level school tournaments.

"Ah, I see. But even so, wouldn't someone of his level dominate in a place like Nagano, even if he wasn't a pitcher?" Ota asked.

"Who knows? Geniuses often have peculiar preferences. Take Miyuki, for example—he refuses to play any position other than catcher," Rei replied with a chuckle.

"True," Ota said, feeling more at ease as Miyuki's example came to mind.

"By the way, Takashima-sensei, what's that kid's name?" Ota was now genuinely interested in Sendo.

"Sendo. Sendo Akira."

"Sendo, huh? That name sure brings back memories,"

Ota said, a nostalgic smile crossing his face.

Anyone listening would understand the reference.

"Indeed! When I first heard his name, I was surprised too. It seems his father must be a big fan of Slam Dunk," Rei said with a laugh, bringing the conversation to a lighthearted close.

After all, with such a promising recruit nearly secured, and the summer qualifiers fast approaching, they all had their hands full.

...

A week flew by, and on Saturday, Akagi Junior High School's third-round match was scheduled for the afternoon. Despite this, the enthusiasm of the spectators was undeterred, and Rei even took the opportunity to watch the morning match.

Unfortunately, the morning game left her shaking her head. Even with a player like Tokumei in the lineup, a youth baseball product, the talent level was far from what she had come to expect.

Even Tokumei's cleanup hitter—a player who was decent by local standards—wasn't remotely impressive in her eyes. "At Seido, they wouldn't even make it as a substitute," she thought dismissively.

In the afternoon, Akagi crushed their opponents with ease, ending the game in five innings. For Rei, it was more than enough to see Sendo step into the batter's box a few times.

Having never watched Nagano's regional qualifiers before, Rei wasn't aware of the spike in attendance caused by Sendo's performances.

Her visit today served two purposes: to confirm whether Sendo's previous matches had been a fluke, and to evaluate the fundamentals of his skills.

From today's game, she gleaned some insight. Sendo's hitting technique wasn't polished, relying heavily on his physical abilities and athleticism.

However, this raw talent also hinted at an even higher ceiling with proper training.

"This is a good thing," Rei thought, adjusting her glasses.

However, what puzzled her was Sendo's baserunning. His form was amateurish, yet his timing for steals was impeccable.

In reality, Sendo's lightning-fast reactions made it seem like he was predicting pitches. Even the slightest hesitation—a mere 0.1-second pause—was noticeable to experts like Rei.

With this curiosity in mind, Rei attended the next day's match, which the local spectators had dubbed the "prelude to the finals"—Akagi Junior High School versus Tokugawa Junior High.

In Rei's opinion, Tokugawa was a weak team. However, last year's Kanto Tournament saw a glimmer of potential in Kanda's slider, which had briefly caught her attention.

Unfortunately, due to issues with control and velocity, she doubted Kanda's ability to reach the top level.

Still, Kanda's slider would be a sufficient benchmark to test Sendo's skill.

Even Chris, a prodigy in youth baseball, would struggle to hit such a pitch on the first attempt, even if he guessed the pitch type in advance.

As she pondered this, Rei casually brushed her hair back, drawing the attention of several onlookers.

Even in the midst of a crowd, her beauty was hard to ignore.

Rei wasn't the only notable spectator present. Sendo's former coach, Nakani, a devoted admirer of his talent, was also there, having no game of his own to oversee that day.

Coincidentally, Nakani was seated just a few meters away from Rei, though neither noticed the other.

While Nakani didn't know Rei personally, her striking appearance made it impossible for him to overlook her completely—a privilege reserved for someone of Rei's caliber.

In Tokyo, anyone involved in baseball or even casual baseball fans—be it coaches, players, or even the owners of batting centers—are all familiar with Coach Nakani's illustrious reputation.

Over the past 20 years, his youth baseball team, the Wildcats, has been the undisputed ruler of the Kanto region.

Players who had once been selected for the Wildcats, even if their talent didn't fully develop or their potential plateaued, often went on to become reliable core members of elite high school teams, even if they couldn't progress to the professional level.

For top-tier teams, players from the Wildcats were highly sought after, not as franchise stars but as dependable, ready-to-play additions.

This level of recognition naturally extended to someone as professional as Rei Takashima.

Even among the Big Three of Tokyo's elite high school teams, Wildcats alumni were highly regarded and seamlessly integrated into their rosters.

However, the focus today was neither on Rei Takashima, the vice president of Seido's baseball club, one of the Tokyo Big Three, nor on Coach Nakani, the mastermind of Kanto's baseball dominance. The spotlight was on the spiky-haired young star who had just stepped onto the field—Sendo Akira.

The match between Akagi Junior High and Tokugawa Junior High was highly anticipated.

The question on everyone's mind was: would the reigning champion maintain its dominance, or would the former king reclaim its glory?

Despite the intrigue, the balance of power had shifted drastically in the past year.

Akagi, once a team that struggled to advance past the first round, had undergone a remarkable transformation.

Two years ago, they were an easy elimination.

A year ago, they needed a mix of luck and overperformance to compete against Tokugawa.

Everything changed six months ago when Sendo's game-changing home run electrified the field.

With that one swing, Akagi had established itself as Nagano's new powerhouse.

Both teams fielded rosters that were largely familiar to the audience, save for Tokugawa's addition of a standout first-year player who had earned a starting spot.

This player bolstered Tokugawa's lineup significantly, especially their offense, making it more balanced and cohesive.

However, few believed this would be enough to bring Tokugawa on par with Akagi.

Sendo's batting prowess and Sawamura's full-powered pitching had been on full display earlier this summer, showcasing Akagi's transformation into a formidable force.

Last year, without these two pillars, Tokugawa barely edged out Akagi with superior overall strength.

But now, the gap was undeniable.

While Tokugawa's new addition improved their lineup, Akagi's overall strength had effectively doubled with Sendo and Sawamura in peak form.

The game was shaping up to be a true clash of power and strategy, but for most observers, the odds clearly favored the new kings of Nagano—Akagi Junior High.