Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 252: Before the Battle

The next day, as the first rays of morning sunlight illuminated the earth:

In Hyogo Prefecture, Nishinomiya City, Hanshin Koshien Stadium was already teeming with a sea of people.

The densely packed crowd, the overwhelming cheers, and the countless banners waving in support of their teams created a vibrant scene.

This gathering of baseball fans from all walks of life signified that the most intense moment of this summer was about to begin.

Today, and the day after tomorrow.

Two days, three games, four teams, and one champion.

The suspense of this summer's biggest event was about to be unveiled.

At this holy ground of youthful dreams, the grandest spectacle of the summer was poised to reach its climax with the most dazzling fireworks, capturing the attention of the entire nation.

At Hanshin Koshien Stadium, two semifinals would take place today.

The first match: Seidou High School vs. Kiryuu High School.

The second match: Komadai Fujimaki High School vs. Yamamori High School.

Both matches were being hailed as battles of the century.

However, compared to the second match, the first was clearly garnering more attention.

While it might sound dismissive, current summer tournament performances suggested that Komadai Fujimaki had a significant edge over Yamamori High School.

Nearly 95% of viewers believed Komadai Fujimaki was the stronger team.

Analysts also shared the consensus that as long as Komadai Fujimaki avoided complacency, they would easily defeat Yamamori.

In terms of both offensive and defensive capabilities, Komadai Fujimaki clearly outmatched Yamamori, which was generally considered the weakest among the final four teams.

That said, Yamamori wasn't entirely without hope.

The synchronized teamwork of the Kotari brothers was a potential winning factor.

How well they could suppress Komadai Fujimaki's formidable batting lineup would likely determine Yamamori's chances of victory.

In contrast to Yamamori's overall disadvantage, the matchup between Kiryuu and Seidou High promised to be much more evenly matched.

Both teams had their strengths, and their batting and pitching capabilities seemed equally balanced.

The outcome could go either way, depending on on-the-spot performance and error control.

In this intense series of high-pressure matches, these young players, still far from professional, faced an additional challenge: minimizing errors.

The team with fewer mistakes and better control over opportunities was more likely to win.

Compared to the somewhat one-sided nature of the second game, audiences were clearly more eager to witness the fiercely competitive battle between Kiryuu and Seidou.

While dominant victories might be satisfying for some, neutral viewers preferred intense, back-and-forth showdowns.

The Kiryuu-Seidou game undoubtedly promised such an exciting spectacle.

"Oh, here they come! Here they come!"

"Seidou! Seidou! Seidou!"

"Kiryuu! Kiryuu! Kiryuu!"

"Go, Tokyo champions! Show Osaka what Tokyo is made of!"

"Kiryuu, you must win it all this year! We were so close last year!"

"Fight hard, everyone!"

"Please, Coach Kataoka, just two more steps! Two more steps!"

"Two games—take them both, Coach Matsumoto!"

"Seidou!!!"

"Kiryuu!!!!"

As the players from Seidou and Kiryuu High entered their respective dugouts at Hanshin Koshien Stadium, the tens of thousands of fans erupted in deafening cheers.

"Now, with both teams entering the field, the first semifinal of the summer officially begins! On the first base side, representing Tokyo: Seidou High School! On the third base side, representing Osaka: Kiryuu High School, last year's runners-up and a regional powerhouse!"

"These two teams symbolize the pinnacle of their respective regions. After overcoming numerous strong opponents in their districts, they've battled fiercely at Koshien, defeating other top teams from across the nation. Now, as two of the four strongest teams in the country, they stand here, vying for a single ticket to the finals!" The commentator's voice grew increasingly fervent with excitement.

The match had yet to begin, but the atmosphere in the stadium had already reached a fever pitch.

In the third-base dugout, Kiryuu High's coach, Matsumoto, glanced at the freshly delivered starting lineup for Seidou High School. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"As expected, they chose Sawamura-kun as the starting pitcher. Heh."

To be fair, this decision was entirely reasonable.

If Coach Matsumoto were in Seidou's shoes, his first choice would also have been Eijun, the left-handed pitcher who had proven himself throughout the summer tournament.

Judging from all the matches so far, Eijun was undoubtedly the most reliable player—both in skill and consistency.

At the beginning of the tournament, there may have been some concerns about his trust and chemistry with the senior players like Yuuki, Jun Isashiki, Ryousuke, and Masuko. However, as the games progressed, Eijun had reached a new level of understanding with these third-year veterans.

Those initial concerns were no longer an issue.

With that resolved, the comparison came down to performance.

In terms of stability and overall reliability, Eijun clearly surpassed the current state of Tanba, Seidou's ace.

Tanba's recent performances had not been convincing enough for Coach Kataoka to fully trust him in such critical games.

"If their lineup is as we predicted, we'll simply stick to our pre-planned strategy. That left-handed pitcher—Sawamura—you're all familiar with him by now. He's undoubtedly improved, but the fundamentals—his pitch quality, his motion—remain the same. These are things you don't need to adjust to anymore. Take him down, crush him, and prove that our batting lineup is the strongest!"

Coach Matsumoto's voice resonated with determination as he addressed the entire Kiryuu High team.

"Yes, sir!"

The players, including ace Hiromi Tachi and Kyohei Shibata, responded with loud enthusiasm.

Tachi, in particular, wore his signature fierce and intimidating smile, his eyes glinting with excitement.

"Next time we meet, it'll be at Koshien," he thought.

It had been nearly three months since he last uttered those words.

Time had flown by, and this rematch now felt like destiny.

Tachi glanced toward the first-base dugout where Seidou High's players were seated. In his mind's eye, he could already see Eijun's figure, and a strange light flashed in his eyes.

This was their showdown—once again.

This time, victory would belong to him, Hiromi Tachi. And it would be Kiryuu High that advanced to the finals. That, he was certain.