Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

"So slow!"

After witnessing the pitch from Kasugaichi High School's Ace, Nishiyama murmurs softly.

The catcher, squatting in position, overhears and shoots an annoyed glance at Nishiyama.

While he understands that the opponent is strong, the catcher can't help but feel frustrated.

They may be wary, but ultimately, Nishiyama is just a first-year student.

'What's there to be haughty about?'

'Since you underestimate us so much, we will let you see what high school-level pitching is really like.'

With that thought, the catcher decisively signals for a winning shot.

According to his prior pitch-calling plan, there seems to be no harm in using a winning shot now.

'Since the opponent didn't swing at the first pitch, to avoid falling behind in ball count and being pressured, it's likely Nishiyama will swing at the next one!'

'Continue!'

Seeing the sign from the catcher, Kasugaichi High School's Ace pitcher nods slightly.

Like his partner, he senses something is off.

At this moment, they should respond decisively.

"Let's go!"

The baseball flies from the pitcher's hand like a weapon.

In the Batter's Box.

Nishiyama's eyes flash with determination. He recalls the intel that Watanabe had provided them earlier.

'The Ace pitcher's winning shot is an inside corner Slider!'

'The pitch is sharp, and its breaks often catch opponents off guard.'

'Moreover, the high probability of the winning shot indicates the pitcher's confidence in his pitch...'

Now's the time.

Fixated on the approaching ball, Nishiyama's heart races with excitement.

The ball glides inward as it nears him, just as he had envisioned.

'Good!'

With a shout in his mind, Nishiyama swings his bat fiercely at the incoming ball.

Ping!

The ball, struck perfectly, arcs beautifully and falls just beyond the reach of the third baseman.

Nishiyama pumps his fist in excitement, then drops the bat and sprints forward.

By the time the Kasugaichi outfielder retrieves the ball and throws it back, Nishiyama has reached second base safely.

"SAFE!"

Without a doubt, Nishiyama scores a clean double.

With his performances in these two games, he shines like a beacon.

He's becoming more and more impossible to ignore.

"That guy's starting position is definitely secure!"

In Seidou High School's dugout.

Sawamura leans back, crossing his legs and murmuring.

The few people around him remain silent.

They share the same feeling as Sawamura.

That is, Nishiyama's starting position is likely to be solidified.

They haven't fully seen his pitching technique, so they aren't sure.

In this world, powerful players may not have great fame, but those who achieve recognition undoubtedly possess exceptional skills.

Current high school stars like the great Sawamura, Tokyo Prince Narumiya, and Northern Emperor Hongou…

Which of these renowned players isn't a monster?

Nishiyama is naturally one of them.

Of course, that's not the most important part. The critical thing is that Seidou High School currently lacks strong hitters.

And Nishiyama is undoubtedly a significant addition.

The game continues.

After witnessing Nishiyama's impressive double, Coach Kataoka immediately signals for the next play.

Then, the second batter, Kijima, executes a sacrifice bunt.

Ping!

Kijima connects with the ball and quickly races to first base.

Although his bunt placement is decent and his speed is good,

Kasugaichi's fielder doesn't let him have it easily, throwing the ball to first base just before Kijima arrives.

SNAP!

"OUT!"

Though Kijima regrets being out, Seidou High School's strategy is achieved.

Nishiyama nonchalantly advances to third base.

Next up is Yamaguchi.

Ping!

Instead of using a bunt like Kijima, Yamaguchi swings fully at the pitch.

The ball flies deep into the outfield.

If the outfielder hadn't retreated quickly, he wouldn't have been able to stop it at all.

Of course, now there's no issue.

SNAP!

"OUT!!!"

Yamaguchi is also Out, but Seidou High School's offensive momentum doesn't halt.

Yamaguchi's hit traveled nearly 90 meters.

Even if Nishiyama walked, he would have nearly made it back by now.

"SAFE!"

Nishiyama returns home, scoring the first run for Seidou High School.

The score now stands at 1:0.

In the stands.

Fujio, a senior reporter for Baseball Kingdom Magazine, shakes his head in admiration.

"The more substitutes you use, the more you showcase the characteristics of this team! This is the essence of Seidou High School."

They play steadily and never miss a scoring opportunity.

Given the current situation, even against Seidou High School's substitute lineup,

Kasugaichi High School finds it incredibly challenging to win.

Two Outs, no one on base.

Although Seidou High School managed to score their first point smoothly, they significantly depleted their offensive potential. By the time it was the turn of the fourth batter, all previous opportunities had completely run out.

Originally, there was a chance to build on the momentum and overwhelm their opponent. Now, that possibility had vanished entirely.

In Seidou High School's dugout.

The main players sat in silence.

The atmosphere was so heavy it felt as if a heavy rainstorm was imminent.

"If you have anything to say, feel free to speak up."

Kataoka, standing at the front of the team, suddenly turned to the main players sitting on the bench.

The few main players exchanged glances, but no one spoke up in the end.

This scene was so strange that they genuinely didn't know what to say.

Especially with Kataoka's attitude, it left them questioning.

Moreover, the substitutes' performance wasn't bad.

While for the starters, that great opportunity to only score one point felt like a letdown.

But from the perspective of the substitutes, to solidly secure a score was actually a very good outcome.

If they had been too greedy, the result might have been worse.

So they collectively remained silent, and no one had anything more to say.

Behind the sunglasses, a flicker of disappointment passed through Kataoka's eyes.

Clearly, the main players' actions did not satisfy their Coach.

He turned back to the batter on the field.

The game continued; after two outs, it was time for Seidou High School's fourth batter.

"Fourth Batter, right fielder, Yuuki-kun."

Having just graduated from middle school and now in his first year of high school, Yuuki Masashi was entrusted with a heavy responsibility and directly promoted to the fourth batter position.

His starting point was already much stronger compared to Tetsuya.

In the Seidou High School dugout.

The expressions of the main players were as grim as could be. When others were on the field, they could only feel uncomfortable and found it hard to switch their mindset in time.

But seeing Yuuki Masashi take the fourth batter position, all the starters looked utterly displeased.

They could tolerate everything else, but this scene was hard to accept, no matter how broad-minded they were.

It was too much!

This wasn't just about the batter on the field; even Kataoka was included.

The fourth batter of Seidou High School—what a sacred position that was!

Think of the previous stars: Azuma Kiyokuni, Yuuki Tetsuya, now Miyuki Kazuya, and in the future, Sawamura Eijun...

Which one of Seidou High School's fourth batters wasn't a core player, the big hope of the team, the rising star of his generation?

Now, in an official match for Seidou High School, Kataoka actually let a first-year student take the fourth batter spot.

This was simply intolerable.

Seidou High School was not a dark horse like Yakushi; they could disregard tradition and honor.

Seidou High School was a true Champion, a superpower with a rich historical foundation.

For such a prestigious team to have a first-year student as the fourth batter left these third-year Senpais feeling embarrassed.

'Unbelievable!'

'Absolutely unbelievable!!!'

Initially, sitting in the dugout, they felt guilty for not sincerely cheering for the substitutes.

It felt like they were doing something wrong, their character was not quite perfect.

But that strange feeling had long been thrown out the window.

All that remained was anger.

Not just the other players; even Sawamura couldn't help but feel frustrated.

Especially when he saw Yuuki Masashi swing three times without hitting the ball.

His anger peaked.

"Idiot, just aim and hit it!" Sawamura said in annoyance.

Yuuki Masashi's batting characteristics had clearly been thoroughly studied by the opponent.

They continuously tempted him with Balls, ultimately finishing him off with sharp-breaking balls.

The pitching strategy wasn't complex, but it was very effective.

Kasugaichi High School.

This well-known powerhouse in the Tokyo area was clearly not unprepared to face Seidou High School.

Next, it was Seidou High School's turn to defend.

Kawakami and Ono were highly motivated; before going on, they even made a fist bump.

"It's time to show our third-year perseverance and fighting spirit."

Before heading onto the field, Ono heavily patted Kawakami on the shoulder.

This made Miyuki Kazuya, sitting nearby, feel incredibly awkward.

'I am a third-year player too, right? Right?!'

"OUT!"

"OUT!!"

"OUT!!!"

Once on the field, Kawakami quickly secured three Outs with his control and breaking balls.

Both sides battled evenly, with neither able to gain the upper hand.

By the end of the second inning, the score remained unchanged.

"Damn! What with that swing?!"

"Of course, you won't be able to catch it, you are too slow to react."

"Is that how you throw a ball?"

Initially, it was only Sawamura pointing out flaws in the substitutes' play, while the others looked at him as if he were crazy.

They are bewildered by his actions.

It seemed like he was deliberately undermining team unity.

Sawamura, however, was completely unfazed, immediately pointing out any mistakes he noticed.

Only his partner, Miyuki Kazuya, remained silent, neither agreeing nor staring at Sawamura like he was insane.

By the third inning, Miyuki took a deep look at Sawamura.

'I see!'

He began to understand Sawamura's intentions.

Then he glanced again at Kataoka, standing at the front of the team.

Kataoka's back always appeared straight, no matter when.

Even now, as the game fell into a stalemate, no expression was visible on Kataoka's face.

"What are you doing, Ono? Be careful with the pitch calling!"

As Kawakami's pitch was hit, Miyuki started to reprimand Ono.

Then everyone looked at Miyuki just as they had at Sawamura earlier.

That idiot behavior, it seemed, was indeed contagious.

Didn't they see how Miyuki, who had been quite normal before, now looked almost insane?

"Oi! You're the captain of our team!"

Maezono glared angrily at Miyuki. Since the Senpai had privately spoken with him before, he rarely rebutted Miyuki in public.

He did this for the team and to give Miyuki prestige as the Captain.

But in this situation, how could he stand by?

Miyuki's actions had severely crossed his bottom line.

"Do you not know how hard these guys work on a daily basis? Now that they finally have the chance to represent the team in a match, shouldn't we be cheering them on? After all, we're teammates!"

His eyes turned red.

To be honest, watching the substitutes perform excellently in place of him wasn't easy for Maezono either.

However, he understood too well how bitter those teammates who hadn't had a chance to play before felt.

Now that Kataoka has given them the opportunity to showcase their skills, as teammates, they should cheer on them!

'Even if you didn't cheer, how could you be so harsh?'

"So what?" Sawamura coldly replied.

"Eh?" Maezono had likely never thought that Sawamura would have such an attitude.

He admired Sawamura greatly, almost the number one fan of him in Seidou.

He admired Sawamura's skills but even more so his relentless work ethic.

Sawamura seemed to know no fatigue; he was always the last one training.

The reason Sawamura had achieved his current success was not solely due to past experiences and knowledge.

To reach this point, relying only on past experiences wasn't nearly enough.

The crucial reason Sawamura could undergo a transformation was that he worked harder than he did in his previous life.

Of course, having the experiences from the Major League helped, and efficiently managing training time was also a crucial factor.

Otherwise, if he kept training endlessly, his body wouldn't be able to handle it.

To be blunt, Sawamura earned Maezono's respect through his sweat.

Someone more talented than him worked even harder behind the scenes.

That was why Maezono respected Sawamura.

'Then Why?'

Now, Maezono's previous viewpoint began to waver.

Sawamura Eijun's gaze was sharp, making it hard to look him in the eye.

"So what?"

"Even as teammates, even if we get along well, even if they worked hard enough and sweated for the team!"

"But so what?"

"They now represented Seidou's baseball team."

"Since they were representing Seidou on the field, they couldn't perform this poorly."

"If they make mistakes, and we can't point them out directly, are we really their friends?"

Sawamura looked directly at Maezono.

Maezono was left speechless, unable to utter a word.

"I want the best for you, for me, for everyone. To rush up and celebrate with teammates when they win, to embrace them and comfort them softly when they lose., they have to do their damn best first!"

"They are playing instead of us right now! If they can't do well, then why are they still on the field!!"

"Oi! Nori-senpai!! What's up what that pathetic pitch!!! Are you throwing it with your butt?!!"

Sawamura's words struck like a heavy hammer, forcefully hitting everyone's hearts.

"Hey, Kijima-senpai, haven't you eaten?"

The first to react was Kominato Haruichi.

Although he understood what Sawamura meant, and decided to follow Sawamura, he was inevitably a little shy when he spoke.

"Moron! Move these legs more!"

"Are you waiting for an invitation?!"

"Dullhead! You should have run to the position early!!"

The atmosphere in the rest area of the Seidou High School baseball team suddenly changed.

The vast majority of the players adopted Sawamura's suggestion.

Yes, their gentle cheering, is it good or bad for these teammates?

No one can give an accurate answer to this question.

In that case, let them be the disgusting friends.

A friend who really dares to tell the truth to cheer on you.

Maezono's face became more and more red, and no one knew what he was thinking at this time.

It was only after a long time that he turned around and yelled wildly at the field.

"Yamaguchi, you big idiot! Stop thinking about batting while you are defending!!"

This abnormal cheering soon aroused the interest of the audience.

And Kataoka, who was wearing sunglasses, had a warm current flashing in his eyes.

'These fools finally get it!'

…