Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

One Out, runners on first and third base.

Under the tight defense of the upperclassmen, Yui and Nishiyama joined forces to create a fantastic scoring opportunity!

They proved themselves with their strength, showing the exceptional talent of the star players.

Coach Kataoka had promoted two freshmen—Nishiyama and Yuuki, both promoted to the first string, while Yui was promoted to the second string.

Such promotions weren't unprecedented.

Even Sawamura was only promoted after the Spring Tournament.

On the surface, the upperclassmen didn't say anything, but in their hearts, they weren't without complaints.

Why should their hard work be ignored, and instead, the freshmen—who had just joined the team and had contributed nothing—be promoted?

Now, they understand.

The freshmen really do have the qualifications to be promoted.

The upperclassmen's recent performance was absolutely up to their usual level, and in fact, it slightly exceeded expectations.

That is to say, they performed just a bit above their normal standard.

But even so, Yui and Nishiyama's offensive momentum couldn't be stopped.

These two guys are amazing.

No wonder they can participate in the World Series and even win the runner-ups…

Next, they would face another freshman who had been exceptionally promoted.

Yuuki Masashi!

On the pitcher's mound, Kawashima knew that after giving up several hits in a row, his chances of making it to the first string were getting slimmer.

But his fighting spirit was as strong as ever, in fact, even stronger than before.

He never once thought of giving up.

Not for himself, but for the teammates fighting alongside him, and for the pride of the second- and third-year players.

He had to keep going.

Not to mention, if he could hold off any further runs in this situation—though the chances were slim—it wasn't completely impossible.

'For myself, and for my teammates.'

Kawashima threw a particularly powerful pitch.

Whoosh!

The ball zipped toward the edge of the strike zone in the blink of an eye.

On the batter's side, Yuuki Masashi was anything but calm.

Given the current situation, he should have opted for a bunt to walk Yui back home.

But in his heart, he didn't want to do that.

He was a proud person, and proud people often have their own principles.

Yuuki Masashi's principle was to go through with his own swing.

Not only was his bunting level not high, but even if it were, he wasn't willing to use it now.

As long as the opponent didn't shy away from the confrontation, Masashi would never back down.

'Do what you want,' Yui, on third base, and Nishiyama, on first, seemed to silently communicate with their eyes.

'I trust you. Just stick with your swing; don't let other things confuse you.'

Yuuki Masashi felt their faith and confidence.

This confidence made him happy and also more determined.

Honestly, it was rare for him to feel like this.

Having teammates who completely understood his thoughts and supported him—he didn't feel like he was fighting alone anymore.

Nodding at his two teammates, Masashi raised his bat high and then swung it forcefully at the ball.

During the entire swing, he was no longer hesitant. He firmly followed through with his own rhythm.

Ping!

The moment the bat hit the ball, it soared like a rocket.

At that instant, it felt like the ball was about to hit a home run.

The freshmen in the dugout leaped to their feet, excitement written all over their faces.

The way Yuuki swung the bat gave them so much energy.

The ball flew and flew, all the way to the back of left field!

The senpai left fielder sprinted back, reaching the protective net.

If he couldn't stop the ball here, he would have no choice but to give up.

No one could stop a home run that was flying out of the field. After all, they weren't Son Gohan from Dragon Ball, capable of leaping ten meters to catch a ball.

The flying baseball finally began to slow as it approached the back of the field and started to descend.

The prepared left fielder raised his mitt high and caught the ball securely.

SNAP!

The moment the ball landed in his mitt, the upperclassmen, who had been in despair, suddenly felt a burst of relief.

All their previous efforts finally paid off.

"OUT!"

Naturally, Yuuki Masashi was Out.

But the freshmen's offensive push did not stop there.

At the far end of left field, over 90 meters from home plate, Yui did not stand still.

He leisurely jogged back toward home plate.

He felt that it wasn't necessary for him to do anything more.

It couldn't be blamed for his leisurely pace; at such a distance, there was no reason he couldn't make it back to home plate.

"SAFE!"

Thus, although the upperclassmen had successfully dealt with Yuuki Masashi, they couldn't stop the run from scoring!

Several star freshmen, relying on their overwhelming strength, pushed the score up by one.

The score on the field became 14-2.

In the Senpai's dugout, Sawamura shook his head with a wry smile.

He had to admit, these guys were impressive.

Since the team had been adjusted, the momentum had completely reversed.

Before, the upperclassmen had been dominating the freshmen, with the score lopsided in their favor.

The upperclassmen had held an absolute advantage.

After five innings, the game had ended 14-1 with a crushing score.

However since the freshmen team switched to their main players, the situation immediately flipped.

Now, the freshmen held the absolute advantage, while the upperclassmen found themselves in a precarious position.

Sawamura glanced thoughtfully at Nishiyama, who had already reached second base.

'A good pitcher could transform a team. If a few powerful teammates joined in, the whole team's strength would rise accordingly.'

When Sawamura was in middle school, he led the Akagi Middle School baseball team in the same way.

Sawamura's own pitching gave Akagi the strongest foundation.

Combined with the help of his powerful teammates, Akagi went from being an unknown team to the nation's dominant force!

'The freshmen team now followed a similar pattern.'

On the upperclassmen's side, there were very few standout players. The only one who wasn't a pitcher...

'If this continued, the situation would only get worse.'

If it were a game-deciding the team's survival, Sawamura would definitely not be sitting calmly on the bench.

But today's game was different—it was an internal game.

Although he was also full of dissatisfaction inside, he didn't intend to take action at this moment.

He would wait until this game was over to teach these new guys a lesson...

The score was 13-2, with two Outs, and a runner on second base.

Many people thought this match could be wrapped up now.

Although the player coming onto the field was among the top in the previous training sessions, he was still a far cry from Nishiyama, Yuuki, and Yui.

Even those three hadn't performed well in their offense.

They hadn't hit the ball far, and the direction wasn't ideal. Even though the second-string defense was good, it still paled in comparison to the first-string.

In the same situation, had they been on the first string, they might not even have reached base.

Let alone scoring.

This was Hirota's first time stepping into the Batter's Box. What could this boy do?

Aside from being from the same place and school as Sawamura Eijun, there didn't seem to be anything particularly amazing about him.

Even Matsumoto, who came from the same school as Sawamura, hadn't shown any performance and was quickly pulled off the field.

Because of these reasons, expectations for Hirota were low.

The freshmen cheering for Hirota were few and far between.

At this point, only two people seemed to have different thoughts.

One was Sawamura, sitting in the veteran's dugout.

Sawamura looked anxiously at the pitcher's mound.

'I hope Kawashima-senpai won't take the opponent lightly; this new guy was no ordinary player.'

The other person with a different thought was Hirota Hikaru-kun himself.

"Finally, it's my turn!"

Among this batch of freshmen, geniuses were as common as weeds in a field—one after another. They didn't seem so valuable anymore.

Although Hirota had performed well among his peers, he wasn't exactly outstanding.

Partly because his abilities weren't exceptional, and partly because he hadn't had the right opportunities.

Now, that opportunity had finally come.

Hirota grew up like a sheltered second generation of a wealthy family.

Everything was provided for him; the best food, the best clothing, and the big houses were all taken care of.

In fact, even in those particularly large, wealthy families, their children did not enjoy such a luxurious lifestyle. Such families already had a certain foundation, and to maintain long-term wealth, they naturally had effective strategies for educating their younger generations.

Their children received the best education, and the success rate was shockingly high. Like the rich second-generation characters portrayed in TV shows, there are very few who are ignorant of the world.

But the Hirota family was different. It was not the traditional prestigious family but rather a group of people who had just recently gained wealth with the new era.

Hirota's father was only a second-generation rich man. After getting rich, the family did not reach the level of the top elite families, but they no longer worried about money.

As the only child of the Hirota family, the affection for Hirota Hikaru was evident.

His grandfather and father were powerful figures in their own right, but when it came to their grandson and son, that same fierce and decisive energy was completely absent.

Fortunately, Hirota was sensible and did not grow like a crooked tree.

He followed his heart, though he didn't know exactly what he should pursue. When confused and frustrated, he would grab his bat and swing at the pitching machine.

Swinging the bat and hitting the flying ball, it seemed like he was venting all his frustration in the process.

This process effectively relieved Hirota's confusion!

He continued like this and grew up without a hitch, reaching his teenage years.

One day, by chance, he watched a live broadcast on TV.

He saw Sawamura Eijun, who looked like a star on the field.

Hirota was immediately captivated.

"I want to be like that!" he thought.

At first, his goal in playing baseball was to become as powerful as Sawamura on the baseball field.

Fortunately, he met Sawamura Eijun, or else Hirota would have continued walking alone in his own world.

Most people who knew him were just trying to cling to his family background—those with similar or even better backgrounds than his.

They thought he was a little introverted and not very social.

It was baseball that gave Hirota new friends and a new goal in life.

For this, Hirota was always grateful, wanting to do everything he could to help Sawamura.

The problem, however, was that Sawamura was just too outstanding!

Up until now, there was nothing Hirota could help with, because Sawamura had solved everything himself.

Sometimes, the two would have a heart-to-heart conversation, and Hirota, with his simple personality, would raise this issue.

Sawamura would smile and say:

"If you really want to help, just play well. I'm still waiting for the day when someone points at me and says, 'Look, that's Hirota's Shisho!'"

Because of these words, Hirota joined Seidou's baseball team without hesitation.

Why did he do that?

Hirota couldn't explain it. He just felt an unwillingness to leave Sawamura.

He wanted to continue spending time with his friend and mentor.

There were too few people in his life who didn't care about his family background and treated him as an equal.

And even fewer like Sawamura, who treated him sincerely without expecting anything in return.

Hirota was a very emotional person. As long as someone showed him true kindness, he would want to give everything back in return.

Of course, the reason Hirota chose to leave his home and study in Tokyo wasn't only because of his bond with Sawamura. The most important reason was that in Hirota's heart, a small but raging flame for baseball was burning.

He had never forgotten his original purpose for playing baseball.

That was to be as cool as his Senpai.

To dominate the field of baseball.

Now, this was his chance.

A showdown between the upperclassmen and the freshmen.

At this point, there were two Outs and a runner on second base.

It was his turn to bat.

Probably no one in the audience thought he could hit the ball out.

No wonder the crowd forgot about him. After all, compared to the other freshmen, Hirota's reputation was much less.

But that didn't mean Hirota didn't have his own dreams.

He also wanted to use the bat in his hand to become the best batter in the world.

Ever since he first held a bat, Hirota knew he could never live without it.

The sensation of it coursing through his veins had never changed.

'Maybe deep down, I am born to be a Batter!' he thought.

With the bat raised high, Hirota's eyes coolly locked on Kawashima, the pitcher.

Before taking the field, Hirota had simulated countless scenarios in his mind on how to deal with this opponent.

Kawashima wasn't backing down either.

Throughout his pitching, many freshmen and juniors had come up to bat, and he didn't have time to observe each of them carefully.

In such situations, you can't hesitate when pitching. The most important thing is to focus on your momentum.

Perfectly showcase the characteristics of your pitching style.

Whoosh!

Kawashima raised his leg high, extending his pitching range. During this process, he almost exerted all his strength.

Having no hope of advancing to the first string, he didn't show signs of depression. Instead, it was as if he had thrown off his shackles.

He had thrown more than 70 pitches, but he didn't seem tired at all.

Perhaps after removing the burden from his heart, he was now able to perform even better.

The ball came at Hirota at lightning speed.

'It is fast!'

Hirota's eyes flashed.

Kawashima's performance was slightly unexpected. He didn't know that Kawashima was so skilled.

But based on his previous observations, he had thought that Kawashima's pitching wasn't at this level.

Now, he had to correct his thinking. Kawashima's pitching was far from ordinary.

"Heh!"

Even realizing the opponent's strength, Hirota had no intention of letting the ball go.

The freshmen in his year who had impressed him earlier had all shown strong performances.

'At this point, even if I managed to hit the ball, it wouldn't be enough to stand out, right?'

There had already been many who hit the ball before. Why should Hirota be the one to stand out?

If he really wanted to make an impact, he needed to go even further.

'For example, hitting the first pitch out of the park.'

This idea flashed in his mind.

Hirota didn't want to overthink it; he just did it.

He stepped forward and swung his bat with all his might.

PING!

The ball bounced behind the catcher after being hit.

"FOUL!"

As expected, the ball went Foul.

Hirota in the Batter's Box had a serious expression on his face.

His entire demeanor was as if frozen in ice.

"Not enough…" he muttered after a long pause.

When watching from the dugout, Hirota had originally thought that Kawashima's skills were nothing special.

But now that he was facing him on the field, he realized that Kawashima, although not well-known, was indeed an impressive pitcher.

His pitching ability was genuine.

Especially the slight break after the ball was thrown, which caught the batter by surprise.

Despite allowing two runs so far, Kawashima had actually given up very few hits.

The number of actual hits against him was very small.

It wasn't easy to hit his ball out.

Hirota knew very well that if he had kept thinking of those trivial calculations from earlier, the outcome could have been disastrous.

In this situation, he had to maintain restraint.

Then, calmly hit the ball out.

"You have a great ball feel. Have you ever thought about learning synchronized swinging?"

Deep in his memory, someone had once taught him this.

It had been two years since then.

"What's synchronized swing?" Hirota had asked at the time.

He practiced hitting on his own at home, so he had no idea what it was.

"It's a hitting stance that locks onto the pitcher's pitch. First, you lock onto the pitcher, then swing according to the pitcher's movement."

"Senpai, are you messing with me?"

Hirota didn't believe it when he first heard about it.

How could such an odd technique exist?

"This style is used by very few people because it requires exceptional ball sense and daily practice. To master this technique, you need to hit at least 300 balls in every practice."

Two years had passed, and Hirota had never slacked off in his training.

'Shisho!'

Before he swung, Hirota took a deep look at Sawamura Eijun in the senior's dugout.

Then, with resolve, he swung the bat in his hand.

BUZZZZ!!!!!!!!

As if it had been rehearsed a thousand times, Hirota's swing was flawless.

PAAANNNG!!!!

The ball was hit and flew out of the park.

"A HOME RUN…!"

"A two-run home run!"

After the new batch of freshmen entered the game, their momentum was completely different from before.

They had subtly suppressed the upperclassmen.

But now, it wasn't just suppression—it was domination.

The score was now 14:4.

The gap had shrunk to only ten points.

The entire stadium suddenly fell silent.

…