Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

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T/N: The Second Chapter Today!

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The players from Kizaki High School were stunned when they saw Kuramochi running swiftly to first base.

They were completely bewildered.

Especially their battery duo, who got the sucker punch out of nowhere.

Originally, they could have easily used their breaking ball to take down Kuramochi Youichi.

But considering that the game was nearing its end and they had already used the breaking ball so many times, continuing to rely on it seemed risky.

Most importantly, the pitcher had already thrown so many breaking balls throughout the game, that his stamina and finger strength were nearing their limits.

Although the players of the Seidou High School baseball team had been suppressed by Kizaki High School's pitcher, they hadn't been idle during the match.

Even without specific instructions from Coach Kataoka, once it became clear that they couldn't overcome Kizaki High School's pitcher in the short term, the Seidou team quickly adjusted their strategy.

They consciously started to wear down the pitcher by forcing him to throw more pitches and engaging in prolonged at-bats.

Even though this wasn't their main focus, the effect was remarkable.

By now, Kizaki High School's pitcher was sweating profusely, and his breathing had become ragged.

This was a clear sign of his exhaustion.

It indirectly proved that Seidou's players had put tremendous pressure on the pitcher, forcing him into such a desperate situation.

It was with these considerations in mind that the battery duo of Kizaki High School decided to try a trick to trap Kuramochi.

They didn't want to continue with this back-and-forth and felt it would be more stable to secure an Out.

They had hoped that Kuramochi would attempt a bunt, allowing their defense to get the Out.

But Kuramochi Youichi unexpectedly exploded into action, charging forward without giving them any time to react.

That wasn't even the most crucial part.

The most important thing was that they had misjudged Kuramochi's intentions, which made the players from Kizaki High School begin to doubt their battery duo.

Once the seed of doubt was planted, it became difficult for them to collaborate seamlessly. The fielders, too, no longer played with the same confidence they had before.

If the pitcher and catcher were wrong, then leaving their positions to make a play became dangerous.

The changes happened gradually.

Though it was hard to see it immediately, such doubt would ultimately destroy a team.

"The second batter, second baseman, Kominato Haruichi."

Now, it was time for the second batter, Kominato, to step up.

His eyes were sharp and full of focus.

He didn't worry about what kind of strategy the opponent might be planning, or what kind of difficulties they were facing.

These things weren't his concern, nor his strength.

Even if he tried to worry, it would be hard to predict what kind of pitch would come his way.

On the surface, Kominato Haruichi didn't seem like a powerful hitter.

But if you underestimated him because of that, the one who would end up at a disadvantage would be you.

Kominato Haruichi held a unique position on Seidou's baseball team.

He barely considered the game situation; all he cared about was the pitcher's next move.

What kind of pitch would come next?

How would the pitcher respond when he made his move?

These were the real questions Kominato focused on.

Just like now, when he saw an opportunity to attack.

Whoosh!

He let the first pitch, a forkball, go by, and the second pitch came—a breaking ball that had once been their winning shot.

At this point, the pitcher's stamina had nearly run out.

The sharp movement of the breaking ball was no longer as intense as it had been at the start.

Kominato saw it!

What had seemed like a tricky pitch to him earlier now looked like it was becoming more predictable.

At this moment, he didn't hold back his emotions. He swung his bat with no hesitation as the ball came toward him.

Paak!

The baseball was struck and flew high into the air, tracing a perfect arc.

It landed in the gap in the defense.

Until this point, Seidou's baseball team had been quiet, but now they revealed their fangs.

When the players from Seidou reacted this way, the Coach of Kizaki High School finally had an epiphany.

He started to understand why Seidou's baseball team had earned the reputation of being the reigning champions of high school baseball across the country.

At first, he hadn't noticed, but as the game neared its end and he compared his own team's performance with Seidou's, he clearly saw the difference.

While Kizaki High School's players were still uncertain and cautious, Seidou's players never once stopped striving for victory.

It almost seemed naive, even incomprehensible.

But this attitude made Seidou's baseball team stand out.

It gave them a unique aura that set them apart from any other team.

At the same time, it made their players look vibrant and full of life.

"SAFE!!"

With Kominato's hit, the situation on the field changed to one Out, runners on first and third.

Seidou's baseball team now had a great chance to score.

Ping!

The third batter, Shiatsu, unexpectedly used a bunt.

The baseball rolled forward, and Kuramochi, who had already started running was near home plate.

The Coach of Kizaki High School couldn't understand this move.

The game was nearing its end, and if Seidou's players didn't have the determination to go all-in, they wouldn't have been able to score.

Even if they got one run, what would it matter?

With the score at 3-2, Seidou was just one run behind.

And with Shiatsu's bunt, they had sacrificed another Out, making it two outs with a runner on second.

Now, the batter in the fourth spot, Maezono, was up.

Ping!

"FOUL!"

Whoosh!

"BALL!"

Whoosh!

"BALL!!"

Ping!

"FOUL!!"

Ping!

"FOUL!!"

Whoosh!

PANNGGG!!!!

After a fierce confrontation, Maezono hit a rare home run.

Seidou's baseball team completed a dramatic comeback in the final moments, winning 4-3 against the visiting powerhouse Kizaki High School.

They successfully maintained their winning streak.

After the game, Coach Kataoka shook hands with the coach of Kizaki High School, who gripped his hand tightly.

"You have some impressive players! I really envy you."

Even without the core players like Sawamura and Miyuki, Seidou's baseball team had shown such strength.

It was hard not to be impressed.

The Coach of Kizaki High School left with admiration.

The next day, Sunday, the All-Tokyo team and the American representative team began their exchange games at Hachioji Stadium in Tokyo.

The exchange series was split into two games: one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Originally, the match between the All-Tokyo team and the American Los Angeles representative team was scheduled to take place at a university stadium, with a much smaller scale than the current one.

The reason for this arrangement was that the organizers had no other choice. They had visited North America to assess their strength, and after the assessment, the organizers were filled with doubt.

Based on their own feeling at the time, they believed that the All-Tokyo team could never be a match for this team.

In other words, this was a match that was destined to be lost.

Although even if they lost such a match, it seemed like there wouldn't be much of a loss, the negative impact it would create could affect the sponsors' revenue.

By keeping the scale smaller, they had more control over the situation.

As long as the detailed match content wasn't shown, everything else could be manipulated by the organizers as they saw fit.

Even if the All-Tokyo team wasn't a match for their opponents, they could still say they 'Lost With Honor'.

Moreover, from the organizers' point of view, this outcome seemed almost inevitable. Therefore, they planned to quietly conduct the match, only by releasing select clips of the players' excellent performances online.

They had also arranged things with the reporters.

Everything was prepared, but a change of mind was prompted by a warm-up match.

The earlier match between the All-Tokyo team and the Tokyo University team was incredibly exciting.

After watching the game footage, the organizers were so excited like he looked like he won the Powerball 2022 Lottery. ($2.01 billion)

"Not only was the opponent's strength formidable, but it turns out our strength isn't bad either."

This meant that even in a head-to-head match, they might not necessarily lose.

Immediately, the chief organizer contacted Superintendent Kunitomo.

"We hope you at least secure a win. Get great players like 'Demon King' Sawamura Eijun and Narumiya Mei to all play in the first match. No matter what, please ensure victory in the first match!"

Faced with the organizer's request, Superintendent Kunitomo was left with a troubled expression.

He had already planned everything, but because the organizers intervened, he had to rearrange things.

However, this was a request from someone who had asked for his help.

After all, the work doesn't get done unless it pleases the superior, no matter how hard you try.

This meant that the work must satisfy either one's superior or the customer, or it was all in vain. Even if you produce something rare, it still doesn't count if the boss or client isn't pleased.

Superintendent Kunitomo understood this human principle.

Since the organizer made the request, he decided to follow his original plan and assemble the strongest players for the team.

This was for today's exhibition match.

Because there were two matches on the same day, the players who appeared in the first match would have a hard time playing in the second match.

Although this wasn't absolute, to think of the big picture, if nothing major happened, it would be wise to do so.

Thus, this created the odd lineup we have now.

The first match would feature the main players of each team— the fourth batters, Ace pitchers, Captains...

It was a team full of star players.

The lineup was nearly identical to the one used in the match against the Tokyo University team.

As for the lineup for the second match, the arrangement was quite interesting.

First, the catcher position would definitely go to Miyuki.

Although this guy had already played in the first match, only two catchers were selected for the entire event, so even if he played in the first match, he had to play in the second match as well.

Fortunately, the positions in the two matches weren't the same, so even if the opponent noticed something, they wouldn't say anything.

Apart from this star player, the others were relatively weaker players from the selection team.

In simple terms, the first match featured the elites, while the second match featured the substitutes.

Of course, even the substitutes chosen by Superintendent Kunitomo from various Tokyo teams were incredibly powerful.

Just by selecting them and showing them to others, they seemed quite strong.

However, it's not the lack of recognition that's the problem, but the comparison with others.

Compared to the lineup for the first match, the second match's lineup was clearly...

"We Are The Substituuuuuutes!!!!"

Umemiya's face was as long as a donkey's, with tears streaming down his face.

Though he admitted his strength was far from the three pitchers in the first match, it didn't mean he was happy with this arrangement.

"It's okay. With this lineup, if we win, it'll be even more glorious, right?"

Miyuki, if not for playing baseball, could have succeeded in another field.

His ability to talk would have made him a great success even in a field like multi-level marketing.

Umemiya was well aware that Miyuki was just trying to comfort him.

But even if it was a comfort, so what? He liked hearing it.

"I'm looking forward to partnering with you!"

After the match against the Tokyo University team, Umemiya was thoroughly impressed with Miyuki's ability.

This was completely different from the initial impression.

Miyuki smiled and gave Umemiya a thumbs-up.

Honestly, the player Miyuki most wanted to partner with wasn't Umemiya.

He actually wanted to team up with Narumiya Mei.

Not because he especially wanted to form a battery duo with Narumiya, but because he wanted to see Narumiya's pitching from the perspective of a catcher.

Of course, Miyuki wouldn't deny that, deep down, he was still somewhat drawn to Narumiya's invitation from before high school.

He didn't regret not accepting it, but that didn't mean he didn't want to catch Narumiya's pitches.

It seemed contradictory, but humans are inherently contradictory beings.

Miyuki, after all, was just an ordinary person.

He had his own thoughts and desires.

With everything ready, the match was about to start.

Before the match, Superintendent Kunitomo specifically gathered all the players.

He looked seriously at his players, and the confidence in his eyes was unmasked.

"Baseball is truly magical! Without baseball, we wouldn't be able to compete with these foreign players. Cherish this opportunity and enjoy everything baseball brings you. Go and show them what have you devoted your youth to!"

No one expected that Superintendent Kunitomo, who usually always had a serious face, would say something like this at such a critical moment.

On the other side, the American Superintendent was also giving his players a motivational speech.

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