Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

In just a single inning, Seidou High School had already figured out the plot prepared by Shonan High School.

What makes Seidou High School so formidable, apart from their official players, is that even the supporting players are not relaxing in the background.

Take Watanabe, the scorekeeper, for example.

Even Superintendent Matt, no matter how hard he tried, could never have imagined that the one to break their surprise attack would be just a second-string player from Seidou.

Of course, that's a story for later.

For now, both the players of Shonan High School and Superintendent Matt firmly believe that their surprise attack will definitely succeed.

Even though they didn't score this time, they are confident that they will create good scoring opportunities in the future.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Seidou High School was on the offensive.

The first to step into the Batter's Box was, of course, Seidou High School's Cheetah, Kuramochi.

Perhaps due to the big crisis earlier, Kuramochi gave off a completely different vibe this time.

Standing in the Batter's Box, his momentum was overwhelming.

He looked every bit the part of a Senpai.

Before the game, the Coach had scolded him for sneaking out along with Sawamura and Kanemaru earlier.

He told them if they wanted to redeem themselves, they had to show what they had learned in Seidou.

In addition, as if it was a joke by fate, the ones who were targeted earlier and were under the strongest pressure were the three of them.

Although they had passed the crisis, it didn't give the impression they wanted to convey to the Coach.

The one who was the most nervous was, of course, Kanemaru.

This made Kuramochi even guiltier, the boy was dragged with them because of Kuramochi's own selfishness, even though he should be the responsible one as the senpai.

And when Kanemaru wanted to redeem himself, all of this was dumped on him.

'He must be under great pressure.'

Not only him, his dorm mate, friend, and the Ace of their team being attacked and surrounded like this made Kuramochi even angrier.

Sawamura has managed to get through the crisis with his prowess and push the team forward.

'But if we don't score now, the pressure on him will continue.'

Kuramochi was someone who valued comradery and loyalty.

So seeing his Kohais being bullied like that was something Kuramochi hated the most.

Adding Kataoka's words to the mix flamed Kuramochi's determination to an unprecedented level.

He could feel the raging flame in his chest, not the one that narrows his vision but the one that makes it clear and makes his focus even purer.

Kuramochi, in the Batter's Box, tilted his head slightly and used his peripheral vision to glance at the pitcher's mound where Aota stood.

On the mound, Aota felt a sudden chill.

Just a moment ago, he felt like he was being watched by a predator, a sensation of extreme danger as if a tiger were standing next to him with its cage gone.

Even though the tiger hadn't shown its teeth yet, that instinctive sense of fear was overwhelming.

Aota's heart was pounding, and his breathing was all over the place.

If someone had told him before the game that Seidou's players could make him feel such immense pressure without a direct confrontation, he would have kicked that person to the sea.

He had seen cocky players before, but none who could boast so boldly.

Real life wasn't some anime world. How could someone make you feel endangered just by their presence?

Nevertheless, sometimes reality is even wilder than any anime.

Just like now, despite being unprepared, Aota had no choice but to face Kuramochi's looming threat.

'This batter in the Box was dangerous!'

Even though Kuramochi was still standing there, calm and not yet making a move, Aota could sense the threatening aura surrounding him.

The other players around him might have also noticed their ace was in a tough spot and quickly offered support.

This feeling of dread was baseless but undeniably real.

Shaking his head, Aota tried to shake off the negative feelings, but it was no use!

Every muscle on Kuramochi's body was tensed, and Aota could feel the power within those muscles, ready to explode at any moment.

If that power were to be unleashed, the threat would be devastating.

'Don't be intimidated by the opponent's presence!'

As Aota's partner, the catcher, Noma, immediately sensed Aota's unstable emotions.

He quickly responded with advice.

But he clearly underestimated the level of Aota's instability. Even with the signal, Aota did not regain composure.

Only his stubborn will to fight kept him from backing down, and he released the ball.

Whoosh!

The ball made a sharp arc, instantly arriving near the batter's hands.

At 140 km/h, it was fast by high school standards.

However, for a batter like Kuramochi from Seidou, it wasn't fast enough to pose a real threat.

The pitch was too sweet!

For someone of Aota's caliber, throwing a ball like that was rare.

Kuramochi had not planned to swing at the first pitch, but when he saw that the pitch wasn't tricky, he immediately changed his mind.

He swung his bat with precision, striking the ball perfectly.

Ping!

The ball was hit cleanly, bouncing high into the air and landing in the gap in the defense.

Kuramochi had nailed it, and a hit was a natural outcome.

After hitting the ball, he threw the bat aside and sprinted out like a cheetah on the hunt.

'Fast!'

It was like a streak of blue light, moving at an incredible pace, closing the distance to first base in just a few moments.

"So fast!"

Noma, the catcher, felt like his heart might jump out of his chest.

Kuramochi's speed was astonishing. This was just a simple run to first base. If he actually reached the base, the threat would be even greater.

"SAFE!"

In the blink of an eye, Kuramochi had safely reached first base.

However, even after reaching first, Kuramochi didn't seem satisfied; he was already preparing to advance further.

But the players of Shonan weren't going to make it easy for him.

They quickly covered the gaps and managed to stop the ball.

Kuramochi stopped at first base. If he dared to attempt second base at this point, the opponent would surely teach him a lesson.

"Tch!"

Kuramochi clicked his tongue in frustration but stopped obediently.

A wise man knows when to yield.

He had missed the best opportunity to advance, and trying to force it would no longer make sense.

At this point, it was better to stay at first base and look for another opportunity.

"This guy really has matured!"

On Seidou's bench, Miyuki, his good friend, shook his head with a sigh.

Apart from Kuramochi himself, everyone else had noticed the change in him.

Since entering his third year, it seemed like something had suddenly clicked. Though his physical abilities hadn't improved much, he was now able to utilize all of his strengths with great skill.

Now, whenever he stood on the field, he gave off a completely different impression.

The Kuramochi before his third year and the one after were like two completely different people.

During the spring of Koshien, Kuramochi's growth was only starting to show, but it wasn't to the extent it was now.

Now, though, it was different!

Kuramochi had become like a diamond that was only halfway polished—his brilliance hadn't fully emerged yet, but it was already starting to shine through.

'Half a year left!'

Miyuki was even looking forward to it.

By the time the draft came, Seidou's superstar players might increase by one more.

Miyuki's musings didn't affect the game, however.

The match was still ongoing, and the battle was far from over.

No Outs, with a runner on first base.

Even though Kuramochi had only made it to first base, the situation had become significant for Seidou.

Kuramochi was the engine of Seidou's offense.

As long as he was on base, the chances of Seidou scoring would increase exponentially.

"Hyaa-ha-haa!!"

After reaching first base, Sawamura immediately showed his aggression.

His eyes seemed to glow, and he locked onto the pitcher.

That wasn't all.

His body subtly began inching toward second base.

It wasn't exactly subtle since he was so far from the bag at first.

Kuramochi was clearly trying to put pressure on his opponent in any way possible, hoping to completely break them down mentally.

In doing so, Seidou High School would easily secure the victory.

'Come on!'

'Pitch it over here!!'

Kuramochi's movements were almost a provocation.

The pitcher of Shonan had no choice but to react.

Aota threw over a pickoff attempt, hoping Kuramochi wouldn't venture too far off the base.

Aota wasn't unaware of Kuramochi's purpose—he was trying to distract him so Aota couldn't fully focus on pitching.

But so what if Aota knew?

Kuramochi was using an open strategy and wasn't afraid of it being seen through.

If Aota ignored the situation, Kuramochi would be the one to make the first move and seize the initiative.

With his speed and determination, Kuramochi could pull it off, and he would do it perfectly.

'It can't continue like this!'

Aota thought to himself, trying to stop Kuramochi from getting what he wanted, but he had no choice but to throw another pickoff attempt, hoping to send Kuramochi back to first base.

It was a tough situation, and for about a minute, Aota struggled.

But in the end, he made up his mind.

He decided to take a risk!

It is unrealistic to solve the players from Seidou High School easily without taking any risks.

Aota, the pitcher of Shonan High School, quickly realized this. Forced into a corner, he had no choice but to take risks.

During the period before his risky move, both Shonan High School and Aota had been very passive.

Aota threw pickoff pitches over and over again, but they had no effect at all.

Kuramochi, standing on first base, seemed to be able to see through his innermost thoughts. As soon as he made a move, the opponent could immediately return to first base in time.

Several times in a row, without exception.

As a result, Aota, the pitcher, looked like a clown jumping on a beam.

In the stands, among the players from Inajitsu High School, Shirakawa muttered.

"Is this really the top pitcher in Kanagawa? Isn't it too embarrassing? If you can throw, then hurry up and do it. If you can't, then think of another way. Is this really just for laughs, like a clown jumping around?"

The players around him laughed out loud.

Although Shirakawa didn't mean to make fun of them, what he said was just too amusing.

Tadano, sitting next to him, furrowed his brows.

"Kuramochi-san's speed is very fast. It's one thing when he's not on base, but once he gets on base, it becomes really tricky."

To be honest, although Tadano was very talented, he didn't have the confidence to stop Kuramochi.

The speed wasn't the most critical factor here; what was truly terrifying was Kuramochi's beast-like intuition and sense of smell.

He could always find the perfect opportunity, just like a beast hunting its prey. While you're relaxing, he'll suddenly pounce on you.

Catching you by surprise.

That's Kuramochi!

Narumiya nodded along.

Tadano's thoughts were the same as his. As the team's pitcher, Narumiya knew just how troublesome it was to let Kuramochi get on base.

However, as their arc rivals, of course, they couldn't let others grow their ambitions at the expense of their own prestige.

"As the fastest player in Tokyo, how do you think you compare to Kuramochi?" Narumiya asked as he turned to his side, looking at the black player, Carlos.

Kamiya Carlos Toshiki.

The Japanese-Brazilian Hafu, also a star player at Inajitsu High School, second only to Narumiya in terms of fame.

When Narumiya looked at him with a puzzled expression, Carlos grinned.

"I won't lose to him!" Carlos said confidently.

No one from Inajitsu High School doubted his words.

"Then let's defeat Hakuryu and meet Seidou again in the finals!" Narumiya said proudly.

Although the game was only halfway through, and it was a close match, Narumiya never doubted who would be the final winner.

…

T/N: Feel free to leave a Comment guys!

And Powerstones are much much welcomed!