Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

After being repeatedly struck by Sawamura and Miyuki, the choices before the Yura Sougou High School baseball team were now extremely limited.

They could only attack recklessly...

This approach carried great risks.

It was like investing: the higher the risk, the greater the reward.

If possible, Yura Sougou wouldn't want to make such a huge investment.

They were effectively betting everything they had!

However, because their original capital was so small, even if they bet it all, it wouldn't put much pressure on the Seidou High School baseball team.

The gap in strength between their team and Seidou High School was already huge.

If they didn't go all out and gamble on that tiny bit of luck, there was no way they could turn the tables.

So, the third batter had no other thoughts. He was going to openly face off against Seidou and rely on his strength to hit out Furuya's pitches.

Not just the third batter but the players behind him likely thought the same way.

As for using tactical base stealing to get one or two runs?

Let's not even discuss the success rate of that.

Even if they did manage to get one or two runs, it wouldn't solve Yura Sougou's problem.

So, the third batter had no choice but to try.

And the result? He got a healthy dose of reality check!

Faced with Furuya, who was firing on all cylinders, the third batter didn't even get a hit—he didn't touch the ball at all and was struck out.

One Out, no one on base.

At this moment, it was time for Yura Sougou's core batter, the fourth batter, Senda, to step up.

Senda has been gaining a lot of attention recently. In their last encounter, he had solidly hit Furuya's pitches.

People had the impression that he was a very strong hitter.

When he stepped into the Batter's Box, he exuded the attitude of someone determined to hit the ball.

The third batter's strikeout left Senda a bit disappointed.

He probably wouldn't be able to score anymore!

But he still had confidence in getting on base.

Furuya was strong, and because of his fastball velocity, his fame spread across the ocean.

Senda was well aware of this.

However, Senda still had full confidence in his ability to hit Furuya's pitches.

Part of this confidence came from the fact that he had faced Furuya before, so he had some experience.

Another part came from the confidence of a strong batter.

No matter who the opponent was, he was confident he could hit their pitches.

This was the confidence of a powerful hitter.

Originally, Senda wasn't very confident when he stepped into the Batter's Box.

He was always afraid of missing the ball or some other mishap...

So, even though he had exceptional talent, he hadn't been outstanding when playing baseball before.

Until he met Coach Sakaki.

Coach Sakaki noticed that when Senda practiced alone, his performance was very good.

Especially when hitting pitches from the pitching machine—while not perfect, he was very close.

So, Coach Sakaki spoke with him and, after hearing his concerns, instead of criticizing or laughing at him, calmly said:

"Search online for those famous players big fails, and you'll notice something very interesting. How did these fools become world-renowned players?"

When Coach Sakaki said this, Senda immediately laughed.

These types of videos were very popular online.

Fans enjoy seeing people of higher status mess up, so these videos often excite them.

Senda had naturally watched them, so when Coach Sakaki mentioned them, he immediately understood.

"Did these mistakes stop them from becoming star players?"

Of course not!

Aside from the mistakes, there were countless spectacular performances.

"If they were afraid of being laughed at, they shouldn't be playing on the field. You have great talent. Maybe you've made mistakes before, and that left a mental scar, but believe me, that won't hold you back!"

"As long as you can perform at the level you practice in real games, then you will be great!"

Others had said similar things to Senda before, but for some reason, he had never been able to take it in.

When those words came from Coach Sakaki's mouth, he felt genuinely convinced.

Sometimes, people are more willing to listen to authoritative figures or experts, as if everything they say is the truth.

Coach Sakaki had been the distinguished Coach of the Seidou High School baseball team, so from that perspective, he was also an expert.

When someone like Coach Sakaki, an expert, said that Senda's future was great, Senda's confidence started to take shape.

He naturally believed that as long as he put in effort, there was no pitch he couldn't hit.

In the past half year, he had practiced his swing more times than in all the previous years combined.

Effort and sweat don't lie. Now, he had absolute confidence.

He was ready to face any challenge!

Even Furuya, with his nation-leading fastball speed, Senda believed he could hit his pitch.

ROOOAAARR!!

As the baseball came flying, it felt like an unidentified creature howling through the air.

Senda had to admit watching Furuya's pitches from the Batter's Box was truly frightening.

Of course, he didn't let this intimidating aura break him.

He resolutely aimed at the two balls above the fastball trajectory and swung his bat.

PANNNG!

When the bat made contact with the ball, a loud ringing echoed.

The ball ricocheted off the bat and flew behind Miyuki.

"FOUL!"

"FOUL!!"

Senda had hit the ball twice, sending it Foul.

From the momentum, he wasn't at a disadvantage in this duel with Furuya.

In the Batter's Box, Senda's confidence grew stronger.

He squinted his eyes slightly, constantly calculating in his mind the details of the previous exchanges.

Overall, he hadn't lost out too much in the last confrontation.

At the same time, he had gauged the height at which Furuya's fastballs would rise.

'Two pitches weren't enough; I need to aim for two and a half or three balls above the strike zone.'

"Once the ball speed exceeds 150 kilometers per hour, it will deceive the batter's eyes. If you aim for the fastball and swing, you won't hit it. The speed is too fast, and it'll rise! So, aim above the fastball and swing!"

These words were spoken by Coach Sakaki.

It must be said that having an experienced and capable coach was truly a stroke of luck.

If he hadn't been there, the Yura Sougou players might not have discovered this subtle detail during the game.

Without that, Furuya's pitches would have seemed like impossible-to-hit magic balls to them.

With everything calculated, Senda waited for the next pitch to come flying.

As long as the next pitch was in the strike zone, he was confident he could hit it.

From the catcher's position, Miyuki was also observing his opponent closely.

His gaze flickered, signaling Furuya.

ROOOAAARRR!!!

The baseball came flying again with the same overwhelming momentum.

Yura Sougou's Senda, having calculated the timing, aimed for the three balls above the fastball trajectory and swung decisively.

Just as the bat was about to meet the ball, the baseball suddenly sank.

'What…?'

Senda was stunned.

He seemed to have forgotten that Furuya didn't only throw fastballs.

Up until now, he had only thrown fastballs.

So when he suddenly threw a Splitter…

BOOM!

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!"

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!!"

Although there were a few bumps along the way, the final result was that Furuya Satoru still managed to cleanly and decisively strike out three batters.

Especially that strikeout against Senda—it was just a simple, fast Forkball, but it revealed a lot.

On the one hand, it showed that Furuya had actually been holding back earlier.

After all, he had only been using ordinary fastballs before this; he hadn't thrown a single breaking ball.

Now that he used a breaking ball, he instantly struck Senda out cleanly.

This clearly demonstrated that Furuya's ability was indeed above Senda's.

And this was particularly important for Furuya.

Previously, Coach Kataoka had specifically sent Sawamura to the mound to deliver a message—to provoke him.

Of course, Furuya knew this as well.

But knowing is one thing; not being affected is another.

Even though Furuya was aware that Coach Kataoka sent Sawamura up there just to deliver a message and spur him on, it was impossible for him to remain completely calm.

That's just how pitchers are!

They are a bunch of competitive creatures.

Whether it's against their teammates or their opponents, their desire to compete and compare never stops...

Now, after striking out Yura Sougou's third, fourth, and fifth batters in succession, Furuya finally felt vindicated.

Even if Eijun, the Ace, didn't take the mound, he could still handle the situation himself.

However, when he glanced at the two runs he had given up earlier, it still irritated him.

If there was anything about this game that he was unsatisfied with, it would undoubtedly be those two runs he allowed at the start.

The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became. The more he dwelled on it, the more it burned inside him.

Bottom of the Fourth Inning – Seidou's Offense

Ping!

After being hit, the baseball soared high into the air and landed above the second baseman's head.

Yura Sougou's second baseman was steady and reliable.

He raised his mitt and securely caught the ball.

Snap!

"OUT!!"

One Out, no runners on base.

Yura Sougou wasn't considered a powerhouse team before.

But after Coach Sakaki took over the team, the biggest improvement they made was in their defense.

Their error rate kept decreasing…

When they needed to make an Out, they didn't miss their opportunities.

This is the biggest challenge that grassroots teams often face.

In terms of raw physical quality, these are all players of the same age, so the gap shouldn't be that huge.

Yet, when a powerhouse team faces a grassroots team, the scoreline can sometimes be utterly demoralizing...

One main reason is that powerhouse teams do have stronger abilities—this is undeniably true.

However, another crucial factor is that grassroots teams tend to make far too many errors, especially on defense.

Because their fundamental training is lacking, their players struggle with both judgment and technique.

As a result, many plays that should have resulted in Outs are instead wasted opportunities.

After Coach Sakaki took over Yura Sougou, he corrected this flaw in their team.

Now, while Yura Sougou's players might not be exceptionally outstanding, they had built a solid foundation.

When they had a chance to secure an Out, they made sure to get it.

Next Batter – Seidou's No. 9 Hitter, Toujou Hideaki

Previously, Higashiyama had suffered a setback against Toujou.

Since Toujou was the ninth batter, Higashiyama had subconsciously held back, thinking that using 70% of his power would be enough to deal with him.

Unexpectedly, Toujou had outsmarted him.

This time, there was no way Higashiyama would repeat the same mistake.

No matter what, he wouldn't allow Toujou to hit his pitch again.

Going full throttle, Toujou managed to make contact with the ball, but it wasn't a good hit.

Ping!

The ball bounced toward third base.

Toujou sprinted toward first base with all his might, but he still wasn't fast enough.

The throw arrived at first base before he could make it.

Snap!

"OUT!!"

A flyout and a groundout—

Although Higashiyama's performance wasn't as overpowering as Furuya's, he smoothly secured two Outs.

In terms of performance, both sides were showing their strengths.

Having gotten two Outs in a row, Higashiyama was now riding a wave of momentum.

And then, he faced Seidou's leadoff batter—the engine of their offense—Kuramochi Youichi.

Facing such a formidable opponent, Higashiyama couldn't afford to be careless.

Every pitch he threw was cautious—he refused to give Kuramochi an easy chance to hit.

"STRIKE!"

"BALL!!"

Two pitches—one Strike, one Ball.

Both pitches were aimed at the corners, giving Kuramochi no comfortable pitch to swing at.

"Tsk!"

Kuramochi frowned slightly at the Batter's Box.

His opponent was clearly showing their stance—even if they had to walk him, they wouldn't let him swing freely.

Truth be told, given Kuramochi's terrifying speed, he had never been treated like this before!

Usually, opponents wouldn't dare let him get on base—because the consequences would be too dire...

But now, with two Outs already secured, Yura Sougou wasn't as concerned.

Circumstances dictated their actions.

After getting two Outs, they didn't fear runners as much.

They just needed to focus on facing the batter.

Under these conditions, Kuramochi didn't have many options.

After all, not every pitch was a Ball—some were Strikes!

If he didn't swing at all, he could still end up being struck out.

Kuramochi was left with two choices:

Either take the Walk or swing at these uncomfortable pitches.

Without hesitation, he chose the latter.

Ping!

The tricky pitch was hard to put power into.

The ball he hit was weak, like a lazy splash of water.

Even though Kuramochi dashed toward first base like lightning, hoping to beat it out for a hit, it wasn't realistic with such a weak hit.

Snap!

Just as Kuramochi was two steps away from first base, the throw arrived.

"OUT!!!"

Three Outs—offense and defense switch.

On the pitcher's mound, Higashiyama had the same vindicated look that Furuya had earlier.

He even shot a glance toward Furuya, his gaze full of provocation.

In Seidou's dugout, Furuya remained expressionless, completely ignoring him.

Seeing this, Sawamura smirked mischievously.

Higashiyama's provocation might have had a simple or a more calculated motive.

But if Furuya responded, it would stir things up—and any change would favor Yura Sougou.

However, what they didn't expect was that Furuya gave no reaction at all, as if he didn't even see Higashiyama as a threat.

That might sound a little harsh, but the truth was, Furuya really didn't view Higashiyama as a worthy rival.

His targets were Sawamura Eijun, Hongou Masamune, and Narumiya Mei.

Even though he was a backup at Seidou, Furuya had never believed he was destined to be a substitute.

He aimed to become the number-one pitcher in Japan.

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!!"

Top of the Fifth Inning

Furuya, still unsatisfied, struck out another three batters.

In just five innings, his strikeout total had already hit double digits.

This shocked the fans in the stands.

"Was Furuya about to create a miracle in this game?"

"The game was only halfway through, and he already had ten Strikeouts."

"Could he actually…?"

"What was Sawamura's record?"

"From what I can remember, 21 in the Koshien!"

"Maybe he can do it?"

"Who knows!"

…

T/N: Well, That's it for now.

Thank you all for reading!

Have a good day!

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