Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

No Outs, with runners on second and third bases!

In this situation, facing the cleanup hitter Miyuki Kazuya from Seidou, at least half of the pitchers in the nation would probably opt for an intentional walk!

Let alone the fact that it's now the seventh inning, and the score gap has already widened to six runs...

In this context, if Seidou can score one more run, it would create a scenario that the players from Sankou would dread most.

They could end up with a huge humiliation.

Given this consideration, it seems the best choice for the Sankou players would be to intentionally Walk Miyuki and get an out first from the fifth batter.

However, the players from Sankou had no intention of doing so at all. From the catcher to the pitcher and all the fielders, none of them flinched at this moment.

Their eyes gleamed with ferocity as if they were ready to devour their opponent alive.

Clearly, they had made up their minds: they would rather stand and fight than kneel and concede. They were determined to uphold their team's style, refusing to back down.

"Not bad, showing some backbone," Miyuki said with satisfaction as he stepped into the Batter's Box and looked at the Sankou players.

Behind him were his teammates, Yuki and Nishiyama. While he thought well of these two younger players, Miyuki knew that, given their current strength, it would be unrealistic for them to subdue the rampaging Amahisa Kousei.

If Seidou High wanted to end this game early, the burden would ultimately fall on him.

The fact that Sankou was not avoiding a direct confrontation with him, but rather embracing it, was perfect.

He lifted his bat high, eyes locked on Amahisa on the mound. Right now, Amahisa looked like a cornered beast ready to explode, capable of delivering a ferocious blow at any moment.

To be honest, this version of Amahisa was quite tricky for Miyuki. His current state had gone insane, and every pitch was irrational.

Even though they were getting hits, it was like juggling on a tightrope. And every hit they win is with luck and experience.

This unpredictable opponent was exactly what Miyuki disliked most.

He preferred opponents who could control the tempo and pitch accurately. That way, he could guess the pitch and hit it cleanly.

On the contrary, if his opponent completely lost their cool, he wouldn't know where the ball would land. In that case, Miyuki could only rely on his swinging skills.

'That was not good.'

This lack of technical engagement made Miyuki uncomfortable and displeased.

But there was no choice; it seemed he was the best hope for the team to score.

Once he was Out, Seidou's offense in the seventh inning would likely come to an end.

Luckily, he doesn't need to get a hit, all he has to do is to pull the ball far, the further the better.

Looking at third base, Kominato was eager to run, trying to make his presence felt and distract the pitcher.

Though the effect was minimal, Miyuki could still sense his determination.

For the sake of his teammates who want to prove themselves, Miyuki felt he absolutely couldn't mess this up.

After all, there was still a chance.

Standing in the Batter's Box, countless thoughts flashed through Miyuki's mind in just a few seconds.

These were thoughts that Amahisa and Takami, as opponents, could never comprehend.

What they could sense was the intense threat emanating from Miyuki.

Every single cell in their bodies and every neuron began to quiver slightly.

Once someone stood on a base, especially third base, the momentum emanating from Miyuki became increasingly prominent, and now even the opponents were significantly affected.

It felt as if he could hit any ball thrown his way.

From the catcher's position, Takami took a deep look at Miyuki, thinking to himself.

This was the current top catcher in high school, widely recognized.

Seidou was called the King for a reason.

Apart from their consecutive victories last summer and this spring's Koshien, there was one more point that must be mentioned.

That was having the nation's top pitcher and catcher on their team.

As contemporaries in the same position, both serving as key catchers for their respective powerhouse teams, Takami had a thorough understanding of Miyuki's abilities.

Because of this, he increasingly recognized Miyuki's strength.

Even though they were of the same age, Takami admired Miyuki greatly in private and had even studied all of Miyuki's game footage.

While he wasn't a fanatical fan, it was undeniable that Takami truly appreciated Miyuki. Furthermore, his research into Miyuki was deeper.

He had almost predicted Miyuki's intentions.

'The opponent is strong!'

This was undeniable. If he weren't strong, how could he have become the current top catcher and one of the most recognized players in the nation?

'The pitch location doesn't matter too much, as long as it's not too easy to hit. What's most important is to highlight your strengths…'

Understanding Miyuki's characteristics, Takami appeared quite at ease when calling the pitches.

On the mound, Amahisa received the signal and, without hesitation, threw the ball.

Whrroosh!

The small ball shot through the air like a glowing arrow, crossing several meters in an instant and appearing right in front of the batter.

Miyuki saw the incoming baseball, and without a moment's hesitation, he swung his bat.

Uncertain of where the pitch would land, Miyuki had little choice at that moment.

As long as the pitch entered the strike zone, he couldn't let it pass.

And this pitch was just like that; although it seemed slightly off, it was definitely in the strike zone.

Miyuki could not let this opportunity slip by.

Suddenly, the small ball curved before entering the strike zone.

This sharp break took Miyuki by surprise, even though he had already mentally prepared himself.

Ping!

The small ball was hit and spun out toward Foul territory.

"FOUL!"

Miyuki's face darkened slightly in the Batter's Box.

He had actually predicted that there was a good chance Amahisa would pitch a Slider.

However...

'I didn't expect it to come in much sharper than before.'

Now, Amahisa had completely entered the berserk mode. His pitching was utterly unpredictable and chaotic.

Even if he found a pattern, given Amahisa's current state, he wouldn't know where the ball would go.

Though everyone knew that Amahisa's current state could not last forever, one had to admit that during this fleeting moment, Amahisa had indeed become more challenging than ever.

And the future seemed almost certain.

'As long as Amahisa could get through this hurdle today, his future would likely take a significant leap forward.'

"Phew!"

Miyuki took a long breath, clearing his mind of distractions.

'Now was not the time for such thoughts; the most important thing was to hit Amahisa's pitch.' Miyuki refocused.

In the catcher's position, Takami, who had been tense, relaxed at this moment.

'Good!'

Through this confrontation, he had mostly figured out Miyuki's weakness.

Miyuki was indeed strong, there was no doubt about that.

But that didn't mean he didn't have weaknesses.

'Let's go!'

Believing he had found Miyuki's weakness, Takami became exceedingly confident in his pitch calling.

In this berserk state, Amahisa Kousei showed no hesitation. He poured all his strength into every single pitch.

Whrroosh!

Up until now, Amahisa had thrown quite a few pitches, yet his throws showed no sign of slowing down.

On the contrary, they felt increasingly fluid and powerful.

PIIING!

This time, when Miyuki swung his bat, he barely managed to connect with the ball in front of him.

The baseball zipped past him and flew behind the home plate umpire.

"FOUL!"

After two consecutive Fouls, Miyuki was now behind with two Strikes.

Kominato, who had been actively posing to steal home plate, tried to distract Amahisa's attention but ended up failing.

The battery duo of Sankou completely ignored him.

For them, having already secured two Strikes, you can't steal home on a Foul. And if you tried to steal with a Strike, you are only giving them a free Out. If they solved Miyuki here, the next too first-year rookies won't be able to help him.

Not to mention the significance of it.

"These guys are really calm!"

Haruichi was frustrated, and Sawamura on second base could only feel helpless about it.

He sympathetically glanced at Miyuki in the Batter's Box.

'You are on your own here, partner!'

In the Batter's Box, Miyuki, now pressured by two Strikes, recognized a harsh reality.

No matter how hard he tried, it seemed unlikely he could predict where the ball would go and hit it.

He chuckled wryly.

Miyuki had completely torn off the 'mask' he had been wearing all along.

His expression was no longer the relaxed one from before.

Instead, it carried a cold and ruthless aura.

Since the previous strategy of predicting pitch types was no longer feasible, he would have to adopt a different rhythm.

Having been at Seidou for two years, Miyuki had learned much more than just catching skills.

His hitting power was equally formidable.

Even during his Kohai year, before the Senpais retired, Miyuki was an essential part of the team's batting lineup.

Let alone now; he was now the core fourth batter at Seidou.

Even without predicting any pitch types, his sheer hitting ability made him second to none in the current Seidou High baseball team.

When clever tactics failed, this Captain of Seidou, the core fourth batter, would show his fangs.

Whrroosh!

The small ball shot forward like a beam of light.

In an instant, it crossed several meters, reaching Miyuki's position.

'Now!'

As the baseball approached, Miyuki swung his bat without hesitation.

PIIIINGGGG!!!!

The ball was struck and soared high into the air.

Then it flew to the outfield.

As soon as the outfielder from Sankou saw the ball go so far, he immediately turned and ran back.

After running for a while, he turned back to search for the baseball in the sky.

'Where was the baseball?'

'Had it flown out?'

A flicker of confusion crossed the outfielder's mind, and he stopped.

Then he noticed his teammate gesturing wildly at him.

'Huh?'

He looked at his teammate in confusion.

Then he saw the left fielder frantically running behind him.

It turned out that the ball, which had already seemed to fly out of the park to the outfielder, had actually never left the field at all.

Instead, it got wedged between the seams of the outfield wall.

It was just that the ball had traveled so fast that by the time he turned back to look, it had already landed in front of him.

With an impressive hit over 110 meters and a defensive miscue from the outfield!

Haruichi ran home as his life depended on it!

Sawamura too returned home safely.

Even Miyuki, by the time the other outfielder from Sankou charged forward, had already rounded second base.

Before reaching third base, he saw his own base coach signaling him to continue running.

'There's a chance!'

No doubt about it, he leaped forward.

"SAFE!!!!"

The score changed to 9:0!

Seidou High officially and exceedingly met the conditions to end the game early.

…