Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 195: The Ace Returns!

Did this opponent really put such a huge psychological burden on Kawakami?

So much so that his second-year pitching partner wanted to avoid facing him altogether?

Miyuki felt a heavy weight in his heart.

Currently, there were no outs, and no runners on base.

The score on the field was 7:3, with Seidou leading by four points.

As the team's starting catcher, Miyuki believed it was his responsibility to help his teammate regain his composure.

"Time out!"

In the final inning, despite their substantial lead, the starting catcher suddenly called for a timeout.

On the stands, Seidou High's supporters couldn't help but doubt their eyes.

"Calling a timeout at this point? Giving the opponents an opportunity?"

"What does this mean...?"

In the dugout of Yakushi High, Raizou, who had been in a foul mood due to their disadvantage, suddenly couldn't suppress a grin.

"Already losing composure, huh? That foolish son of mine is doing pretty well, after all."

Looking solely at the score, Yakushi High had virtually no chance of turning the game around.

If they had thicker skin, they might continue the game regardless, even just to close the gap by two points.

The outcome wouldn't change because of those two points.

However, Seidou's players clearly didn't see it that way. Even at this moment, they still cared about their partners' feelings.

Perhaps they wanted to end the game with a better performance.

But for Yakushi High, this was by no means a bad thing.

It was, in fact, a rare opportunity, like a pie falling from the sky.

"When your opponent shows signs of hesitation, that's our chance to turn the tables! The more thoroughly they plan, the harder the blow when reality proves them wrong."

Thinking this, Raizou immediately set his eyes on his son.

"Boy, you better give it your all! Opportunities like this don't come twice."

It was as if Raichi had some kind of telepathic connection with his father.

He instinctively turned his head and immediately caught sight of his father's expression.

Raichi quickly nodded, looking as obedient as could be.

"Idiot, stop focusing on me. Your attention should be on the opponent," Raizou muttered.

Not many people noticed their father-son interaction.

At that moment, most eyes were fixed on the pitcher's mound.

Everyone was curious to see how a genius catcher like Miyuki would help his partner relieve the pressure.

"We're leading by four points right now. Walking him is an option. But doing that would weaken our momentum! Face him head-on. Even if he hits the ball, we'd still be ahead by three points. I believe getting those three outs won't be a problem for you!"

Although Yakushi High had two other notable first-year batters, Miyuki clearly didn't think Kawakami was incapable of facing them.

Even if things didn't go their way, Seidou would still maintain control of the game with their lead.

Not to mention, they still had their chance to attack in the bottom of the ninth inning.

"Think carefully about why the coach chose you to close this game. It's not just the coach—everyone believes in your ability!"

Whether it was for personal or team reasons, Miyuki felt it was his duty to support Kawakami.

As fellow second-year players, they couldn't just keep watching their underclassmen shine on the mound.

It was time for the second-year pitchers to step up and show their strength.

"Believe in your pitching ability. After all, you're the ace of the second-years."

These words had a significant impact on Kawakami.

"Don't worry, I'll give it my all against them!"

It was clear Kawakami had come to terms with the situation.

He had a strong support system, and their team held a substantial lead.

In this situation, what was there to fear?

Facing the opponent openly and confidently, as long as he didn't disgrace Seidou, there was no way they could overturn the game against him.

"I am also a starting pitcher for Seidou High! Even though the two first-year juniors have shown outstanding performances on the mound, they still have their flaws. They haven't fully matured yet! My responsibility is to protect and guide them!"

Once a person understands their role, the focus and strength they can unleash become astonishing.

Kawakami seemed to have regained his confidence.

Seeing this, Miyuki and many of the second-year Seidou players breathed a sigh of relief.

They genuinely hoped that Kawakami, who was the same grade as them, would perform brilliantly on the field.

The first-year monster from Yakushi High was indeed a formidable opponent.

But precisely because of that, if Kawakami could defeat him, it might bring a transformative change to his future pitching.

Perhaps Kawakami could truly become a crucial asset for Seidou High.

As this hope blossomed among the team, Kawakami summoned all his strength and hurled the baseball with full force.

"Whoosh!"

The white baseball whizzed through the air.

With his unconventional side-arm pitching, the ball curved in an unusual trajectory.

The moment Miyuki saw it, a hint of excitement flickered in his eyes.

Kawakami hadn't wasted his encouragement.

The quality of that pitch was astonishingly high!

However, just as Miyuki was thinking this, the batter suddenly moved.

Stillness was fine—but once that man made a move, he was like an erupting volcano.

"Boom!"

The sound of the bat slicing through the air was so sharp that it made Miyuki frown.

Was it his imagination, or did this guy's swing feel even stronger than before?

It carried a crushing intensity, as if he intended to destroy everything in its path.

"Impossible..."

Just as Miyuki was reeling from his shock, the ball was struck and sent flying.

"Ping!"

The ball had come in fast, with a tricky placement, and Kawakami's side-arm throw made it even harder to hit.

It was undeniably a high-quality pitch.

Yet, without any suspense, it was smashed into the air.

Miyuki stood there dumbfounded, watching the ball's flight, his mind filled with disbelief.

"That pitch... could be hit like that?"

The baseball soared wildly, nearly clearing the wall.

If it hadn't veered slightly off course, it would have been a home run.

"Foul ball!"

A foul ball might seem like a disadvantage for the batter.

Yet on the stands, Yakushi's supporters and many neutral fans felt no such thing.

From their perspective, the young man in the batter's box seemed to radiate light.

It was remarkable.

"Is this guy really just a high school first-year student?"

"Forget first-year — I'm starting to wonder if he's even a high schooler at all!"

The idea was absurd, but none of the fans in the stands doubted it.

At that moment, many shared the same thought as the two fans who had just expressed their amazement.

They genuinely believed that the monstrous young player looked nothing like a typical high school student.

His batting skills had already far surpassed the high school level.

Behind the plate, Miyuki let out a subtle sigh of relief.

Even though the ball had been hit, it turned out to be just a scare.

From their standpoint, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Regardless of how it happened, we've got one strike now!"

With that thought, he glanced at his pitcher.

Seeing Kawakami's expression made Miyuki's heart sink.

All the encouraging words he'd spoken seemed to have been in vain.

Raichi's single swing had shattered all of Kawakami's newly built confidence.

"This guy is a total monster on the field!"

Kawakami's mind went completely blank.

The psychological defense he'd painstakingly constructed collapsed entirely.

In his head, there was only the image of Raichi's powerful swing.

Standing on the mound, looking at Raichi, Kawakami felt as if the first-year monster had grown gigantic.

Especially that bat—it looked like a towering mountain, ready to crush him.

"Get your rhythm back. Don't overthink it..."

Miyuki tried desperately to salvage the situation.

But sadly, no matter how he signaled, Kawakami couldn't hear him anymore.

His blank mind led to robotic, mechanical actions.

Raising his arm and stepping forward, he clenched his jaw and threw the ball.

However, the pitch didn't even come close to the strike zone.

"Pop!"

"Ball!"

Raichi made no mockery of Kawakami's nervousness.

On the contrary, when he turned to look at him, his eyes gleamed with excitement.

"A breaking pitch that curves differently because of the sidearm throw! This team is amazing!"

In this single game alone, Raichi had already faced three formidable pitchers.

Although Kawakami's level was a notch or two below Furuya and the other first-year, Raichi didn't mind at all.

Sure, lobster and abalone were delicious, but even a simple pickled vegetable had its charm.

The varied experiences from this single game fascinated Raichi beyond words.

"Come on, pitch it again!"

Raichi's desire was overwhelming.

Meanwhile, Kawakami, being a highly sensitive pitcher, immediately sensed something off about Raichi's state.

Deep down, he knew—he couldn't throw the ball into the strike zone.

If he did, Raichi would blast it out the very next second.

"Whoosh!"

"Ball!"

"Ball!"

"Ball!"

"Four balls—walk to first base!"

No outs, runner on first.

The loyal supporters of Seidou High's baseball team originally thought they would smoothly secure victory in this match.

However, things took an unexpected turn.

Their pitcher, at the crucial final moment of the game, actually lacked the courage to face the opponent head-on.

This was simply mind-blowing!

"What the heck is going on?"

On the other hand, the players and supporters of Yakushi High had a completely different reaction.

When they realized that Seidou, a powerhouse team, had its main pitcher back down at such a critical moment, they were stunned.

Everyone exchanged glances, searching for like-minded companions.

Soon, they found affirmation in the eyes of their teammates.

"That's Raichi for you! He scared their pitcher into avoiding a showdown!"

"Even if we lose this game, I've got to give them credit—what a bold move!"

Meanwhile, behind the plate, Miyuki frowned.

Even with his signals, Kawakami had ultimately avoided the confrontation.

After walking Raichi to first base, Miyuki could clearly sense the relief Kawakami felt.

"Finally relaxed, huh?"

Although this scenario was different from what Miyuki had initially hoped for, the outcome wasn't necessarily bad for them.

"Alright then, let's focus on taking down the remaining batters!"

Just as the two were thinking this, a sudden commotion broke out in Seidou's dugout.

"Seidou High requests a substitution. Pitcher Kawakami is coming off. Outfielder Furuya Satoru will take the mound."

This unexpected decision left Seidou's teammates dumbfounded.

"What does this mean?"

Some of Seidou's loyal supporters even voiced their confusion directly.

"Why didn't they switch earlier? What's the point of doing it now?"

Earlier, they had assumed that Coach Kataoka had no intention of sending their real ace back to the mound.

Seidou's die-hard fans had reluctantly accepted this outcome.

"If they had made the switch earlier, the game might have ended two innings ago."

"Why wait until now?"

Even Miyuki, crouching behind the plate, couldn't understand his coach's decision.

"A change? At this point?"

Though winning the game with this switch wouldn't be difficult, it deviated completely from their original strategy.

What was Kataoka's intention?

No one understood, and Coach Kataoka offered no explanation.

Furuya obediently changed his gear and walked to the mound.

There was a trace of disappointment in his heart.

As the team's ace, finishing the game was something he had long envisioned.

But this scenario was far from what he had imagined.

He had hoped to face Raichi again.

Raichi wanted to hit his pitch, and Furuya wanted a rematch.

There weren't many opponents who could make him feel such a sense of danger.

Unfortunately, it was only a dream now.

By the time he stepped onto the mound, Raichi had already finished his at-bat and was walked to first base.

Next up were two other first-year batters from Yakushi High: Akiba and Mishima.

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