Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

The small ball, after making contact with the bat, rebounded high into the air…

In the rest area of the Shonan High School team.

Seeing this scene, Matt's heart gave a sudden jolt.

Although his face still wore that calm and indifferent expression, his eyes had grown deeper.

If someone were to examine him closely with a magnifying glass at that moment, they might even see the muscles on his face trembling.

This meant that the scene before him had greatly exceeded Matt's expectations.

It had also exceeded the expectations of every player of Shonan.

The trajectory of the ball after it was hit was completely different from what they had initially imagined.

At third base.

Kojima, who had been ready to sprint home if the ball's bounce looked like it might drop, suddenly came to a halt.

If the ball were to land, it would be a relief. But if it didn't and was caught by a fielder from Seidou High, then their carefully created advantage would have been in vain.

No!

When people have nothing left to lose, getting them to make a desperate final move requires no extra incentive.

Shonan were in the most advantageous scoring position: runners on first and third bases.

A potentially catchable ball wasn't enough to make them take a risk.

So, Kojima could only anxiously wait, like a condemned prisoner awaiting execution.

If the ball landed, it would be salvation.

If the ball was caught, they would have to look for another chance.

To be honest, Kojima's plan was shrewd.

It was mature and calculated.

However, someone in the stands sneered.

"It looks like Shonan can't win today!"

This bold proclamation caught the attention of those around him.

Everyone focused on this young man, waiting for him to provide a reasonable explanation.

Unfortunately, this youth was not one for long-winded analysis.

He simply raised his chin and pointed to the field.

The implication was for everyone to watch the upcoming turn of events.

The small ball that had soared quickly came back down.

Its landing position left everyone stunned.

It fell perfectly into the hands of Seidou's pitcher, Sawamura, standing on the mound.

Sawamura calmly raised his mitt, smoothly catching the ball.

This moment was electrifying for both Seidou's supporters and Sawamura's personal fans.

This was Sawamura's signature stunt!

The Swallow's Homecoming!

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"

"SAWAMURA!!!"

"DEMON KING!!"

"SAWAMURA!"

"SAWAMURA!!"

"DEMON KING!!!"

Facing the enormous crisis with one Out and runners on first and third, the Demon King, Sawamura Eijun, remained calm and unfazed.

He easily caught the ball, eliminating all the restless elements without a trace.

Making such a choice in this situation required not only exceptional skill but also immense courage.

On the mound, Sawamura had once again demonstrated his spirit and skills.

Only someone with full confidence in their own ability could have pulled off such a move.

Without a doubt, only the Demon King, Sawamura, would have the guts and resolve to make this play.

The seemingly ordinary catch had completely disrupted Shonan High's offense.

Two Outs, with runners on first and third.

Although the danger on the bases remained unchanged, Seidou High's situation had improved significantly.

With two Outs already, they just needed one more to end the inning.

In other words, they didn't need to worry about the runners on base; their focus was solely on getting the batter out.

In the stands.

The person who had earlier made a sharp comment about Shonan now smiled.

"See! This is the result! Eijun won't fall this easily!"

Under the shining sun, Narumiya Mei wore a bright grin.

He turned to his younger teammate, Tadano Itsuki, and said, "When playing against Seidou, you cannot afford to waste any scoring opportunities. If you miss one, it might never come again."

If Shonan hadn't been so hesitant, the runner on third could have started to steal right away.

Even if Sawamura's heart was calm, such an action would surely have had some effect on him.

Constantly fearing a failed play would lead to the runners on base just waiting for their inevitable demise.

The situation Shonan was in now was a result of their own choices.

By being too attached to the advantage they had, they let the opportunity for further offense slip away.

Once people lose their drive, they become easy to predict, losing their former advantage.

"Tsk!"

In the Shonan rest area, Superintendent Matt was unusually angry.

The unexpected strength of their opponents had already worn down his patience.

However, considering who the opponent was, Matt could understand and tolerate it.

What he could no longer tolerate was watching his own players hesitate.

Matt felt like his patience had reached its limit.

He couldn't hold back anymore and immediately gave Kojima, at third base, a signal.

"Stop second-guessing! If you see a chance, attack with everything you've got. This opponent isn't one we can defeat by holding back!"

No pain, no gain.

If you're playing against a team like Seidou, hoping to find a scoring opportunity without taking risks is just a dream.

Risk-taking has its costs.

If you don't let go of the child, you can't catch the wolf.

Come on!

Matt quickly made the decision to go all in.

His eyes focused on Seidou's Sawamura on the mound.

"No wonder he's called the Demon King!"

In just a few minutes, Matt had repeated this phrase three times.

Even from the opponent's perspective, Matt had to admit Sawamura's talent.

Though Matt didn't know how Sawamura had read the situation, the perfectly timed use of his famous stunt made it clear.

Sawamura's abilities were indisputable.

"What will you do next?"

Matt was filled with questions in his mind.

If Sawamura could continue pitching at the same pace, it would be fine.

It was now Shonan High's fifth batter, Kawaki.

A first-year student, tall and imposing, with bright red hair.

Kawaki was visibly agitated as he stepped up to the plate.

"Come at me you haughty sh*t! See how I blast you out of the park!!"

He pointed his bat at Sawamura, completely disregarding him.

'Huh?'

This enraged both Sawamura and Seidou's fans.

A freshman, just on the field, challenging their Demon King.

It was absurd.

"Who do you think you are?"

"How dare you talk like that?"

"This kid's full of hot air!

"He's clearly just full of CO2."

"Calling a home run against Sawamura?

"I'll bet 5000 Yen he's going to strike out."

"50 cents? I'll bet 10,000 Yen!"

"This kid's definitely getting struck out."

The noise and excitement in the stands were deafening.

Although Kawaki couldn't hear exactly what the crowd was saying, the emotional outbursts around him made it clear it wasn't good.

But he didn't care.

He, Kawaki, wasn't bothered by what these bystanders were saying.

The most important thing was to anger Sawamura and hit the ball out.

Kawaki's little plan didn't escape the sharp eyes of Miyuki.

Who is Miyuki?

When it came to the fine art of getting on other people's nerves, what he has forgotten about is more than what some people learn in a lifetime.

Seeing right through Kawaki's intentions was easy for him.

'The opponent is highly motivated to hit,' Miyuki noted, passing the information to Sawamura on the mound.

Sawamura nodded, acknowledging the input.

To be honest, this hadn't surprised him. The moment he saw Kawaki, he had already guessed his personality.

To deal with someone like this, going head-to-head would only backfire.

It was better to lure him into swinging at the wrong pitch.

With that in mind, Sawamura took his stance and calmly threw the ball.

…