Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

Even if a team made an agreement with Sawamura in advance, the team still had to select Sawamura at the draft.

There's still a priority pick and a lottery involved.

It's just too troublesome to work around it.

In fact, this is also the cleverness of the Japanese organizing committee.

Otherwise, if private contracts were already signed, how would they collect taxes?

Taxes are inevitable; this is very well-known worldwide.

But there are always 'Smart People' in the world.

Especially those business people.

As the saying goes, no business without cunning.

Even with such a system in place, the teams still frequently contacted the players privately. Didn't they already have 12 teams from professional baseball scouting Miyuki Kazuya had just entered his third year?

Let's get back to the game.

After misjudging the pitch, Sawamura still managed to forcefully hit the ball.

Such a performance from Sawamura really stunned the players of Hakuryu High.

"This guy is just inhuman!"

Although they had been calling him the "Great Demon King" for years and heard others talk about it, when they finally faced off with Sawamura, they couldn't help but feel, how could someone like him be a high schooler.

Even the proud Mima Soichiro looked at Sawamura Eijun with complex eyes.

He honestly had no idea where Sawamura's limits were.

Mima Knew that their generation was full of talented players, and all of them were running as fast as they could to catch up with Sawamura.

But Sawamura was still effortlessly ahead of everyone.

One Out, runners on first and third base.

Now it was Miyuki Kazuya's turn to bat!

This was a huge crisis for Hakuryu.

The players stood silently, their faces cold.

Sawamura at first base.

He wasn't gloating about hitting the ball out; in fact, his expression was quite complex.

Thinking back on it, Sawamura found it unbelievable.

He had managed to forcefully change his swing direction and hit the ball out.

If he were to do it again, he doubted he could pull it off.

'Especially that Splitter!'

'It wasn't a typical Splitter with a sharp drop. The ball's break was small and sudden, dropping only when it neared the strike zone.'

It was a bit like Sawamura's own Moving ball...

'If used effectively, this pitch could be extremely powerful.'

Without a doubt, with this pitch, Ouno was already very close to being one of the nation's top pitchers, only a small step away from that level.

The remaining gap was mostly in the Ace pitcher's mentality, which couldn't be cultivated overnight.

But even without that mindset, Ouno had the skills. If he fully unleashed them, it wouldn't be easy for Seidou High's players to score.

It was incredible.

Despite the runners on first and third base, if Miyuki wasn't careful, the result might be a double play...

"You have to be careful, partner!"

Sawamura glanced worriedly at Miyuki in the Batter's Box.

One Out, runners on first and third base.

This situation was Miyuki's ideal scenario for output.

But it was also the situation where he was most likely to be careless.

Sawamura's concern was felt by Miyuki.

He gave Sawamura a reassuring smile, then locked his eyes on his opponent.

At the same time, he was replaying the last pitch Sawamura hit in his mind.

He had been in the Batter's Box at the time, and Sawamura was a left-handed hitter. The two were facing each other.

So, he saw the pitch clearly.

'As the ball approached the strike zone, it suddenly dropped.'

'If Sawamura had followed his usual swing, what would have happened?'

'He probably would've just brushed the top of the ball, and the ball would've bounced into the infield for a double play!'

'How cruel.'

Reality is this cruel!

With that thought, Miyuki felt his heart race.

Instead of feeling nervous or embarrassed, he felt extremely excited.

'This was great!'

No one knew just how much of a gambler Miyuki Kazuya was deep down.

When faced with a situation like this, with such an opponent, the combative cells in his body surged up, unstoppable.

In the Seidou High dugout, Coach Ochiai came over to Coach Kataoka, stroking the small mustache on his chin while quietly suggesting.

"The score is 2:1, and we're ahead by one Run. We've gained some control over the game. If we play it safe now and secure one more Run, we can widen the gap to two Runs and apply more pressure on the opponent."

Ochiai didn't specify his exact suggestion. He was just stating his opinion as a fact.

He had done his job as a supporter.

He only provided advice; the final decision was still up to Kataoka.

Even though Coach Ochiai didn't make his advice completely clear, Coach Kataoka understood his hint, as they had worked together for a while now.

If Miyuki used a bunt at this point, getting the Run would be almost guaranteed.

First, the players and Coaches at Hakuryu would never have expected it.

Second, this option was a compromise, and Hakuryu might be willing to accept it.

But in the end, Coach Kataoka didn't give any signals.

He trusted Miyuki's judgment completely.

Just as he had trusted all his other players.

He let them make their own decisions.

As the Coach, Kataoka was just their strong support.

Of course, Kataoka didn't trust all players like this. In necessary situations, he would still issue instructions. Only to Sawamura, Miyuki, and a few others did he give this kind of freedom, because he believed they understood the game's dynamics enough to make a good decision.

"Even the breathing is tense!"

The cheering sounds that had been loud earlier gradually quieted as the duel heated up.

Everyone was watching, eagerly anticipating the possible changes in the game.

No one wanted to take their eyes off the action.

In this tense atmosphere, Miyuki Kazuya, too, didn't seem as calm as usual. He felt the air before his nostrils grow hot and heavy.

"This feeling... feels great!"

Miyuki was in a great mood. He even hummed along with the song the brass band played.

"Let's aim and hit it, now it's all on you!!"

Sawamura, standing on first base, smiled as he watched Miyuki.

He understood his partner very well.

Miyuki looked completely relaxed, as though he didn't care about the opponent.

But the truth was far from that.

This was actually Miyuki's very serious approach.

Sawamura Eijun even had a premonition.

This ball would probably turn into a home run.

If that happened, it would be a three-run homer, and the total score would become 5:1.

The game would be over.

Coach Kataoka might even consider changing players...

Before Sawamura could think too much, the confrontation on the field had already reached its conclusion.

Whoosh!

The baseball shot through the strike zone like a flash of light.

Miyuki in the Batter's Box opened his eyes wide.

His eyes shone brightly.

The first pitch from Ouno was exactly as he had predicted—a low-course Splitter, the same one that had almost led to a double play for Sawamura!

Miyuki had replayed this pitch in his mind many times.

He was confident that he could hit this ball and hit it far.

BUUUUZZZZZZ!!!!!

The bat swung, the deep whooshing sound filling the air.

Behind the plate, the catcher Itou's face grew serious.

He knew that Miyuki's swing was powerful. He was one of the few players on the current Seidou team with long-hitting ability.

But he never expected Miyuki Kazuya's swing to be this forceful.

He didn't even have time to react, only able to watch as the baseball flew away.

The ball soared into the sky at a 45-degree angle, traveling through the center of the field and heading toward the deep part of the outfield.

"Heehee!"

After hitting the ball, Miyuki Kazuya smiled comfortably.

The feel of the bat was just right.

He was very confident that this would be a home run.

So, he casually started running.

The baseball soared.

36,000 pairs of eyes in the stadium followed the ball, eager to know the final result.

Even though the game was only in the third inning, if this ball landed as a home run, the game would be as good as over.

With Sawamura Eijun, the Great Demon King, on the mound, they would lead by four runs!

No team could take the victory back from Seidou now.

Miyuki was running...

Sawamura and Kominato weren't in a rush.

The ball was flying far, and whether it landed or was caught, they could move at their own pace.

There was no need to put themselves in a dangerous position.

They would act once the result was clear.

The ball kept flying, flying, all the way to the back of the outfield, almost over the fence.

At that moment, a streak of lightning rushed forward, leaping into the air like a rising white dragon.

His long legs pushed against the ground with force, propelling him upward.

Mima Soichiro made a heroic leap just as the baseball was about to fly out of the park, forcefully intercepting the ball.

Snap!

The baseball landed in his mitt.

As he touched the ground, Mima stumbled and almost lost his balance.

Fortunately, he took a step forward to steady himself, then raised his mitt high into the air.

Inside that mitt was a baseball.

"OUT!!"

A seemingly certain home run was now gone.

Miyuki, jogging slowly, looked innocent.

He couldn't quite believe what had just happened.

Meanwhile, Sawamura moved to second base during this moment.

Of course, the spot where the catch was made was at least 110 meters from home plate.

On third base, Haruichi leisurely walked back to home plate.

"SAFE!!"

Though Miyuki didn't hit the home run he had imagined, he had still completed his primary task.

He helped increase the lead for Seidou High School.

The score became 3:1, with Seidou leading by two Suns.

Although the game wasn't yet secure, the team had gained a significant advantage and held the initiative.

"That last one wasn't your fault!"

"You did great!!"

Miyuki returned to the dugout with an innocent look on his face.

Despite usually offending some of his teammates, none of them added insult to injury. Instead, they comforted him.

To be fair, Miyuki's performance had been solid.

He had predicted the pitch perfectly and hit it flawlessly. If it weren't for Mima's exceptional skill, he would have nailed that three-run home run.

Even now, he had completed the primary task.

The points earned are always the sweetest.

Coach Ochiai was very pleased with the outcome.

In contrast, if they had used a bunt strategy earlier, the result would not have been as good.

So, Ochiai believed Miyuki made the right choice.

Of course, Miyuki himself wasn't satisfied.

It was like taking an exam and then realizing you forgot to put your name on the paper...

It was frustrating, no matter how you looked at it.

But there was nothing to be done.

As Kominato Haruichi returned to home plate, the situation on the field became two outs with a runner on second.

The score was 3:1, with Seidou leading by two runs.

The next batter up was the fifth batter, Shiratsu.

With a runner on second, Seidou still had a chance to score.

However, all the spectators' attention was on Miyuki and Mima Soichiro.

Miyuki's at-bat had truly impressed everyone.

Though it wasn't technically a home run, it was nearly the same as one.

True baseball aficionados knew the rule:

Not every great performance leads to results. Otherwise, why bother watching games? Just look at the score.

Ouno, the Ace pitcher for Hakuryu, had just unleashed his newly developed Splitter.

This pitch was meant to be his winning shot.

He had only used it once before, against Sawamura, and even then, the pitch had nearly been hit for a double play.

From that, you could tell just how lethal that pitch was. How hard it was to hit!

And yet, that pitch was sent flying by Miyuki.

It was hard not to notice.

"The number one catcher in high school! He could at least make it into the top 20 among batters."

"That's hard to say. Not every region in the country has top-notch pitchers like Tokyo, but there are certainly many great hitters."

"Which top-tier team doesn't have a few star players?"

The crowd was in a buzz.

Though there was some debate about Miyuki's exact ranking, no one denied that he had the ability of a top-tier batter.

Although he could be a bit unpredictable.

Another focal point was Mima Soichiro.

He was another player who commanded attention.

To think he managed to intercept that pitch was nothing short of amazing.

"His defensive range is terrifying!"

"He's often compared to Carlos from Inashiro Industrial. Though Carlos is also a top national star, if we had to pick the best, it's probably Mima."

Of course, the fans from Gunma Prefecture thought so.

Fans from the Tokyo area were less inclined to agree.

Their own star, Carlos, was incredibly strong too, after all.

But, considering this was Gunma's turf, they weren't going to argue with people in their homes.

After all, When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

…

T/N: Mima is better than Carlos, in terms of speed and batting. But Carlos is better in defense and guts/mentality. As for Kuramochi…he is better than both in base stealing and THE BEST Infielder in the series.