Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

Miyuki Kazuya returned to the dugout—although looking fine—he was feeling dejected.

A home run that seemed certain had just flown away, and it was hard for him to accept. In fact, no matter who had been in his position, the result would probably have been the same.

The frustration he felt was immeasurable.

The discouragement was just as strong.

However, when Miyuki returned to the dugout, none of his teammates scolded him. Instead, they all tried to comfort him.

But still, Miyuki could not shake the discomfort he felt.

Every time he thought about what had happened earlier, he couldn't help but feel extremely frustrated.

Honestly, it wasn't entirely his fault.

Anyone in that situation would have found it hard to accept. Only Miyuki, with his good mindset, was able to maintain his composure on the surface. If it had been someone else, who knows how things might have played out?

They might have made a fool of themselves by now.

After returning to the dugout, Miyuki Kazuya took a sip of water and sat quietly on the bench without saying a word.

Kominato Haruichi had already made it back to home plate, helping the team score that point, but Miyuki Kazuya was too preoccupied to pay attention.

His eyes were fixed on the outfield, particularly on Mima Soichiro.

'What a frustrating opponent!'

Before he made the hit, Miyuki had kept an eye on Mima's position.

In Miyuki's memory, Mima wasn't positioned too far back. At least 20 or 30 meters from the outfield fence.

But in the short time after Miyuki Kazuya hit the ball, this guy had sprinted 20 or 30 meters back, perfectly judged the ball's trajectory, and made a leaping catch to intercept the ball just in time.

It sounded easy, but in reality, this was nearly an impossible task.

'Yet, Mima had done it—and done it successfully.'

'His fielding range was so wide that it had already clearly surpassed Inajitsu's Carlos.'

'He truly inherited his parents' excellent athletic genes.'

'Mima's abilities were truly not to be underestimated, Miyuki thought.'

Even though he had failed in this encounter, it didn't change his view of the opponent's strength.

Mima Soichiro was truly a nationally famous superstar player!

Among these players, every single one was a standout.

In the stands, Fujio Mine and Owada Akiko shared similar feelings.

Even more bluntly, Fujio expressed it more directly.

"There were over 4,000 high schools across the country, and tens of thousands of players."

"The truly famous players were all super elites, a rare breed."

"Every single one of them was a terrifying monster, impossible to ignore."

Mima Soichiro was one of them, just like Miyuki Kazuya, who almost hit a home run earlier.

The game continued.

In this inning, the attack for Seidou High School was not yet over. The fifth batter, Shiratsu, stepped up to the plate.

He was a very steady batter, and with a runner on second, his chances of getting a timely hit were quite high.

Not to mention, the pitcher Ouno had just taken a heavy hit.

It wouldn't be surprising if his spirit was crushed, but Ouno seemed unaffected.

To everyone's surprise, Ouno didn't show any signs of discouragement. On the contrary, he appeared full of energy.

After allowing a Run, he calmly threw the ball to the catcher.

This was the advantage of his ever-cold expression. It was impossible to read any emotion from his face, so no one could guess what he was thinking.

Even someone as composed as Shiratsu couldn't help but feel uneasy, unable to get a read at Ouno's intentions.

He had no choice but to focus and deal with the incoming pitch.

Ping!

The bat connected with the ball, and Shiratsu immediately felt his hands tingle.

The ball was coming in fast—at least much faster than he had anticipated.

Shiratsu's face grew serious.

He forced more strength into his arms, preparing to hit the ball out of the park.

But unfortunately, he couldn't do it.

The ball flew out, but it was on a completely different trajectory than he had imagined.

Snap!

The third baseman from Hakuryu High School leaped into the air and caught the ball with ease.

This showcased the distinctive defensive style of Hakuryu High School.

Every player on their team was incredibly fast, so their overall defensive speed was lightning-quick.

For other teams, there might be some hard-to-reach spots, but for them, it wasn't much of an issue.

This kind of defense, with its seamless flow, was an intimidating force.

Even Seidou High School, with their powerful offense, would have a hard time expanding their lead against this defense.

The game remained in a deadlock.

Three Outs, offense and defense exchanged.

At the end of the third inning, the score was 3-1.

Despite a rocky start, Seidou High School had stubbornly showcased their Champion pride, breaking through Hakuryu High School's defense and turning the game around.

Hakuryu High School wasn't performing poorly—quite the opposite, they were playing excellently.

But that only highlighted Seidou High School's depth even more.

Both teams were top-tier, yet in just three innings, the difference between them was clear.

Hakuryu High School's players, of course, were not willing to accept this!

And let's not forget, the players in high school baseball are all passionate young dreamers.

They inherently carry a rebellious and unyielding spirit.

It was impossible for them to calmly accept the result.

Unable to accept the current outcome, what could they do?

It was actually quite simple—counterattack!

Hakuryu High School, a team that could go toe-to-toe with Inajitsu High School.

When this team truly got angry, their destructive power exceeded everyone's expectations.

For example, at the start of the fourth inning, they displayed their never-give-up spirit.

Ping!

At the start of the fourth inning, the second batter from Hakuryu High School got lucky with a Moving ball and got a hit!

This was unavoidable.

When Sawamura was pitching the Moving ball, with a bit of luck, losing a hit was understandable.

Then, the third batter followed up with a bunt to move the runner from first to second.

The situation now was one Out with a runner on second base.

With a runner on base, the fourth batter, Kitaooji, stepped up.

Kitaooji was a typical tough guy, with deep expressions that didn't look like a high school student and no signs of immaturity on his face.

He just looked so mature.

This situation was undoubtedly extremely favorable for Kitaooji.

As long as he could get a hit, even if it wasn't particularly impressive, as long as the placement was right, he could help his team score a Run.

Facing off against Seidou High School and Sawamura Eijun, such an opportunity was incredibly rare.

Kitaooji had no intention of wasting the chance his teammates had created for him.

Although his reputation had never been as great as that of Mima Soichiro, as the team's fourth batter, Kitaooji had his own pride.

After the seniors graduated. Kitaooji was promoted to the fourth batter by special arrangement.

At that time, he was extremely confused.

Wasn't the fourth batter supposed to be the best hitter on the team?

Before the seniors graduated, Mima Soichiro had been the third batter and the core hitter of the team.

Now that the seniors had graduated, shouldn't Mima be promoted to the fourth spot?

Not everyone could bear the responsibility of the fourth spot in the lineup.

Reluctantly, Kitaooji directly approached their Coach, Sasaki.

"Why did I become the fourth batter? Shouldn't it be Mima?" he asked.

Sasaki was organizing some materials at the time. After finishing, he looked up and carefully sized up Kitaooji.

"It's for the team!" Sasaki replied.

"Mima was placed in the third spot so that if anyone got on base, he could send them home."

"You were placed in the fourth spot because, after Mima reaches base, only you can bring him home."

After hearing this answer, Kitaooji felt the trust of the whole team on his back.

So that's it!

Being trusted by his coach, and his teammates, especially by Mima, gave Kitaooji's bat a goal and a purpose.

Now, he felt a power running through him.

No matter what, he had to hit the ball that Sawamura Eijun would throw next.

Otherwise, how could he face his teammates and Coach?

WHRROOSH!

Before Kitaooji could think any more, Sawamura's pitch flew toward him.

At this moment, the runner had very little effect on Sawamura.

This was because Sawamura held the deadly weapon of The Last Moment Adjustment. Ordinary runners wouldn't dare to get a try on him.

And Hakuryu couldn't afford to waste opportunities now...

Looking at the flying baseball, Kitaooji carefully let the first pitch go.

Based on his previous experience, Sawamura was bold enough to throw a bait pitch, especially on the first throw.

This kind of pitch was exactly what Kitaooji wasn't good at handling.

So, he let it go.

To his surprise, the pitch that came was a simple Fastball.

Kitaooji felt a twinge of regret.

SNAP!

"STRIKE!"

Facing the ordinary Fastball, Kitaooji didn't swing.

Sawamura and Miyuki, the battery, quickly understood Kitaooji's intentions.

Without hesitation, Miyuki gave Sawamura a signal.

Sawamura, nodding slightly, threw the ball.

With his right foot raised high, he swung it down like a battle axe. As his body shifted weight, Sawamura's mitt pushed forward.

During this motion, his left hand, holding the baseball, was completely hidden behind his mitt and body.

WHRROOSH!!

Without any warning, the baseball came flying straight toward Kitaooji.

At this moment, Kitaooji clearly wasn't prepared.

Looking at the flying baseball, he hesitated.

But he still swung his bat with determination.

It wasn't because he was confident he could hit the ball, but because, at this moment, he had no other choice.

If he waited for another pitch, Sawamura would have him at two Strikes.

According to the intel they had gathered, Sawamura would throw his sharpest breaking ball as the last pitch.

At that point, it would be even more dangerous.

It was better to gamble now.

Ping!

The baseball was hit and soared high into the air.

Sawamura and Miyuki exchanged smiles.

Kitaooji truly was a straightforward man, and all his actions were clearly visible on his face.

To be honest, they didn't mind facing such an opponent.

The baseball landed in the second baseman's territory.

This was one of Seidou High's most secure areas.

Kominato Haruichi had already positioned himself below the ball and calmly caught it.

Snap!

"OUT!"

Two Outs, runner on second.

Finally, Sawamura faced off with the fifth batter, Hakuryu High's catcher, Itou.

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

Three Outs, offense and defense exchange.

The runner remained on base.

…

T/N: Feel free to leave a Comment guys!

And Powerstones are much much welcomed!