Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

"OUT!"

The Out of Raichi was a critical turning point in the game.

It directly marked the end of Yakushi's offense.

Two Outs, no one on base.

Two Out of the three cleanup batters have already been taken care of...

In this situation, what hope does Yakushi have for a comeback?

Now, it seems that most people, except for the players from Yakushi, have already seen the outcome of the game.

But even so, the players of Yakushi High School have not given up.

The players in their dugout enthusiastically cheered for those still at bat.

Raichi's expression was a bit gloomy.

"Don't be so listless. The game is always brutal."

It was Raizou who appeared the most indifferent. Having experienced many ups and downs in his life, this scene could only be called a small matter.

In the stands, the audience was continuously discussing the game.

"As expected of the Maou, he still prevailed."

This was clearly the voice of a die-hard fan of Sawamura, who had previously been hesitant to show too much enthusiasm. Now, with no worries, he expressed his veneration freely.

The result of the duel was already out. What else was there to be concerned about?

Especially with this duel, the players from Seidou gained immense confidence, and their spirits were clearly lifted.

"Yeah, Sawamura is about to lead this era!"

Others chimed in in agreement.

Whether they were fans of Sawamura or not, they all recognized his prowess.

"But speaking of which, when I saw Raichi hit the ball, I thought it was going to be a home run!"

"Yeah, I felt the same way."

"That swing was truly unforgettable!"

"It felt as though the air was torn apart."

"You just couldn't forget it."

Although he lost to Sawamura in their direct duel, Raichi's reputation didn't weaken at all—in fact, it slightly increased.

The game continued, and now Sanada had stepped up to bat for Yakushi.

Known for his ability to hit straight pitches, he was arguably the player least suited to handle Sawamura in all of Yakushi.

"It's so frustrating!"

Despite muttering words of hopelessness, the fighting spirit in his eyes showed no sign of waning. This man was also determined to face Sawamura head-on, with no turning back.

If Sawamura had let down his guard for even a second after resolving Raichi, he might have ended up in a dangerous situation.

But unfortunately, seasoned players like Sawamura don't make such mistakes.

He knew very well that Sanada's threat was just as formidable as Raichi's.

Sawamura was never going to throw him a straight pitch.

It had nothing to do with fear, but simply because Sawamura instinctively minimized all risks.

Since the opponent excelled at hitting straight pitches, unless there was a strategic reason, Sawamura would never throw a straight pitch to him.

First came the Moving-up, followed by the Cutter.

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

Sanada, waiting for a straight pitch, didn't swing at either of those two.

Sawamura and Ono almost understood each other's intentions at this point.

Then came the final pitch.

Sanada, now down two Strikes, had no choice but to swing at the incoming ball.

The bat in his hand swung fiercely, but the small ball never came.

There was a hint of disappointment on Sanada's face. He knew clearly what had happened.

'This was probably his legendary…'

'Change-up!'

SNAP!

After what seemed like a long moment, the ball fell into Ono's open mitt.

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

Three Outs, offense and defense exchange.

At this point, Seidou High School had fully seized control of the game.

Ping!

With a good hit, Sawamura managed to get a double.

Coach Kataoka also made a decisive move at the last moment.

After Sawamura reached base, there were two Outs and a runner on second.

Sawamura had just hit a double, but it seemed unlikely that the lower half of the batting order would manage to get a hit off Sanada.

So two more Outs were recorded.

Originally, it seemed like Seidou High School's offense would end there, but Coach Kataoka suddenly made a substitution.

Miyuki Kazuya, who had been sitting in the dugout watching the game, was now called to bat.

Since becoming the team's Captain and the main fourth hitter, Miyuki Kazuya had become much more reliable.

But his true nature hadn't changed: when there were runners on base, he was unstoppable.

Whenever there was an opportunity to score, Miyuki was especially motivated.

And now, he looked especially radiant.

"It's up to me in the end!"

The score was 6:5, with Seidou High School leading by one point. In a game like this, a one-point lead hardly feels like despair.

Even though Yakushi High School no longer saw any hope of victory, they still held on.

Because, judging from the energy in the stands, they weren't completely hopeless. The difference was only one point…

Besides strength, isn't there also luck? If they're lucky, they might still manage to score a point.

From Seidou High School's perspective, it was crucial to land the final, decisive blow.

Miyuki Kazuya stood in the Batter's Box, fully aware of this.

In the Yakushi High School dugout, Raizou frowned, clearly dissatisfied.

'Coach Kataoka had really turned Yakushi High School into a training ground for his team. In the previous situation, Miyuki wasn't sent to bat, but now he was. What did that mean?'

'It was nothing more than wanting to enforce their style and showcase their dominance.'

"TSK!"

He clicked his tongue in frustration.

It was unclear whether Raizou was annoyed or envious.

Fortunately, Miyuki Kazuya's performance was solid, and he didn't let Coach Kataoka down.

Ping!

The small ball was hit and flew into the gap in the defense.

With two Outs, Sawamura didn't hesitate. He had already started running long before Miyuki Kazuya even swung the bat.

Hit and run!

The ball landed in the gap in the defense, and Sawamura reached third base.

At this point, the third base coach's signal was vague.

There was a chance, but it wasn't guaranteed.

In other words, there was risk involved…

'Let's do it!'

But with two Outs, Sawamura didn't care about the risks. This chance to extend the lead might be the only one he would get, and he wasn't going to waste it.

Without any hesitation, he took off toward home plate.

Meanwhile, the outfielder of Yakushi had picked up the ball and thrown it to home plate!

The speed of the ball was fast, and the throw was accurate!

With nearly 100 practice games under their belts and training at Koshien, the players from Yakushi had certainly improved. They played well in all aspects.

Their defense was starting to look sharp.

Unfortunately for them, the team they were facing was Seidou High School.

While Yakushi High School's performance was decent, Seidou High School's performance was exemplary.

As Sawamura ran, certain scenes began to replay in his mind.

"WHO SHEDS SWEAT MORE THAN ANY ONE?"

"SEIDOU!!"

"WHO SHEDS TEARS MORE THAN ANYONE?"

"SEIDOU!!!"

As a member of the legendary Seidou High School baseball team, Sawamura Eijun knew exactly what he represented. He also knew what he had to do.

All of Seidou High School's expectations were riding on Sawamura Eijun.

He wasn't just representing himself; he was representing the entire team.

Before the ball returned to Akiba, Eijun stepped on home plate.

"SAFE!!!"

When starting from scratch, running the distance between bases wasn't particularly fast for Sawamura, as his acceleration was slower.

However, once he put his full speed into it, Sawamura's speed was remarkable.

Even Seidou High School's own fast runner Kuramochi couldn't keep up with him.

Thus, Sawamura returned to home plate swiftly, and Seidou extended their lead by one more point.

The score was now 7:5.

The Seidou High School supporters in the stands went wild.

"KING SEIDOU!!!!"

"SEIDOU!!!"

"SAWAMURA!!!"

"MIYUKI!!!"

They screamed the names of Seidou, Sawamura, and Miyuki as if nothing else could express their passion and excitement.

Sawamura simply waving at the fans before returning to the dugout.

On the top of the Ninth: Yakushi High School's Offense.

Trailing by two runs, Yakushi High School came up to bat, but despite sending lower-order batters, their fighting spirit remained unwavering.

They swung their bats enthusiastically, trying to hit the ball Sawamura was throwing.

In the final stages of the game, Sawamura relied on his Moving balls.

In theory, Yakushi's players still had a chance.

But unfortunately, they were a bit unlucky, and no one managed to get a hit.

"OUT!"

"OUT!!"

"OUT!!!"

Three Outs, and the Game was set.

Previously, Seidou High School had been unexpectedly defeated in the third round of the Tokyo Autumn Tournament.

This time, they made a strong comeback, defeating several powerful teams and finally reaching the top.

They became the champions of the Tokyo Spring Tournament.

The final score was 7:5.

What was originally expected to be a dull final turned out to be an intense, unpredictable match.

The audience who came to watch the game left satisfied.

…

T/N: And I hope you guys too was satisfied!

As always, Thank you all for reading!!

And I hope you all have a nice day!

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