Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

Looking at the small ball flying out of the field, everyone's expressions were very peculiar. 

'Another home run! '

Before, during the high school games, although Sawamura had hit his fair share of home runs, those were limited. 

It wasn't common to hit two home runs in a single game. Most of the time, there was only one. 

But in today's game, it seemed like Sawamura was using his cannon, hitting home runs shells like they were on November's discounts. 

They were everywhere. 

It was only the fifth inning, and he already had three home runs. 

If the game went on like this, the number of home runs he could hit would probably astonish everyone. 

"Sawamura-senpai has already made us his target!"

In the freshman team's dugout, everyone was talking amongst themselves. 

Sawamura's power had far surpassed their understanding. 

It was hard to imagine that the man who had just crossed home plate was still an ordinary high school student. 

"His levels have probably already surpassed the high school level!"

"I heard all 12 professional teams have sent him invitations."

"That's no surprise. The scouts from those teams aren't blind. How could they possibly pass up such a talent?"

"Not only the local pro teams, but even many scouts from the Major Leagues have noticed him. He could very well join the major leagues directly after graduation…"

These rumors spread widely, though no one was sure where they came from. 

They were all fueled by Sawamura's terrifying prowess. 

His ability made these rumors seem almost believable. 

The game continued, and after Sawamura hit another home run, Nishiyama did not lose morale. 

This guy had a strong mental adjustment. 

Otherwise, how could he have gone far in the World Little Series? 

Maintaining his composure, he successfully got the next batter Out. 

At the end of the fifth inning, the score stood at 56:6. 

The Senpai team led by a terrifying 50 points. 

Finally, the game pace had returned to normal. 

In the top of the sixth inning, the freshman team went on the offensive. 

First up to bat was the fourth hitter, Yuuki Masashi. 

This guy was the typical silent but tough type. 

After stepping up to the Batter's Box, he glared at Sawamura with an intense expression, as if he wanted to swallow him whole. 

"This guy really dares to glare at a Senpai!"

Sawamura found this situation hilarious. 

Back when he first joined the Seidou team, he knew nothing.

Every time he faced a Senpai, he would stare at them just as fiercely. 

For this reason, Ryo-san often bullied him, although it was nothing serious. 

But it did make Sawamura uncomfortable for a while. 

Later, as they became familiar, Sawamura privately asked Ryosuke why he had been so harsh with him. 

Ryo-san's answer was quite strange: 

"Because you were so rude!"

Sawamura thought about it for a long time before realizing what Ryo-san meant. 

It was because, during their confrontations, Sawamura had used that same intense gaze to look at his Senpai. 

Now, Yuuki had the exact same expression. 

It was full of aggression. 

'What a haughty little brat!'

Sawamura decided to follow the fine tradition his great Senpais had taught him and teach this guy a lesson. 

WHRROOSH!

He set up his stance and threw a pitch. 

Masashi, standing in the Batter's Box, was far from as calm as he appeared. 

Looking at Sawamura's pitching motion, a flicker of gloom crossed his eyes. 

'Just like what Yui and Nishiyama had said before, during Sawamura's pitching, it was impossible to see the wrist movement of his pitching hand. '

It was as though the baseball had appeared out of thin air, arriving in the blink of an eye. 

'Fast!' 

If you were standing in the Batter's Box and tried to sense the pitch just by feeling, this ball's speed would even exceed 155 km/h. 

This wasn't an exaggeration; it was the genuine feeling of the pitch's speed. 

Even Yuuki Masashi could feel how fast it was. 

He had no choice but to swing decisively; otherwise, he wouldn't even be able to get near the ball. 

After deciding, Yuuki swung the bat without hesitation. 

He didn't plan to pause and watch but simply wanted to resolve the situation with one swing. 

Just as the bat was about to make contact with the small ball, 

The ball suddenly rose. 

'A Moving-up ball! '

Masashi's keen eyesight quickly spotted the change. 

But it was no use. 

The ball still avoided his bat and landed smoothly in the Mitt of the catcher, Kariba. 

Snap!

"STRIKE!"

At that moment, Yuuki stood frozen. 

His mind went blank, and he had no idea what pitch he should aim for next. 

"How could we have been so careless?"

In the dugout, Yui Kaoru furrowed his brows, secretly blaming himself. 

"We underestimated our opponent!" Okumura added. 

The opponent they underestimated, of course, was not Sawamura, the great demon king. With their strength, they had no right to underestimate him. 

The real underestimated opponent was Kariba! 

Fastballs! Moving balls! Straight-Fastballs! Moving-up balls! Change-ups… 

From these types of pitches Sawamura had already thrown, it was clear that Kariba could at least handle Sawamura's Level 2 breaking ball. 

And it wasn't just a lucky, accidental catch. 

It was something he could genuinely control. 

Sawamura's true power wasn't 20%, it was more than 50%. 

Their opponents were like half-Maou. 

Expecting these freshmen to score from a half-demon opponent? 

It wasn't impossible, but the chance was so slim. 

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!"

Just as they had predicted, Sawamura struck Yuuki Masashi out with three consecutive breaking balls. 

Despite Yuuki's relentless swing style, it couldn't solve the problem… 

Sawamura's pitching and the terrifying rhythm he controlled were beyond what Yuuki could handle with his own style. 

Sawamura's strength exceeded everyone's expectations. 

To put it bluntly, these freshmen were no match. 

"As expected of my Shisho, still so powerful!"

Next up to bat was Hirota, Sawamura's direct Deshi(Student), who sighed in admiration. 

'However, Shisho, don't underestimate me. I've been watching you pitch from the side for three whole years!'

Hirota was confident that he could catch the slightest sign of a pitch break. 

If Sawamura were at his peak, facing his Level 3 or Level 4 ultimate pitches, Hirota would have no confidence. 

But now, things were different. 

As long as he could spot a hint, a clue, he was confident he could hit the ball. 

'Come on!!' 

With his bat raised high, Hirota's eyes locked onto Sawamura on the mound. 

Sawamura's face showed no change, and he threw the pitch casually. 

Whrroosh! 

Without any warning, the small ball soared toward him. 

'A fastball!'

Hirota quickly judged the type of pitch based on his previous experience, then grit his teeth and swung at it. 

Ping! 

The ball was struck and flew high into the air, finally landing right where Sawamura was standing on the mound. 

Sawamura opened his mitt and securely caught the ball. 

Snap! 

"OUT!"

No one expected that in such a critical situation, Sawamura would still be able to execute a quick catch with such ease. 

He looked completely relaxed. 

The previously terrifying freshman batting lineup seemed almost like children in front of him. 

Hirota had a dumbfounded expression. 

Sawamura chuckled and gave him a look. 

'The little guy was probably thinking, 'What pitch will my Shisho throw?''

Confident from his experience and understanding of Sawamura, Hirota was sure he could hit the ball. 

But he forgot one thing. 

Sawamura had taught him everything he knew about baseball. 

No matter how skilled Hirota was, Sawamura could immediately tell what he planned to do. 

In such a situation, Hirota getting a hit was out of the question. 

Quickly, Sawamura shut Out the next three batters. 

He demonstrated skills far beyond what the freshmen could understand. 

Next, Nishiyama stepped up, also shutting Out three batters.

Back and forth they went, with neither side scoring any more runs. 

The score remained at 56:6! 

This continued until the eighth inning. 

There were some substitutions between the catcher and outfielders. 

The game then saw a new development. 

…