Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

In the Tokyo Stars' resting area, Sawamura felt like his face was lacking in luster.

Originally, he thought that the Tokyo Stars were at a slight disadvantage compared to the opposing united team based on their overall strength.

After all, the other team consisted of top players from all over the country, and their lineup was more logically constructed than the Tokyo Stars' team.

Although the Tokyo Stars were in the thriving Tokyo metropolis, with outstanding players emerging one after another. Many of the positions among the dozen or so players in the Tokyo Stars team overlapped.

This meant the Tokyo Stars were at a clear disadvantage.

But in reality, the situation couldn't be analyzed this way.

Though the Tokyo Stars might not have a complete lineup, and their overall strength seemed weaker than the opposing team, they also had advantages that the other side could never match.

First, the players of the Tokyo Stars were all from the same region. Most of them had played together before in various events, and they were familiar with each other. Moreover, they were all rivals from the same area, and they had certainly studied each other's data. Many of them were bitter rivals who might even know their opponents' strengths and characteristics better than they knew their own teammates.

This also gave them an advantage when it came to teamwork.

Since they were familiar with each other, they also had a good understanding of the opposing team's tactical execution. Now that they had formed a team, there was little need for extra discussion. Under Sawamura's lead, everyone quickly understood their role.

Overall, the Tokyo Stars did have their unavoidable disadvantages, but at the same time, they possessed advantages that the other team couldn't compare with.

Relying on these advantages, the Tokyo Stars should have had the upper hand.

However, when it came to the actual confrontation, the Tokyo Stars suffered a huge blow.

At the start of the match, they lost a point.

It was Mima.

During the Koshien tournament, he was the star player for Hakuryu High.

Mima was quite the topic of conversation, and no two players would argue whether Hakuryu team is dangerous or not. However, dealing with Hakuryu High was a straightforward thing for everyone.

The reason was quite simple—Hakuryu High's playing style was too obvious. For teams with capable Aces, they can deal with most of the danger elements.

But now, Mima was playing for the Stars, with the national team. Surrounded by excellent teammates, his abilities had undergone a massive transformation.

In the past, people didn't really need to pay attention to him.

But now, they had no choice but to focus on the current situation.

The score was 1-0, and the Tokyo Stars were caught off guard.

"Damn, damn it!!!"

On the pitcher's mound, Narumiya was in a state of frustration.

If he had given his all from the very start, this wouldn't have happened.

But now, this was the result.

"Don't be so upset. We'll win the points back in the next rounds," Miyuki Kazuya called a timeout, ran up to the mound, and comforted Narumiya.

Unexpectedly, Narumiya's face, which had been as sour as a roasted eggplant while he was eating fruit, immediately changed after hearing Miyuki's words.

After some persuasion, Narumiya finally returned to his usual self.

"Your mindset is too fragile. I remember back when you were at Inashiro, you weren't like this?" Miyuki asked in confusion.

Narumiya from Inashiro Industrial High simply smiled annoyedly without offering any response.

Miyuki Kazuya's words had the desired effect, and Narumiya quickly regained his form.

It was as if he had been given a buff, and his performance on the mound was flawless after that.

Three outs, change of sides.

The partnership between Narumiya and Miyuki Kazuya showed unparalleled strength during the remainder of the game.

Takeda, the Coach who had been watching the match from the sidelines, did a thorough analysis of the performance he had witnessed.

First, he analyzed the former captain of the Seidou High baseball team, Miyuki Kazuya.

Miyuki was once highly regarded as the nation's number one catcher, a reputation that was unmatched. While there were several contenders for the title of number one pitcher, very few could challenge Miyuki for the number one catcher position. His skill was undeniable, and Takeda had been closely observing his performance, believing that Miyuki would likely become the chief catcher of the national youth team.

Through his observation, Takeda realized that Miyuki had indeed earned this title, as he was careful and attentive during the game. When the pitcher had issues, Miyuki adjusted things promptly.

Now, as for Narumiya, he truly lived up to his status as someone who once competed with Sawamura for the pitcher's position. His strength was evident! If he fully unleashed his power, he could rival even the Great Demon King, Sawamura. However, he wasn't without flaws.

For example, his starting phase wasn't very stable. Mima had seized on this weakness and scored a point. Even after scoring that point, the opponent continued to show impressive attacking power. Fortunately, after giving up the point, with Miyuki's help, Narumiya quickly recovered and unleashed his full potential.

Takeda thought that if he had to choose, he wouldn't want Narumiya to pitch at the start of a game. It would be irresponsible to place him in such a crucial position right away.

Next, Takeda turned his attention to Sawamura, who was now in the resting area, directing the game from the sidelines. Sawamura was indeed a unique character. Takeda couldn't quite decipher what was going on in his mind as he watched him.

The match continued, and Takeda's notebook never stopped moving, taking notes on both teams' strengths and weaknesses.

From a purely theoretical standpoint, this team has much higher potential than the ones they had before. These talented players gathered from all over the country certainly had a much higher chance of achieving great things.

As the game continued, hidden issues within both teams finally exploded.

This match, strictly speaking, wasn't fair. They had never organized such an event before, and they had only played practice matches, with very few chances to face real opponents.

To put it simply, this was an unfair contest, especially for the pitchers.

Batters rarely had the opportunity to interact with pitchers personally, making it difficult to read their pitches.

Take Akashi and Narumiya, for example. When they pitched during the Koshien tournament, few people could hit their pitches. The players there were their familiar rivals, so the odds of hitting their balls were much higher.

But now, most of these players had no clue about their pitching styles. Even if they occasionally got some intel, it was often outdated or not as useful when they actually faced the pitches.

Unless they were extremely lucky, hitting the ball seemed nearly impossible.

In this contest, the pitchers dominated.

They showcased their advantage, and neither team managed to score any more hits after four innings.

The score was still 1-0.

As the Tokyo Stars gradually adapted to Akashi's pitching, they started considering using brute force to hit his pitches.

This was Sawamura's idea, and it seemed promising. Akashi's pitching was sharp and strong, but he could be overwhelmed with pure might, while the Tokyo Stars had a group of monsters capable of explosive power.

As long as they could fully unleash their abilities, it shouldn't be impossible to beat Akashi.

However, the other team seemed to have anticipated this. In the fifth inning, just as they were about to face Raichi, they made the tactical decision to substitute pitchers.

Hongou Masamune stepped up to the mound.

The Tokyo Stars players were filled with frustration, almost ready to burst with rage.

Akashi and his teammates had seemingly no shame, switching pitchers just when they thought they had figured out how to deal with him.

Raichi, standing in the Batter's Box, was visibly dejected.

Akashi's pitching was tricky, and during their previous encounter, Raichi had been outplayed.

From that moment, Raichi had been determined to regain his pride on the field.

But before he could do that, his opponent had already retreated.

This was a huge disappointment.

He had hoped for another opportunity to face Akashi and take on his pitching.

Luckily, the new pitcher was also formidable.

Hongou Masamune!

The first player who could compete with Sawamura for the title of the best pitcher in the country? Without a doubt, it was Narumiya. But was there anyone else who could rival Sawamura? The answer was unclear.

But Hongou Masamune could certainly be one of the few.

His pitching was widely recognized as strong, with a 150 km/h fastball and precise control.

Once you thought about it, Hongou was a terrifying presence, and Raichi had a thrilling match ahead of him.

"Keha-ha-ha! Keha-ha-ha-ha!"

'Bring it on!!!'

Raichi in the Batter's Box couldn't wait to face Hongou's pitch.

He had imagined this moment countless times, not only with Hongou Masamune but also with others like Sawamura.

Although he hadn't faced most of them in person, he had mentally prepared for many such confrontations.

Roaar!

Hongou's pitch was exactly what everyone expected, released in a split second.

Seeing the baseball come toward him, Raichi couldn't hold back anymore.

BUUUUUZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!

He swung his bat decisively, aiming to send the ball flying.

Renji watched as Raichi swung, and for a split second, his heart skipped a beat. The air seemed to vanish in front of him.

It was an amazing feeling!

However, despite his incredible abilities, Raichi's hit didn't turn out as well as he had hoped.

Ping!

The baseball flew high, and the outfielder caught it effortlessly.

Snap!

When Mima raised his mitt, everyone knew the attack had ended there.

The teammates were frustrated, but there was nothing they could do about it.

Just as they felt hopeless, a figure suddenly stood up in the Tokyo Stars' resting area.

This person didn't waste time with words and immediately called for a timeout.

"Finally, is this guy going to step in?"

Everyone's hearts skipped a beat when they saw the figure.

Though they had guessed this moment might come, seeing it in person was still astonishing.

What kind of confidence must one have to step onto the field in such a situation?

Baseball is unpredictable, and anything can happen.

In such circumstances, the opponent dared to make this bold move. It was truly unimaginable.

"We are switching players. I, Sawamura is entering."

...