Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

On the other side of the world, Robert, who had been talking with Sawamura enthusiastically before, was now anxiously waiting.

Sawamura's judgment of him wasn't completely accurate, but it was close enough.

In the field of agents, Robert was truly struggling. He wasn't even considered mid-tier; he was just a subordinate working for someone else.

His boss was the largest shareholder of Dawson Corporation, Theodore Dawson Jr.

And since there was Dawson Jr., there must have been Dawson Sr.

Dawson Sr. was a legendary figure who founded the current agency and helped make it one of the three biggest agencies in the United States.

Not long ago, Dawson Sr. felt he was getting older and gradually withdrew from managing the company.

It was Dawson Jr. who succeeded him.

Despite his youth, he was not lacking in ability and decisiveness.

Robert was one of Dawson's subordinates.

He recognized Sawamura's talent and wanted to become his Agent. Naturally, he accepted the challenge Sawamura had set for him.

Initially, Robert thought it was just a matter of money. With the name of Dawson company and some good promises, which school wouldn't yield?

So after talking with Sawamura, he immediately flew back to North America and arrived in New York that same day.

After running around for a whole day, Robert was left dumbfounded.

Things were completely different from what he expected. Originally, the entire team had been a dream team, but now it had already broken apart.

The ten or so main players were split across six Minor League teams, with a few still in school.

To gather all of them together to play a practice match with a school from Japan was nothing short of a fantasy.

Not to mention that the teams of these players disagreed, even the players themselves were unwilling.

Of course, if he had money, hundreds of millions of dollars could have been thrown at the problem.

But the issue was, that Robert didn't have that much money!

Since he was powerless, Robert naturally thought of his boss, Dawson Jr.

Theodore Dawson Jr. Office.

After a meeting and resolving two big clients, Dawson Jr. finally found time to meet with his subordinate.

The age gap between them wasn't too large, so communication was relatively easy.

"Robert, it's good to see you!"

Dawson Jr. warmly welcomed Robert.

Robert quickly took a few steps forward and greeted Theodore like he was his friend from childhood.

After the social pleasantries and once they were in the office, Robert and Dawson began to talk business.

"Tell me how your journey was?"

"Well, it was definitely promising!"

Robert began to talk about all the young talents he tried to contact until he reached the part about his talk with Sawamura.

Dawson Jr. thought for a moment and said, "Robert, do you feel like the other party is toying with you?"

Robert shook his head.

He thought he had good communication with Sawamura; and how could the kid be playing tricks on him?

"This issue requires at least tens of millions of dollars in benefits, or those stingy people won't let go. If the other party really has the kind of talent you mentioned and is willing to sign with you, we might be able to make that investment. But right now, the other party hasn't given you any promises. Do you understand what I mean?"

Dawson Jr. spoke bluntly.

"Of course, I understand what you mean, boss! But this is really a very talented kid!"

"No, you still don't get it. The key problem is you haven't signed a contract, and the other party hasn't been tested by us."

At this point, Dawson Jr. essentially made it clear that there was no point in discussing further.

If they weren't sure whether the other party was worth that much money and there was no signed contract, how could they justify investing that much?

At the end of the day, Dawson Jr. was a businessman. Even if he loved baseball, he wouldn't let that affect his judgment.

Robert was also disappointed.

Though he was anxious, he knew that what his boss said was the truth.

It was impossible for the company to invest so much energy and money into such an uncertain prospect.

"This is the child's profile. I hope you can take a look when you have time?"

In the end, Robert could only make a last-ditch effort.

Even though Robert knew that even if Dawson saw the material about Sawamura, it would be hard to change his decision, he still wanted to try.

Out of courtesy, Dawson symbolically opened the introduction.

Then, his eyes widened.

"The boy you just mentioned is Eijun Sawamura?"

The change came too quickly, like a tornado.

Robert clearly couldn't keep up with such a fast pace.

But since his boss asked, he naturally had to answer truthfully.

"Eh? E-Yes!"

"You actually managed to talk to him? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Theodore's attitude changed immediately.

Such a shift even surprised Robert.

He realized that the value of this kid was even higher than he thought.

"Could it be that you want to.."

Robert asked in surprise.

He had a vague guess, but he wasn't sure.

After all, it was a huge deal worth tens of millions of dollars.

"Stop daydreaming, how could that be?"

"Although Sawamura is indeed worth the price, he hasn't signed with us, so why should we invest that much?"

Dawson rolled his eyes.

"If you really sign with Eijun Sawamura, we can give our company's top contract. And the company will reward you with one million dollars!"

'One million dollars.'

That was certainly an eye-catching number.

Robert involuntarily swallowed hard and asked.

"So what do you mean?"

"Since it's Sawamura, I don't think we need to pay for anything. Go to the finance department now and apply for a budget, then head to Japan's baseball-related companies to promote it."

"…"

Robert looked at his boss in confusion.

"Such international competitions showcase the personal value of our players. But for players from Asian countries, it's about national pride. As long as we plan such a competition, some fools will definitely pay for it."

Robert nodded.

'No wonder someone this young could lead a big company, while I am still stuck as an employee.'

'The money IQ gap was glaring!'

"Once you secure the investment, immediately book a stadium and start selling tickets. Whether it's Japanese or people from Japan working here, they'll definitely support it. After the tickets are sold, use the money to get some media coverage and broadcast it live online. Finally, approach those players, and I'm sure they'll be willing to come!"

Robert's jaw was already on the floor.

In fact, the cost of executing this plan was incredibly low. He didn't even need to seek help from the company.

If he did it himself, once successful, the profit from the difference in price would definitely make him a rich man.

Even if there was no profit, just pulling this off would make him famous in the industry.

But alas.. it seemed starting a business wasn't for him. He'd be better off sticking to his job.

***

Back to Japan.

Before the match against Oikaze High School, Sawamura suddenly received a text message from Raichi.

Speaking of which, the two had exchanged contact information before entering high school as Sawamura brought Raichi a phone as a birthday present.

However, they didn't stay in close contact with each other.

At first, Sawamura would send a message to check in on Raichi.

Later, because he got too busy, their communication gradually decreased. However, Sawamura always maintained one principle: to reach out to important friends in his life at least once a month.

Maintaining communication is necessary for getting along with people; if you remain estranged for too long, relationships will naturally grow distant.

Before his regression, Eijun's schedule was so rushed that he missed out on many good things. This time, no matter what, he wouldn't let that happen again.

At Yakushi High School, there were two people who exchanged contact information with Sawamura: one was Raichi, and the other was Mishima who knew that Raichi was in contact with Sawamura and insisted on having his Line address too.

In contrast to the introverted Raichi, Mishima is quite an extrovert. He often sends long messages to Sawamura, and through these, one can also pick up some information about the team.

For instance, just yesterday, Sawamura heard that after returning to school, Raizou had thrown a huge fit and scolded the new recruits under his command.

Not just the newcomers, but even the veteran players weren't spared from Raizou's wrath.

Mishima felt wronged, deeply wronged.

The game had been arranged by the Coach himself; it wasn't because they were lacking in strength that they lost. How could the responsibility be placed on them?

Sawamura gave a very thoughtful piece of advice.

—Never argue with your superiors over trivial matters.

His kind suggestion, however, seemed to have been in vain.

Although Mishima never brought it up again, from his tone, Sawamura could tell that he had probably suffered.

If he had gained an advantage, he would have definitely kept talking about it with Eijun.

Sawamura was surprised when he received the text message from Raichi.

Curious, he opened it, and it contained only two short words.

"Win."

Sawamura could even imagine Raichi laboriously typing out this word.

Raichi wasn't fond of using texts, and even in the Major Leagues, he didn't have many chances to use them.

He preferred to make calls for anything.

Sending a text like this seemed to be something very important to Raichi.

Sawamura could only smile at this.

It seemed a bit childish, but Raichi wasn't particularly mature either. A little childishness wasn't a big deal.

But, of course, he wanted to help Raichi take revenge.

As a friend, Sawamura believed it was his responsibility.

During the game, he had to teach the players from Oikaze High School a lesson.

He wanted to show them that the players from Tokyo weren't ones they could bully at will.

Sawamura thought all of this through, but when it was time for the actual game, Coach Kataoka didn't give him a chance to play.

"Why?" Sawamura asked awkwardly.

Yakushi had already suffered a careless defeat before, so Coach Kataoka had no reason to make the same mistake again.

Even if the opponent wasn't very strong, shouldn't they take the initiative first?

Coach Kataoka squinted at Sawamura and ignored him.

Sawamura quickly figured it out.

Next up were the semifinals and finals, and no matter who they faced, it would be a tough opponent.

It wouldn't be as easy as the first two rounds.

Even against Seidou High School, they had to give 100% effort.

In other words, in the semifinals and finals, if Seidou High School advanced all the way, Sawamura might end up pitching in two consecutive games.

So this current match was his only opportunity to rest.

Naturally, it had to be handed over to someone else.

Furuya Satoru!

Standing on the mound in place of Sawamura, the young man looked full of energy.

Especially when he realized that Sawamura wanted to play but didn't get the chance, he felt like he had already become the Ace.

In the bullpen, his neck was raised high, and it almost seemed like he was about to shout Sawamura's catchphrase.

"I AM STILL THE ACE!! IT IS ME!!! I STILL GOT THE NUMBER!!!"

Sawamura couldn't let the airhead get full of himself, so he started shouting at Furuya and flashed the number on his back.

Furuya didn't say a word and turned his head away like he was trying to ignore him.

"Don't Ignore me you air-headed cannon!"

"Sawamura! Get inside!"

"You are being embarrassing!"

The second round of the Kanto Tournament officially began.

Against this team that had previously turned the tables on Yakushi High, Coach Kataoka was very careful when arranging the players.

He sent in half of the main team and half of the bench players.

The main team consisted of a few key positions, while the bench was made up of newcomers who had performed well.

Although the new team had a significant gap compared to the main team, they could still play at Seidou High School's level.

In particular, one of the team's core members, Miyuki Kazuya, was directly sent onto the field.

Coach Kataoka's plan seemed to be going perfectly.

Sawamura Eijun, the Ace pitcher, was likely going to pitch consecutively in the semifinals and finals.

So now was his best chance to rest.

But if Seidou High School's main pitchers and catchers were to rest, their confidence in winning wouldn't be as strong as before.

That said, it was still necessary to retain a core player.

Why did Yakushi High School lose so badly before?

After some reflection, Coach Kataoka and the coaching staff concluded that the reason for Yakushi High School's defeat was that they didn't leave a safety net for themselves.

If, after making substitutions, Yakushi High School had kept a guaranteed player on the field—whether it was Sanada, Raichi, or even Mishima—the outcome would have been very different.

It would have been a match to regret.

Therefore, Coach Kataoka made sure to arrange a safety net from the beginning.

Even in later games, Coach Kataoka continued this practice.

In every official match, no matter how much of an advantage Seidou High School had, they would always leave a safety net.

This cautious attitude also saved Seidou High School in later matches.

That's a story for another time, though.

Let's focus on this match.

In today's game, Seidou High School took the first attack.

The first batter was no longer the main shortstop Kuramochi, but Takatsu.

Whether in practice games or during daily training, Takatsu left a very good impression on Coach Kataoka.

And the more this impression continued, the stronger and more confirmed it will become.

Just like now—whenever the opportunity was right, Coach Kataoka would usually arrange for Takatsu to play.

After stepping up to the plate, Takatsu carefully gripped his bat.

As the first batter, he had the full support of Seidou High School behind him.

Thousands of cheers and encouragement filled the air!

For Takatsu, this was a first in his life.

Had he experienced this before, Takatsu Hiroomi might not have been as moved as he was now.

But this was his first time seeing such a scene, and emotions were already overflowing in his heart.

Especially from the second and third-string players gathered in the stands—many of whom had once practiced their swings under the bridge together—now they were all cheering him on!

For himself and for these friends of his.

Hiroomi had made up his mind that he would stay in the first string, and he couldn't let all the spots be taken by those first-year juniors.

He was ready!

With this resolve, he stood like a samurai waiting for a duel.

Once in the Batter's Box, he remained still.

He was waiting for the opponent's move.

Oikaze High School's pitchers and catchers, fresh off their victory over Yakushi High, were in high spirits.

They didn't think much of Takatsu, as he was just a substitute player.

After their earlier match with Yakushi, Oikaze's players now had the impression that there was a huge gap between the first-string and substitute players of the top teams in the country.

So they didn't pay much attention to Takatsu.

Their actions weren't very subtle, and Sawamura, watching from the dugout, could see it all clearly.

He could sense that the opponents were underestimating Takatsu.

'This is interesting,' Sawamura thought with a grin.

'If the opponent underestimated Takatsu just because he was a substitute, things could get really interesting.'

And Sawamura was right.

Because they had overlooked Takatsu's ability, the opponents pitched boldly.

The first pitch was a fastball on the inside corner.

Whoosh!

Watching the ball fly in, Takatsu couldn't quite believe it himself.

'Was this pitch really that easy to hit?'

But since the opponent had so generously given him this opportunity, Takatsu wasn't about to turn it down.

Seeing the fastball coming, he swung his bat without hesitation.

Buuzzzzzzz!

The bat swung, leaving a trail of afterimages.

The Oikaze High School catcher widened his eyes in surprise.

He hadn't given much thought to this unknown substitute.

But he never expected Takatsu's swing to be so fast!

PIIIIING!!!

It was as if the bat had set a predetermined path, striking the ball with precision and sending it flying far into the distance.

The ball not only flew far, but its speed was terrifying.

Before the fielders could react, the ball was already past them.

It was like a sudden flash of light, catching everyone off guard.

…