Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

"At this time, they're actually using a forward defense?"

"It's unbelievable."

"You know, the score difference has already widened to 9 points. What does it matter if they defend one more point?"

"However, the freshmen's performance is really impressive."

"It really is..."

With one Out and a runner on third base, the freshmen implemented a forward defense! 

Everyone outside the fields eagerly watched the field, hoping to see something different from the freshmen. 

For the first-string main players, there wasn't much for them to do at the moment, so they purposely came to watch today's game. 

Maezono frowned, clearly not understanding what the freshmen were doing. 

"What are they trying to do? Wouldn't it be simpler to trade a point for an Out right now?"

Kuramochi, who was standing next to him, shook his head.

Since his advancement in his hitting skills, Kuramochi seemed to have unlocked a new skill tree, and his progress in all aspects had been transformative. 

"His goal is to show fighting spirit!"

To demonstrate an unyielding will to never admit defeat. 

Kuramochi's gaze toward Okumura was filled with complexity. 

No one probably understands better than him just how outstanding this freshman class is. 

Kuramochi was right. Okumura was indeed showing his fighting spirit—the kind of fighting spirit that refuses to accept defeat. 

And the first-year players sensed this as well. 

"Asada, let them hit the ball here, we'll stop it!"

Seto Takuma said with a smile. 

"I'll block it with my body!"

"Don't worry, the ball will never fly out of here."

One after another, the players cheered for Asada on the mound, while also making a vow to themselves. 

Mogami, who had made two mistakes earlier, was feeling a bit dazed. His mind kept replaying his previous mistakes. 

'It was an irregular bounce, there was nothing I could do! It was an irregular bounce, there wa-!'

Over and over, he reassured himself like this and soon felt much better. 

Not only were the infielders in high spirits, but even the outfielders were actively participating. 

Led by Kagami, all the outfielders moved forward. 

"Don't worry, leave it to us!"

"If the ball comes over, we'll catch it...!"

It felt like everyone was cheering for Asada. 

The resolve of the freshmen players were connected. 

Asada had never experienced this before. The feeling of every teammate in the stands expecting him to succeed made him feel like he could give everything to these guys. 

He had made up his mind to live up to everyone's expectations. 

In the dugout, Sawamura's eyes were sharp. 

He wasn't sure if he was overthinking it, but he had a strong feeling that something wasn't quite right. The infield players had filled almost every position. 

Given this situation, trying to score using bunting and stealing would be extremely difficult. 

Seidou High School is a powerhouse team. With a runner on third base, there are plenty of ways to score... 

But after Okumura made adjustments to the freshman defense lineup, it seemed that it wasn't going to be easy for the upperclassmen to score. 

'The only real option seemed to be to hit the ball hard and cleanly, but that plan didn't seem too promising either...'

The reason for this was the outfielders.

The outfielders were positioned too far forward, in a position where they could easily throw the ball directly to home plate. 

This was not a good sign—it meant that once they caught the ball, they could throw it directly back to home plate, leaving no opportunity for the runner on third base to steal. 

Amazingly, Okumura had blocked all possible avenues for forced scoring. 

There was only one way left: a direct confrontation. 

'You guys have made up your minds, huh!'

Despite missing the swing, Oka Kenichi at the plate didn't flinch. 

He admitted that Asada's breaking ball was effective. The pitch that suddenly dropped after approaching the strike zone was indeed difficult to hit. 

Hitting a pitch with such a large drop was not easy. 

But that didn't mean that Asada had no weaknesses. In fact, on the contrary, Asada's weaknesses could not be overlooked. 

'That weakness was his ball speed.'

Even Asada's fastest fastball only reaches about 120 km/h.

The high-drop Curveball, while dramatic, only travels at around 100 km/h. (62 mph)

Oka Kenichi could easily wait for the ball to approach before swinging. 

In the two years of training at Seidou High School, he had never been idle. Just like now, he had the confidence to hit such a tricky pitch. 

Bring it on! 

If you really have the guts, throw the ball over! 

Who's afraid of who? 

Oka Kenichi was showing an immense amount of courage. 

The freshman battery duo had no intention of backing down. 

They were also showing a proactive attitude and seemed ready for a head-to-head confrontation. 

"Alright!"

Oka Kenichi silently shouted to himself, having noticed that the outfielders were positioned relatively far forward. This did put some pressure on the runner on third base. However, if the ball managed to penetrate the outfield defense, the freshmen would be completely helpless. 

They had no defense for balls hit to the outfield, especially if they couldn't reach the ball in time. 

There was even a chance of an in-the-park home run. 

'Bring it on!!'

Oka Kenichi seemed to have ignited the fuse of an impending explosion. 

And at the same time, Asada's pitch came in. 

Whoosh! 

The ball flew inside, just as it had before. 

This same pitch had already been thrown three times by Asada. 

The first time, Oka didn't swing. The second time, he missed. 

Now, the count was 1 Ball 1 Strike. 

For Oka Kenichi, this was the best chance for revenge. 

Seeing the small ball flying over, he raised his bat high, ready to strike. 

Ping! 

This time, he barely made contact with the ball. After hitting it, the ball landed outside the first base line. 

"FOUL!"

The count is now 1 Ball 2 Strike. 

The batter was now being chased. 

Oka Kenichi in the Batter's Box didn't seem overly concerned with his disadvantageous situation. Perhaps for him, the situation wasn't much of a problem. 

He was staring intently at his opponent, eager to make contact with the ball. 

Through the previous exchanges, he had already determined that he could indeed hit this type of breaking ball. 

Now, it was all about hitting the pitch cleanly. 

The tension building in Oka Kenichi grew stronger. 

Okumura, the catcher, signaled Asada for a fastball to the outfield. 

Asada on the mound, although a little confused, was very willing to trust Okumura's judgment. 

He had a strong intuition—he trusted Okumura-kun, and Okumura could definitely help him improve. 

So he prepared himself and threw the ball with all his might. 

Whoosh! 

'So fast!'

Seeing the ball coming, Oka Kenichi was momentarily stunned. 

This wasn't what he had expected at all. How could Asada's pitch be so fast? 

It came so quickly that he didn't even have time to react before it was already past him. 

Fortunately, he was an experienced player and didn't get flustered. He gritted his teeth, swung his bat, and managed to hit the ball in the air. 

If it weren't for being down to two strikes, he wouldn't have swung at that pitch. 

But now, he had no choice but to go for it. 

Ping! 

After the ball made contact, it flew straight forward. 

As soon as the ball flew forward, Oka Kenichi's expression changed. He realized with certainty that this ball might have been a mistake. 

The ball flew straight in front of the third baseman. 

Though the freshmen were a little unpolished in their teamwork, their individual skills were solid. Seidou was the two-time Koshien champion, and their recruitment had been ridiculously smooth. 

In this situation, any player selected by Seidou High School's baseball team had been carefully chosen. 

These players were undoubtedly qualified. 

As if to confirm this, the third baseman sprinted and easily caught the ball. 

When he caught it, his eyes never left the runner on third base, Kawashima. 

The entire motion was fluid and comfortable. 

"OUT!!"

With that, the situation became two Outs, and the runner was on third base. 

For the freshmen, their next task became much easier. They just needed to focus on getting the next batter Out, and this inning would be over. 

If they could keep the score at zero in this inning... 

That would be incredible. It would definitely change the flow of the game. 

The situation on the field could change dramatically. 

"These two really have something."

Sawamura Eijun said, deeply impressed. 

Another Senpai, Azuma Takumi, also noticed a lot of things. 

"After the Curveball, throwing the fastball... the speed difference between the two must be quite big."

Asada's fastest fastball is 120 km/h, and his curveball barely reaches 100 km/h. 

A difference of more than 20 km/h in pitch velocity would definitely mess with the batter's rhythm.

***

Two figures appeared in the distance, arriving late. They probably came to watch the game after finishing their training.

These two individuals were none other than Toujou and Kanemaru.

"I wonder how their game is going. Speaking of which, we were freshmen last year, but now it feels like a lifetime ago. I hope they can show their strength..." Kanemaru muttered with a smile.

He had been the one to drag Toujou here, despite the fact that he had been under a lot of pressure recently, competing for a starting position with two emerging freshmen.

However, by nature, he enjoyed lively atmospheres and couldn't stand being alone. If he missed the excitement of the Orientation game, it would be a shame.

So, no matter what, he had to drag his friend along to watch.

Toujou, on the other hand, had a different view than Kanemaru.

"As a Senpai, I want to deal with the freshmen cleanly!"

"What's with the suddenly appearing 'bad guy' look?"

"We can't be the only ones being nervous."

Toujou's creed was simple: if they were going to be pressured, they should all be pressured together. No one should be let off the hook.

They couldn't let their failure be followed by a reversal from the freshmen this year.

That would make them look completely useless.

When the two saw the score on the field, their faces were filled with shock.

They looked at each other, and Kanemaru muttered to himself, "These guys are too capable!"

It was a shutout!

"This inning's offense isn't over yet, and it's still uncertain whether they will be shut out," said Toujou with a hint of stubbornness in his tone.

The scene before them was truly unexpected. The freshmen's abilities far exceeded their imaginations.

Aside from the seven runs in the first inning, the freshmen hadn't conceded many runs.

In the second inning, they only allowed two runs.

Now, in the third inning, the freshmen had already achieved two outs, and they hadn't allowed any runs.

It was simply incredible.

On the field, Asada was feeling amazing.

As a substitute pitcher on his middle school team, had he ever felt such a scene before?

To be able to face such formidable Senpais in such a logical way!

'It was amazing!'

'Okumura-kun was amazing.'

'Now is not the time to relax. If we don't get the final out, everything we've done so far will be meaningless,' Okumura, the catcher, gestured to Asada and his mind clear and focused.

He didn't let the potential victory cloud his judgment; instead, he was focused on securing a bigger win.

Asada nodded firmly and immediately threw the ball in his hand without hesitation.

Whoosh!

The trajectory of the ball was as tricky as ever, falling before entering the strike zone.

Even though he had prepared himself, the second batter of the Senpai team was still caught off guard by the pitch.

Ping!

He could only barely make contact with the ball, sending it into the air.

The ball bounced on the ground and rolled back to the second baseman's position.

Seto Takuma easily picked up the ball and threw it to first base.

"OUT!!!"

Three Outs, offense and defense exchange.

The Senpai team had failed to score in this inning.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!"

The freshmen in the dugout erupted in excitement.

The situation on the field had changed immediately, and it was beyond anyone's control.

Confidence builds little by little. At first, the freshmen faced the Senpais like lambs before the slaughter, not knowing how to resist.

At that time, the Senpais could do whatever they wanted with them.

But now, it was different.

They now knew how to fight back.

The Senpais looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

"It's no longer enough to simply rely on our aura to dominate the opponent. We'll have to show them what we've really learned in the past two years at Seidou," one Senpai muttered.

Sweat and tears don't lie. Even the third-string players of Seidou High School's baseball team had worked hard enough to fill a large buckets with sweat.

The older players' momentum began to shift.

They had completely begun to see the freshmen as equal opponents.

"The momentum has shifted in their favor, and it seems strong, but this is actually when they're at their weakest," Sawamura said, his eyes now focusing on Takatsu.

Takatsu nodded at Sawamura.

Of course, before the next offensive play, the Senpais had to first face the freshmen's offense.

Kawashima, who had been at third base without making any significant progress earlier, had been holding onto some frustration, and now it was fully unleashed.

His opponents were the lower-tier batters of the freshmen.

The strength of the freshmen's lower batting line was predictable. They were easy to handle.

Without much trouble, Kawashima secured three Outs and completed the defense for the old team.

Thus, the score remained 9:0 as the game entered the fourth inning. The Senpais' team was up to bat again.

The freshmen had barely held their own in the previous inning, but the Senpais made quick work of them, easily getting three Outs.

The difference in levels was quite a blow to the freshmen.

Even Coach Ochiai, who was watching from the sidelines, nodded in approval.

'As expected of the players trained under Kataoka-san's supervision, the senpais on Seidou High School's baseball team were far superior to the freshmen.'

They knew their strengths and could more effectively recognize their positions. Their cooperation was seamless, making it even more difficult for the freshmen.

In contrast, the freshmen lacked this experience.

'The reason they were barely able to compete earlier was entirely thanks to the star players.'

'Okumura Koushuu!'

Although he had performed very well during the group tests, he was only "very good"—definitely not exceptional.

The top players were Yuuki, Nishimura, and Yui.

But once the game began, Okumura's presence on the field became undeniable. He seemed to have the potential to become a superstar catcher.

It was likely a headache for Coach Kataoka. There were now two outstanding catchers on the team. How would he choose between them?

But this was also a happy worry. Other teams couldn't even dream of having a catcher like Yui or Okumura, let alone deal with the same dilemma.

Just as Coach Ochiai was stroking his chin thoughtfully, the game on the field took a sudden turn.

Oushima, who was the first to stand in the Batter's Box, managed to get on base!

Without any prior preparation, Oushima immediately attempted a bunt and stole second base.

This move caught the freshmen off guard. By the time they reacted, Oushima's foot was already on first base.

"SAFE!"

No Outs, a runner on first base.

From his position as catcher, Okumura's eyes became more intense.

He knew that the Senpais were now treating them as equal opponents, not mere freshmen.

They had fully abandoned their Senpai "aura" and were playing the game with everything they had.

'Impressive!' Okumura thought, looking at Sawamura in the Senpais' dugout.

He understood that if Sawamura hadn't been in charge, it would have been difficult to get all the Senpais to play this way.

Takatsu stepped into the Batter's Box.

As expected, the freshmen quickly set up the same formation as before. Every player moved forward, with the outfielders closing in on the home plate.

They weren't losing any ground!

Although they didn't shout slogans, their actions spoke volumes.

This was the fighting spirit of the freshmen—the fighting spirit of never backing down.

Takatsu in the Batter's Box seemed to be ignoring everything around him. He raised his bat and lightly observed Asada on the pitcher's mound.

This opponent was different from the previous ones, so he knew he had to be cautious.

Originally, Okumura wanted to say something to warn Asada, but he hesitated, not wanting to place unnecessary pressure on him.

After thinking it over, he decided against it.

'The most important thing now was to let Asada maintain his pitching rhythm.'

'Inside corner, the high drop curve!'

Okumura subtly shifted his Mitt to indicate the pitch sign.

With this pitch, even if the batter hit the ball, it had a high chance of being a Foul ball.

Whoosh!

Asada, fully trusting Okumura, saw the signal and threw the ball.

The ball flew like a white streak across the field.

However, this ball seemed slower than the others, so much so that the dots on the ball were visible.

Takatsu in the Batter's Box didn't seem to care. He stared at the ball as it approached, and as if it was a natural occurrence, he swung his bat.

WHIIIZZZZZ!!!!

The sound of the bat cutting through the air was like the roar of a storm, resonating like distant thunder.

PIIINGGG!!!!

The ball was hit cleanly and soared into the outfield, becoming a bright streak in the sky, like a falling meteor.

The runner on first base, Oushima, ran straight for home plate.

Not only that, but Takatsu also rounded first base, second base, and third base, eventually diving toward home plate.

By the time the freshmen's outfielders returned the ball, Takatsu was already sliding into home.

"SAFE!!!!"

A two-run home run.

The score was now 11-0 in favor of the Senpais.

Takatsu had single-handedly contributed nearly half of those runs.

In this game, he was absolutely unstoppable, as if he were on another level.

…

T/N: Poor Kids! XD

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