Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

After a brief moment of tranquility, Jingu Stadium was instantly ignited with unparalleled excitement.

"SEIDOU!!"

"SEIDOU!!!"

"CHEETAH-SAMA!!"

"KURAMOCHI!!"

"ANIKI!!"

"KURAMOCHI!!!"

In the stands, passionate fans seemed like they would melt the entire Jingu Stadium.

Those who are not fans of Seidou could never understand the pain in the hearts of its supporters. Now, Seidou High School has nearly reached perfection.

It appears flawless in every aspect, and compared to the previous strongest Seidou, it doesn't seem to have any major shortcomings.

But is it really like that?

The answer is clear: it is definitely not the case. At least in terms of batting, the current Seidou High School cannot be compared to the previous team.

Privately, many have researched this issue multiple times. Where exactly does the problem lie?

As Seidou High School's reputation grew louder, so did the number of supporting fans, among whom there were indeed experts.

It didn't take long for someone to summarize the root of the current Seidou's weak offense.

To put it simply, no one is connecting with Sawamura and Miyuki.

If someone could connect with these two, Seidou High School's overall offensive strength could at least double.

Once this realization hit, Seidou's fans began to carefully strategize.

Ultimately, they found that either a powerful new player must emerge among the newcomers or current upperclassmen must make significant progress…

Otherwise, it would be difficult for Seidou's overall offensive capability to improve in the short term.

Now, Kuramochi's unexpected rise has given these supporters of Seidou High School a glimpse of hope.

"Finally, someone can connect with Sawamura and Miyuki."

Their excitement is not just about Kuramochi getting a hit; it's more about the potential they see for Seidou High School.

If the audience is this thrilled, you can only imagine the atmosphere in the Seidou dugout.

Although Kuramochi isn't the most popular within the team, they are still teammates who share a common goal.

Seeing Kuramochi make such a transformative improvement has everyone buzzing with excitement.

The most excited are Sawamura and Maezono.

Sawamura's excitement mainly comes from his good relationship with Kuramochi; Kuramochi has always been a crucial friend to Eijun.

Seeing his good friend's rapid growth naturally makes Sawamura happy.

As for Maezono, his reasons for being happy are a bit unusual.

The main reason is that Kuramochi is a Senpai!

In the second year, there are several monsters, taking up more than half of the main lineup.

The first-year rookies are also fiercely competitive and talented.

In contrast, the situation for the third-year students seems precarious.

Aside from Miyuki, there doesn't seem to be anyone particularly outstanding.

At this moment, Kuramochi stepping up is a breath of fresh air for the Senpais.

"I'll be next!"

Facing Kuramochi's unexpected rise, Maezono feels the pressure the most.

With the newcomers pushing hard, his recent days have not been easy. After all, Yuuki and Nishiyama can play positions beyond just outfield.

Both of them have experience as first basemen.

It's possible these two could replace him!

This sense of urgency has Maezono paying close attention.

Kuramochi's stellar performance has also bolstered Maezono's confidence.

After all, the third-year players are different from the first-year rookies. How can they, who have battled at Seidou for two years, lose to newcomers who just enrolled a few months ago?

'Absolutely not.'

Facing Kuramochi's outstanding performance, everyone in the Seidou dugout has their own thoughts.

At this point, it's time for the second batter, Kominato Haruichi, to step up.

With Kuramochi ready to steal third base, Amahisa Kousei is struggling to remain calm.

He repeatedly throws the ball to second base but to no avail.

The cunning Kuramochi is a professional thief on the base paths.

Once he gets on base, getting him off is nearly impossible.

The game continues, and now Kominato Haruichi has received a signal from Coach Kataoka.

'Sacrifice bunt!'

'First, let Kuramochi advance to third base.'

Coach Kataoka glances over at Sawamura in the on-deck circle.

Today, Seidou's starting pitcher is Sawamura, and considering tomorrow's final, the main players likely won't need to play.

If nothing unexpected happens today, Sawamura can pitch the entire game.

Ever since his unexpected injury during the Spring Koshien, it's been a while since he's had the chance to pitch freely.

With the Kanto tournament coming up, he needs to find his rhythm again.

Thus, Coach Kataoka has resolved to entrust this game to Eijun.

In this scenario, Seidou doesn't need many runs; one run will suffice.

Just one run is enough for victory.

So there's no need to take risks to widen the lead; they just need to secure that one run steadily.

Haruichi quickly understands his Coach's intentions.

Though he feels uncomfortable, he knows this choice is undoubtedly the best for the team.

Without hesitation, he goes for the sacrifice bunt.

Pak!

The ball is nudged and rolls toward first base.

"Hyaa-ha-haa!"

Already prepared, Kuramochi sprints to third base.

With his terrifying speed and prior preparation, not even the Major League fielders could stop him, let alone Ichidaisan's fielders.

"SAFE!"

Kuramochi advances safely to third base, while Haruichi is Out.

Though his sacrifice bunt was decent, his speed was average, and he couldn't make it to base in time.

The situation is now one Out with a runner on third base.

Now, it's the turn of Seidou High School's third batter, Sawamura Eijun.

He doesn't even need to make a solid hit; a ground ball or a pop-fly that's far enough would suffice to send Kuramochi home.

For the players of Seidou High School, scoring in this situation is almost a given.

If they can't score in such a favorable situation, they'd be unworthy of their prestigious title.

Not to mention that standing in the Batter's Box is none other than their core third batter, Sawamura.

Sawamura isn't the fourth batter for Seidou High School, but if you underestimate him for that reason, you'll end up regretting it.

Countless instances have proven that Sawamura's prowess as a third batter is absolutely on par with Miyuki.

In fact, if you purely look at hit rates and home run counts, Sawamura outshines Miyuki significantly.

Miyuki maintains a similar standing to Sawamura largely because he rarely makes mistakes in critical moments.

When the team needs him to deliver a hit, he consistently comes through.

With runners on base, his hitting prowess is unparalleled.

From this perspective, it's true that Miyuki is better suited to bat in the cleanup spot for Seidou High School.

Stepping into the Batter's Box, Sawamura appears utterly ordinary.

His stance is neither too far forward nor backward, and his preparation to hit is textbook.

The bat in his hand sways slightly.

This action scared many during his middle school days, as it looked very professional.

However, now that he's in high school, the effect has noticeably diminished. There are just too many professional-level tricks here.

Sawamura's hitting stance is replicated by countless players and lacks any uniqueness.

Yet despite his seemingly ordinary stance, Ichidaisan's catcher, Takami Akito, dares not be careless.

'This is bad.'

To be honest, at this moment, Takami does not want to face Sawamura head-on.

If he had his way, he would prefer to intentionally Walk Sawamura.

The situation is one Out with a runner on third base.

The first and second base are both empty.

They are about to face Seidou High School's core third and fourth batters.

While such a strategy is a bit risky, Takami Akito firmly believes that the most effective way to prevent scoring now is to intentionally Walk Sawamura and Miyuki consecutively.

Although Seidou High School's fifth batter is versatile and reliable, his skill level pales in comparison to Sawamura and Miyuki.

Takami feels he can afford to face him directly after loading the bases.

Of course, this is just his personal opinion.

'It's impossible to implement.'

Even if this approach has a good success rate, it won't work.

Because his partner is the current Ace, Amahisa Kousei.

In Amahisa's rhythm, there is no such thing as retreating to advance.

No matter how tough the situation gets, he won't pass up the chance to face off.

'If I choose to avoid this battle, then am I still Sankou's Ace?'

As a man, Amahisa's approach is undeniably bold.

But in terms of game strategy, Amahisa's decision cannot be deemed wise.

Of course, no matter how unwise it may be, he can only go along with the pitcher's intention.

After all, pitchers are a peculiar breed; if he truly opts to evade a duel with Sawamura and Miyuki,

Given Amahisa's personality, he might as well forfeit the game.

That would be counterproductive.

No matter how unwilling he is, Takami still crouches down.

He chooses to let Amahisa face Sawamura directly.

Knowing this situation would arise, Takami prepared several tactics before the game.

'Now, it is a showdown, Maou-sama!'

…