Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

Jingu Stadium.

The audience gathered to cheer for Seidou High School let out a series of impressed clicks with their tongues.

What lay before them was truly unexpected. They had heard about a promising newcomer among the freshmen at Seidou High School, and based on previous Tournament results, this newcomer's strength was indeed impressive.

Nishiyama Kibo!

World Series runner-up pitcher.

With such a glorious title, he showcased his skills in high school.

It was no surprise that everyone had high hopes for Nishiyama.

However, having high hopes is one thing; actually performing in a game is another.

Today's lineup arranged by Coach Kataoka left many supporters of Seidou High School very dissatisfied.

If the opponent were a weak team, or if this game didn't matter, that would be one thing.

Properly developing newcomers has always been Seidou's style, and as die-hard fans, they could understand and accept that.

But they couldn't just play around.

No matter how insignificant today's game might seem, it was still the finals of the Tokyo Spring Tournament. Winning would mean a Championship—albeit one of lesser prestige—but better to have it than not, right?

It would be a good start, a sign of good things to come.

Moreover, the opponent was their regional rival, Yakushi!

Historically, there was no deep-seated rivalry between the two teams. After all, Yakushi High School was just a nameless team to Seidou in the past.

But now, with Yakushi's rising strength, the two teams had clearly reached a state of rivalry...

In such circumstances, how could Seidou High, the reigning Champion, not take this seriously? 

Even according to previous customs, neither side wanted to reveal too much strength in front of the powerhouses from other parts of Kanto.

If anyone were to back down, it should be Yakushi High, not Seidou.

As Seidou High's performance improved, the fans' expectations grew higher.

Now, they found it hard to accept that Seidou High could lose to a rival from the same region.

Yet, it was precisely during this crucial game that Coach Kataoka chose to send out the newcomer, Nishiyama. Although he couldn't be judged by simple newcomer standards, he was still a rookie. Compared to the monstrous Sawamura and Furuya, the gap in skill was significant.

With such thoughts in mind, the audience naturally found it hard to be satisfied with Coach Kataoka's arrangements.

Though they held back their words out of respect for Coach Kataoka, their dissatisfaction was evident.

For instance, their enthusiasm for cheering was noticeably lower than in previous years.

They hadn't expected this rookie to bring such a big surprise in the actual game.

They knew that his opponent wasn't a weak team, but rather Yakushi High, known for having one of the most formidable lineups in the country.

Without a doubt, the strongest hitter at Yakushi High was Todoroki Raichi.

Beneath Todoroki Raichi were Sanada and Mishima!

Mishima's strength had been validated across the country.

A player with national recognition had just been taken down by a freshman in this manner.

The reality before the audience left them in shock.

In fact, not just the audience—both teams were significantly impacted.

"Was that rookie strong?"

Todoroki Raizou remained lazily slumped on the bench as if he had no bones.

Yet his question was very clear.

Mishima's expression was grim.

Determined to hit Sawamura Eijun's pitches, Mishima had achieved remarkable feats against top pitchers in the past.

Though his own strength fell slightly short of the best, in terms of past performance, he had never been inferior.

And to think he had been played by a freshman?

At that moment, Mishima's frustration was palpable.

"Next time, I'll definitely hit it!"

Mishima vowed that the next time they faced off, he would teach Nishiyama a lesson.

"Stop being emotional; just talk about his pitches!"

Todoroki Raizou paid no attention to Mishima's feelings and simply asked in a flat voice.

During this segment of the game, Todoroki Raizou performed exceptionally well, never losing his cool. He was a different person when training the team compared to his usual demeanor.

He believed in this principle:

In private training, one should be as harsh as winter with their disciples.

During Tournaments, one should be as calm as spring.

Encouraging the players to enjoy the game was what he should do.

He thought this way, acted this way, and succeeded in doing so.

In the game, there was no sign of his usual sternness.

Hearing Todoroki Raizou's question, Mishima's mind finally calmed down.

If he were to evaluate Nishiyama's pitching, he wouldn't belittle his opponent just because he had lost to him.

As smart as Mishima was, he wouldn't do that.

At this point, what good would it do to devalue his opponent?

It would only prove his own inadequacy.

"He's strong! That last pitch I thought it was a Shuuto but it turned out that it was a Gyro ball! And his Gyro ball is very different from ordinary ones; it has its own characteristics. When thrown, it's like a real bullet, making it very hard to hit accurately!"

The Gyro ball is a ball with a spiral spin that delays its drop. But the motion of the ball deceives that batter to think that it is going to break messing with their swing.

Few pitchers can learn it on their own, and even fewer can hone their own unique versions.

Todoroki Raizou nodded.

Now he understood how the world runner-up pitcher came to be.

He just hadn't expected that Nishiyama still possessed such a pitch.

In fact, if you think about it, it makes sense. Without such a pitch, how could Nishiyama have become a world runner-up pitcher?

"Does he have any weaknesses?"

Todoroki Raizou inquired.

Although Mishima loved to express himself and appeared unreliable on most days, he was indeed quite dependable when it came to swinging a bat or analyzing opponents.

"Of course!"

Mishima replied without hesitation.

"Although that kind of pitch is very tricky if you select the right moment, it's not hard to hit! Additionally, he likely can't throw too many of those!"

A sharp breaking ball is a double-edged sword.

Except for freaks like Sawamura Eijun, who can directly change the ball's behavior by altering their grip, generally speaking, the sharper and more cunning the pitch, the greater the physical burden on the pitcher!

Nishiyama's Gyro ball!

In terms of quality alone, it was on par with Amahisa Kousei's Slider and Sawamura's Straight-Fastball!

'Given his first-year physique, how many pitches like that can he throw?'

After Todoroki Raizou nodded, he directly ordered.

"You all understand, right? Do you know what to do?"

"Yes!"

The teammates from Yakushi High all nodded.

Since the opponent's Gyro ball was tough to deal with, they would let it go…

"Do we need to remind Raichi?"

An assistant coach whispered to Todoroki Raizou.

As Mishima returned to the dugout, the batter on the field was replaced by the cleanup hitter, Todoroki Raichi.

Todoroki Raizou's earlier instructions were lost on Todoroki Raichi, who was preparing to hit.

Normally, he should receive a signal right now to remind him what to do next.

However, Raizou had no such plans.

"Don't worry; this kind of pitch won't get past my moron son!"

Raizou said confidently.

The audience had yet to fully recover from the shock, and Nishiyama's performance had truly left them impressed.

But now the field was filled with tension. After Nishiyama dealt with the tough opponent Mishima, he was about to face an even stronger adversary.

Earlier on the Koshien field, the super monster who became famous in one match—Todoroki Raichi.

That was the real monster, a terrifying presence that sent shivers down the pitcher's spine.

Originally, he had little interest in Nishiyama; in today's game, he would have preferred to face Eijun.

Even if forced by circumstances, with Sawamura Eijun unable to take the mound today, he had hoped to face Furuya!

As for Nishiyama, sorry, Raichi hadn't even remembered his name.

All of this changed after Nishiyama took down Mishima.

'So this freshman kid is that good?'

Raichi suddenly became interested.

He was willing to face such a good pitcher.

Especially after witnessing Nishiyama's Gyro ball, he was eager to challenge Nishiyama on the field.

'Bring it!'

'Quickly throw it!'

'The kind of pitch that flies like a bullet!'

His impatient demeanor made Nishiyama feel a chill.

Due to his extensive experience, Nishiyama had indeed encountered a monster like Todoroki Raichi before; just standing against him was oppressive.

According to Ono's suggestion, if things got tough, it would be better to Walk Todoroki Raichi.

After all, this guy was exceptionally unique; even if Nishiyama Walked him, there was nothing to lose.

The audience might boo a bit, but so what?

With Todoroki Raichi's current reputation, it would be a natural outcome to Walk him.

Yet Nishiyama was unwilling to do so.

To better guide the pitchers, Ono decided to confront Todoroki Raichi head-on.

Previously, Nishiyama's Gyro ball had never been exposed; suddenly using it now would definitely catch the opponent off guard.

With this in mind, the battery duo of Seidou chose to face off directly.

Whoosh!

The small ball shot out like a bullet, catching everyone off guard.

At the Batter's Box, the boy named Todoroki Raichi widened his eyes in surprise.

BUUUZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!

Without hesitation, he swung his bat at the incoming baseball.

BAANNGGG!!!!

Like a swift wind, the small ball was hit, drawing a perfect arc as it soared out of Jingu Stadium.

Home run! 

A Two Runs Home Run!!!!!

…