Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

In the top of the third inning, Yakushi took their turn to bat.

This time, Yakushi's lineup was back to the top.

Leading off was Akiba!

It was Akiba who had gotten the first hit in the first inning, which had led to Nishiyama giving up two runs.

Nishiyama watched carefully as Akiba stepped into the Batter's Box.

Akiba didn't look particularly strong, nor did he have an outstanding appearance. He was the kind of player who, if you put him into a crowd, you'd never pick him out.

Previously, when Seidou had done their research, they had compared him to players like Raichi and Mishima.

But from what everyone had gathered, it was clear Akiba was nowhere near as strong as the other two.

Taking him down shouldn't be too hard.

'but against such a team, thinking like that will be the end of me,' Nishiyama thought.

Nishiyama's first pitch had been hit by Akiba in the first inning.

If it hadn't been for that early hit, Seidou wouldn't have been in such a passive position now.

Facing this opponent, Nishiyama couldn't afford to be careless.

After some hesitation, he signaled to Ono for the next pitch.

'Gyro ball!'

Seeing his pitcher's determination, Ono, while thankful, couldn't help but feel conflicted.

Although Nishiyama's Gyro ball was sharp, using it too much wasn't ideal.

The first problem was that the more effective a pitch is, the more it burdens the pitcher.

Nishiyama's Gyro ball, while powerful, had a limited number of times it could be thrown in a game. If he exceeded that limit, even if he could still pitch it, the quality would undoubtedly decrease.

There was also another important issue: if he kept relying on the Gyro ball, the opponent would eventually catch on.

For a weak team, once they got used to it, it'd still be difficult for them to hit it.

But with a team like Yakushi, it would be a whole different story. Once they got used to Nishiyama's fastball, he would have nothing left.

Ono felt troubled.

Nishiyama, however, wasn't bothered at all.

He knew they were already in a tough spot. If he didn't throw the fastball now, he wouldn't be able to compete against Yakushi's batters.

'So, I can't afford to worry about stamina or his opponents' adjustments anymore.'

'Right now, I had no choice but to go all-in and keep moving forward.'

He needed to give his best effort and secure as many Outs as possible.

How many Outs? He would take whatever he could get.

As for the possibility of tiring out or if the opponents eventually adapted to his fastball, Nishiyama just gave a long glance towards the Seidou dugout.

He had never felt this confident before.

Seidou wasn't short of pitchers. If he really reached his physical limit, there was a whole lineup of pitchers waiting to step in.

Come at me!

Nishiyama, like a tiger that had been freed from its cage, unleashed his power.

He had nothing left to hold back.

Ping!

"OUT!"

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE BATTER OUT!!!"

Akiba was overwhelmed by Nishiyama's Gyro ball and hit a high fly to the outfield.

The outfielder caught the ball easily, giving Seidou their first Out.

Next up was Yakushi's second batter.

Nishiyama performed like a pitcher on fire. He struck Out the next batter, using his fastball to leave the batter swinging and missing.

His performance in this inning was worlds apart from his earlier struggles.

In Yakushi's dugout, Raizou was stunned.

He wasn't unaware of Nishiyama's potential, but this was a whole new level.

Looking at the way Nishiyama was pitching, it almost seemed like he was on the verge of completely dominating Yakushi.

In fact, no one except Seidou's Ace Sawamura had ever been able to control Yakushi this way.

Other elite pitchers couldn't do it, but here was Nishiyama, a mere first-year, showing such promise.

'But well, appearance is one thing, reality was another.'

Shaking off his surprise, Raizou's expression darkened.

His eyes were locked on the batter, Mishima.

For the other batters, this was their first time facing Nishiyama's Gyro ball.

But Mishima was different—he had already been shut Out by Nishiyama's Gyro ball before.

Now, he would surely be more prepared for Nishiyama's speed and pitching style.

'It's up to you now, Mishima!'

"Hooo!"

Standing in the Batter's Box, Mishima had a fearsome look on his face.

He lifted his bat high, looking as though he intended to hit a home run.

That kind of powerful stance left no room for error for Seidou's players.

The force behind his swing could send the ball flying, even if he only made slight contact with it.

Facing a hitter like that was a huge test for any pitcher.

Nishiyama, however, was undeterred. Having seen his fair share of top-tier hitters, he wasn't intimidated by Mishima's display of power. At least, not when it came time to pitch.

Whoosh!

The white ball zipped through the air like a laser beam, crossing the 18-meter distance before Mishima could even blink.

'NOW!"

Mishima shouted internally, swinging his bat without hesitation.

He was eager to launch that ball into the outfield.

Was Nishiyama's Gyro ball so great? Well, Mishima was determined to prove it wasn't a problem for him.

Ping!

The bat met the ball with a clean strike, sending the ball soaring into the air, eventually landing between the outfielders in a gap.

"SAFE!"

Thanks to that hit, Mishima made it to first base.

At the catcher's position, Ono frowned, a sense of foreboding growing stronger in his chest.

'Something didn't feel right. '

'How could they have adjusted so quickly to the Gyro ball?'

Even though Mishima hadn't perfectly timed the pitch, it was still enough to send the ball flying.

Even with two Outs, the damage was done, and now there was a runner on base.

The more pressing issue was the upcoming batter.

That batter was none other than the infamous Thunder Beast, Raichi, who had gained fame during the Spring Koshien.

This was the real challenge.

Ono hesitated, wondering if they should intentionally walk Raichi.

He knew Nishiyama wasn't the type to shy away from a challenge.

But with the situation now, it seemed foolish to risk facing Raichi directly.

Ono turned his gaze to the Seidou dugout, silently hoping for guidance.

Kataoka stood in the dugout, quiet as ever.

He didn't give any instructions.

Ono clenched his teeth.

That was the message—'figure it out on your own.'

With the score tied at 2:2, it was impossible to avoid a risk.

Ono looked at Nishiyama on the mound and nodded firmly.

Without Kataoka's direct order, Ono had no choice but to stand by Nishiyama's side and face this challenge together.

All they could hope for was that Nishiyama would stay true to his style and not give in to any weaknesses.

'Let's go!'

Seeing the trusting look from Ono, Nishiyama felt deeply moved and nodded back.

Right now, no matter who the opponent was, he was ready to give it everything he had.

Whoosh!

Nishiyama took a deep breath, wound up, and threw with everything he had.

Fast!

The ball shot through the air like a blazing white light, coming at Raichi with incredible speed.

The crack of the bat echoed.

With a thunderous swing, Raichi sent the ball flying like a missile.

PAANNNGGG!!!!!

The ball was struck cleanly, rocketing into the outfield. The ball soared high, arcing beautifully, and landed in the deep outfield.

Crash!

The ball hit the fence with a high colliding sound.

Mishima, already running, was well prepared for the hit.

With two Outs, the run-and-hit play was the obvious choice.

By the time the ball bounced off the fence, Mishima had already reached second base.

His stocky body didn't hinder his speed, and he dashed past second, rounding third, heading straight for home.

"SAFE!"

Before the ball could be returned to the infield, Mishima crossed home plate, bringing the score to 3:2.

Seidou, the Champions, was now trailing by one run!

…

Raichi is taking Nishiyama out to touch grass!

What a good guy. XD