Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

When it comes to the substitute pitcher recently sent in by Shonan High School, all the players of Seidou High School are harboring a sense of anger.

This young guy named Kawaki is indeed very talented. However, to say that he could rival Sawamura Eijun is something that none of Seidou's players would accept.

This is practically a joke...

To compare that guy with their Ace pitcher is a huge insult to both Sawamura and Seidou High School.

And don't even mention comparing him to Sawamura, even when compared to Shonan's former pitcher, Aota, this Kawaki is nothing impressive.

From the perspective of an observer, Kawaki's pitching is actually very average. You can see a few unique traits, but those traits are far from being fully developed.

To put it simply, Kawaki is just a greenhorn.

In theory, Seidou High should easily crush such an opponent, like squashing an ant.

But before this, whether it was their middle-order hitters or even those at the bottom of the lineup...

They all lost when facing the opponent.

It's truly baffling.

If the opponent's pitching were really at such a level, the players of Seidou High School would not be angry; instead, they would be happy.

After all, as champions, they don't shy away from challenges.

Challenges are the greatest source of motivation for growth.

If Seidou has really reached a point where they can't find any opponents in high school baseball, then the strength of their main players will be stagnant, and they won't improve any further during these important high school years.

This is the importance of competition.

The players of Seidou High understand this principle, so they've never avoided challenges.

When Shonan High's pitcher was Aota, Seidou High regarded Shonan as an opponent of equal standing.

This shows how seriously the players of Seidou High view today's match.

But now, with a little kid taking the mound, and still insisting on playing a proper game...

Regardless of the kid's actual strength, they would feel insulted.

Just like now, even though Kawaki's performance is actually not bad,

None of the Seidou players liked him.

It's just too much!

They've never seen such unfairness.

Do they really think Seidou High is a soft target, that any random guy can come and play against them?

Even though Kawaki managed to solve Miyuki, after seeing his pitching earlier, the Seidou players were still not convinced.

If Shonan thinks they can beat Seidou High with those pitches, they are dreaming.

Even if they gain some advantage in the beginning, they will ultimately fail and face annihilation.

At this moment, standing in the Batter's Box, Kuramochi's eyes were burning with this emotion.

No matter what, he had to hit the ball and not let these guys continue acting arrogantly.

Kuramochi's experience seemed very rich, but in reality, it was quite simple.

He just had fun with his little buddies!

With this kind of life experience, expecting him to say something profound is unrealistic.

Of course, there were some benefits.

Having spent a lot of time on the streets, Kuramochi's instincts were sharp.

He noticed that his opponent didn't seem as terrifying as they had initially thought. He also realized that, even though Shonan was behind, their players hadn't given up hope.

This meant that their opponents hadn't collapsed!

In order to secure victory as soon as possible, Seidou had to score more.

At this point, he had studied Kawaki's pitching and believed he had a good chance of hitting the ball.

In the Seidou High dugout.

Miyuki, who had faced Kawaki before, was not as optimistic as the others.

There is no such thing as coincidence. Despite Kawaki's pitching not looking very strong, it had its own unique characteristics. If it weren't for that, how could he strike out six Seidou batters in a row?

"We mustn't underestimate our opponent. If we do, the one who suffers in the end might be us," Miyuki murmured in the dugout.

His partner, Sawamura, overheard him.

"What's special about Kawaki's pitching?"

This was the question that his teammates were most concerned about.

Because Kawaki had been on the mound for such a short time, it was hard to see any distinctive traits in his pitching.

Everyone instinctively thought his pitching shouldn't be hard to hit.

"It's hard to explain. When you're standing in the Batter's Box facing him, you'll understand," Miyuki gave a vague answer.

Though this answer didn't satisfy his teammates, they had no choice but to accept it.

They eagerly watched Kuramochi in the Batter's Box, hoping he could bring them a surprise.

PING!

The baseball was hit and bounced high into the air.

'Damn!'

Kuramochi looked extremely frustrated, clearly unhappy.

"How did you get Out too? The opponent looks like a rookie. You could have just bunted, and aimed right at the pitcher. That would have been a chance to get on base!" Sawamura frowned and asked.

Kuramochi looked embarrassed.

He knew exactly what Sawamura was talking about, but knowing and doing are two different things.

When he first stepped into the Batter's Box, wasn't he full of confidence?

He firmly believed that he would easily hit Kawaki's pitches.

But when it came to facing him, he realized that the kid's pitching was much more interesting than he had thought.

It was almost like there was some magic at play, and he could even control the ball to some extent.

Although Kawaki's overall control wasn't high, his ability to handle the finer details was outstanding.

With one out and no one on base, the batter was now Kominato Haruichi. Haruichi, who had mastered batting technique, was also dealt with cleanly by Kawaki.

He hit a ground ball to first base, which was caught by Shonan's first baseman.

Two Outs, no one on base.

"Third batter, pitcher, Sawamura-kun."

Although Kawaki's pitches didn't seem very strong, they just couldn't seem to hit them.

The frustration the Seidou players had felt earlier had vanished.

They started to realize that their opponent was far from ordinary.

When Sawamura stepped into the Batter's Box, he raised his bat.

His eyes never left Kawaki on the mound.

There was something magical about the way Kawaki pitched, and Sawamura couldn't wait to see for himself what it was like.

Come on!

Sawamura was fully prepared!

Kawaki's pitch speed was 140, which looked very fast. But actually, it wasn't anything special. To Sawamura or any regular Seidou player, this speed was nothing out of the ordinary.

For Seidou, who had dominated nationwide, they had faced opponents whose pitches were just as fast or even slower.

Speed was something you got used to.

And because Seidou's players had faced it so often, they had a lot of experience.

'Pitch speed was not a problem!'

'So why were we still struggling to hit Kawaki's pitches?'

'We would make contact with the ball but still couldn't hit it properly.'

'What was going on?'

Sawamura was curious and wanted to find out.

That's why he didn't rush to swing the bat, instead deciding to observe one more pitch.

Whoosh!

The baseball came toward him, and its position didn't seem hard to hit. Kawaki's control was poor, just enough to keep it within the strike zone.

It was unrealistic to expect him to throw a tricky pitch.

Kawaki relied on his good rhythm and decent ball power, which gave him some value.

'But that was all...'

'There was nothing too complicated about his pitching.'

At least under normal circumstances, Sawamura shouldn't see anything special.

If he wanted to find something unique, he'd have to study it deeper.

Shaking his head, Sawamura decided to stop hesitating and swung his bat directly.

Ping!

The moment the bat met the ball, Sawamura's face changed, looking a bit strange.

The baseball seemed to shift slightly as if it had suddenly teleported. Sawamura had aimed for the center of the ball, but the baseball had subtly moved.

The hit turned into a grounder to shortstop.

The game continued, with both teams going back and forth, entering a particularly calm period.

Throughout the match, Seidou had not been able to score off Kawaki. At most, Sawamura took a double but still didn't score.

The score remained 2-0 until the top of the eighth inning.

Before the eighth inning began, the game had been unusually calm.

It felt like still water, with no waves or movement.

But for some reason, this peaceful game didn't make anyone feel relaxed.

Now, the players of Seidou High School no longer look at Kawaki with the same dismissive attitude as before.

It's no wonder that the coach of Shonan High School, Matt, treats Kawaki as his Ace pitcher instead of Aota, who had been performing well until now.

It's not that Aota isn't good, but compared to Kawaki, the gap is still a bit too large.

Kawaki is simply too strange!

His pitching always keeps people guessing. So far, there hasn't been an accurate conclusion about his style.

There were some speculations that he might be a Moving ball pitcher, like Sawamura.

"That's probably not it!" Miyuki gave a definite answer to this.

A so-called Moving ball pitcher usually has an uncontrollable pitching style. However, Kawaki's pitches do not seem uncontrollable; they seem to be very much under his control.

Although Kawaki cannot precisely control where the ball will go—meaning his control isn't very stable— the movement of the ball is very consistent.

Looking at the results of the hits, the ball either becomes a high-flying ball or a ground ball with a bounce. There hasn't been a single ball hit directly on the sweet spot, not even the hit by Sawamura.

That hit wasn't made on the sweet spot either, it was just a result of brute strength.

"This is tricky!" Since dominating Koshien consecutively, Seidou High School has never felt so bewildered.

"I have to say, the world is vast. There are so many strong players, and you never know when someone impressive might emerge from some corner."

Even Sawamura was deeply moved.

The player named Kawaki had never appeared in Sawamura's memory.

If Sawamura had seen or heard of him before, such a distinctive player would definitely leave an impression.

But he doesn't remember this person, which leads to only one conclusion:

Kawaki did not make a name for himself before Sawamura's regression.

There are many possible reasons for this.

For example, he might not have genuinely enjoyed baseball and only played during high school before quitting.

It's similar to Sawamura's middle school rival, Nanami Haruka from Nagano Prefecture. He quit baseball because he felt it lacked challenge, which caused him to lose interest.

As a result, he didn't play after entering high school and thus disappeared from the baseball world.

If not for meeting Sawamura in this life that ignited his passion for the sport again, he might have done the same too.

Another possibility is that some accident occurred during his time playing baseball.

In any case, life is strange.

It is full of possibilities.

The player named Kawaki might have been at a crossroads and never returned to the world of baseball.

Otherwise, if everything had gone smoothly, and this guy had truly grown, his fame would be immense.

At the very least, Sawamura would have heard of him.

Kawaki has the talent and ability for that.

In today's game, many players have stood out, but without a doubt, he has been the most dazzling.

The first-year pitching genius Kawaki.

At the moment, the most complex feeling belongs to Seidou High School's bench player, Nishiyama.

Every talented player has an incredibly proud heart, and Nishiyama is no exception.

He has always been a prodigy. Things that others need to work hard for, he can do with ease, showing unparalleled talent in pitching.

"The next Maou!"

Some people even described him this way.

He's been a star since childhood, always thinking that his own abilities were quite good.

This isn't bragging; it's the truth.

The environment around him always confirmed this belief.

He possesses the kind of talent that others can only envy and monster-like terrifying power.

He couldn't find many blood-bumping rivals among his peers.

Why did Nishiyama decisively come to Seidou to play baseball after middle school?

It was to get closer to his rival.

Because he wanted to surpass Sawamura Eijun, to always be in close contact with him, and directly compete for their positions.

Nothing was more stimulating than this.

This Nishiyama, despite appearing easygoing, carries immense pride deep down.

You could say that, except for Seidou High School's ace pitcher Sawamura Eijun, he pays no close attention to any other opponents.

Perhaps there were areas where he lacked in earlier performances.

But Nishiyama knows that as long as he works on his flaws, he'll catch up quickly.

The only person who feels unreachable for him is Sawamura.

Having a figure like that ahead of him to chase after feels like a lucky thing for Nishiyama.

However, he never expected that in other parts of Japan, even among his peers, there would be someone whose abilities surpass his own.

"Such a guy really exists!" Nishiyama had once praised Sawamura during a conversation, calling him the best pitcher among his peers.

As a world runner-up pitcher, Nishiyama meant it when he said this. Having seen the peak of the world, he could certainly judge Sawamura's abilities.

"Don't underestimate this world!"

At that time, Sawamura Eijun was lying on the bed, exhausted after training.

"Maybe, hidden somewhere in a corner, there's someone even stronger than us!" Sawamura had said this with great feeling.

Having seen the Major Leagues, Sawamura knew how terrifying the world could be.

Sometimes the scariest thing isn't the target in front of you, but the ones who are chasing you.

Before the age of 23, this feeling wasn't as strong because he was still in the chasing phase and couldn't worry about the ones coming after him.

But once you pass 23, you begin to feel how old you are.

A whole new generation of competitors will keep coming, ready to surpass you and leave you behind.

Of course, Nishiyama didn't understand this at the time.

But now, he seems to be beginning to understand.

At this moment, Nishiyama felt incredibly lucky to have come to Seidou to play baseball.

The emergence of a strong rival hadn't dulled his fighting spirit; instead, it made him more energized.

Kawaki's performance has captured everyone's attention.

After today's game, he is destined to become famous across the country.

More and more, Seidou High School faces opponents like him.

Some even joke that Seidou High School is a final test for all talented players to emerge.

Of course, this could also be taken as a compliment.

If you didn't have the necessary strength, how could you serve as a stepping stone for talent?

Although the momentum Kawaki has created is strong, it still feels like it's not enough to truly challenge Seidou High School.

The main reason for this is their opponent—Sawamura Eijun.

Kawaki's impressive performance has stunned everyone, but the great demon king, Sawamura Eijun, does not disappoint.

He seems to never fail to live up to the expectations of the fans and viewers, always solidly guarding Seidou High School's back and not letting any opponent cross the line.

All of Shonan High School's offensive attempts have been scattered like smoke in front of Sawamura's pitching.

The two runs in the fourth inning became fatal wounds.

If Shonan High School cannot score in the last two innings, they will have to accept the L.

In the top of the eighth inning,

Sawamura stood on the mound.

Facing Shonan High School's lower batters, Sawamura's pitching was calm and collected.

On the other hand, Shonan's batters seemed nervous.

With six more Outs, Seidou High School would win.

To prevent that, Shonan's batters knew they could not afford to make an easy out.

This determination was admirable, but unfortunately, facing Sawamura, they were helpless.

Ping! The sixth batter hit a high fly ball.

At second base, Haruichi caught it easily.

"OUT!"

One out, no one on base.

Seidou High School was just five outs away from victory.

Ping!

The seventh batter from Shonan hit a ground ball to third.

Kanemaru easily fielded it and threw it to first.

"OUT!"

Two Outs, no one on base.

Seidou High School was just four Outs away from victory.

Ping!

The eighth batter hit another high fly ball.

This time, Sawamura caught it on the mound.

Three Outs, offense and defense exchange.

Even though Shonan High School's batters gave their all, they were still powerless against Sawamura.

The Demon King is still the Great Demon King.

And so, the game moved to the bottom of the eighth inning.

On the stands, Akiko murmured, "This rhythm feels familiar!"

Truthfully, this rhythm did seem familiar. It resembled the rhythm of Kawaki, Shonan's current pitcher.

On the other side, in Seidou High School's dugout.

Watanabe looked at Sawamura and asked the same thing.

Sawamura smiled wryly and shook his head.

"Our guess was correct. But for now, I haven't been able to fully hone it. It's still just something like it."

However, as time passes, Sawamura is confident that he will be able to perfectly imitate Kawaki's pitching!

…