Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

At this moment, the attack from Hakuryu High School has not yet ended. Or rather, you could say it has just begun.

As the driving force behind their offense, Mima has safely made it to base.

And now, there is still no Out.

The crisis quietly arrived.

Just half a minute ago, Seidou High School, leading by two Runs, seemed to be on track for victory.

But now, the situation on the field has completely changed. Seidou High School not only lost its firm grip on victory but even holding onto their current lead has become difficult.

In the stands.

Owada Akiko, the reporter from Baseball Kingdom Magazine, stared in shock, her eyes wide in disbelief as she watched everything unfold.

As a diehard fan of the mighty Seidou High School, she couldn't comprehend what was happening.

She could only mutter repeatedly under her breath.

"How is this possible?"

In her mind, Seidou High School had always been invincible.

How could they allow their opponents to become so reckless?

At this moment, Fujio, sitting beside her, appeared much calmer.

As an experienced veteran reporter, Fujio had seen situations like this before, though not too frequently.

Before the game ends, you can never predict what will happen next. This is especially true for baseball, where even one out can dramatically change the course of the game.

That's why the saying:

The game began when it was two Outs in the bottom of the ninth!

Not to mention, the continuous hits from just moments ago.

Hakuryu's batters had consecutively hit the ball off Sawamura Eijun. Fujio knew full well that luck had played a part.

But there was one thing that couldn't be denied: Hakuryu High School's strength was exceptional.

Luck played a role, but the players' skills were the key to their success.

In the direct confrontation between Sawamura and Mima, Mima had clearly come out on top.

That was the crucial point.

From the current situation, Seidou High School was in a precarious position.

But Fujio didn't think the mighty Seidou High School was finished.

He knew them too well. They were definitely not a team that would give up easily.

'Especially Sawamura Eijun and Miyuki Kazuya.'

'These two-star players were known for stepping up their game in times of crisis.'

Fujio was confident in them. He believed they would bring something different to the game.

Fujio could only wait and see!

Especially Sawamura, whose performance was often at its best during a crisis.

At this moment, Fujio eagerly anticipated his performance.

Fujio's expectations were not wrong.

The run that Hakuryu High School had earned with so much effort had successfully enraged all the players of Seidou High School, especially the pitcher Sawamura and the catcher Miyuki.

A truly terrifying beast was beginning to wake up.

Sawamura looked up at the electronic scoreboard in the field, his eyes sharp as if he could devour anyone in his path.

On the surface, this game seemed tense, but Sawamura himself felt quite relaxed.

He didn't believe that Hakuryu High School could really pose a significant threat to Seidou.

However, due to a momentary lapse in attention, the situation had taken a dramatic turn.

In just a short time, Hakuryu High School was on the verge of catching up.

For Seidou's Ace pitcher, this was a wake-up call!

Although the two Runs they had conceded couldn't be entirely blamed on Sawamura, it was undeniable that he was the main person responsible.

From Mima's stolen base earlier to the consecutive hits now.

He was the one on the mound.

Even if they wanted to pin the blame on someone else, no one else could be held responsible.

Sawamura narrowed his eyes, and a terrifying fighting spirit surged within him, something indescribable.

At this moment, the batter for Hakuryu High School, the second hitter Kujou, was up.

The batter began making signs with Mima on first base, adding pressure on Sawamura from both the Batter's Box and the base.

Mima's speed was incredible.

If he was allowed to run unchecked now…

The consequences would be unimaginable.

Whrroosh!

Without warning, the baseball suddenly flew toward first base.

'Tsk!'

Just as Mima was preparing to steal a second, he noticed the subtle details of Sawamura's movements, realizing his intention to throw a pickoff pitch.

So, before Sawamura could execute the pickoff, Mima swiftly returned to first base.

Even so, he broke out in a cold sweat.

Sawamura's pickoff pitch came without warning and was executed freely.

'He wasn't even looking in my direction.'

'It was already difficult enough to deal with, but now it seemed even more difficult.'

Now, Sawamura was enveloped in a dangerous aura.

Somehow, Mima knew that Sawamura had entered the do-or-die mode.

Now, this one was aggressive, not giving you a chance to strike back.

Mima's heart raced.

Before he could react, Sawamura pitched the ball.

'So fast!'

He couldn't even process it before the ball was already out.

This made Mima frustrated.

But he didn't hesitate and sprinted toward second base.

Their strategy had been planned earlier, and although it was a bit risky, it was ideal for Hakuryu High School right now.

Mima intended to steal second, then look for an opportunity to steal third.

If he could reach third base, Hakuryu's third run would be almost guaranteed.

But even though Mima was fast, there was someone faster.

Ping!

The moment the baseball bounced, a figure suddenly emerged in front of it.

It was none other than Sawamura Eijun, who had been on the mound all along.

He was already prepared, and he intercepted the ball.

But that wasn't all. He quickly turned and threw the ball to second base.

"Hyaa-ha-haa!"

Kuramochi, the shortstop, was also prepared, already positioned at second base.

Snap!

As he received the ball from Sawamura, he stepped on second base and quickly threw it to first base.

Snap!

"OUT!"

"OUT!!"

The back-to-back Outs were so fast, it left people speechless.

"A DOUBLE PLAY!!"

"AWESOME!!"

"DAMN! THAT WAS FAST!!"

"SAWAMURA!!"

"SAWAMURA!!"

After conceding a Run, Seidou quickly recorded two Outs.

Sawamura perfectly demonstrated what an Ace pitcher should do when facing a crisis.

At this moment, all eyes were on him, and everyone was shouting his name.

Hakuryu High School had just gained the advantage, but in less than ten seconds, Sawamura single-handedly changed the momentum.

In the Hakuryu High School dugout, all the players exchanged glances, their faces grim.

Sawamura, standing in front of them, now looked even more imposing than before.

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!"

This became even more obvious after Sawamura struck Out the final batter and successfully completed the defense for this inning.

In the stands, many of the star players who had previously played against Seidou High School now had smiles on their faces.

"The Demon King is out for blood."

"Hakuryu High School's luck was probably running out."

Those who had never truly faced Seidou High School would find it hard to understand how terrifying Sawamura was.

Only those teams and players who had actually played against Seidou High School could truly understand that once Sawamura got serious, he could overpower anyone.

Three Outs, the sides switched, and the game entered the bottom of the sixth inning.

In the top of the sixth, while Hakuryu High School managed to score one Run, they were still at a disadvantage, especially after Sawamura's dominance.

The pressure on them had only increased.

At this moment, tension filled the air.

Even Ouno, who had maintained a cold expression, couldn't escape the influence.

For Seidou, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Thus, inevitably, Seidou High School began to show their arsenal.

Ping!

The initial barrage came from the lower batting lineup.

Leading the charge was Seidou's rising star, Nishiyama, whose excellent batting skills earned the first hit for Seidou High School after the top four batters.

"SAFE!!"

Ping!

Not long after, Toujou followed suit, also getting a hit.

Although Seidou High School didn't score in this inning, they managed two hits, greatly threatening Hakuryu's defense.

It made Hakuryu realize:

"Seidou High School's players were no pushovers."

"They weren't here to lose..."

And so, the game moved to the seventh inning, the final round of the match.

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!!"

In the top of the seventh, Sawamura unleashed his full power, easily securing three Outs.

In the bottom of the seventh, Seidou's top lineup came up to bat.

Seidou's explosive offense had just begun.

This was the moment when the game's outcome would be decided.

…