Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

From a certain perspective, Kominato Haruichi is a very simple person.

How exactly?

It's because he lives a very straightforward life.

His love for baseball and his unwavering commitment to his beliefs have reached an unparalleled level. Even his teammates in the Seidou baseball team can't help but admire him for this.

To put it in perspective:

If it were anyone else, standing in the Batter's Box, their mind would inevitably be filled with many thoughts. Even players like Sawamura and Miyuki can't avoid this.

Even their batting choices are to some extent influenced by these thoughts.

For example, the current situation in the game, external factors, and so on.

No one lives in a vacuum. As long as they're in the real world, they inevitably have to deal with these distractions.

This applies even to Sawamura and Miyuki.

But the most special thing about Haruichi is that he can block out all of these distractions.

When he first joined the baseball team, he immediately displayed an unparalleled talent in hitting, which caught the attention of the Seidou baseball team's coach, Kataoka.

Coach Kataoka during a training session asked Kominato this.

"When you're in the Batter's Box, what exactly do you think about?"

"Just hit the ball that comes my way."

This statement wasn't particularly impressive and wouldn't normally be enough to cause Coach Kataoka to favor him.

What truly moved Coach Kataoka was the look in Kominato Haruichi's eyes when he said it.

The brilliance in his eyes left a deep impression on Coach Kataoka.

So, Coach Kataoka immediately decided to focus on nurturing Kominato Haruichi.

In the end, Kominato Haruichi didn't disappoint Coach Kataoka's trust. That summer, he became Seidou High School's best pinch hitter, often coming through in crucial moments.

If things had continued as they were, Kominato Haruichi might have become a star player.

But unfortunately, success and failure both came from Seidou High School.

It was Seidou that made Kominato Haruichi famous in an instant.

He gained the public's recognition in a very short time.

But at the same time, because of Seidou High School's success, his weaknesses became too obvious, and he was targeted by opponents in every game.

For a mature second-year player, this would have been a huge test, let alone for a first-year rookie like him.

In the period that followed, Kominato Haruichi inevitably went through a period of stagnation.

During this time, he sought ways to break through, such as attempting to increase his swing speed.

This was an effort to break free from the limitations he was feeling.

Unfortunately, the results weren't very obvious.

Fortunately, he met the second key person in his life: Sawamura Eijun.

To Sawamura Eijun, this was a small, insignificant moment, one that didn't even leave a trace in his memory.

But for Kominato Haruichi, it was enough to change the course of his life.

One day, while they were practicing together, Sawamura noticed the look of frustration on Kominato Haruichi's face.

After their practice, while they were in the locker room, Sawamura said to him:

"If you're feeling lost, maybe you should take a break."

At the time, Kominato Haruichi was quite surprised.

Could Sawamura really offer advice that would change his mindset?

This kind of advice wasn't new to Kominato Haruichi. It was like the common saying, "If you're tired, take a rest."

At the time, he didn't think much of it and just silently followed Sawamura.

"But once you've rested enough, you need to keep moving forward! Baseball is like rowing against the current. If you don't keep moving forward, you'll fall behind. Stopping isn't an option. Keep running, and see what you're capable of..."

It was a harsh dose of reality, but it shook Haruichi to his core.

Eijun didn't say anything particularly profound. His reasoning was simple, and it echoed the philosophy followed by all of Seidou High School's players.

That philosophy was: perseverance!

Persevering until the very end equals victory.

Haruichi didn't know if he would ever see the fruits of his labor, but he was willing to persist.

It wasn't just because Eijun said it. More importantly, it was because every player at Seidou High School followed this unspoken rule.

They believed that hard work would never be in vain.

It's okay to feel lost for a while, as long as you keep your goal in sight and continue to push forward.

They all believed that one day, they would reach the "other shore" of victory.

'Since that talk with Eijun-kun, I've been pushing myself a lot harder. I don't know if I've made any progress compared to before, but at least now, I no longer feel lost.'

Haruichi asked himself this question, but he didn't have a definite answer.

However, when it came time to act, he was no longer uncertain.

He had regained his original mindset.

He would think of nothing else and simply hit the baseball coming toward him.

All the effort he needed had already been put in during his practice.

Now, all he had to do was focus on hitting the ball.

'Here it comes!'

It was like he'd practiced this a thousand times. The baseball suddenly appeared in front of him.

Facing the sharp pitch, Kominato Haruichi was calm and composed.

He raised his bat high and struck the ball with all his strength.

Paak!

The bat connected perfectly with the ball, sending it flying into the outfield.

The ball flew in a perfect arc, landing near the outfielder.

The outfielder from Hakuryu High School rushed forward, trying to retrieve the ball.

Although he'd missed the chance to stop Kominato Haruichi, if he could pick up the ball quickly, he might still have a shot at preventing the speedy runner, Kuramochi, from reaching third base.

But as he rushed, the ball bounced off the edge of his mitt and flew out of his grasp.

By the time the outfielder retrieved the ball, Kuramochi was already nearing third base.

'It is over!'

The outfielder from Hakuryu High School felt a wave of despair.

Seidou High School's first and second batters had reached base!

The Hakuryu High School players, who had practiced countless times for situations like this, knew exactly what was about to happen.

But there was nothing they could do to stop it.

No Outs, runners on first and third.

Seidou High School's third batter, Sawamura Eijun, stepped into the Batter's Box.

"IT IS NOWW!!!"

"FINISH THEM!!"

"YOU CAN DO IT!!"

"SAWAMURA!!!"

The Seidou High School fans in the stands, including Sawamura's loyal supporters, were ecstatic.

At that moment, they didn't care about the progress of the game. They were celebrating like Seidou High School had already won.

In the Hakuryu High School dugout, the players had faces full of defeat.

The situation they most feared had come to pass.

Having faced Seidou High School before, the Hakuryu players knew their Ace pitcher, Ouno, simply wasn't a match for Sawamura Eijun.

If it were just that, they could have Walked Sawamura Eijun and avoided the worst.

They had done this before, so there would be no mental burden in doing it again.

But the problem was the situation they would face after Walking him.

Once they intentionally walked Sawamura Eijun, Kominato Haruichi, who was on first base, would naturally advance to second.

And Sawamura Eijun would reach first.

The situation would become bases loaded with no Outs.

Using the bases-loaded strategy wasn't inherently a bad choice.

In fact, from a strategic standpoint, it could still work in their favor.

But the problem was the next batter they had to face.

Miyuki Kazuya!

In all of Seidou High School's previous games, when the bases were loaded, Miyuki's batting average in those situations was even higher than Sawamura's.

Miyuki was like a shark that could smell blood.

As long as there are runners on base, Miyuki Kazuya's focus doubles.

The more runners there are on base, the stronger Miyuki Kazuya's concentration becomes.

When the bases are loaded, in this extreme situation, Miyuki's combat ability skyrockets.

The pitcher-catcher duo from Hakuryu High School has no confidence in stopping again in such a situation.

'It's difficult!'

Whether they directly confront Sawamura now or intentionally Walk him and face Miyuki afterward, neither option seems like a good choice for Hakuryu High School.

The hardest choices in this world are often not between right and wrong.

The most difficult choices are often those where both options are wrong.

No matter which one you choose, it's a dead end.

The players of Hakuryu High School are facing such an extreme situation right now.

It seems like no matter what they choose, the result will never be good.

But even so, when it's time to make a decision, they have to make one.

After some hesitation, Sasaki hardened his resolve.

He made up his mind and gave the signal to the pitcher on the mound.

'Since sticking your neck out or shrinking back both lead to the same outcome, there's no point in being a coward now.'

'It's better to go for broke and fight to the end.'

In this crucial moment, Sasaki's manly fighting spirit was awakened.

He gave a signal to the pitcher, Ouno, for a direct confrontation.

On the mound.

Sweat dripped down Ouno's face.

On the surface, he had a cold expression, and his face hadn't changed from before. His pitch count hadn't yet reached its limit.

But the burden of fighting against the monsters of Seidou was not just physical but also mental.

But for the team's sake, he had to push through.

He knew very well that if he went down now, Hakuryu High School would be finished.

So no matter how exhausted he was, he had to keep going.

He absolutely could not concede here.

'Whether it's a matter of physical limits or the peak of my skills, I must push through. I can't let the team down.'

With this ambitious determination, Ouno hurled the ball with all his might.

Sawamura, who thought he would surely be walked, froze as he saw the ball coming.

'The trajectory of the ball seemed a little off.'

Snap!

The baseball passed through the strike zone and landed perfectly in Itou's Mitt.

"STRIKE!"

The first pitch was a strike, and it was just a regular fastball.

Hakuryu High School's decision to do this was, to Sawamura, an outright provocation!

"They dare to do such a thing?!"

"They actually chose to face him head-on at this moment?"

"Wow!"

"That takes guts!"

In this situation, even Sawamura had to admire Hakuryu High School's audacity.

If he backed down now, Sawamura himself wouldn't be able to respect himself.

'If it is like that, then I have no problem.'

Since the opponent had made up their mind to face him directly, Sawamura decided to respond without hesitation.

His expression became serious.

The world around him suddenly turned silent and empty. The only thing that left was the pitcher on the mound.

Every expression, every move, every breath was clear and visible. Nothing from it escaped his vision, nothing escaped his focus.

His body was filled with power, and every drop of this power was under his control.

Eijun slipped into that strange, almost magical state he had been in before.

In this state, Sawamura felt like time itself had slowed down. He could see every detail of the ball coming toward him, even the subtle movements of the pitcher's arm.

'Throw the ball!'

His bat was raised high, and his entire stance widened. He couldn't wait for the ball to come flying so he could crush it.

'Come on!!!'

In this state, Sawamura's aura screamed danger.

Even the players from Hakuryu couldn't ignore it.

Especially Ouno, who felt as though he was being stared down by an ancient beast.

The pressure was suffocating!

It felt like Sawamura was about to pounce on him and tear him apart.

Itou, the catcher, clearly noticed the change in his partner.

His heart skipped a beat.

If Ouno backed down now, Hakuryu would truly be in a dangerous situation.

So no matter what, Ouno couldn't retreat—he had to face it head-on.

'Believe in yourself and throw the ball!' Itou gave the signal decisively.

Ouno, a seasoned veteran, quickly shook off his panic and regained his composure.

But once he recovered, Ouno felt both embarrassed and furious.

How could he have been pushed into such an embarrassing situation?

As the Ace pitcher of the prestigious Hakuryu High School, Ouno had his pride.

He immediately retaliated, and his retaliation was fierce.

Whoosh!

At last, the baseball appeared suddenly.

With this pitch, Ouno put all his strength into it.

He was determined to regain his dignity and take down Sawamura in this straightforward battle.

It had to be said, this was a great pitch.

Even from Sawamura's perspective, this was a pitch that could be considered top-tier.

'Nice one!'

Sawamura couldn't help but praise the pitch.

In this special state, Sawamura could see every characteristic of the ball clearly.

The speed, the movement, the spin, the trajectory…

Even the subtle variations on the ball.

From a professional pitcher's perspective, this pitch was of high quality, even approaching the level of Sawamura's top-tier breaking ball.

'It was really impressive.'

'But that was all.'

Sawamura Eijun's current feeling was strange, like watching an elementary school student solve a problem from the perspective of a college student.

Despite the cleverness of the idea and the fact it reached its peak, it was still just an elementary-level problem.

For Sawamura, it posed no difficulty.

In this strange state, every move Ouno made was predictable to Sawamura.

The changes in his pitches, the timing of his throws…

It felt like they had already agreed upon it in advance.

'Then I won't hold back!'

This feeling of seeing through and overpowering the opponent was a new experience for Sawamura Eijun.

His bat was raised high, his eyes gleaming with confidence.

As the baseball approached, Sawamura Eijun swung with all his might.

Despite the quality of the pitch, and Ouno's cooperation, Sawamura Eijun was confident he could hit the ball—and his confidence was absolute.

PAAAAAAAAANNNGGG!!!!!!

The bat connected with the ball as if they had agreed on it beforehand, hitting it with perfect precision.

The ball's tailspin and break tried to resist, but all of that was futile against Sawamura Eijun's powerful swing.

It was crushed in the process.

WHOOSH!

The baseball soared into the sky, flying farther and farther.

"CENTER!!!!"

As the ball flew deep into the outfield…

In the Hakuryu High School dugout, Sasaki almost collapsed onto his chair.

He realized it was all over.

'Even if the ball was caught, the runner on third base had more than enough time to score.'

'If the ball dropped, even the runner on first could score.'

In other words, Hakuryu had already lost the point.

And once Hakuryu lost that point, their situation would quickly spiral out of control.

3:2.

Hakuryu High School still had a chance to strike back.

But if the score changed, Hakuryu would never be able to recover.

The game had already reached the 7th inning, and Seidou High School was on offense.

Hakuryu's offense was already over.

It was a crushing realization.

Sasaki knew that after seven innings, Hakuryu's weaknesses compared to Seidou had become apparent.

He stared at the ball soaring into the distance, unsure of what he even wanted to see anymore.

On the center field, a streak was chasing the ball with all of his might, as if his life depended on it!

Mima was blasting like an aircraft at a lightning-like speed, his eyes were trailing the ball from below, ready for any irregular changes.

The moment the ball decides to fall, he will be there, and he will catch it!

But the ball kept flying…

After passing over the outfield fence, the baseball dropped like a falling star onto the center field stands.

Sawamura raised his arm in triumph.

Though it wasn't the most difficult of home runs, he was still thrilled to have hit it.

A three-run home run!

Though the game wasn't over yet, the gap between the teams was already clear.

Hakuryu High School likely had no chance of a comeback.

…