Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

The game between Seidou High School and the American Texas Lone-Star Academy Team was proving to be extremely intense.

Just as Nishiyama and the others were about to close out the final Out of the first inning, Texas' third batter managed to reach base.

So fast!

Even Nishiyama, standing on the mound, could clearly sense that the momentum on the other side was different.

The players' movements were not flashy or attention-grabbing.

On the contrary, their movements were simple, direct, and—most importantly—efficient!

It seemed like there was nothing they couldn't do if they wanted to.

It gave off a very strange and uncanny feeling…

Due to his previous experiences, Nishiyama was more familiar with American players compared to his Seidou teammates. At least, compared to the others in the Seidou High baseball team, he had done more research on the American players.

The technical skills of these players were rough, and their tactics were mostly devised by the coach…

When playing against such an opponent, even if the individual strength was not on par with theirs, it wasn't difficult to outwit them.

It wasn't until this very match that Nishiyama truly felt the difference.

Although their encounter had not lasted long, Nishiyama could already clearly feel that these players were vastly different from the American representatives he had faced before.

If we really get into it, their style was still the same: they adored individualism.

Their adaptability was still rough, and their tactics were still largely dependent on the Coach's direction.

It appeared to be business as usual, but the feeling now was completely different.

First of all, once the opposing team had refined their simplicity and efficiency to a certain level, their strength underwent a transformation.

Their players moved faster, seized opportunities more accurately, and acted more decisively…

Even their tactics had undergone significant growth.

This wasn't because the American players had suddenly become able to grasp more sophisticated baseball strategies, but rather because their Coach had been changed.

With the improvement of the Coach's level, their tactical weaknesses had been greatly covered.

In an instant, Nishiyama completely changed his previous mindset.

He had thought that after experiencing the World Series, he understood the standard of international competition.

But now, he realized he had been looking at the world through a narrow lens!

At this moment, Nishiyama was extremely grateful for his decision to join Seidou High's baseball team. If he weren't a member of the team now, how could he have had the chance to play an exchange game against the Texas Lone-Star Academy Team during his first high school year?

And how could he have gained such a profound realization?

The world was far wider than he had imagined.

Originally, Nishiyama's fighting spirit had waned, but now it was reignited.

The world of baseball was indeed vast and profound.

He raised his leg high and then slammed it down powerfully.

Facing the fourth batter of Texas, Nishiyama threw his most confident pitch—the Gyro ball—on the first pitch.

This was no longer the time to hold back any of his tricks. The most important thing was to secure the final out.

Facing the sudden Gyro ball, the fourth batter of Texas, Lincoln, showed a look of surprise.

Clearly, he hadn't expected the Seidou player to throw such a tricky pitch.

By the time he reacted, the baseball had already passed through the strike zone and landed safely in the Mitt of his catcher, Yui.

Snap!

"STRIKE!"

A perfect strike brought Seidou's team great encouragement.

Their pitcher wasn't entirely helpless against the American batters.

This was crucial for a team's confidence.

Even if they were confident they could hit Lincoln's pitches, the outcome might still not matter.

Now, Nishiyama's pitch had an effect on Lincoln.

This was the perfect situation!

"Keep It Up!"

"Let's Finish Him Off With This Momentum."

"Two Outs!"

His teammates were all excited and cheered him on.

Lincoln, standing in the Batter's Box, couldn't understand their words, but he could guess the general idea.

They were just offering words of encouragement.

Lincoln directed his gaze toward a corner of the stands.

There, he saw a middle-aged man with half-gray hair.

"I'm sorry! I have my own reasons for not losing today."

Lincoln appeared eager, as though he could hit the next pitch out of the park any time.

This behavior made both Nishiyama and Yui uneasy.

Their opponent was not intimidated by the Gyro ball in the slightest.

To be honest, this was the first time they had encountered such an opponent.

It seemed that the other side was confident that they could hit Nishiyama's Gyro ball on the next pitch.

Should they continue to pitch?

Yui hesitated.

Seidou High's Ace and first backup, Sawamura and Furuya, were both the type to be completely confident in their skills.

If it were them pitching, there was no doubt they would go head-on against the opponent.

'But now, it was Nishiyama.'

Although his Gyro ball was top-notch, neither of them was confident enough to say that it would definitely take care of the batter.

'In The U.S., a player who could both pitch and be the fourth batter of the lineup was a star player with no question asked.'

It was clear just how important this player was to the Texas Lone-Star Academy Team.

'Facing such a player, we had to be extra cautious.'

Since their opponent seemed so eager to swing, they decided to test him a little.

After some hesitation, to make sure they could handle this batter, Yui called for a Ball on the outside corner.

'Now we had one Strike in our favor. Even if the batter didn't swing, we would simply return to the same starting point.'

'But if the batter swung, the result would likely just be a Foul ball.'

Before they had two Strikes, a Foul ball still counted as a Strike.

Yui's thinking wasn't unthoughtful.

The captain of the national youth baseball team still had a solid foundation.

His judgment was very thorough!

It looked like they had covered all their bases.

But the real development of events was something that Little Yui didn't anticipate beforehand.

PAAAAK!

With a swing like thunder, the little baseball was sent flying.

In the blink of an eye, it was out of sight!

"A home run!"

What a clean and decisive full-power hit.

No one expected that a Ball on the outside corner would be hit like this.

It was simply unbelievable!

"How is this possible?"

Nishiyama stared dazedly at the direction the baseball had flown. Now, it was completely out of sight.

Then he turned back, looking at the very happy figure in the Batter's Box.

The shock in his eyes was impossible to conceal.

He saw the shadow of Sawamura Eijun in this person.

Although their outward styles were completely different, the results they showed were unexpectedly close.

'How could this be?'

Nishiyama once again reassessed his worldview.

In the later part of the game, he and Yui took the lesson to heart.

Against American players, tricks were useless.

The only effective method was to confront them head-on with raw strength.

"OUT!!"

This way, they finally managed to get the final Out from the fifth batter.

At the end of the first inning, the score was 2:0.

Seidou High School's baseball team was trailing by two Runs.

In the dugout.

The teammates whispered among themselves about the boy who shared a name with the former U.S. president.

Howard Lincoln!

This guy's strength was very unexpected.

Not only was he strong, but also very well-rounded.

"It's like seeing an American version of you!"

Miyuki teased maliciously.

Sawamura smiled but said nothing.

Before his regression, both he and Lincoln had been in the Major League.

If Sawamura was somewhat famous, Lincoln was absolutely a household name.

Without mentioning anything else, his salary was four times that of Sawamura.

Let alone the income.

For baseball stars, salary was only a part of the equation.

There were many added values, such as endorsements, various programs, and activities.

Overall, Lincoln's annual income was roughly equivalent to the combined income of six or seven Sawamura Eijun-san at that time.

Although this didn't fully demonstrate the strength gap between the two, it reflected, from one perspective, just how far apart Sawamura was from Lincoln back then.

It was a significant gap.

Now, looking back and viewing Lincoln from a different perspective.

Sawamura couldn't help but sigh. Lincoln was indeed formidable.

No wonder he was called one of the American best two.

Although some people thought this was over exaggeration.

After all, compared to the other guy who seemed like an illegitimate son of baseball, Lincoln's performance was barely acceptable.

That person was a legendary figure who could earn $300 million in salary at a young age.

In comparison, Lincoln's salary was just barely in the nine-figure range.

There was a difference of more than three times.

Of course, money doesn't tell the whole story. But with such a large gap, it would be a bit hypocritical to claim that both were in the same league.

Although Lincoln's fame and strength were a level below the other guy, it didn't change the fact that he was one of the greatest players of this era.

A super talent.

The Texas Lone-Star Academy Team had never been able to advance to the semifinals, let alone further.

And Lincoln had little to do with that.

The main issue was that the other players on the Texas Lone-Star Academy Team were just too weak.

The current Texas Lone-Star Academy Team was like a high-end version of the Akagi Middle School baseball team.

Their players' average skill level was certainly not comparable to that of the Akagi Middle School players, but the general feeling was similar.

Both teams were built around pitchers as the core of their offensive and defensive systems.

Lincoln's position in this team was similar to that of Sawamura Eijun in the Akagi Middle School baseball team.

"And today, this guy's state is a bit crazy!"

Sawamura muttered with a deep feeling.

…

T/N: As always, Thank you all for reading!!

See you Tomorrow!

Until then, take care!

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