Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

At the Batter's Box stood a hitter whose presence seemed inconspicuous. The way he carried himself was reserved, his demeanor unassuming.

His physique was unremarkable, and his appearance didn't stand out in any way. He was the type you'd lose track of in a crowd.

If it weren't on a baseball field, the Tokyo Seidou baseball team members would find it hard to feel any sense of caution toward such a person.

This wasn't because the Seidou players were overly arrogant. It was simply that the person in question was too unremarkable.

Yet, despite his modest appearance, when facing this opponent standing at the Batter's Box, no one on the Seidou High team could maintain a relaxed expression.

Because they knew that this opponent wasn't as harmless as he appeared.

Kyle Johannesburg.

In the previous Tokyo-Los Angeles exchange match, he was the only one who managed to hit Sawamura's pitch.

Among the Tokyo players, no one understood Sawamura's strength better. In their eyes, Sawamura was the closest thing to invincibility.

They could hardly fathom someone hitting Sawamura's pitch like that, let alone during their first encounter.

Yet, this ordinary-looking young man had done exactly that.

No wonder the Seidou team players regarded him as a formidable enemy.

From his position behind the plate, Miyuki furrowed his brows.

'The Wind Youth team was moving faster than expected. They had already gone all in.'

Having faced Burg head-on in a real match before, Miyuki had a clearer understanding of his strength.

In terms of batting prowess, Burg was undeniably the best of the Wind Youth Academy team.

He might even surpass Carlisle in this regard.

'But Burg also had a glaring weakness—his defensive skills.'

Burg wasn't suited for staying on the field for long durations. The longer he played, the more mistakes he'd make.

Such mistakes could turn a likely victory into an unpredictable outcome.

The Los Angeles Coach and players wouldn't let that happen.

Burg was undoubtedly a short-term weapon—his usage was limited by necessity.

Miyuki had assumed that even if Los Angeles deployed Burg, it would be in the latter half or end of the game.

He hadn't expected them to use Burg so early.

Clearly, Los Angeles judged that the game was already in a decisive phase.

Miyuki glanced toward the dugout. As expected, Coach Kataoka, wearing his sunglasses, didn't issue any instructions.

This didn't surprise Miyuki.

Their Coach was a stubborn man.

It seemed that unless Seidou was on the verge of collapse, Coach Kataoka had no intention of changing pitchers.

'With that, the current crisis could only be resolved by Furuya himself.'

Turning his gaze to the mound, Miyuki's eyes deepened.

This duel was crucial for Seidou's team.

For Furuya, it was just as significant.

If Furuya could overcome this challenge with his strength, his next step would be much easier.

'Kid, this is a rare opportunity. Don't waste it!'

After a long look at Furuya, Miyuki decisively signaled.

Miyuki was well aware of Burg's batting ability.

Despite his unassuming appearance, Burg was among the top five batters Miyuki had ever seen.

He could be compared to Thunder Beast Raichi and even the Demon King Sawamura himself.

'Against such an opponent, tricks or gimmicks would be futile.'

There was only one path: a head-on confrontation, leveraging the pitcher's strengths.

Miyuki's role was to guide Furuya to bring out his best.

Upon seeing Miyuki's signal, Furuya didn't hesitate. He immediately released the baseball from his hand.

Furuya had complete faith in Miyuki's abilities.

Back in the day, he had traveled all the way from Hokkaido to Tokyo for the sole purpose of teaming up with Miyuki.

Before that, Furuya had endured tough times. His pitches were too fast and powerful, and none of his teammates could catch them.

They even grew fearful of his fearsome pitches.

As a result, no one wanted to play with Furuya anymore. He had to practice pitching alone under a bridge.

Those cold bridge walls had left him with a searing determination.

When he entered high school, it was to find true companions.

And that he did.

He found friends that he could compete with.

Cool Mentors and Senpais to look up to.

Amazing Kohais to be an example for.

Group, a team to be part of.

After finally having such things, Furuya deeply valued Miyuki.

Every command Miyuki issued, Furuya would follow.

This time was no exception. Seeing Miyuki's signal, Furuya unhesitatingly delivered the pitch.

Roaar!

The baseball left Furuya's hand like a rumbling cannonball.

Its overwhelming momentum made everyone at the scene in awe.

Even the local Los Angeles fans had to admit that watching Furuya pitch was an exhilarating experience.

It was always so powerful, so liberating, like a release of pent-up emotion.

It was pure satisfaction!

Of course, this was the perspective of spectators.

For someone standing in the Batter's Box facing Furuya directly, it was a different story altogether.

That was exactly how Burg felt now.

Initially, he had been eager to face off against Sawamura Eijun again.

During the Tokyo exchange game, he had faced Sawamura twice, winning once and losing once.

For Burg, this was a rare and thrilling experience.

Thus, he had been looking forward to this game against Seidou to face Sawamura again.

But unexpectedly, another player, Furuya, had stepped in.

Not being able to face Sawamura was a bit disappointing for Kyle.

However, getting the chance to compete against someone like Furuya also filled him with excitement.

For an exceptional batter, nothing was more thrilling than facing a powerful pitcher and successfully hitting their pitches.

Burg's greatest desire was to conquer the world's strongest pitchers with his bat.

He had even clashed with his team's ace, Conrad, hoping to hit his pitches.

As the Wind Youth team's strongest spear and shield, the coach naturally discouraged such internal rivalries.

So, the matter was shelved.

The question of who was stronger—Conrad or Kyle—remained an unsolved mystery within the Wind Youth Academy team.

Back on the field...

Burg stared at the powerful baseball flying toward him.

He could feel his adrenaline surging rapidly.

He had to hit it,

'I Absolutely Had To Hit It!!!'

That was exactly how Burg felt now.

When he saw Furuya's pitch, he knew he'd regret it if he didn't swing.

So, as the baseball approached, Burg unhesitatingly swung his bat.

Furuya's pitch was fast, but Burg's swing wasn't slow either.

The moment the baseball flew towards him, his bat slammed into it with force.

Paak!

The baseball grazed the top of the bat and bounced out, falling behind the catcher.

"FOUL!"

This result wasn't too bad for either side, but it wasn't great either.

They exchanged glances, each lost in their own thoughts.

"This guy's swing speed is so fast?"

"He caught up to Furuya's pitch on the very first ball."

"I knew he was dangerous, but this much!"

The catcher, Miyuki, felt a shock in his heart.

He was truly surprised; he hadn't expected the opponent's strength to be so overwhelming.

On the other side, the players of Los Angeles were also startled.

"That was close!"

"Really close!"

"Come on Boy!"

"Burg!"

If that ball had flown towards the field, it would have been an easy catch.

Compared to that, this result, while not ideal, was at least acceptable.

At the Batter's Box, Burg, who had previously looked relaxed and in a good mood, suddenly became serious.

He didn't share the same smug satisfaction that his teammates might feel after even a small success.

For him, his focus was on the opponent in front of him.

The opponent was about 180 cm tall, with a lean figure, distinct facial features, and a bit of charm. When not pitching, there was nothing particularly impressive about him.

But once he started pitching, it was as if he transformed into a completely different person.

'An interesting pitcher, indeed.'

"Let me have some fun with you!"

Burg suddenly got interested, squinting his eyes and sizing up the pitcher, Furuya.

He eagerly awaited the next pitch.

Sure enough, Furuya's second ball came quickly.

Roaar!

It looked even fiercer than the first, and this one even missed the strike zone.

'Tsk! Such an easy trick, do you think you can fool me into swinging?'

Burg ignored it.

Boom!

The ball landed straight into Miyuki's mitt.

"BALL!"

The umpire made his call.

The count was now 1 Ball, 1 Strike.

The battle between the two sides became evenly matched.

For Burg, the ball Furuya had just thrown was just bait.

But for Miyuki, this wasn't a good sign.

The signal Miyuki had given to Furuya had not been for a Ball.

'Furuya's condition wasn't right!'

Miyuki realized this but couldn't fix it.

And Coach Kataoka wasn't planning on sending Sawamura out at this moment.

So, resigned to it, Miyuki could only trust Furuya.

Miyuki signaled again.

Furuya threw the ball.

Roaar!

Paak!

"FOUL!!"

Boom!

"BALL!!"

Paak!

"FOUL!!"

Burg, who was originally a purely aggressive hitter, had started using technique.

He let the balls pass while hitting every good one foul.

His purpose was clear.

'He was aiming for a four-ball walk!'

Miyuki quickly realized this, but sadly, he had no way of stopping it.

Furuya had already thrown both his forkball and slider, but neither worked.

Burg ignored anything outside the strike zone.

For anything inside the strike zone, he simply hit it foul.

At this rate, unless Burg made a mistake himself, there was nothing they could do.

The count quickly reached 3 balls, 2 strikes—full count.

Both sides were now at the final showdown.

At this point, Miyuki no longer had confidence in the outcome.

But the pitch still had to be thrown!

He signaled to Furuya to throw a breaking ball.

Even if the future seemed uncertain, they had to face their opponent head-on.

It wasn't the style of the Seidou High baseball team to simply surrender.

Furuya had the same mindset.

He took his stance on the mound, ready to throw.

Regardless of the outcome, they had decided to give it their all.

As the ball was released, it was clear it was going to miss the strike zone.

The result of the showdown was already predictable.

At that moment, a bat suddenly appeared in front of the ball.

'What?'

Miyuki raised his head in disbelief, watching Burg swing.

'What Is He Trying To Do?!'

Before Miyuki could think much longer, the answer quickly came.

PAAAAAKKKKK!!!!!!

The baseball, after being hit, soared high into the air!

It finally landed in the stands outside the field.

"Ho… Home Ruuun!!!"

In the fourth inning, with a full count, the Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team hit their second home run.

The score was now 3:2, trailing by just one point.

...

T/N: …Ouch!

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