Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

Two Outs, no one on base.

The score on the field is 3:0.

Although the Japanese players believe they have already secured the advantage, they have not given up on attacking.

Cuba still has a fighting spirit.

Despite the score gap, their players clearly haven't given up on winning.

This is not good news for the Japanese team.

Even though the Japanese players don't believe the opposition can pose any real threat to them, let alone stage a comeback, it's still something to be wary of.

But with Cuba's high morale, the upcoming game is bound to be no easy feat.

Standing in the Batter's Box, Hoshida thought to himself.

'The match against America is coming up, and to conserve energy and maintain strength, now is the time to finish off the opponent decisively!'

If the opponent gives up resistance, the following inning should be much easier.

This would preserve more energy, allowing them to face the match with America in a better condition.

Hoshida's thoughts seemed entirely focused on the team, as if he were considering the bigger picture.

But in reality, he had a few personal ambitions.

Inashiro, Seidou, Yakushi!

West Tokyo is a powerful battleground, and three of its players have already shown their strength.

No matter what, they can't fall behind!

They can't let their school, Sankou High, go down without making a move!

This was something Hoshida couldn't tolerate.

He raised his bat high, eyes fixed on the pitcher's mound where the Cuban pitcher, Katro, stood.

After the continuous heavy hits, Katro's form should have been greatly affected.

Given the current situation, this was a good opportunity.

Take advantage of the weakness!

Right now, the Cuban pitcher might be at his weakest point.

This could be the best time to attack him.

There's only one underdog pitcher like this in Cuba—there won't be another.

This means that if Hoshida can break this pitcher down, Cuba's entire team might collapse.

The chances are high, the hope is big.

Thinking about this, Hoshida felt a little excited.

Though he hadn't been the one to pave the way, there was a hint of regret.

But if he could be the one to crush the opponent's final hopes, that wouldn't be bad either.

With this thought, Hoshida's fighting spirit surged even higher.

Behind the plate, the Cuban catcher looked like he was about to cry.

Are these Japanese players monsters?

How can they be so ruthless in their actions?

And their fighting spirit, one after the other, is so high.

Even though they've already scored three points, they show no signs of letting up.

Looking at Hoshida, the catcher could almost feel the thought of the opponent wanting to kick a dog when it's down.

How despicable!

The catcher, who was on the verge of collapse, suddenly felt a spark of fighting spirit.

Fighting spirit may not be the right word.

At this moment, he seemed more like a soldier forced into a corner in ancient times.

The pure murderous intent radiating from him was palpable.

Since he's going to die anyway, might as well take a risk.

Killing one won't hurt, killing two means gaining one.

The pitcher, Katro, on the mound quickly sensed the change in the catcher's demeanor.

He had always felt that his partner was a bit too soft, indecisive.

As the team's catcher, the field commander, such a personality inevitably held things back.

Though he wasn't entirely satisfied, after working together for so long, Katro had somewhat come to terms with it.

But now, at a crucial moment, his partner had shown a fierce side.

That was impressive!

"That's more like a man!"

Katro nodded firmly, pulled back, and threw the baseball without hesitation.

Whrroosh!

The baseball shot out like a laser beam.

Hoshida in the Batter's Box furrowed his brows when he saw the pitch.

'Something felt off!'

'Why is the ball heading straight for my head?'

At first, Hoshida thought it was just his imagination, but the ball was right in front of his eyes in an instant.

It was about to hit his head.

As an experienced player, he knew he couldn't just take it.

If it hit his body, Hoshida would have let it go.

Getting hit by the ball would not only put him on base but also cause great psychological damage to the pitcher, making him falter in the next pitches.

Overall, it was still a good trade-off.

Though it would hurt a bit!

But this was different. This pitch was aimed directly at his head.

Even with a helmet, Hoshida couldn't guarantee he'd come out unscathed.

It was too dangerous, and there was no need for it.

So, he hurriedly dodged backward to avoid the ball.

Snap!

The baseball zoomed into the catcher's Mitt with a powerful tailspin.

Hoshida could even hear the ball struggling in the mitt.

It was terrifying!

The speed of the ball wasn't very high, but its power was immense.

Hoshida couldn't help but imagine if it had really hit his head…

A cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

The umpire noticed the danger of the pitch and frowned, considering whether he should intervene.

This was clearly a dangerous move.

If it were intentional, it wouldn't just be a technical issue, it would be a matter of ethics.

"I'm really sorry, my hand slipped!"

Katro on the pitcher's mound said apologetically.

"I got too nervous and didn't notice the sweat on my hand."

The umpire, who was about to say something, nodded slightly and remained silent.

Previously, the pitcher had just hit a home run.

It was understandable that he might make a mistake due to nerves.

But for some reason, the umpire had a feeling that something wasn't right.

Was this really unintentional?

This doubt was not only in the umpire's mind.

Hoshida, standing in the Batter's Box, was also thinking the same.

He glared at Katro on the pitcher's mound, his eyes as if trying to devour his opponent.

Trying to intimidate me?

At this point, Hoshida had figured out Katro's intentions.

Katro wasn't really trying to hit him but was attempting to force him to step back.

Having practiced swinging thousands of times and simulated countless opponents in his mind, Hoshida wasn't someone to be intimidated by such threats.

Stop underestimating me!

After stepping back earlier, Hoshida's temper flared.

He didn't step back this time; instead, he stepped forward, closing the distance.

At this point, his body was nearly touching the inner edge of the strike zone.

You want to throw inside, or a hit-by-pitch?

Fine, I'll play along!

Hoshida was ready to risk it all now.

Unless they tried to hit him in the head again, he wasn't stepping back.

But if they tried to hit him in the head again, the umpire wouldn't be able to ignore it.

Once, you can say it's a mistake, that your hand slipped.

But can it happen twice, or more?

Determined, Hoshida quickly took action.

In the Japanese dugout.

Miyuki sighed.

'He's totally been played. His body was completely pressed up against the edge of the strike zone.'

'How could he swing at an inside pitch?'

Whrroosh!

At that moment, Katro on the mound seemed to have understood what Miyuki was thinking.

He threw the ball to the inner edge of the strike zone.

In terms of control, this guy had clearly reached an incredibly high level.

The baseball nearly grazed Hoshida's clothes as it entered the strike zone.

Snap!

"STRIKE!"

This was incredible.

The crowd in the stands erupted into loud applause.

Even though neither player had produced any significant results up until now, their tense confrontation had the audience on the edge of their seats.

This was how a match should be—full of excitement.

In the Japanese dugout.

Mima frowned.

Though they had already scored three points, Mima had previously faced Katro and had an impression of him.

Though he had conceded three runs earlier, Katro was clearly a troublesome opponent.

But now, this sly version of Katro seemed even more troublesome to deal with than before.

…