Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

Three outs, the sides exchange.

In the stands, the fans from Taiwan were thoroughly enjoying the game.

"This pitcher named Katro is quite impressive!"

Although in Japan, the pitcher known as "The Demon King," Eijun Sawamura, has a much more powerful skill set.

Even though the fans from Taiwan didn't quite see what was so special about Sawamura's pitching, they all admitted that his pitching looked extraordinary.

His normal fastball reached speeds of over 145 km/h (90 mph), and his fastest pitches could even reach 147-148 km/h. (91-92 mph)

His control was also quite good, hitting the corners consistently.

Very impressive, from any angle, Sawamura was strong.

However, seeing Sawamura in action, the Taiwan fans couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

They acknowledged that Sawamura was indeed very strong, but compared to the "Demon King" they had imagined, there seemed to be a noticeable gap.

From the current display of Sawamura's skills, the Taiwan fans could only admit that he was one of the top pitchers in the world.

But he definitely hadn't reached the level of overwhelming the rest of his peers.

This kind of "Demon King" didn't seem to have the overwhelming strength they expected.

But strangely enough,

The Cuban players, judging from their swings and the strength behind their hits, clearly weren't ordinary opponents!

It should be the case that such formidable batters, when facing Sawamura, would find his weaknesses, right?

It shouldn't be hard for them to hit the ball out of the park.

In baseball, it's not rare for batters to teach pitchers a lesson.

Even if they weren't familiar with Sawamura's pitching style, facing a pitcher for the first time, they might be a little cautious. However, with their powerful skills, at the very least, they should have been able to show signs of making contact.

But from the recent match-up, there was no sign of that. During the match between the Cuban batters and Sawamura, the Taiwan fans felt like the Cuban players didn't even have a chance of hitting the ball.

Not at all! Not even a little bit!

This was a clear sign of something.

Although the fans from Taiwan didn't see exactly what was so extraordinary about Sawamura's pitching,

They could deduce one thing from what they just saw: the Cuban batters must have encountered an unprecedented, massive difficulty and crisis when facing Sawamura. So much so that they couldn't even put up a fight and were cleanly struck out!

So, the Taiwan fans were quick to make an inference: Sawamura's pitching was definitely more than what they had just seen.

The nickname "Demon King" for Sawamura couldn't possibly be groundless.

At the bottom of the second inning, it was Cuba's turn to bat. The first batter to step into the Batter's Box was their cleanup hitter, who looked very burly and had a very distinctive name: Zeff. This was a name quite familiar to Japan and all of East Asia—it was a well-known manga character.

However, the Zeff here had no relation to the character from the manga. He was big and muscular, almost like a moving mountain of muscles.

When he stepped into the Batter's Box, his whole body nearly filled the entire area.

This was Cuba's strongest batter—his power was tremendous. Sawamura, upon facing him, couldn't help but frown. He exchanged a glance with Miyuki. Both of them knew from their scouting that, even without detailed data on this batter, his physique alone gave away what kind of player he was.

A pure power hitter. Given his size, how fast could he possibly be?

Not fast at all!

Standing in the Batter's Box and occupying the fourth spot might be tactical, but it was clear that he was Cuba's strongest hitter.

His match-up against Sawamura represented a lot.

If he could hit Sawamura's pitch, Cuba would still have a chance. But if even he couldn't hit the ball, then Cuba would be in big trouble.

Frankly speaking,

Cuba's players might find it extremely difficult to hit Sawamura's pitches in the upcoming innings.

For Cuba, that wasn't good news.

It wasn't just bad—it was critical.

Although they were three runs behind, in theory, Cuba still had a chance to catch up. But if even their fourth batter couldn't show anything when facing Sawamura,

Then, no matter how hard Cuba's players tried, they would never be able to hit his pitches.

At least, they wouldn't see any hope of doing so. If that's the case, this game could almost be called early!

The atmosphere on the field was tense. In such an environment, the match-up between the two was deeply consequential.

Whether it was the Japanese, Cubans, or the fans in the stands, they all stared intently, hoping to see the outcome.

Zeff, even if he couldn't directly get a clean hit, as long as he could make contact with Sawamura's pitch and get the ball to travel some distance,

Even if the ball was caught by a Japanese fielder, it would still prove that the Cuban players had a way to compete against Sawamura.

Although Sawamura's pitches were tricky, as long as there was a possibility to fight back, Cuba's players still had a chance at victory. But if there was no chance to fight back, no matter how hard Cuba's players tried, they wouldn't have a chance to win.

That was a harsh reality.

The catcher, Miyuki, had already noticed this and gave Sawamura a subtle signal.

In the upcoming confrontation, Sawamura had to be extra careful.

The confident Sawamura, however, didn't pay much attention to the warning.

Even though the big guy exuded an immense sense of pressure, it was like facing an opponent who was shorter or weaker—there was always that feeling of being pressured. The sheer size of the opponent, even from a distance, made it hard to ignore the sense of pressure.

Maybe not exactly the same, but in terms of style, Sawamura saw something similar in this batter to the previous batter in his team.

They both used their expression, presence, and physique to intimidate the opponent, almost like triggering a debuff that reduced the opponent's strength.

Originally, the opponent might be able to use their full power, but facing that pressure, they might only be able to bring 80% of their potential, which made it easier for them to get a hit.

At that moment, Sawamura couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.

Comparing the opponent to his teammate wasn't exactly right.

The opponent's imposing presence, massive physique, and constantly swinging bat reminded Sawamura of his own batting stance.

Of course, this wasn't Sawamura's current batting style. In fact, Sawamura's own batting style was influenced by Major League Baseball, adding his unique touch to it. Being a Major League player himself, it felt natural.

The big guy hadn't fully mastered the technique, but in terms of mimicry, he had already grasped the essence of the Major League players.

Sawamura thought, at least this big guy hadn't failed to live up to his size—big size equals big power.

This was undoubtedly a good thing, or rather, a very advantageous thing.

Major League players focused a lot on power, and while this guy wasn't that fast, his strength was already comparable to Major League hitters!

Having such power combined with decent batting skills, even with preparation, facing such an opponent, Sawamura would still find it hard to get the upper hand.

Sawamura and Miyuki exchanged a knowing look. They both understood exactly what this big guy's game plan was.

Having understood the opponent's intentions, Miyuki felt a little more at ease.

Previously, Miyuki was feeling uneasy.

But now,

With knowledge of the opponent's weakness, it was time to exploit it.

'His inner corner!'

With such a physique, bulky and big, if he straightened his back, he wouldn't even be able to see his feet. He was too fat, and his muscles were too large.

That muscle mass supported his power.

His hitting power was certainly impressive!

This was something Sawamura and Miyuki knew very well.

But, with advantages, there were bound to be weaknesses.

'For example, this batter's clear weakness was obvious.'

'With such a physique, how could he properly swing at an inside pitch?'

'It was bound to be awkward, right? And combined with Sawamura's pitching style, the batter couldn't even see the pitch's release point. That alone made the pitch difficult.'

Add to that their plan to target the inside corner.

'Alright, let's take this hulk down!'

'On it!'

Sawamura and Miyuki, this pair of partners, had reached an excellent level of coordination. They had practically perfected their strategy, and if their opponent wasn't mentally prepared, they wouldn't even stand a chance of facing them—truly terrifying.

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

It seemed like a long time, but it was only a brief moment. The score was settled.

After several inside pitches, Cuba's fourth batter had no chance.

The first two pitches, he didn't even swing.

On the third pitch, he was already pushed to the edge. Reluctantly, he raised his bat, hoping to make contact, but it was futile.

The result? The bat missed the pitch.

The speed was so fast that it exceeded everyone's expectations.

In an instant, Cuba's fourth batter was dealt with.

Not only was the pitch incredibly fast,

But Sawamura didn't even give the Cuban player a chance to feel sad, as he quickly threw the next pitch.

WHRROOSH!

Sawamura's right mitt shot forward, moving his whole body with it, as his left hand whipped like a whip. His pitching form was already flawless, aided by his innate talent.

The baseball shot out like a laser, traveling several meters before reaching the batter.

'Brilliant!'

Seeing that pitch, Miyuki couldn't help but feel excited inside.

He will really miss playing with him.

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!!"

Three Outs, offense and defense exchange.

Thanks to Sawamura's invisible release point and precise pitches, the game was almost over for Cuba.

The Japan team then sent in their strongest hitters this inning.

They were back on top.

This wasn't good news for Cuba.

They were already on shaky ground, and losing another point seemed imminent.

...