Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

The finals of the World Youth Baseball Tournament were being held in Taipei, and the atmosphere was intense.

The two teams competing were America, which had just defeated Taiwan with a 3-0 score.

They had not let down their title as a baseball kingdom.

They had successfully secured the victory.

On the other side was Japan team, which had faced difficulties during the tournament but, relying on their tenacity, had crushed their opponents with a 13-0 score.

The final between these two teams had been highly anticipated.

Fifteen minutes before the game started, the stands were already filled with spectators.

"This is so crazy!"

A baseball fan from Taiwan had heard rumors and specifically rushed to watch the game.

When he arrived at the stadium, he was shocked.

Although he had heard many rumors beforehand, seeing it all in person was a completely different experience, and he was deeply impressed.

It was truly packed with people!

Although it was the end of August, the heat had not fully subsided.

The temperature at the venue was 36°C.

It was a temperature where a person could sweat profusely just by standing outside without doing anything special.

Added to that was the scorching sun!

In such weather, going to watch a baseball game was itself a crazy thing.

Many people, feeling extremely bored and hearing so many rumors, came out of curiosity.

Even the media had reported on it.

They came because of their curiosity!

When they arrived, they were surprised to find that there were many other young people, like them, driven by curiosity.

Along with fans who had come from Japan, the entire baseball stadium was packed.

In such sweltering heat, so many people crammed into a stadium.

The whole venue instantly turned into a steam room.

But despite this, no one chose to leave.

They remained patiently waiting for the game to start.

The camera captured the scene in real-time.

This moment was then shared online, sparking much discussion.

"This is the charm of baseball!"

Even with the blazing sun and high temperatures, the spectators were still eager to watch high-level baseball games.

The players, too, had to sweat it out in this intense heat to compete for the highest honor.

Four television stations were broadcasting the game live, and it was said that over a hundred million fans across the country would witness this game.

Although the number might be exaggerated, it wasn't by much.

Even if the total number of fans watching the game wasn't over a hundred million, tens of millions was still a reality.

The two teams, with 40 players, would put on an outstanding performance in front of these fans.

And it was not just any match, it was the World Championship!

The Peak Of Youth!!

The result of the coin toss was that Sawamura won.

"We choose to bat second!"

Sawamura's choice wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision.

He had discussed it with the team beforehand.

If the opponents had won, the choice would naturally be theirs.

Japan team had nothing to say about it and had to accept their fate. However, if they won, the decision to bat first or second was crucial.

After analyzing various factors, Coach Takeda and most of the players agreed that batting second would be more beneficial for them.

Both Japan team's players and Coach Takeda had a pretty good understanding of their situation. A team like theirs, with so many changes, would face the biggest challenge at the beginning of the game!

Moreover, the American team was very different from their usual selves.

In the past, the American team was often casually formed, without necessarily fielding the best players from their country.

But this time, it was different. It was as if the players from America had somehow all gathered together and turned into a star team, making their team a much tougher opponent.

This was troublesome.

In other words, the quality of the players on the American team was top-tier, but that wasn't the most shocking thing.

The American team was also a temporary lineup, yet they didn't have the typical issues that such teams might face.

While it was true that the combined team featured the strongest players from various teams, this also created some challenges.

However, the American team didn't have this issue.

On the surface, it appeared they were all acting independently, but once each player did their job, the team worked seamlessly together as a collective force.

This realization kept Coach Takeda and the assistant coach awake at night.

It was unbelievable!

It made them think back to the past when they had first faced the legendary American player, Allen, the Son of Baseball.

Coach Takeda had heard of Allen before and knew that anyone who followed baseball had likely heard the name.

But hearing about him was one thing, seeing him in action was another.

After seeing Allen play in person, Coach Takeda truly realized that his best players were just talented ordinary people compared to someone like Allen.

Back then, Allen almost single-handedly defeated the Japanese team, leading them to a crushing defeat with a 4-0 scoreline.

If the game had been close, Coach Takeda could have found some comfort, at least knowing they had fought hard.

But in that game, it wasn't close at all. Allen crushed them, and the Japanese team had no chance to even pose a small threat.

In summary, that was a humiliating defeat.

Since then, that game became a memory that Coach Takeda hated to think about.

It left him with a lingering sense of fear when it came to facing America.

He especially feared meeting them again.

However, sometimes, no matter how much you fear something, it doesn't change the outcome. Japan team was once again set to face America in this final.

Following the assistant coach's suggestion, they should have started with Hongou to save Sawamura's energy for what might be a prolonged battle.

But Coach Takeda immediately dismissed this suggestion.

As mentioned before, his fear of America ran deep.

He had seen his prized players defeated so decisively by the American team's dream squad.

He had heard that Sawamura had played a close game against Allen, but Coach Takeda could hardly believe it.

Could it be true?

He even pinched himself to make sure, and yes, it was true.

Now, facing America again, despite the assistant coach's advice, Coach Takeda could not shake his deep fear of their team.

His mind kept recalling Allen and the American Dream Team.

Even though Hongou's abilities were also excellent, Coach Takeda was reluctant to trust him fully.

He feared that even though Hongou was a monster, his level of talent couldn't compare to someone like Allen.

In the end, they had no choice but to make a different plan.

"All of the responsibility falls to Sawamura now. This game will be no different."

At the crucial moment, Coach Takeda remembered Sawamura's performance against the American dream team.

The results had been exaggerated by Sawamura's supporters, and everyone had heard about it.

Although not everyone accepted it, it was still remarkable.

Sawamura had led the team to that level of play, and Coach Takeda firmly believed that he could do the same for Japan team in this final.

The game officially began, and Sawamura stood on the pitcher's mound.

The atmosphere around him was just as intense.

The cheers from the audience echoed through the stadium!

"SAWAMURA!"

"SAWAMURA!!!"

Sawamura felt the weight of the crowd's support.

He looked up at the sky. It was scorching, and the sun was blinding.

In such weather, competing against the opponent was certainly not ideal.

But there was no turning back. They had come this far; they couldn't back down now.

For he knew, this would be the Peak of his Youth!

The game began.

Sawamura raised the baseball in his hand and lifted his right leg high before planting it firmly on the ground.

As his body shifted weight, his mitt pushed forward, and the ball shot out from his left hand with a whistling sound.

WHRROOSH!!!!

The white ball zoomed toward the batter like a laser.

The first batter from America was a handsome young man named Francis.

He had a remarkable track record with a batting average of .560 and an on-base percentage over 70%.

He was a sharp weapon in America's offense.

The American players were excited, hoping Francis would be able to hit Sawamura's pitch.

But unfortunately, Francis couldn't even swing his bat.

He was stunned, unable to believe what he was seeing as Sawamura's pitch flew past him.

...

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

See you Tomorrow!

Until then, take care!

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