Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

Weekends are always relaxing.

Kusaki Sakurako accompanied her sister Kusaki Hiori after shopping, and the two were heading home.

Hiuri, the older sister, is ten years older than Sakurako. She has been working for several years now and is a very successful white-collar worker.

It was said that Kusaki Sakurako accompanied her sister shopping, but it was her sister who gave Sakurako some small gifts and clothes.

Although the two are not direct sisters, their relationship is closer than that of blood-related sisters.

The two young beauties who talked and laughed along the way naturally attracted a lot of coveted eyes around them.

In this regard, Kusaki Sakura is still a bit shy, but her sister can already be calm.

Kusaki Sakurako glanced at her sister admiringly, thinking in her heart, when will she become a person like her sister.

Her sister Kusaki has always been Sakurako's idol.

"Ring, Ring~"

A pleasant cell phone rang, and Kusaki Sakurako greeted her sister and took out her cell phone from her handbag.

It's her friend 'Ikari-chan'.

'Ikari-chan' is, of course, a nickname, because she is always in a hurry all day, so Sakurako called her that. (T/N: Ikari is a play of words in Japanese which mean 'mad')

"What's wrong?"

Without any hesitation, Kusaki Sakurako pressed the answer button. If she dares to be late, Ikari-chan will definitely cut her into eight pieces.

"Something's happened! Sakurako, something's happened! A big thing!!!"

The call was connected, and the loud voice of the 'Ikari-chan' rang.

Sakurako gracefully took the phone away, keeping the noise away from her eardrums.

"Okay, let's talk."

No matter what it is, in the eyes of the 'Ikari-chan', it is a big thing, a big thing.

"Your dream boy is dueling with someone else. Do you think it's a big deal?"

Dream boy?

Sakurako was stunned for a moment before she understood who the 'Ikari-chan' was talking about.

"Sawamura-kun, what happened to him?"

Sure enough, the sound changed.

On the other side of the phone, a bubbly girl with short hair giggled.

"Would you like to know? Would you like to know?"

"Say it!"

Sakurako's voice suddenly increased a little.

"Is this your attitude to talk to someone who knows? You're still the Captain of the cheerleading team, so you don't have any emotional IQ at all~"

The voice on the other side of the phone sounded a bit playful.

"Forget it, don't make trouble with you, come to my house. It's by the river next to my house, the one next to our school."

"Beeb~"

Just as she finished speaking here, the sound of the phone hanging up came from the other side.

Ikari-chan happily threw herself on the bed and rolled around.

"Sa-chan, I didn't expect you to have an appointment today."

Kusaki Sakurako looked at her sister apologetically and said, "Onee-chan, I suddenly have something to do and I can't go home with you."

Hiori looked at her sister, her eyes sparkling with sparkling light: "Sa-chan, are you in love?"

"Well, there is-"

Kusaki Sakurako looked at her sister in disbelief, her face flushed.

"He-he, our Sa-chan has also grown up, and has reached the age of falling in love."

Hiuri smiled and didn't care.

"Go, when you see the little love, say hello to me."

"Onee-chan!"

Sakurako groaned softly, but without explaining much, she directly found a taxi and headed to Seidou.

"So anxious!"

As a senior reporter, Hiuri knows that to explain is to cover up and to cover up is to be dishonest. The more hesitant the younger sister was, the more she confirmed her guess from the side.

***

By the river.

At this time, Sawamura didn't know that the name that he heard from Kuramochi before was about to intersect with him.

He was also immersed in the showdown with the third-year senior.

Facing Isashiki, Chris gave Sawamura the first sign, the ball was in the zone, and a Change-up at that.

To be honest, this pitch was a very risky one, and it didn't look like a ball that Chris would Call for. The Change-up itself is not a great ball, At the level of a first-string batter at Seidou High School, they can wait for the ball to enter the zone before swinging.

If they played like that, Sawamura's Change-up would become a meatball.

The Change-up ball can only exert its power when it is mixed with the straight ball. Take advantage of that sudden difference in ball speed to catch the Batter off guard.

If you throw a Change-up on the first ball, once you see it through, you are likely to be beaten.

If you don't Pitch well, you will be tortured!

For pitchers, this challenge is like walking a tightrope. It's very exciting.

And this kind of tension also stimulated Eijun's nerves, making him excited.

'Sure enough, partnering with Chris-shisho is exciting.'

On the pitcher mound, Sawamura raised his legs high, and the momentum of the whole body began to rise.

At the Plate, Isashiki's fierce gaze was firmly locked on Sawamura, not letting go of a single bit of detail.

Seeing Sawamura lift his leg, he subconsciously clenched the bat in his hand.

coming!

When Sawamura was throwing the ball, he couldn't see the spot at all, which Kominato had told Isashiki before.

In this regard, Isashiki has long been mentally prepared. But even if you are mentally prepared, you will still feel uncomfortable.

'Tsk, I can lose to this little trick.'

Despite the discomfort, Isashiki swung the first shot.

His swing is not smooth, but, strangely, such a smooth swing is very powerful.

Buzz!

The bat swung like a gust of wind swept the leaves, and there was nothing in sight.

The ball is so slow

Incredibly slow.

Isashiki, who originally thought that Sawamura would throw a Straight Fastball, had already swung ahead of time, so Sawamura's Change-up came a long time after his swing.

Snap!

"STRIKE!"

Miyuki's eyes were terrifyingly bright.

'it's beautiful!'

Chris's Calling is beautiful, and Sawamura's pitch is even better.

In the face of Isashiki, who swings aggressively, it is ideal to use the change-up on the first shot. And Sawamura's performance was even more beautiful. Just now, even he thought for a moment that Sawamura would throw a Straight.

Raise your legs, step, swing your arms, throw the ball…

Whether it's a Straight ball or a Change-up, you can't see the slightest difference in Sawamura's movements.

"This guy, the degree of completion is really terrible."

Miyuki admired in his heart.

Yuuki, Kominato, and Masuko, but their faces were very ugly.

Isashiki, who has a good sense of the ball, is actually swinging so much faster!

Without allowing them to think too much, Sawamura threw the second ball.

"Go to hell!"

The first swing failed, and facing the second ball, Isashiki still swung with the same full force.

Snap!

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE BATTER OUT!!!"

The second Pitch is inside course, and the third Pitch is low and away.

Isashiki, who swung continuously, didn't touch a single ball and was struck out.

In fact, since the first Change-up he missed, he has been led by Chris by the nose.

In the first round of the duel, Sawamura Shut out Ryosuke Kominato and Struck out Isashiki.

As long as he doesn't let Yuuki Tetsuya hit a home run, he's going to win!

But that of course, is not an easy task.

...