Diamond Ace's Passionate Swing

The indoor training ground of Seido was brightly lit.

The pitchers sat in a circle, the atmosphere somewhat subdued.

Chris's voice rang out clearly.

"The problem you all have in common is still walking four balls."

"Lin Xiao and Furuya both lose control easily because of the ball's excessive speed."

"These careless four-ball mistakes often directly lead to lost points."

"Danbo, even though you're shooting very carefully, you still make some ball control mistakes."

"Kawakami, on the other hand, was admitted to university twice because he was too cautious."

"Sawamura, you walked the first batter to the court, and that directly led to the score being conceded."

Miyuki Kazuya crossed his arms and added without any hesitation.

"Especially Sawamura, your pitches often get hit deep into the outfield."

"It's better not to let people get to base so easily."

Sawamura's cheeks puffed up.

"He was pushed outfield..."

Miyuki raised an eyebrow.

"Are you listening, you idiot?"

"Shut up!"

Sawamura retorted as if his hair had been blown off.

At this moment, Tanbo, who had been silent all along, took a deep breath.

"I have something I want to say to everyone."

Chris looked at him, his eyes questioning.

"Tamba..."

Danbo's gaze first fell on Lin Xiao, his eyes filled with complex emotions, including resentment, but more so with a sense of relief and entrustment.

"Lin Xiao, before the Summer Tournament, you carried the number of ace. Although I was very unwilling, I admire your ability very much."

"You, my junior, have already surpassed me, your senior."

His voice was deep and sincere.

"We hope that you will carry with you the unfulfilled wish we shared as you enter Koshien."

Lin Xiao was slightly taken aback.

"Tanba-senpai..."

Tanbo's gaze then shifted to the others.

"Kawakami, Fangtani, Sawamura."

"You all need to do your jobs well. Even though you're just substitutes, don't forget that we are all indispensable members of this team."

His gaze finally returned to Lin Xiao, carrying the senior's words of advice.

"Lin Xiao, don't forget that you have us pitchers behind you."

"Don't try to shoulder everything alone."

Lin Xiao smiled, his eyes bright and confident.

"Of course, but I'm quite confident in my abilities."

Danbo nodded, his eyes regaining their resolve.

"The match the day after tomorrow..."

"The person who stands on the pitcher's mound is the team's ace."

"Let's all fight to the very last moment with this never-give-up spirit!"

Lin Xiao nodded vigorously.

"I will try my best!"

The others echoed in unison, their voices reverberating in the empty indoor practice area.

"yes!"

The day before the final.

Inside the cowshed, the catcher's gloves made a dull thud.

Keisuke Miyauchi stood up and stretched his wrists.

"Well done."

Miyuki Kazuya leaned against the wire mesh next to him, watching Tanba who had just finished his pitching practice.

"Tanba-senpai's ball skills are still pretty good."

Miyauchi nodded, a hint of barely perceptible worry in his voice.

"It's just that my straight shot can be a bit inconsistent at times."

Miyuki's eyes flickered slightly.

"Although in the last game, the opponent clearly targeted his easier shots."

"But the fact that he was able to pitch all five innings should have given Tanba a lot of confidence back."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Lin Xiao, Furuya, and Sawamura not far away.

"More important than my pitching form is my positive mindset right now."

"Lin Xiao has three capable pitchers behind him. Seido's pitching reserves are really not bad."

On the other side, Sawamura was gesturing wildly, his face beaming with excessive excitement.

"How terrifying! I'm so terrifying!"

"Why isn't the match today?! I can't wait!"

Chris rested his chin on his hand, watching the landing point of the ball that Sawamura had just thrown.

"Your shot was way off the target zone; you could have easily put two balls in."

Standing in the strike zone, Kinmaru was still shaken.

"Are you trying to hit me with the ball?"

Sawamura hurriedly waved his hand.

"No! No! I wanted to vote for the center!"

Jinwan's lips twitched.

"Isn't that even worse?"

Minister Ota watched from the side and smiled helplessly.

"His mental state is pretty good."

Batting practice is underway at Stadium A.

The crisp sound of metal clashing echoed through the training field.

"Ping!"

"Ping!"

"Ping!"

The onlookers and students were discussing it animatedly.

"That was a brilliant comeback."

"The ball thrown by that machine must be traveling at nearly 150 km/h."

"It should be to simulate Narumiya Narumi, who is a left-handed pitcher with a top speed of 148 km/h."

"But isn't Lin Xiao's ball speed even faster?"

"Pitchers need rest too, right? Are we going to have the ace keep feeding them pitches?"

"Tomorrow's game will very likely be a pitcher's battle."

"If your swing speed can't keep up with such a fastball, you're doomed."

It was Sawamura's turn to strike.

He took a deep breath and struck an exaggerated pose.

"I'll hit you—!"

The bat swung out, creating a gust of wind, but it just missed the baseball flying at high speed.

"Just one millimeter less! Just one more millimeter and it would be perfect!"

Sawamura shouted in frustration.

Minister Ota watched as he swung his full power but missed, and he was both amused and exasperated.

"He...he certainly went all out..."

The next moment, there was another clean and crisp sound of the ball being struck.

"Ping!"

The white ball transformed into a shooting star, flying deep into the outfield.

It's Lin Xiao.

"As expected of him, even his blows are so powerful."

"Yes, after these months of batting practice, his batting ability is now on par with Captain Yuki."

"At first, we could only use short hits, but now we've fully developed our long hits as well."

Immediately afterwards, Kominato Haruichi, who was standing nearby, also began to crack down.

"Snapped!"

The ball was cleverly deflected and rolled toward the infield.

Sawamura's eyes widened.

"Koharu!"

"That damn lucky boy!"

Lin Xiao reminded him from the side.

"Sawamura, use short-range clothing."

Sawamura hit the ball head-on, but this time he didn't swing at full power.

The bat taps lightly.

"pretty!"

A collective gasp of surprise rippled through the crowd.

"That short-range shot that broke through the ball's momentum was really impressive!"

"That's a ball traveling at 150 km/h! How did he hit it?"

"Really?"

"Isn't there any short-range weapon this guy can't hit?"

"Oh no, I'm starting to admire him a little..."

Kawakami seemed to be deep in thought.

"Because this guy doesn't seem to be afraid of the ball at all."

"Is that the reason?"

"Wow, that's amazing, a master of short-sleeved combat!"

Miyuki crossed his arms and spoke coolly.

"Why don't you use short-range attacks for every strike from now on?"

Sawamura immediately bristled.

"What...what did you say?!"

The spectators on the sidelines smiled as they watched the noisy group of teenagers.

"These kids seem to be having a much easier time than I expected."

"Because no matter the outcome, this is their last regional qualifier in their high school career."

Izashiki crossed her arms and snorted.

"They probably think that all they need to do now is give it their all."

Sawamura was still unconvinced.

"Damn it! It's time to show everyone my true skills!"

Coach Kataoka's cold voice rang out.

"Alright, that's enough for you to practice short-range fighting."

Sawamura froze instantly.

"General..."

Coach Kataoka glanced at his watch.

"We will have defensive training this afternoon, and we will assemble at 1 p.m. after lunch."

"yes!"

The team members responded in unison.