Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter Has Arrived

When Harada Masatoshi saw Miyuki charge towards home plate without hesitation, he knew in his heart that they probably had little hope for this game.

Even if the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team players managed to hold on for this inning, they still wouldn't win in the end.

Of course, as the captain of the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team, he couldn't say such words, and he certainly couldn't do such a thing.

So, until the very end, Harada didn't give up; instead, he raised his glove high, calling for the ball from the fielder.

Not only him, but Narumiya Mei also didn't give up.

Seeing that the outfield needed to make an ultra-long-distance throw, he immediately moved to cover home plate.

Considering the overall reaction of the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team players, they had already done very well.

The baseball was also thrown back in time, without significant deviation.

It was just a little off in terms of timing.

By the time the baseball was thrown back, Miyuki Kazuya had already returned to home plate one step ahead.

"Safe!"

Seido High School Baseball Team scored the go-ahead run, officially winning the game.

The score was also quite interesting.

5:4.

It was exactly the same score as the game between Seido and Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team last summer.

It was after that game that Seido High School Baseball Team broke their long-standing curse and once again advanced to Koshien.

Today, Seido High School Baseball Team once again secured a crucial victory with a one-run lead, becoming the Kanto Tournament champions.

After the game, the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team players didn't even have time to feel the sadness of their loss.

One by one, they slumped to the ground in disarray, some even lying directly on the field.

Finally, this long game was over…

They had originally thought they would be relieved.

But tears in their eyes couldn't be held back, rolling down one by one.

Narumiya Mei didn't cry at first; he just stood blankly in front of home plate, listening to the wild celebrations of Seido High School Baseball Team's die-hard supporters.

It was a long time later.

The fans celebrating Seido High School Baseball Team were exhausted from shouting, and their voices gradually died down.

Only then did Narumiya Mei suddenly feel his eyes moistening slightly.

He wiped them with his hand; it wasn't just a feeling, they were indeed damp.

Was it sweat?

He seemed to have sweated a lot.

On the other side, in the Seido High School Baseball Team dugout.

The players jumped up excitedly; ever since they advanced to Koshien last summer and were dubbed the team with the strongest offense in the nation, the Seido High School Baseball Team companions, while very happy to receive recognition, also bore immense pressure.

Being called the national first, even if only in one aspect, they still hoped to perform in a way that was not inferior to the national first.

However, ever since advancing to Koshien last year, Seido High School Baseball Team had not achieved any notable results.

They lost in the Autumn Tournament.

As a result, they didn't even have the opportunity to participate in the Jingu Tournament and Spring Koshien qualifiers.

If there was one achievement Seido High School Baseball Team could boast since making it to Koshien, it was probably only the Tokyo Spring Tournament championship this year.

But for a powerhouse high school, this championship's value was almost as good as a chicken rib.

It was tasteless to eat, yet a shame to discard.

Even with Tokyo Television broadcasting the entire event, which increased the tournament's influence compared to before, the Seido High School Baseball Team players still felt embarrassed to show off this achievement to others.

They couldn't afford to lose face like that.

If all the teams had been unsuccessful, the Seido High School Baseball Team companions wouldn't have felt so bad.

But that wasn't the case.

Their two rivals in the same district, one reached the quarterfinals of Spring Koshien, and the other directly dominated the nation.

In comparison, Seido High School Baseball Team, also one of the West Tokyo Three Great Powerhouses, seemed even more tragic.

Looking at the overwhelming media coverage of Inashiro Industrial, and the overwhelming coverage of Narumiya Mei, they are now clearly the biggest favorites for this Summer Koshien.

Almost everyone ignored their existence.

Hard work pays off.

Finally, they welcomed this moment, overturning the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team, who had just dominated the nation, in the crucial Kanto Tournament final.

"We won!"

"We are the champions!"

The Kanto Tournament championship was exciting enough on its own.

Winning against Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team made all the Seido High School Baseball Team companions feel their happiness increase several times over.

"We won!"

"Awooooh!"

They celebrated unrestrainedly.

At first, Zhang Han sat on the bench, a contented smile on his face.

He wasn't a very outgoing person; even when excited, he wouldn't show it like Sawamura.

But soon, Zhang Han's solitary excitement could no longer be enjoyed.

Masuko directly rushed over, pulled him up, and gave him a big bear hug.

"Ugh!"

His relationship with this senior was actually average in daily life.

Zhang Han wasn't someone who liked to proactively approach others; he was more of a receiver.

Among the third-year seniors, Yuuki, Isashiki Jun, Kominato Ryosuke.

They were all the ones who proactively approached Zhang Han, got along well with him, and subsequently became friends.

Especially Isashiki Jun and Kominato Ryosuke; although their mouths were sharper than the other, Zhang Han was closest to them.

As for Yuuki, the captain, although their daily interactions were not many, as the two strongest hitters in Seido High School Baseball Team, they often practiced together and gradually became familiar, plus some competitive relationship…

He was definitely more familiar with him than with other seniors.

Even though Yuuki, the senior, was somewhat similar to Zhang Han in personality, neither of them was particularly enthusiastic.

But time, sometimes, is the best adhesive.

When two people spend a long time together, they naturally become familiar.

But with Masuko, the senior, Zhang Han really hadn't interacted much.

Not only had they not interacted much privately, but even within the team, their cooperation was minimal.

He didn't expect this senior to be so enthusiastic?

Zhang Han's face showed an awkward yet polite smile.

"Champions!"

Not only in the dugout.

In the stands, Sawamura, who had been promoted to the leader of the Seido High School Baseball Team's cheerleading squad, stood at the front of the group like a commander.

"Champions! Champions!"

He beat two mineral water bottles in his hands while shouting rhythmically.

The guys behind him, not knowing what spell he had cast on them, also followed him in shouting, and their voices were especially uniform.

"Champions! Champions!"

Kominato Haruichi looked at Sawamura beside him, filled with envy.

The original person in charge of the team's cheerleading squad was Maezono, the Fourth Batter of the second team.

Maezono, the senior, not only had great prestige among the second team players, but he was also respected by many players in the third team.

Coupled with his own personality, he naturally became the team's cheerleading representative.

Previously, it was Maezono who stood at the front of the team, responsible for leading the chants.

But ever since Sawamura started watching the team's games, in less than two games, he usurped control.

At first, Maezono, the senior, tried to resist.

But under Sawamura's overflowing enthusiasm, he quickly crumbled.

Now, Sawamura was the representative of the cheerleading squad.

He bypassed the second and third-year seniors, leading everyone in chanting slogans.

His presence was astonishing not only on the field.

Even when he wasn't on the field, he was the focus of people's attention.

"I need to learn from him on this point!"

The survival environment for first-years at Seido High School Baseball Team was not good at all.

Firstly, there were a large number of excellent second and third-year seniors in Seido's First string.

Captain Yuuki, and Zhang Han, the senior, who hit two Homeruns in today's game, bringing his total Homeruns to thirty-eight…

These two seniors go without saying; not only in Seido High School Baseball Team, but even across the nation, they are top-notch tough characters.

There were others: Chris, the senior, who was known as the strongest catcher in Kanto during middle school. Miyuki, the senior, who became a regular in his first year and was called the savior of Seido High School Baseball Team.

Isashiki Jun, the senior, who broke conventions and ranked first in unpredictability.

His older brother, who was called the Demon Batter.

There were also Kuramochi, Masuko, Miyauchi, Tanba…

In short, the Seido High School Baseball Team's First string team gathered various great players.

Because there were too many excellent players, it was difficult for new recruits to get any playing opportunities.

This was not the most despairing thing for the freshmen; what truly made them despair was that among their same-year players, there were also many admirable presences.

Jinguuji, whose reputation had already spread throughout the nation during his middle school days.

Furuya Satoru, who caused a huge sensation when he first played for Seido High School Baseball Team and was called a monster rookie.

And this one in front of him, Sawamura Eijun, the quirk ball pitcher who made a splash in the freshman welcome game.

He had also been promoted to the second team, which meant that before the Summer Tournament, he was also qualified to compete for a uniform number.

Plus Kominato Haruichi himself.

Although Kominato Haruichi couldn't be compared with the three same-age players in some aspects, his defensive ability was ranked first among everyone.

His hitting ability was also not much inferior to Jinguuji.

In terms of overall strength, he wasn't without a chance to compete for a First string spot.

All in all, these four freshmen from Seido High School Baseball Team can be said to each have their own strengths.

Every single one of them is worth developing.

But given the current lineup of Seido High School Baseball Team, plus the fact that their First string can only select twenty people in total, it is imaginable that all four freshmen will certainly not be chosen.

Some of them are destined to be only substitutes during the Summer Tournament.

This doesn't even count Toujou Hideaki, Kanemaru Shinji, Takatsu…

These players who had already achieved excellent results in middle school.

It's too difficult.

This is what one must experience when choosing a powerhouse high school.

Choosing teams like Seido and Inashiro certainly provides more opportunities to achieve results.

After all, the stronger the team's overall strength, the more chances there are to achieve results.

However, for the players themselves, they must first carve out a bloody path before becoming a team's regular.

Kominato Haruichi witnessed firsthand how hard Sawamura worked after joining the team.

As a player of the same age and a companion who entered the second team together, he absolutely could not fall behind.

During this year's Summer Tournament selection, he absolutely had to make it into the 20-person roster.

At that time, he could go to Koshien with his brother.

Kominato Haruichi was not the only one with such thoughts.

Many players watching the game, especially first and second-year players, kept encouraging themselves.

They too must stand on the field with dignity, and together with their companions, move towards higher goals.

The Kanto Tournament championship, for Seido High School Baseball Team, was by no means the end; it was just a beginning.

In the future, they would create even greater glory.

The game ended, and Seido High School Baseball Team won the championship.

The Seido supporters at the venue had not rested for a second since the result came out.

They had been celebrating non-stop.

Even when their voices gradually died down, they didn't forget to give the Seido High School Baseball Team companions a thumbs up.

By doing so, they affirmed the Seido High School Baseball Team players.

Although the companions were celebrating, tears couldn't help but stream from their eyes.

Finally, they did not disappoint the expectations of the school and their supporters.

They helped Seido High School Baseball Team win a championship of significant weight.

It took a full five minutes for the atmosphere at the venue to gradually calm down.

Yuuki, the captain, looked around at his companions and then spoke.

"Let's line up!"

The Seido High School Baseball Team players also calmed down at this point.

They formed a line in the center of the field.

On the other side, Harada Masatoshi had also emerged from the gloom of defeat.

Although he narrowly missed winning the Kanto Tournament championship, which left him with great regret in his heart.

After all, there's no turning back in high school baseball. This time, the opportunity was lost, and even if Inashiro Industrial's third-year players played brilliantly in the summer, they would still have regrets.

But this regret was not unacceptable.

"Don't let those Seido guys look down on us; we need to line up too. Heads up!"

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