Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 133: Furuya Breaking Ball!

"Boom!!"

A fierce look on his face, Tachi swung the bat with all his might. The bat let out a thunderous roar as it cut through the air.

Immediately after, people saw the bat make solid contact with the baseball.

"Ping!!"

The crisp sound of the collision was piercing to Miyuki's ears.

The baseball flew into the sky, drawing an arc before falling into the outfield.

"Haha, hahaha..."

With a face full of ferocity, Tachi sprinted like a bulldozer, reaching first base and then second base.

"Safe!!"

With no outs and a runner on second base, the practice match between the Seidou High School baseball team and the Osaka Kiryuu team seemed to spiral out of control as it entered the second inning.

The players of the Osaka Kiryuu High School baseball team appeared to have suddenly found their rhythm at the plate.

They specifically targeted Furuya's changeup.

From the very start, they had decided to wait until the ball was fully in their range before swinging.

"Is this guy a monster?"

The players of Seidou High School and their supporters understandably recognized why Furuya had no choice but to rely on his changeup at this moment.

What they didn't expect was how terrifying the Osaka Kiryuu High School batters could be.

They were able to swing just as the ball was entering their range, even after it began to break...

Somehow, they managed to hit the ball to the outfield?

Meanwhile, in the Osaka Kiryuu High School's bullpen.

Just a moment ago, Coach Matsumoto was frustrated, but now he had regained his previous benevolent demeanor.

"Our team isn't made up of regular star players!"

Although many of their players had a tendency to not think things through, Matsumoto was still confident in their batting skills and overall performance on the field…

The reputation of the Osaka Kiryuu team wasn't just a fluke; it had been built over generations of players.

"Fifth batter, ..."

The fifth batter of the Osaka Kiryuu High School baseball team didn't look particularly tall, standing out from the usual clean-up hitters.

In the Seidou High School bullpen, Chris was sharing details about this player.

"In terms of raw power, he doesn't stand out as the fifth batter of Osaka Kiryuu! But his success rate for hits in the batter's box is astonishing, and he even hit 15 home runs! His style is somewhat reminiscent of our first-year player, Kominato Haruichi, but he's like a strengthened version!"

Even though Haruichi had only recently joined the first string, the players of Seidou High School had already come to understand this 'demon sibling' to a certain extent.

Despite looking small, Haruichi's performance in the batter's box was no less impressive than that of the upperclassmen on the Seidou team.

He possessed natural talent, but it was just that his attributes were focused in different areas.

Haruichi had excellent observational skills and an uncanny intuition...

The Seidou High School teammates found it hard to imagine what kind of performance this enhanced version of Haruichi would display at the plate.

"At this moment, Furuya can't continuously use his super fastball! This means that the fifth batter from Osaka Kiryuu perfectly counters him…"

If Furuya could consistently use his super fastball, occasionally mixing in some changeups, then even if the Osaka Kiryuu players were solely focused on his changeup, they might still have difficulty hitting it due to the interference from his super fastballs.

Even failing to hit the ball was a possibility.

But now, Furuya could only primarily rely on his changeup, occasionally mixing in a few super fastballs.

The situation was different!

It would be manageable against other opponents, but the enemy was the Osaka Kiryuu team, a top-tier powerhouse in the nation.

The batters of the Osaka Kiryuu team, even on a national scale, were among the best of the best.

When these batters completely gave up on hitting Furuya's super fastball and focused solely on his changeup…

They definitely had a chance to hit the ball.

Especially with the fifth batter of the Osaka Kiryuu High School baseball team stepping up; given his abilities, it was practically a sure thing.

"Is there really no way out?"

Facing the disappointed looks from his teammates, Chris directed his gaze toward their coach.

He had sensed that the coach wanted to test Furuya's mettle.

It was likely not just a test.

The coach might also want to push both Miyuki and Furuya to see if they could step up under immense pressure.

"Should we say, our coach lives up to his reputation?"

In such a situation, facing the renowned Osaka team, if their core players—especially this new ace Furuya—could still perform well on the field, it would undoubtedly boost the team's morale and the players' confidence.

Especially once the summer tournament began.

When they faced other powerhouses or strong contenders that might emerge…

The players could draw on their current experiences to fight until the end.

Chris completely understood the coach's intentions.

But for Miyuki and Furuya, this realization didn't provide any assistance.

After tentatively throwing a pitch, the fifth batter of the Osaka Kiryuu team easily hit it foul.

Then they followed up with two fastballs in succession!

In Furuya's mind, since Tachi had already reached second base, the morale of the Osaka Kiryuu team was sky-high.

No matter what, they had to secure at least one out.

However, the fifth batter from the Osaka Kiryuu team was proving to be quite the challenge.

Despite his resolve to only swing at changeups, under pressure, he still managed to hit Furuya's super fastball foul.

The count stood at two strikes, no balls!!

If we simply look at the situation on the field, Furuya, who had successfully pressured the batter, naturally held an overwhelming advantage.

Yet neither he nor Miyuki could smile at that moment.

The performance of the fifth batter from the Osaka Kiryuu team was simply infuriating!

"He's just like Ryo-senpai!"

Miyuki felt a headache coming on.

Whenever he practiced with Ryousuke during team drills, he felt similarly.

It was a nauseating sensation!

And now, the opponent standing before them was, in some respects, even more troublesome than Ryousuke.

Not only was his batting technique superb, but his power was also greater than Ryousuke!

This meant that if they weren't careful and this guy seized an opportunity…

There was a very high chance he would send the ball flying out of the park.

"I intended to save this until the summer tournament, but it looks like I can't anymore..."

Miyuki surveyed his surroundings.

The Osaka Kiryuu High School baseball team hadn't brought any recording equipment to document the game.

As for the hardcore supporters of Seidou around the field, when they entered the campus, they had received a warning from the team.

The intelligence from this game could not leak out, no matter what!

So apart from the radar gun, no other equipment could be brought in.

And phones couldn't be used to record…

The hardcore supporters of Seidou High School were very understanding.

As seasoned fans, they understood very well the significance of this practice match for the Seidou High School baseball team.

If Coach Kataoka had been stricter, he could have easily barred them from entering.

Since he didn't, as the most loyal supporters of Seidou High School, they naturally had to lead by example.

"The risk of information leakage is extremely low!"

Miyuki seemed to have made up his mind to employ some strategy.

As for the possibility of their team facing the Osaka Kiryuu team after making it to Koshien, that thought never crossed Miyuki's mind.

This was the mindset of most players on the Seidou High School baseball team.

If they were facing any other top-tier powerhouses nationwide, they would have been concerned. In fact, they might regard Koshien information even more seriously than the regional tournament.

Information leaks were absolutely intolerable.

But Seidou High School was different.

Although they were also among the top powerhouses in the nation, they hadn't made it to Koshien in several years.

Compared to the difficulties they might face once they reached Koshien, the players of Seidou High School were clearly more focused on how to actually qualify for Koshien.

In other words, their primary goal was to make it to Koshien!

As for the troubles they might encounter once they got there, those could be dealt with later, after they made it to Koshien.

"Come on! Just one pitch!"

Seeing Miyuki's signal, Furuya gave a scarcely perceptible nod.

Taking a deep breath, he lifted his leg with all his strength.

"Another super fastball?"

As Furuya assumed his pitching stance, the players from the Osaka Kiryuu High School team couldn't help but have this thought.

Before Furuya threw the pitch, it was quite difficult for them to distinguish whether he was throwing a changeup or a super fastball.

Although they couldn't accurately differentiate, over time, the players from Osaka Kiryuu had a general sense.

Seeing Furuya's current stance, they sensed that this pitch might be very fast.

"Whoosh!"

However, to their surprise, the speed of the baseball seemed rather unremarkable.

"A changeup?"

For a moment, the players from the Seidou team who had just made an incorrect guess felt a bit disappointed.

Yet, that small disappointment was quickly thrown aside.

What did this changeup mean at this moment?

The players from Osaka Kiryuu knew all too well.

"Bring it on!"

"We've been waiting for this day for a long time…"

"Now's the time to unleash everything and hit it out!!"

Although their fifth batter had just swung at Furuya's super fastball and successfully hit it foul, all the players of the Seidou team knew.

The pitch their fifth batter was truly waiting for was not Furuya's super fastball.

The only reason he was able to hit Furuya's super fastball foul was that his batting skills were strong enough.

What their fifth batter was really waiting for was the changeup from Furuya!

If Furuya continued to throw super fastballs, it was only a matter of time before their fifth batter would get out.

"Those who walk by the river will get their shoes wet eventually."

But once Furuya threw a changeup, the outcome would be entirely different.

Considering their understanding of their own fifth batter, if Furuya threw a changeup, he would absolutely have the chance to send the ball flying out of the park.

As the players from the Seidou team watched eagerly,

the batter in the box moved!

He timed it perfectly, waiting for the baseball to fully enter his range before swinging his bat.

Not only were the other Seidou players confident at this moment,

but even the fifth batter standing in the box felt that this time he was certain to succeed.

He was very confident!

"Buzz!!"

As he swung his bat, the sound was incredibly powerful.

Even though this fifth batter was not particularly known for his hitting power within the Seidou team,

his swing was anything but ordinary.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to hit over ten home runs in high school.

"I got it!!"

As a naturally gifted hitter, the fifth batter of the Osaka Kiryuu High School baseball team was undoubtedly extremely confident in his hitting abilities.

This time, when he swung the bat, he had a premonition that he could definitely hit the ball out of the park.

And not just any hit—a drive that would soar out of the stadium.

Meanwhile, Tachi, who was waiting at second base, had a grin that became increasingly fierce.

He had complete confidence in his teammate.

At this moment, he was also prepared to advanced frantically.

Once the baseball flew out, he would surely dash to third base like a runaway dog…

However, this seemingly surefire hit ultimately fell short.

"Whack!"

The bat didn't even make contact with the ball, and then everyone heard the sound of the baseball landing in the glove.

"Strike!"

"Out by strikeout!!"

The umpire's voice rang out loudly, announcing the result.

One out, with a runner on second base.

The sudden change came too quickly, causing all the players from Osaka Kiryuu High School to nearly stumble.

Their fifth batter, known for his powerful hitting, had missed a hit against what should have been an easy changeup?

"You better give me a reasonable explanation; otherwise, you'll regret it!!"

When the fifth batter of the Osaka Kiryuu High School baseball team returned to the dugout, he faced the immense wrath of Coach Matsumoto.

The fifth batter instinctively took half a step back.

He understood his coach all too well.

"The last pitch wasn't a changeup, but a breaking ball? Just as the bat was about to make contact, the ball suddenly dropped!"

Huh?

Hearing the response from the fifth batter of the Osaka Kiryuu team, all the players from the Seidou team suddenly turned solemn.

"It wasn't a changeup, but a breaking ball?"

"How is that possible?"

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