Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 134: The Pitcher Who Brings Hope!

"What did you say?"

Coach Matsumoto's voice carried a surge of anger that seemed to grow even stronger.

The fifth batter for Osaka Kiryuu High School's baseball team could feel his legs trembling.

But he ultimately fought back the urge to run and described everything he'd observed at the plate in full detail.

"The pitch looked no different from a regular changeup, but just as it reached the hitting zone, it suddenly dropped. The drop wasn't too drastic—maybe just by a few inches or so."

This fifth batter of Osaka Kiryuu's team was certainly sharp.

Even though he had been absorbed in his swing, he hadn't forgotten to observe the details of Furuya's pitching.

And because of this, when Coach Matsumoto asked, he was able to respond with an answer.

"It dropped suddenly? Was it just a fluke?"

Coach Matsumoto quickly noticed that while Seidou High's players were celebrating, they didn't have ecstatic expressions on their faces.

In other words, the outcome of this showdown wasn't a surprising victory to them. Instead, it seemed like it was exactly as expected.

"It's no fluke! It looks like that terrifying first-year has mastered not only the changeup but also another breaking pitch that he can combine with his changeup?"

Since realizing that Seidou High had just finished an intense training camp, Matsumoto had expected an overwhelming victory for his team with no suspense.

He even thought his players would gain something valuable from this game.

But now it seemed that he might have been a bit too early in letting his guard down.

Seidou High's team had indeed undergone hellish training, and every player looked exhausted. But that didn't mean they were ready to accept defeat.

In fact, the opposite was true.

They hadn't given up on the fight just because they were at a disadvantage.

Even if it meant showing all their cards, they were determined to win this game.

"It seems we're not the only ones looking to gain confidence and morale from this match."

Seidou High's players were indeed competing under circumstances that were far from favorable.

Yet they hadn't given up on securing victory just because of those challenges.

On the contrary.

These guys had an incredibly fierce fighting spirit.

The more adverse the situation, the more determined they seemed to win the game.

"They're like a pack of relentless wolf cubs!"

Coach Matsumoto's eyes showed a hint of admiration.

Besides training his own players in fundamentals, he had also focused heavily on developing their baseball IQ and character.

But for some reason, his talented players hadn't developed into what he envisioned.

Instead, they had become more like prideful aristocrats.

They had the skill and resources but didn't think much on the field, and as for character, that was their weakest area.

If only they could have been like a pack of wolf cubs.

Then, last summer Koshien, they wouldn't have lost so terribly against Ikuei High.

"Coach Kataoka, this carefully planned game of yours isn't just a big challenge for your players but also a great opportunity for my stubborn guys."

The game continued.

Coach Matsumoto grew interested, and after witnessing Seidou's players' abilities, he decisively signaled to the batter on the field.

Receiving his coach's signal, the batter's demeanor instantly changed.

The look in his eyes toward Furuya was as if he intended to devour him.

"Bring it on! Bring it on!"

Behind the plate, Miyuki felt a strong surge in his heart.

Even though the Osaka Kiryuu had already shown an intimidating presence earlier, it was nothing compared to the intensity they were displaying now.

"The opponents are finally getting serious!"

Though Miyuki didn't fully know the situation before, he could feel that this nationally renowned powerhouse was preparing to go all out against Seidou High's baseball team.

Within Miyuki, like the other players on Seidou's team, there was a heavy sense of strain.

It was manageable while staying still, but as soon as they moved, every muscle in his body protested.

Shortly after the game began, Kuramochi had asked the third-year seniors on the team, "Don't your bodies feel anything at all?"

From the outside, these third-year seniors looked unaffected, which left Kuramochi baffled.

"It's killing us, you idiot!" Ryousuke Kominato hadn't sugarcoated things with his teammate and shared his true feelings.

Among the third-year seniors, if there was anyone with the strongest willpower, Ryousuke would easily rank in the top two, maybe even take the top spot.

Even this "devil" of a man was reaching his physical limit, not to mention the other players on Seidou's team. None of them were having an easy time.

Yet despite this, in the face of Osaka Kiryuu's resolve to battle to the end, Miyuki felt only excitement and anticipation. The other Seidou players likely felt the same way.

It might be difficult for most people to understand, but from the perspective of Seidou's players, it wasn't so hard to grasp.

The reason was simple: the treatment had changed.

For the past few years, Seidou had been holding practice games with the Osaka Kiryuu.

Thanks to their rigorous training, every generation of Seidou's team was quite strong.

But whenever they played against them, Seidou's players could clearly feel the sense of disdain their opponents had for them.

Of course, this sense of disdain wasn't something obvious on the surface.

But Seidou's players could still feel it. The Osaka Kiryuu wasn't genuinely concerned with them and played their games with ease, as if winning was no big deal.

But now, things were different.

Even though Seidou's players weren't in peak condition, Furuya's impressive performance on the mound was forcing the Osaka Kiryuu players to give their full attention.

It felt amazing!

If they could win against such formidable opponents under these circumstances, Seidou's players were sure they'd sleep soundly tonight, smiling in their dreams.

With this goal in mind, their excitement only grew…

This is the confidence a top ace brings to a team.

In Seidou's dugout, Ota eagerly rubbed his hands together. Since Furuya had started showcasing his new breaking pitches, Osaka Kiryuu High had no choice but to go all out against them.

"These new breaking pitches have transformed Furuya!"

Takashima Rei shook her head beside him.

"In terms of sheer effectiveness, these two breaking pitches aren't as powerful as Furuya's super-fast fastball."

If Furuya's fastball rated a 95, these two breaking pitches would score around 90, or perhaps even 85.

"The true value of these breaking pitches lies in helping him manage his stamina."

Throwing only super-fast fastballs puts a huge strain on Furuya's endurance.

It's a challenge for him to last through even a single intense game, let alone the long battles of the summer tournament.

These breaking pitches extend Furuya's pitching time, which was less critical when their ace Tanba was healthy. But since Tanba's injury, the importance of this has skyrocketed.

"Not only does it help him last longer on the field, but the sudden appearance of these pitches also disrupts the opponents' rhythm."

And now, Furuya's opponent was none other than the renowned Osaka Kiryuu team.

Even against an opponent of this caliber, Furuya showed a calm confidence on the mound.

This performance gave Coach Kataoka a huge boost of confidence. To him, Furuya seemed like a miracle kid. Ever since this prodigious first-year joined their team, they'd experienced nothing but success.

"Maybe… in the upcoming summer tournament, we really have a shot…"

Although Coach Kataoka had always appeared optimistic about the upcoming games in front of Seidou's players, that was actually a facade.

The moment their ace, Tanba Koichiro, got injured, Kataoka, the pillar of Seidou's baseball team, felt the ground drop beneath him.

His carefully nurtured ace was out even before the summer tournament had begun.

Losing an ace pitcher is hard for any team, but for Seidou, a team already short on ace pitchers, it was devastating. It almost spelled the end of their summer hopes.

But in that critical moment, Furuya stepped up—not just to fill the role, but to lead Seidou to where they stood now.

They'd first clinched the Kanto Championship, defeating their fierce rivals at Inashiro Industrial.

Now, they were holding their ground against the Cosmic Team from Osaka Kiryuu.

The future!

Coach Kataoka couldn't help but start envisioning it. The fact that he was even thinking this way showed how far they'd come.

When a team is struggling, just dealing with immediate challenges can be overwhelming, leaving little room for thoughts of the future.

But now, even though their game with the Cosmic Team had just started, Kataoka was already looking forward.

In truth, Coach Kataoka didn't care much about winning or losing this match.

If he had, he wouldn't have put his players in this tough situation against a renowned team like Osaka Kiryuu. He was more focused on how his players performed during the game.

And Seidou's players did not disappoint.

Furuya naturally took the spotlight, but the rest of the team exceeded Kataoka's expectations as well.

Despite the odds, they were battling fiercely against their well-known opponents.

On the field, the Osaka Kiryuu batter swung his bat with all his strength, teeth clenched. Yet, his bat didn't even come close to hitting the ball.

Crack!

The ball abruptly dropped, dodging the bat's swing.

"Strike!"

The batter from Osaka Kiryuu, brimming with confidence moments ago, was now stunned.

He had been given precise instructions from his coach, believing that as long as he swung with everything he had, he would make contact.

Even if he didn't get a hit, he was sure he'd at least touch the ball.

But reality was brutal. He'd swung with all his might, and yet, he hadn't touched it at all.

"Not a single trace… the delivery for his second breaking pitch and his changeup looks identical?"

Even wracking his brain, the Osaka Kiryuu batter couldn't understand it.

In Seidou's dugout, Chris held a pen and gave a rare nod of approval.

"Individually, one breaking pitch wouldn't trouble an elite batter. But combining these two breaking pitches… that changes everything."

Chris could hardly imagine what Furuya had gone through during his middle school years to develop this level of control over his limitations. Somehow, he had managed to turn his inability to pitch with full power into a strength.

"We spent over a week trying to figure out his second breaking ball pitch. Do you think those Osaka Kiryuu guys will figure it out?" Kuramochi asked with a mischievous grin, clearly eager to see what would happen.

Just then, Furuya smoothly delivered his final pitch, striking out the batter and securing two outs in quick succession.

"Three outs, switch sides!"

Although the Osaka Kiryuu players never gave up, they couldn't find any weakness in Furuya's breaking balls until the end, ultimately having to leave the inning in frustration.

On the other side, Osaka Kiryuu's players mirrored this determination.

Apart from Yuuki Tetsuya managing to draw a walk and get on base, the rest of Seidou's lineup also struggled to make any impact on the field, leading to quick outs for each.

Before anyone realized it, the game had already reached the fourth inning.

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