Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 136: Pitchers, the Twin Stars!

"Strikeout!"

The umpire for this game was one of the coaches from Seidou High School's baseball team.

At this moment, his voice was incredibly loud and enthusiastic.

This left the players from Osaka Kiryuu High School's baseball team feeling quite puzzled.

"What's up with the umpire?"

So far, the score was only 0-0.

Furuya's performance had indeed been impressive.

But the players on their team weren't performing poorly either.

They really couldn't understand why the umpire would react so excitedly.

What they didn't know was how well this coach from Seidou High understood Seidou's game plan.

Even though the game was only halfway through, Furuya's task on the mound was already completed.

Seidou's test for their new ace had come to an end.

As for Furuya's performance?

From the umpire's perspective, it was worthy of a perfect score.

That's why he was so thrilled.

How many years had it been since Seidou High School Baseball had such a remarkable ace?

With him holding down the mound, even though Seidou's previous ace had just suffered an unexpected incident, everyone on the team was confident they could secure victory.

This summer, they were bound to amaze everyone.

From this moment, the reign of Seidou High School Baseball was fully reborn!

It wasn't just the umpire; from Coach Kataoka down to the second and third string, every member of Seidou's baseball team was flushed with excitement, looking vibrant and energized.

It was as if they had already defeated the renowned "Cosmic Team."

"These guys are too full of themselves!"

As the ace of Osaka Kiryuu High School, Tachi wore a twisted, devilish grin that would scare anyone who saw it at night in the moonlight.

But the players from Osaka Kiryuu High weren't the least bit bothered by their ace's expression.

In fact…

The players from Osaka Kiryuu High even looked forward to seeing how their pitcher would perform on the mound.

From what they knew about him, whenever Tachi made that kind of face, it meant he was pitching with complete focus.

And it turned out to be true.

When Seidou's players came up for their second round at bat, they faced an exceptionally tough challenge.

They initially thought they might stand a chance in their second encounter against Tachi.

But reality was merciless.

No matter what they tried, no matter how hard they strategized…

They simply couldn't bring down this devilish pitcher.

Instead, they kept making one mistake after another in the batter's box.

"Impossible!"

For Seidou High's players, this outcome was certainly hard to accept.

But, in truth, they were fully aware of the situation.

Having just finished an intense training regimen, their bodies felt out of sync with their minds.

Especially when facing Tachi's pitches.

The players of Seidou High couldn't deny the strength of their opponent.

To hit his pitches out of the park, they would need to give their absolute best.

However, even though their minds were quick to react, their bodies just couldn't keep up.

In such a state of disconnect, even when they managed to make contact, the ball didn't travel far.

These players from the "Cosmic Team" had undergone rigorous training comparable to Seidou's! They had worked incredibly hard.

Ordinary infield hits posed no threat to them whatsoever.

As a result, Seidou's second and third batters were quickly retired.

The scariest part was that even Yuuki, the fourth batter, couldn't escape this fate.

Tachi, after swiftly securing three outs, deliberately faced Seidou's dugout, looking straight at Furuya.

Then he opened his mouth, revealing a set of menacing white teeth.

This blatant provocation was, of course, felt by Seidou's players.

But rather than responding, they remained remarkably calm.

This only infuriated the Osaka Kiryuu players even more.

"These arrogant punks didn't respond at all?"

"Who do they think they are?"

"Anyone would think they were the Cosmic Team!"

"That first-year monster pitcher of theirs is already running out of steam. Even if he can still throw those ultra-fast pitches, he's got only a few left. Don't worry about him—focus on hitting the off-speed pitches!"

"We're definitely going to crush it!!!"

Thanks to their ace's outstanding performance, the Osaka Kiryuu players were bursting with fighting spirit.

Even though they had just cycled through the cleanup hitter, they believed with all their might that ultimate victory would be theirs.

"Let's show that first-year kid what it's like to play against the Cosmic Team!"

"Being among the nation's elite is no easy feat."

The Osaka Kiryuu players were brimming with intensity, eager to teach Furuya a lesson.

But in the face of this attitude, Seidou's players remained unfazed.

Each of them was seasoned by experience.

For that reason, they understood better than anyone what the opponent's fierce roars actually meant.

Once they understood this, not only did they not get angry, but they also felt grateful toward their opponent.

The louder their opponent roared, the more it proved their fear of Seidou's ace.

It was also a sign of the heights they could reach under their ace's leadership.

Just thinking about that filled Seidou's players with peace, with no need to get upset.

They might even find their opponents somewhat endearing.

An amusing kind of endearing...

Just as Osaka Kiryuu's players burned with anger, ready to punish Furuya, Seidou made a substitution.

This time, they brought in another first-year rookie, just like Furuya.

And this rookie was entirely unknown.

No matter how hard the players from Osaka Kiryuu High School thought, they couldn't figure out where this young pitcher had come from.

As soon as this rookie stepped onto the mound, both their coach and players couldn't shake off a strange feeling.

Was Seidou… planning to give up the game?

If Seidou's players weren't intending to throw the game, they couldn't understand why Coach Kataoka would make such a decision.

Even if the first-year monster Furuya had to leave due to fatigue, and even though their original ace, Tanba, was still recovering from his injury…

Didn't Seidou still have Kawakami, their second-year pitcher?

From every perspective, there was no logical reason to put a rookie on the mound at this moment.

The Cosmic Team players were baffled and instinctively looked toward their coach for guidance.

However, they were bound to be disappointed.

Coach Matsumoto also had no idea where this first-year player had come from.

Not only had they never heard of him before, but he hadn't appeared in the Kanto Tournament either.

"A relief pitcher brought in because of Tanba's injury?"

Coach Matsumoto pondered for a long time, ultimately concluding that this was the only reasonable explanation.

With this thought, he clenched his fist tightly.

A true competitor is merciless!

No matter what plan Coach Kataoka and the Seidou players were scheming, as long as they could score and ultimately win the game, all other issues would fade away.

"Don't hold back—swing with everything you've got! Though this player isn't ordinary, or he wouldn't be promoted by Seidou at a time like this, but…"

Coach Matsumoto glanced at Furuya, who had been moved to the outfield.

He couldn't believe another pitcher with the same monstrous talent as Furuya could exist.

A pitcher of Furuya's caliber was rare not only among ordinary teams but even within the elite Cosmic Team.

How lucky would Seidou High need to be to find two exceptionally talented pitchers?

The Cosmic Team's fifth batter, upon receiving his orders, raised his bat high.

Though going all-out against a first-year rookie felt like overkill, they weren't about to hold back.

That rookie, Furuya, had nearly driven them to despair with his relentless pitching.

Now that they finally had a chance, there was no way they'd let it slip by.

"If you've got the guts, just throw it!"

Facing the intense presence of the batter in the box, Sawamura didn't flinch.

He steadied himself and made his pitch with confidence.

Watching Sawamura's loose form, the fifth batter from Osaka Kiryuu smirked.

A sloppy pitching stance, with nothing going for it but a bit of spirit—what a joke.

A pitcher like this would normally be a non-issue.

Trying to take down the Cosmic Team with him was pure fantasy.

With that thought, the Osaka Kiryuu's fifth batter gripped his bat tightly.

He was ready to swing with full force the moment the ball left Sawamura's hand.

Yet, something strange happened—the fifth batter from Osaka Kiryuu High School couldn't see where this young pitcher was releasing the ball from.

"What the…?"

By the time he realized it, it was too late.

The white baseball whizzed by, disappearing in a flash right in front of him.

"So fast!"

Although it didn't reach Furuya's level, standing in the batter's box, he could still feel the ball zipping by in an instant.

When the batter finally processed what had happened, the moment was already lost.

Seeing the shock in the batter's eyes, Miyuki couldn't help but smirk.

"Our current ace might be too dazzling, but underestimating our other pitchers will cost you."

In terms of raw pitching talent, Sawamura wasn't any less gifted than Furuya.

The gap in their skills was primarily due to Furuya's head start in training and their differing levels of dedication.

The batter stood there, frozen.

The rest of the Osaka Kiryuu High School players were growing increasingly anxious.

"What's going on? That kid's pitches aren't even that fast. Why doesn't he just hit it?"

They couldn't comprehend it.

And at that moment, the batter in the box felt as if a tidal wave of confusion was crashing through his mind.

He looked at the boy on the pitcher's mound in disbelief, his eyes filled with questions.

"Why is this happening?"

But before he could find an answer, Sawamura's second pitch came in.

Once again, the release point was hidden, making the ball appear exceptionally fast.

The fifth batter from Osaka Kiryuu gritted his teeth and swung at the ball.

Crack!

The white baseball soared through the air.

In Osaka Kiryuu's dugout, players jumped to their feet, ready to celebrate.

However, they quickly noticed that the ball wasn't traveling as far as they'd hoped.

After only a short flight, it dropped straight down.

Seidou's second baseman raised his glove and easily caught the ball with no effort at all.

Pop!

"Out…"

Seeing Sawamura secure the first out, Chris, the team's scorekeeper, clenched his fist tightly.

Although an injury prevented him from playing in his final year of high school, watching his protege shine on the field gave Chris a deep sense of fulfillment.

"This kid's pitching is impressive. Right now, Furuya is holding it down alone, but once this kid grows, they could very well become Seidou's Twin Stars on the mound!"

Ota, rubbed his hands together excitedly.

He could practically see Seidou's bright future!

"Although Sawamura had some experience with baseball before, it was hardly significant. Honestly, before joining the team, he was almost a blank slate. Players like him grow at an astonishing pace once they start improving. Just like Furuya—he's completely transformed since joining the team," Takashima Rei analyzed, adjusting her glasses.

"What do you mean?"

The assistant manager's explanation was a bit too complex for some, and one of the team members quickly sought clarification.

Holding his pen, Chris calmly replied, "Maybe it won't be long before people start talking about Seidou's Twin Stars."

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