Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 16: Promoted to First String, I Refuse!

"Bang!"

The baseball slammed into the first-year catcher's glove like a cannonball.

Although this rookie catcher hadn't had any standout moments in previous games, he wasn't lacking in skill.

In fact, his abilities were quite solid, even commendable.

As a specially recruited player for Seidou High's baseball team, his talent could be described as impressive.

Having played baseball for many years and served as the main catcher for his youth team, his body had long developed conditioned reflexes.

The moment the baseball hit his glove, his hand instinctively closed around it.

"I caught it!"

Not only was everyone else surprised, but even the catcher himself was astonished.

He hadn't expected Furuya's control to be so precise.

But just as this thought flashed through his mind,

The catcher, Kariba, felt an overwhelming force surge through his hand.

Even with all his strength, he couldn't contain it.

His glove, along with his entire arm, was pushed back by the sheer power of the baseball.

The ball, with the glove still attached, shot backward and struck the umpire standing behind Kariba square in the face.

"Thud!"

Thanks to the catcher absorbing some of the impact,

Neither the ball nor the glove hit with much force.

But while the force was minimal, the humiliation was immense.

Every player on Seidou High's baseball team, whether first-string or second-string, fell silent.

They didn't even dare to breathe.

It was a long moment before a senior with a mustache led a few others over to their coach.

"Coach, are you okay?"

Despite the accidental nature of this insult, everyone was deeply concerned that their head coach might take out his anger on them.

But to their surprise,

Coach Kataoka wasn't angry at all.

On the contrary, his eyes were filled with immense excitement.

"Excellent! Absolutely excellent!!"

Hearing these words from their coach only made the players even more anxious.

Did that last pitch drive the coach mad with rage? How else could he have said something like that after being hit on the head?

Faced with the concerned stares of everyone around him, Coach Kataoka paid no mind to their worries.

His eyes were fixed intently on Furuya, as if he were gazing at a rare treasure.

While the players were still trying to make sense of the situation, Coach Kataoka spoke again.

"Starting today, Satoru Furuya will be practicing with the first-string team!"

His words hit the field like a whirlwind, leaving everyone stunned.

Many of the second- and third-year players even began to question their hearing. Was this really happening? Did he just get promoted out of nowhere?

"Coach, please give us another chance. We'll definitely hit his pitches..." The older players' eyes were filled with determination. They couldn't accept losing a first-string spot so easily.

But Coach Kataoka wasn't playing favorites with Furuya. The truth was, under the current circumstances, he had no choice but to promote him.

"If we keep the game going, none of the first-year catchers will be able to handle his pitches. They'll just end up getting injured."

He had to think of the team's safety.

"Wow, things are getting interesting," Miyuki mused, resting his chin on his hand, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

From now on, they'd be first-string partners. He could hardly wait to practice with this new pitcher.

"The speed of that last pitch must have exceeded 150 kilometers per hour, right? I've never caught a real pitch like that before."

Miyuki wasn't the only one feeling excited. The other first-string players had long grown frustrated with the lack of strong pitchers on the team.

Even though they hadn't yet seen Furuya's full pitching potential, they were eager to find out.

If this first-year rookie could truly perform well on the field, Seidou High's baseball team might finally be on the verge of a real breakthrough.

"I'm looking forward to it, you little monster!" Kataoka's special approval was met with eager anticipation from the rest of the first-string team.

Even the ace of the first-string team, Tanba Koichiro, couldn't hide his competitive spirit.

"Coach, the game isn't over yet. Can I continue pitching?" Furuya asked, unaffected by the temptation that would have swayed many second- and third-year players.

"Are you saying you don't want the first string?" Coach Kataoka questioned calmly.

Furuya was momentarily taken aback before replying, "I don't like leaving things unfinished. I want to see this game through to the end."

Coach Kataoka's gaze met Furuya's head-on. "No matter what the outcome?"

Kataoka's voice turned icy as he asked the question, making it clear that he was upset. But Furuya didn't back down. "Quitting halfway isn't my style. If it's an order from you, Coach, I'll follow it. But if you're asking for my opinion, I want to stay in until the game is over. No matter what role I play in this game, I won't regret it."

Known for his strictness, Kataoka nodded in approval. Though Furuya's words could be seen as defiant, the coach wasn't angry. In fact, he saw the qualities of a true ace in the young player. An ace should be proud and unyielding.

"Then take your position in the outfield and keep pitching. Sawamura, you wanted to pitch, didn't you? Go ahead. But if you quit halfway, you'll be running laps until the end of the semester."

Kataoka's interest was now piqued by Sawamura as well, thanks to Furuya's impressive performance. He was curious to see what the young player, so highly recommended by Takashima, could do.

"I won't quit either! Seeing things through to the end is my life motto!" Sawamura declared with conviction, pounding his fist against his chest, his face shining with excitement.

The young pitcher had been eager to take the field for some time now.

Coach Kataoka nodded, and the game resumed.

The second- and third-year players were all raring to go. They couldn't stop Furuya from joining the first-string team, but that didn't mean they wouldn't give the cocky first-year a good lesson.

"If you're not stepping down, be ready to take what's coming to you."

With Furuya now positioned in the outfield, the upperclassmen couldn't target him for the moment. Instead, they turned their attention to Sawamura.

"The other guy ran off, so you'll be taking the heat for him."

"And don't even think about crying!"

Watching these fierce upperclassmen, one of the first-string's senior players, with a mustache, chuckled mischievously.

"This poor kid is really out of luck!"

"Don't underestimate him. Your most respected Azuma-senpai was struck out by him," another player warned.