Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 172: The Falling Magic Ball!

The game had just begun, and it was already a direct showdown between two first-year monsters.

The fans in the stands were beyond excited, so much so that they didn't even know what kind of emotions to carry into this upcoming battle.

In Seidou High School's dugout, both the coaches and the players wore heavy expressions.

This scenario was clearly not something they had orchestrated intentionally.

As the crucial quarterfinal match, with their opponents being an unexpected dark horse, it was only natural for Seidou to send out their ace pitcher to secure victory.

No one could reasonably object to such a decision.

On the other hand, Yakushi High...

If their coach had even a moderate level of tactical insight, he should have anticipated Seidou's strategy.

Yet, under such circumstances, they had deliberately sent their strongest hitter, Raichi Todoroki, to the plate right away.

How calculated was this move?

Anyone could sense their intention without needing to guess.

Looking at it from another perspective, this showdown had been deliberately engineered by Yakushi.

But what was their purpose in setting up this confrontation?

It couldn't possibly be to help Seidou, could it?

If it wasn't to help Seidou, then it must mean they were confident they could hit Furuya's pitches!

"Arrogant! These guys are just too arrogant!"

The realization ignited a fury within Seidou's players.

On the other side, in Yakushi's dugout, their coach, Raizou Todoroki, could only let out a bitter smile.

"Coach, our plan is brilliant! The opponents are already dumbfounded!"

Even though the players under his command looked at him with admiration, Raizou's mood remained less than cheerful.

"Unpredictable results are bound to intrigue them. What's there to say about that? I'm just sighing at the fact that we had to resort to such desperate measures against Seidou. It's embarrassing! If it weren't for your lack of strength, why would I have to stoop to this level?"

Though Raizou complained about their inadequacy, Yakushi's players were brimming with excitement.

The angrier their coach seemed, the higher their chances of winning the match.

Even if their tactics were a bit underhanded, as long as they could secure the victory without breaking the rules, Yakushi's players didn't mind at all.

"All that matters is beating that monster!"

"Let me tell you, I dreamed of his pitching last night. Just thinking about it is terrifying!"

Seeing the enthusiasm of his players, Raizou secretly let out a sigh of relief.

With his little diversion, it seemed the team had momentarily forgotten their fear.

That was excellent! Absolutely excellent!

For an underdog team like Yakushi, confidence was the one thing they lacked when facing national-level powerhouses.

Watching Seidou's match footage had left many of Yakushi's players awestruck.

That seamless offense, the nearly perfect teamwork, the terrifying pitch speeds...

These were all qualities they aspired to achieve.

Even in their wildest dreams of their ideal selves, they hadn't dared to imagine reaching such a level.

Faced with such an opponent, how could the Yakushi High baseball team not feel disheartened?

Even though the players appeared relaxed on the surface, Raizou could clearly see how nervous they truly were inside.

In such a situation, the most important thing was to ease his players' anxiety.

Judging by the current atmosphere, he had already succeeded halfway.

Raizou then shifted his gaze to the batter's box, where his foolish son was standing.

"Now it's your turn to perform. No matter what, you have to bring out our momentum. Against a top-tier national powerhouse like this, if we can't bring the game into our rhythm, it will be dangerous!"

"Whether it's pork cutlet bowls or fish noodle soup, only if you hit the ball can the two of us eat today!"

Raizou clasped his hands together, praying earnestly.

"Coach, that's so embarrassing!"

A boy sitting at the back of the dugout lowered his head in shame.

Even though he had thick skin and a high psychological tolerance, he couldn't help but break under the antics of his eccentric coach.

"What do you know? This is called being prepared for any eventuality!" Raizou declared with conviction.

Regardless of which deity he prayed to, as long as his foolish son managed to hit the ball, the game would shift dramatically.

In the batter's box, Raichi gripped his bat tightly, letting out a series of eerie laughs that echoed sharply.

Even Miyuki, who was usually composed and sharp, couldn't help but frown at the unsettling laughter.

"While I don't believe anyone can hit Furuya's pitches on their first try, the fact that Yakushi created this situation shows they're confident," Miyuki thought, considering ways to counter the opponent.

Before making his decision, he glanced toward Furuya on the mound.

Furuya had clearly steeled himself. Standing tall, he tightly gripped the baseball in his hand, as if at any moment he would unleash a thunderous pitch.

"Unyielding, huh?"

It was clear that Miyuki's cautious approach was his alone.

Furuya, standing on the pitcher's mound, had no intention of avoiding the confrontation.

Instead, his entire being radiated fighting spirit.

He wanted this battle.

He wanted to decisively take down the opponent with his pitching.

"Pitchers really are a handful," Miyuki muttered, even though he had a better strategy in mind.

Ultimately, he decided to respect Furuya's determination and go along with his plan.

"This approach works too! If you win this duel, your momentum will grow stronger. And if, by any chance, you lose, it'll serve as a valuable lesson for a young prodigy like you!"

From any perspective, this was a no-lose situation for Seidou High.

With this in mind, Miyuki decided not to insist on his initial strategy any longer.

"Alright, show them your pitching!"

Seeing Miyuki's signal, Furuya felt an immense surge of power within himself.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that he not only liked this feeling but thoroughly enjoyed it.

He lifted his leg and slammed it down heavily.

As his body shifted its center of gravity, his arm, along with his entire body, moved in perfect synchronization.

Starting from the soles of his feet, the energy flowed through his toes, knees, waist, arms, and finally to his wrist and fingers.

Without forcing it, his body naturally channeled all its power into the baseball.

At the moment the ball left his hand, Furuya felt as if his entire body's strength had been poured into that white baseball.

"Boom!"

The ball shot out of his hand like a cannonball.

The tremendous sound of it cutting through the air was audible even from several meters away.

The chief umpire, who was experiencing Furuya's pitching from the plate for the first time, almost flinched when the ball came flying his way.

If it weren't for his professional composure, he might have instinctively ducked.

Terrifying—absolutely terrifying!

The baseball seemed to carry a force so overwhelming that it could obliterate anything in its path.

Even Raichi, usually eager to swing at every pitch, hesitated for a split second when he saw this one.

Initially, he wanted to swing right away, but the moment he realized his batting stance was off, he stopped himself.

He knew deep down that facing such a terrifying pitch, even the slightest error would mean he'd miss.

Rather than waste his effort, he decided it was better to let the pitch pass.

"Pop!"

The ball landed in Miyuki's glove with a resounding thud.

The umpire, momentarily stunned, quickly recovered from his shock.

"Strike!"

Seidou High School took the lead with the first strike.

In Yakushi High's dugout, the players felt a chill run down their spines.

Before the game, they had carefully studied recordings of Seidou's matches.

They knew just how strong Seidou was, especially their ace pitcher, Furuya, who was an undeniable monster.

Because of this understanding, Yakushi's players believed they had adequately prepared themselves mentally.

They thought no matter what happened on the field, they wouldn't be shaken.

But now, standing on the field themselves, they realized how wrong they were.

The pressure they felt from watching game footage was nothing compared to the suffocating presence they experienced now.

They finally understood why the media shamelessly praised Furuya so much.

Even as a first-year rookie, he had already earned the title of "monster."

The first pitch—154 kilometers per hour!

And clearly, this wasn't even Furuya's fastest throw.

To think that so early in the game, without even taking the time to adjust, Furuya had effortlessly reached such an astounding velocity with his pitches!

Even Ohtani, the monster who could throw over 160 km/h, couldn't do it with such ease.

"This kid's pitching reeks of money!"

It wasn't just the Yakushi players who were stunned; even their coach, Raizou, seemed deeply shaken.

Was Furuya truly this powerful? Could he really casually pitch at 154 km/h?

This was something even Raizou hadn't anticipated.

But it wasn't over. Furuya's pitching rhythm rarely allowed his opponents a moment to breathe.

Before the shock could fully settle in, his second pitch was already on its way.

The same seamless motion—when the white baseball flew out of his hand, the Yakushi players' faces turned as pale as paper.

It was even more terrifying than they had imagined!

And it wasn't just a fluke. Every pitch Furuya threw carried the same incredible, almost unbelievable power.

"So fast!"

Even Seidou's own players, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but marvel at his speed.

And as for Raichi, standing in the batter's box, he was downright ecstatic.

Here it comes—so fast!

It was even stronger than he had imagined in his mind.

Yet, facing such a pitch, Raichi didn't retreat.

Instead, he swung his bat with even more enthusiasm!

"This is what high school's pinnacle pitching looks like!"

Seidou's ace from Ichidaisan High was known for his unique style, and Raichi had felt a similar thrill when facing him.

But that excitement was nothing compared to what he felt now.

If his excitement then was a nine, this was a 99—maybe even 100!

"Whoosh!"

The swing of Raichi's bat produced a sharp sound that startled even Miyuki behind the plate.

Such a terrifying swing speed—he had only ever seen it from their captain, Yuuki.

"Could this first-year kid actually match the captain?"

The thought had barely crossed Miyuki's mind before he shook his head.

Their captain was on another level entirely.

No matter how strong this first-year monster was, he couldn't compare.

"Ping!"

The bat made contact with the ball, producing an ear-piercing collision.

But instead of soaring, the white baseball wobbled and fell off to the side.

"Foul ball!"

One strike, one foul ball—the batter was now cornered.

From the outside, it seemed like Furuya held a dominant advantage.

After all, they had successfully cornered the batter.

But in Seidou's dugout, there wasn't a trace of joy on anyone's face.

Instead, over in Yakushi's dugout, Raizou's face was full of delight.

"That's my boy! You've got guts!"

Behind the plate, Miyuki's expression darkened.

"After observing just one pitch, he's already found the rhythm for his swing. Even though he didn't hit it cleanly, this feeling is unsettling!"

"Ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Accompanied by a series of wild laughs, Raichi, now cornered, once again raised his bat high.

"The ball's coming fast, but I'll react faster! I can hit it!"

Raichi was brimming with confidence about blasting the ball out.

In this situation, from Seidou's perspective, caution was absolutely necessary moving forward.

However, against all expectations, Furuya's pitching rhythm was completely unaffected.

The moment he received the baseball, he didn't hesitate for even a second before unleashing his pitch.

"Boom!"

The third pitch came with undiminished force.

Here it comes!

Standing in the batter's box, Raichi's eyes shone brightly, almost unnaturally so.

It felt as if he had been waiting for this pitch for an eternity, so much so that he couldn't bear to wait even a moment longer.

The instant he saw the baseball flying toward him, he calculated the timing for his swing.

Without hesitation, Raichi swung his bat with all his might.

"Whoosh!"

The sound of the bat cutting through the air was sharp and clear, audible to everyone around.

"This is it! Fly out of the park!"

Raichi was bursting with confidence.

But just as the bat was about to connect with the ball, the white baseball suddenly dropped.

Raichi saw it, but it was too late for him to adjust.

In the end, he could only watch helplessly as the baseball evaded his bat and landed squarely in Miyuki's glove.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!"

Raichi was out, and the batter's box belonged to Seidou.

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