Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 25: The First Time!

"Couldn't ask for more!"

When Miyuki extended the invitation, Furuya had no reason to refuse.

In the past, no one had ever been able to successfully catch his pitches during practice, which meant his only practice partner had been the wall under the bridge.

Now, with Miyuki's offer, Furuya felt a surge of excitement and determination.

Kusonoki, their senior, was equally eager.

"I absolutely have to stay and watch you two team up," he said, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

The three of them, sharing the same dorm room, headed to the team's indoor practice facility after everyone else had gone to sleep.

"Click!"

The lights flicked on, revealing an empty space.

"Is everyone really done for the day already?" Miyuki asked, surprised.

Their third-year seniors were known for being incredibly intense, always pushing themselves to the limit with extra practice.

"They have no choice; the Kanto Tournament is just around the corner. No matter how much those guys want to keep going, they have to follow the coach's orders," Kunosoki explained.

From his tone, it seemed that if it weren't for the upcoming tournament in May, there might still be players practicing indoors even at this hour.

"It's this late already?"

After the delay earlier, plus the fact that their practice had ended late, it was now 9:30 PM.

But from what Kusonoki said, it wasn't uncommon for players to still be training at this time.

And these baseball players had to get up early for morning practice.

When you factor in time for washing up…

"Our Seidou High School baseball team has a saying: 'We sweat more than anyone else!'"

As Kunosoki said this, a slight bitterness appeared on his otherwise handsome face.

"It's no joke. Our teammates have always taken pride in that."

Their training was the toughest.

Even among all the powerhouse high schools, they were unmatched in this aspect.

"I understand now!"

Furuya had heard about Seidou's rigorous training, but knowing it and experiencing it firsthand were two very different things.

Now that he was living it, Furuya realized just how unique this team was.

Even with his natural talent, he could feel the difference.

Standing out in this team, leading his teammates to the national stage, and conquering Koshien—it was clear to Furuya that this wouldn't be an easy task.

At this moment, he felt the immense weight on his shoulders.

"There's no need to look so burdened," Miyuki said, as if reading Furuya's mind, a playful smirk forming on his face. "The weight isn't yours to bear alone. It's on us second- and third-year players too."

Miyuki's carefree tone was a stark contrast to the serious thoughts in Furuya's mind. His words were meant to lighten the mood, but they only made Furuya more aware of the pressure.

"You're too cute! If someone didn't know better, they might think you're the reincarnation of our captain."

Miyuki's lighthearted comment sent a shiver down Furuya's spine. He stared at Miyuki, unnerved by how easily he seemed to see through him.

This guy is way too perceptive, Furuya thought to himself, his unease growing.

After some casual banter, Furuya took his place on the pitcher's mound.

"Senpai, are you sure you don't need to put on the protective gear?" Furuya asked.

A catcher's gear, which includes a mask and chest protector, is crucial for their safety. In the past, even when his team's catcher was fully geared up, they would still approach catching Furuya's pitches with extreme caution, as if the next pitch might explode on impact.

But Miyuki was different. He wore only his glove, with no other protective equipment, ready to catch Furuya's pitch as if it were no big deal.

"This is way too risky!" Kusonoki chimed in, trying to dissuade Miyuki.

He had watched the previous practice game and knew firsthand the power behind Furuya's pitches.

If their main catcher, Miyuki, got injured trying to catch one of those fastballs, the team would be in big trouble.

Sure, the team was currently in dire need of a pitcher who could complement their ace, Tanba, but that didn't mean they could afford to neglect other key positions.

Take the catcher, for instance—Miyuki's presence alone made that position one of their strongest.

If Miyuki were to get injured, the team would have a hard time finding a suitable replacement, and their advantage in that area would quickly turn into a weakness.

Chris was still recovering…

Kusonoki began to regret getting involved. If he had known these two were going to be so reckless, he might have kept his distance.

Now, things were getting out of hand.

"If nothing goes wrong, great. But if there's a problem during their first encounter, not only will those two be in trouble, I might get dragged down as an accomplice," thought Kusunoki.

"It's fine. I'm not going to be scared off by a first-year's pitch," Miyuki said with a grin, deliberately choosing not to wear any protective gear.

He just crouched down, opened his glove, and waited for Furuya to throw the ball.

"If that's what you want, Senpai, then I won't hold back," Furuya replied, not thinking too much about it since the scene felt familiar to him.

He was eager to see how his full-power pitch would turn out.

"Straight down the middle!" Furuya called out his target and then prepared to pitch with all his might.

He stretched out his body, gripping the baseball tightly with his fingers.

Before the pitch, Furuya kept reminding himself not to exert too much force. It should all come naturally.

He lifted his leg, planted his foot…

As his body shifted, the white baseball flew from his hand with a whoosh.

The moment the ball left his hand, the sound of it cutting through the air reached the ears of the three people present.

"BOOM!!"

Hearing that terrifying sound, Kusunoki's face turned pale.

"This is bad—it's even faster than the one he threw earlier today. Watch out!"

If Furuya's pitch earlier in the day was version 1.0, then this one was definitely version 2.0.

The white baseball tore through the air and appeared right in front of Miyuki.

For a split second, Miyuki's eyes widened in surprise.

The ball was rising!

Furuya's control during the day had been steady, but now that he was pitching with full force, the ball had an unexpected upward movement.

Luckily, Miyuki was prepared for this.

He raised his glove from the center just in time to catch the ball.

"Smack!"

As Miyuki effortlessly caught the pitch, Kusunoki finally felt the weight lift from his shoulders.

"Thank goodness!"

But before he could finish his silent prayer, he heard Miyuki cheekily ask, "Is the fastball all you've got?"

"No, I've got one more!" Furuya replied.

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