Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 145: A Textbook-Perfect Swing!

The Seidou High School baseball team faced off against the public Maimon West High School.

At the end of the first inning, the score remained locked at 0:0.

What's more, neither team managed to land a single hit during their offensive plays, which meant that every batter from both teams was retired in order. It was a stalemate.

If not for Furuya's dominant pitching elevating Seidou's momentum by several notches, the initial encounter could have easily been viewed as Seidou losing ground.

As one of the top-tier powerhouse teams in the country, Seidou's reputation is akin to students ranked in the top 20—or even the top 10—of a school with thousands. They are undoubtedly elite.

On the other hand, their opponents, an unknown public high school, could at best be considered middle to lower-tier.

In this "mock test" between the two teams, to have scored the same result was unexpected.

Which side would have the upper hand in morale?

The answer was clear.

Thanks to Furuya's impressive performance, Seidou High still had the edge in overall morale.

The diehard supporters of Seidou sitting in the stands clearly believed their team had a greater chance of winning.

"Come on! Just smash it out of the park already!"

"Show them the dominance of the Kanto champions!"

The cheers from the stands were filled with impatience and dissatisfaction.

From their perspective, Seidou High should not be struggling like this.

Their opponents were, after all, a mediocre public high school.

If they had to fight tooth and nail against such an opponent, how would they fare against the top-tier powerhouse schools in the nation later on?

The fans' dissatisfaction was something the players in Seidou's dugout understood all too well.

They could empathize with the fans' frustration, but from their standpoint, they had their own challenges to contend with.

The pitcher they had anticipated facing didn't even take the mound.

Instead, a completely unexpected sidearm pitcher was introduced—a style they hadn't prepared for.

Even though Seidou's batters were seasoned and had faced similar pitchers before, the lack of prior preparation left them at a disadvantage.

Moreover, each sidearm pitcher has their own unique pitching style, and it takes time to adapt.

Seidou's batters needed to familiarize themselves with this pitcher's throws, find their rhythm, and wait for the perfect moment to strike.

The fans' impatience only added to the players' pressure.

As the team mulled over their predicament, Coach Kataoka suddenly spoke up.

"Keep your eyes open and carefully watch how Yuuki handles this."

The players felt a shiver run through them at their coach's words.

They knew their coach well enough to understand his meaning—he firmly believed that Yuuki, standing in the batter's box, would definitely deliver.

This sparked curiosity among Seidou's players.

It was Yuuki's first at-bat against Maimon West's new pitcher, Mamoru, who clearly wasn't an easy opponent.

Could Yuuki really send the ball flying on his very first attempt?

Standing in the batter's box, Yuuki raised his bat calmly, standing motionless like an immovable mountain.

His commanding presence was enough to unsettle Maimon West's catcher.

As Seidou's cleanup hitter, Yuuki was one of the most formidable sluggers in all of Tokyo.

Even though Maimon West's defense had managed to retire Seidou's batters in order during the first inning, preventing them from gaining any advantage, it didn't guarantee they could handle the formidable batter standing before them now.

"The opponent is Seidou High's cleanup hitter, the core of their lineup and a nationally renowned slugger. There's no need to go head-to-head with him! Pitch to the edges, and even if we walk him, that's fine!"

Currently, there were no outs and no runners on base.

Maimon West's pitcher-catcher duo remained completely composed.

Even against a formidable opponent, they were determined to give it a try.

With this plan in mind, Mamoru threw two consecutive balls.

"Pop!"

"Ball!"

"Pop!"

"Ball!"

In the batter's box, Yuuki remained absolutely still, like a statue.

The die-hard Seidou supporters in the stands, however, were far less composed.

"You're just running away from the confrontation, you cowards!"

"Where's your pride as young athletes? Face him head-on!"

The comments from the Seidou fans were completely ignored by Maimon West's pitcher-catcher pair, as well as the rest of their team.

What a joke!

Their opponent was one of the most elite powerhouses in the nation—none other than the renowned Seidou High.

Not to mention, Seidou had recently triumphed in the Kanto Tournament, taking home the championship.

This might not seem significant to casual fans, but for players, it was a massive deal.

Seidou High was currently riding the wave of success.

Facing such a high-caliber team, Maimon West had every reason to employ any strategy necessary, as long as it wasn't against the rules.

Engaging in a direct clash would be tantamount to raising the white flag and surrendering outright.

In Maimon West's dugout, Coach Chiba nodded repeatedly in approval.

As he nodded, he tapped rhythmically on a chair with a makeshift baton he had crafted himself.

"Tap, tap!"

"That's the way! Walking him is fine. Focus on the rest of their lineup!"

Using precise edge pitching to deal with Seidou's cleanup hitter was the perfect strategy.

"This is the foolproof technique we've painstakingly developed—the 'Chiba Style'…"

Coach Chiba treated his team's gameplay strategy as a well-rehearsed handbook.

From his perspective, the game was unfolding exactly as planned.

While Chiba felt confident, and Mamoru was fully committed to this strategy, Yuuki remained motionless.

At first, Mamoru was wary.

After all, his opponent was a top-tier slugger, and there was always the chance Yuuki could unleash a powerful swing at any moment.

As a result, Mamoru pitched cautiously for the first two balls.

But by the third pitch, his confidence started to grow.

Seeing no reaction from Yuuki thus far, Mamoru unintentionally let his pitch drift closer to the strike zone.

This one made its way into the strike zone.

Maimon West's primary catcher noticed it and nodded subtly to himself, pleased with the outcome.

From the catcher's perspective, his partner—Maimon West's ace pitcher—seemed increasingly reliable.

The pitch landed perfectly in the outer corner, just at the very edge of the strike zone. Although technically a strike, the ball was placed so far from the batter's reach that it might as well have been a ball.

Combined with the unique trajectory of a sidearm delivery, where the ball rises slightly from below, it made hitting the pitch even more challenging.

If the catcher were to grade this pitch, he would have given it a solid 99 out of 100. The missing point wasn't because the pitch was lacking but simply to avoid inflating the pitcher's ego.

Just as these thoughts crossed the catcher's mind, the batter in the box finally moved.

When Yuuki was still, he stood as steady as a mountain.

But when he moved, it was like the eruption of a volcano.

"Boom!"

The bat whipped through the air with a resounding whoosh, the force creating a deafening sound that left the catcher wide-eyed in shock.

The batter swung?!

This was entirely unexpected.

What startled the catcher even more was the sheer speed of the swing.

Not only did the sound of the bat slicing through the air send shivers down his spine, but he could also see the afterimage of the bat as it moved.

This wasn't some trick of the mind. It was broad daylight, under the bright sun, and he could see the afterimage clearly.

Before the catcher could even process what was happening, Yuuki's bat connected squarely with the ball.

"Crack!"

The white baseball shot off like a meteor, tracing a brilliant arc through the sky before landing in fair territory and bouncing away.

The most shocked weren't the fans in the stands, but Maimon West's fielders.

When the ball began to descend, one fielder immediately calculated its trajectory.

He could see everything clearly, even predicting the exact spot where the ball would land. In his mind, he was certain—if he moved quickly enough, he had over an 80% chance of catching it.

But those calculations existed only in his head.

In reality, as he watched the ball's flight, he felt like someone had hit the slow-motion button on his movements.

He couldn't move. Not a single step.

It was as if time itself had paused.

He wasn't the only one; the entire defense seemed frozen. And those who did manage to react moved at an agonizingly slow pace.

This wasn't an illusion.

The ball's speed was simply too overwhelming.

By the time their eyes caught up with the ball, it had already landed, bounced, and flown past them, leaving them powerless to stop it.

"Safe!"

Yuuki sprinted to first base without a hitch.

The situation now shifted to no outs with a runner on first.

In the stands, Seidou's die-hard supporters were ecstatic, their frustrations finally alleviated.

They had waited far too long for this moment.

"No wonder he's the captain!"

"What a beautiful hit!"

"This is it! The call to arms—Seidou High is finally getting serious!"

The fans erupted in cheers, their excitement reaching a fever pitch.

However, Seidou's head coach, Kataoka, showed no hint of joy on his face. Instead, his expression was marked by restrained anger.

"Did you understand now?"

Hearing their coach's question, the Seidou players all lowered their heads in shame.

Even if they hadn't understood before, they now realized what he meant.

"That's exactly the issue! Did you think that just because they're a public school with a seemingly mediocre pitcher, you could casually smash the ball out of the park?"

Seidou's first three batters had made the same small but critical mistake—they had all gone to the plate wielding their bats like they were chasing home runs.

It was as if they believed anything less than a home run wouldn't do.

As for Maimon West's pitcher, Mamoru, despite his efforts to stay under the radar for over two years, intending to make a splash during this summer's tournament, Seidou had clearly underestimated him.

From their perspective, he wasn't much of a threat, and hitting his pitches should have been easy.

It was only after their lackluster performance in the first inning that the Seidou players began to reflect on their miscalculation.

They had underestimated their opponent.

Coach Kataoka made sure to address the issue head-on.

"Any player who dedicates all three years of high school to baseball deserves respect and cannot be underestimated. When we face opponents like this, we must go all out! Their pitches are tricky and uncommon, so stop aiming for big hits. Instead, rely on the fundamentals and deliver clean, consistent hits—that's the key to victory!"

"Yes, sir!!"

After receiving Kataoka's guidance, the players finally lifted their heads.

It was time to take the field and reclaim their pride.

...

Top of the second inning: Seidou's offense.

The current situation: one runner on base, no outs.

Next at bat was the fifth batter, third baseman Masuko.

"Uga! Uga!"

Masuko stepped into the batter's box decisively and delivered a powerful swing, driving the ball deep into the outfield.

The hit advanced Yuuki to third base, and Masuko himself, resembling a bulldozer, sprinted to second.

Now the situation was no outs, runners on second and third.

Up next was Miyuki.

The Seidou supporters in the stands were on the verge of delirium.

"When the momentum's rolling, nothing can stop it!"

"Keep pushing! Keep pushing!"

Under the intense gaze of the crowd, Miyuki nonchalantly hummed a tune as he swung his bat.

"Crack!"

The ball flew deep into the far outfield, bouncing off the wall and back into play after ricocheting.

Both runners on base crossed home plate in succession, bringing the score to 2:0.

Miyuki seized the opportunity to advance to second, leaving the situation at no outs with a runner on second.

And it wasn't over yet.

Next up to bat was Furuya.

-------------

If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21