Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 146: Furuya's Astounding Growth Rate!

Score: 2-0!

The morale of Seidou High School's baseball team was soaring to its peak.

In the stands, Seidou's diehard supporters finally broke into smiles.

"This is the Seidou we know and love."

"No matter how bizarre the pitching style of the Maimon West pitcher is, he's still just a player from a public high school."

"Once we get used to his pitches, hitting them out will only be a matter of time!"

From the perspective of the fans in the stands, it seemed like a simple matter.

Seidou's batters had accomplished it almost effortlessly.

But what was the reality?

In Seidou's dugout, the pride in the eyes of the players and Coach Kataoka was unmistakable.

"Incredible! Absolutely incredible!"

Their expressions weren't simply self-praise or empty boasting.

Their confidence was well-founded.

The pitcher from Maimon West on the mound had an unconventional side-arm pitching style and demonstrated exceptional skill on the field.

His coordination with his catcher and other fielders was seamless, a level of teamwork that clearly hadn't been developed overnight.

In other words, Maimon West had been preparing for this moment for a long time—whether for this specific game or the summer tournament as a whole.

The opposing team had clearly invested significant effort, enduring long and arduous training to reach this point.

Cracking their strategy wouldn't be easy.

While the fans in the stands might feel frustrated, it was undeniable that Maimon West's players were not easy opponents.

Seidou's first three batters being retired in order wasn't without reason.

But…

Their opponent was Seidou High School.

A team of players who were not only more diligent and skilled but also far more resilient and composed.

That's why Seidou's players, after figuring out the opposing pitcher's strengths and weaknesses, managed to relentlessly smash the ball with overpowering hits.

One after another, they secured base hits for their team.

Players like Yuuki, Masuko, and even Miyuki—all of them consistently hit the opposing pitcher's throws with remarkable precision.

Their success came from relentless practice and a natural talent that enhanced their performance.

Ota rubbed his hands together, his face brimming with joy.

"It's a pity that Furuya joined the team so late…"

This remark wasn't unfounded. Ota had his reasons.

Furuya's stellar performance on the field so far was undoubtedly the result of his hard work after joining Seidou.

However, much of it also stemmed from his unparalleled natural talent, which arguably outweighed his efforts.

Even his standout performance at the plate relied heavily on his innate abilities.

With his incredible swing power, even a mere connection with the ball could send it flying far—and occasionally, result in a home run.

But such strength had its limitations.

Just like Seidou's earlier batters who initially aimed to hit the opposing pitcher's ball straight out of the park but fell into his trap instead.

The principle was the same.

Precision hitting depended on muscle memory built through countless swings in practice.

Unfortunately…

Furuya's time on the team had been far too short. No matter how remarkable his talent, it was impossible for him to bridge the gap between himself and Seidou's second- and third-year players in just two or three months.

Behind Furuya in the batting lineup were the team's eighth and ninth batters.

While they were not lacking in skill, everything depended on the comparison.

Ota couldn't help but sigh at this point.

If it were just Furuya, it might still be manageable. But the two batters following him weren't exactly dependable either.

Seidou's current offensive momentum would likely only secure two or three runs.

That wasn't a small achievement, of course. But it still fell far short of delivering a decisive blow to their opponent.

"As long as he can showcase his full strength on the pitcher's mound, that's all that matters," Coach Kataoka said, remaining undeterred.

He was well aware that batting was not Furuya's strong suit.

But Furuya had his own role to play—his primary role as Seidou's pitcher. Any contributions beyond that were just bonuses.

Hearing this evaluation, the players in Seidou's dugout didn't believe it for a second.

Was their coach's expectation of Furuya really limited to just being the team's ace?

If that were the case, then whenever Furuya wasn't pitching, he would've been sitting in the dugout resting. The team wouldn't have put him in as an outfielder during his non-pitching moments.

After all, with Furuya's pitching style, his biggest weakness was stamina. Yet Coach Kataoka insisted on using him this way.

Actions spoke louder than words. The way Coach Kataoka handled Furuya clearly revealed his high expectations.

Though the players all understood this, none of them said a word. They simply let their coach believe what he wanted.

Meanwhile, standing on second base, Miyuki observed the strange atmosphere around him.

The fans in the stands seemed full of anticipation for Furuya's performance.

What they didn't realize, however, was that while it might have seemed easy for Seidou to hit Mamoru's pitches, Mamoru was no ordinary pitcher.

He was incredibly skilled!

If he hadn't faced a team as strong as Seidou, he might very well have become a dark horse in this tournament.

In that sense, Furuya's luck was truly unfortunate.

"But then again," Miyuki thought to himself, "what strong player hasn't had to overcome challenges like these?"

Miyuki glanced toward the batter's box, where Furuya stood, and his eyes glinted with a mischievous look.

It seemed that, regardless of Furuya's performance—whether stellar or lackluster—someone would end up disappointed.

"Who will you let down, kid?"

Furuya completely ignored the teasing expression of his teammate, Miyuki.

If he let himself get angry with Miyuki, he'd only be playing into his hands. That would be as foolish as tying the noose for his own demise.

Instead of wasting energy on his teammate, Furuya's focus remained on his opponent, the pitcher named Mamoru.

"Three consecutive hits… can you still give it your all on the mound?"

Every pitcher has their limits.

Although Mamoru had done an excellent job of hiding his skills before the game—so much so that no information about his pitching had been leaked—it also posed a significant risk.

For players accustomed to playing regular games, they understand that wins and losses are all part of the game.

Losing or facing setbacks may be frustrating, but experienced players can generally adjust their mindset quickly and avoid letting it affect their future performance.

Mamoru, however, was different. Having hidden his skills for so long, he had no prior experience playing in official matches.

Taking three consecutive heavy hits from the opposing batters could easily shake his mental state.

And for a pitcher, once their mental state crumbles, their pitches inevitably deteriorate.

Furuya stood poised, waiting to see how Mamoru would respond.

When the white ball came flying toward him, it didn't disappoint.

"As expected, it's gotten worse!"

From what Furuya observed, Mamoru's low side-arm pitch now had a noticeable upward trajectory—a stark contrast to his earlier pitches.

Was this change an improvement or a flaw?

Furuya couldn't be sure.

But one thing was certain—this was an opportunity!

Seizing the moment, Furuya swung his bat without hesitation.

"Boom!"

The sound of the bat cutting through the air sent a shiver down the spine of Maimon West's main catcher.

"This guy… he's not someone to be taken lightly!"

The moment Furuya stepped into the batter's box, the catcher had felt his heart skip a beat.

From Furuya's swing, he could sense an overwhelming threat, as if the next moment would see both him and his pitcher drowned in the sheer power of the swing.

"No!"

"Absolutely not!"

The catcher let out a frustrated shout.

But at this point, neither the pitch nor the swing was under his control.

No matter how unwilling he felt, all he could do was watch helplessly as the bat connected with the ball.

Clang!

The white baseball soared 40 meters before landing just outside the third base foul line.

"Foul!"

Only after the umpire's call did the players of Maimon West finally feel a weight lift off their shoulders.

"It's working!"

"Mamoru's pitching finally worked!"

Mamoru's earlier pitches had been repeatedly hammered by Seidou's batters, leading to hits and runs as effortlessly as eating or drinking.

This had placed enormous pressure on every player of Maimon West.

If even Mamoru's pitching didn't work, they couldn't imagine how they'd stand a chance against Furuya.

Were they just supposed to accept defeat?

The players of Maimon West refused to accept such an outcome.

Now, for the first time, they saw a glimmer of hope.

"Wow!"

"This is what happens when you send in a rookie!"

Maimon West's head coach, Chiba, was so thrilled that he couldn't stop slapping his megaphone. In that instant, it seemed like he'd regained all his energy.

The neutral fans in the stands, noticing this, were thoroughly entertained.

"This Maimon West coach is way too amusing!"

"When his team was at a disadvantage earlier, he looked like a corpse. But the moment they gained the upper hand, he came back to life!"

The performance of Maimon West had captured the attention of these neutral spectators.

Meanwhile, in Seidou's dugout, the players exchanged uncertain glances.

If they had held on to even a sliver of hope before, by now, they had come to an undeniable realization.

Furuya was still too green!

In truth, the pitches from Maimon West's Mamoru had already begun to show flaws. If a more seasoned batter had been at the plate, that last pitch might've been sent flying.

But Furuya missed it!

Even though he managed to hit the ball far, it couldn't change the fact that it had been a miscalculation.

"Actually, his progress has already been incredible," Ota muttered, unable to bear the disappointed looks from those around him.

From Ota's perspective, Furuya had been making continuous strides since joining the team.

But compared to Seidou's seasoned second- and third-year players, Furuya—who had only been training for just over two months—still had a long way to go.

"He's still young. He still has—"

Before Ota could finish defending Furuya, Mamoru, now brimming with confidence, delivered his second pitch.

Whoosh!

The ball came in low and sharp, appearing to rise suddenly as it approached the strike zone.

Some of Seidou's players, watching from the dugout, frowned at the sight.

"Wait… has this guy evolved?"

Mamoru was truly full of surprises, so much so that it unsettled Seidou's players.

Just then, Furuya moved in the batter's box.

This time, his swing was nothing like the bold and aggressive strikes from earlier. Instead, it seemed completely ordinary, almost lackluster.

"Oh no, did he eat something bad this morning?" Sawamura mumbled instinctively, watching Furuya's subdued performance.

But before Sawamura could finish his sentence, Furuya's bat connected with the ball.

Crack!

The crisp sound echoed as the white ball tumbled past the third baseman and into the outfield.

This time, the ball didn't veer outside the foul line. Instead, it landed cleanly just 10 centimeters inside the line.

"It's through!"

"A long hit right down the line?"

The diehard Seidou fans in the stands erupted in excitement.

Their emotions soared, their cheers nearly deafening.

Furuya's hit was so perfect, it was almost unbelievable.

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