Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 149: Precision Machine, You Shunshin!

Under the blazing sun, the players of Seidou High School's baseball team were basking in the joy of victory.

They had successfully advanced to the top 16 of West Tokyo, and the entire journey so far had been smooth and enjoyable.

Unconsciously, this success led the Seidou team members to begin fantasizing about the matches to come.

"If we keep winning like this, our summer will last forever..."

While the players were enthusiastically discussing their future matches, Coach Kataoka stepped into their midst.

The moment they saw their coach, the Seidou players instinctively quieted down.

It was the kind of feeling one might have when running into their homeroom teacher in the hallway.

Coach Kataoka's tone wasn't harsh, and he even seemed to be in a good mood.

"Prepare well for the next game..."

Sawamura looked confused. Hadn't their match just ended?

Was the next game coming so soon? Such an arrangement by the organizers felt inhumane.

Sawamura's straightforward nature led him to voice his doubts directly.

Kuramochi sighed and slapped his forehead. "Are you an idiot? How could we play two games in a row?"

"Then what about the next game?" Sawamura asked.

"The winner of the next game will be our opponent," Kuramochi explained.

"So, what Coach means is for all of us to carefully observe the opponent's performance!"

"West Tokyo is a hellish bracket, full of strong teams. The teams that make it to the top 16 are on a completely different level from before," Miyuki summarized.

In other words, while previous matches might not have been too concerning, reaching the top 16 marked a turning point.

For instance, the 1/8 finals, where Seidou's next opponent awaited, needed to be taken very seriously.

"If we win the next game, barring any unexpected events, our opponent will likely be Ichidaisan High," someone mentioned.

A match against Ichidaisan High was, without a doubt, seen as a critical battle by Seidou's players.

As the discussions unfolded, Furuya's lips curled into a subtle smile.

Ichidaisan High... If his memory served him right, this team, one of the three major powerhouses in West Tokyo, wasn't particularly lucky.

In fact, he could even say their luck was terrible.

However, Furuya didn't voice these thoughts. If his teammates pressed him further, he wouldn't have a way to explain.

Meanwhile, the team's coach, along with the assistant coaches and the two captains, stood in a secluded corner of the stands, deliberately giving the players space for their private discussions.

The first-string players of Seidou High School's baseball team gathered together.

"Are there any notable players on these two teams?" someone asked.

The names of the two teams on the field weren't those of any renowned powerhouses, so Seidou's players knew little about them.

Lacking any prior knowledge, they naturally turned to Chris for insight.

Since Chris became the team's recorder and displayed an indescribable talent for gathering intelligence, the players of Seidou High School's baseball team had developed almost blind faith in him.

"Akikawa Academy's You Shunshin!" Chris said without hesitation, immediately naming the player to watch.

Given how well the Seidou players knew Chris, anyone he specifically mentioned was guaranteed to be no ordinary player.

"He's an international student from Taiwan and the cornerstone of Akikawa Academy's baseball team. Previously, their team was only capable of making it through the first or second round of tournaments. But in the past two years, under You Shunshin's leadership, they've grown significantly stronger. This year, they've already made it to the top 32."

Chris paused briefly, his thoughts clear. The opponent facing Akikawa Academy likely wouldn't stop them from advancing further, which meant they were almost certain to reach the top 16.

Perhaps they could even go further.

"He has incredible control and is nicknamed 'The Precision Machine.'"

The Precision Machine?

The nickname alone was enough to unsettle Seidou's players. How precise must one's pitching be to earn such a title?

Seeing the confusion and doubt in his teammates' eyes, Chris didn't rush to explain further.

"Just watch his pitching, and you'll understand," he said.

The match on the field soon began.

Though the two teams were unfamiliar to Seidou's players, both had fought their way into West Tokyo's top 32, each defeating two or three opponents along the way. Their match promised to be interesting.

Akikawa Academy's opponents, in particular, seemed aggressive at the plate, showing strong offensive potential.

"This Akikawa Academy team might be in trouble," someone murmured.

Chris's detailed introduction had raised their expectations for Akikawa Academy, but to their surprise, You Shunshin gave up two consecutive hits at the start of the game.

The gap between their expectations and reality was massive.

The Seidou players couldn't help but glance at Chris from time to time.

"This is the 'Precision Machine' you were talking about? Doesn't seem all that special," someone quipped.

From Seidou's perspective, You Shunshin's performance was underwhelming, to say the least.

He couldn't hold a candle to their ace, Furuya, let alone their other two pitchers.

"He's way off the mark," someone else added.

Chris shook his head.

This situation wasn't what he had anticipated.

Seated in the middle of the team, Furuya watched You Shunshin on the mound, his expression tinged with disbelief.

While others might not fully understand You Shunshin's abilities, Furuya knew them well.

In his memory, the opponents capable of troubling Seidou were all well-rounded teams.

Their batters were aggressive, their defense solid, and their ace pitchers formidable.

Akikawa Academy was the sole exception.

And the root of that exception was none other than You Shunshin.

Unapologetically, Furuya thought to himself: this guy single-handedly carried his team and once led them against Seidou in a half-game—while holding the lead.

Previously, in a match between Tokyo and a North American state, You Shunshin also took the mound.

He pitched three innings, leaving even North America's top batters at a loss for what to do.

Yet here he was, against an unremarkable opponent, giving up consecutive hits.

"Playing possum!"

Furuya quickly deduced the likely explanation.

It was clear that Akikawa Academy's current opponent had been underestimated by You Shunshin.

On the surface, he was pitching against them, but in reality, he was likely sending a message to the Seidou players watching.

"What a schemer!"

The thought made Furuya break into a cold sweat as he glanced at his teammates.

It seemed like many of them had already fallen for You Shunshin's act.

While the overall effectiveness of the ploy was uncertain, it was clear that the element of underestimation had taken hold.

You Shunshin's plan was undeniably clever, but it wasn't without flaws.

"Playing possum is one thing, but trying to win the game while doing so? That's not so simple. Let's see you give up two runs first!"

Taking a deep breath, Furuya watched You Shunshin intently from the mound.

On the pitcher's mound, You Shunshin cast a quick glance toward a corner of the stands.

"Are you watching, Seidou?"

With that thought, he pitched the ball.

The batter from Akikawa Academy's opponent showed bunt, aiming for a squeeze play with runners on first and third.

"Going for a forced run? Bold move!" the crowd murmured in astonishment.

But before anyone could react, You Shunshin sprang into action.

Although the batter's bunt was fast, You Shunshin was faster. The ball barely bounced twice before landing securely in his glove.

Not stopping there, You Shunshin quickly threw the ball to home plate.

"Out!"

You Shunshin's exceptional fielding drew astonished gasps from the Seidou players.

"Even though his pitching seems ordinary, his fielding skills are impressive!" someone remarked.

Compared to Seidou's two first-year players, You Shunshin's fielding was near perfect.

Even so, the Seidou players weren't particularly concerned.

For a top-level ace pitcher, fielding skills were important, but not the most critical factor. The key was always the quality of the pitches.

Furuya, despite having some batting experience in junior high, wasn't particularly skilled at fielding.

In fact, he was only slightly better than Sawamura, and even then, not by much.

Yet this hadn't stopped Furuya from dominating in the Kanto tournament.

As a pitcher, what truly mattered was the ability to throw quality pitches.

No matter how skilled a pitcher might be in other areas, if every pitch could be easily hit, they could never become a truly reliable pitcher.

From Seidou's perspective, even if You Shunshin's fielding was extraordinary, his average pitching was an undeniable fact.

As long as that remained true, Seidou's players were confident they could hit his pitches, secure runs, and ultimately win with ease.

While Seidou High School's baseball team was secretly anticipating their next match, You Shunshin efficiently retired the remaining batters, securing three outs.

Three outs, inning over.

"Doesn't seem all that special," someone muttered. "It shouldn't be too hard to hit his pitches during the game…"

Just as the team was quietly speculating, a dissenting voice cut through the chatter.

"It's not that simple! Did none of you notice? No outs, runners on first and third—yet he got out of it unscathed!"

Miyuki's remark left his teammates momentarily speechless.

To be fair, they couldn't deny his point. If You Shunshin's first out was just luck, how about the next two? Could they also be chalked up to coincidence?

Three consecutive "coincidences" seemed far-fetched.

While most of the team silently pondered, Furuya's expression showed outright shock. He couldn't believe that Miyuki had caught on so quickly.

"Unbelievable!"

After all, Furuya had the advantage of memory—he already knew You Shunshin's true strength. But Miyuki had figured it out with nothing more than observation?

Furuya recalled a feature article written by Fujio, a senior writer at Baseball Kingdom Magazine, that had praised Miyuki extensively. At the time, Furuya had dismissed it as exaggeration. Now, he realized Fujio's assessment was spot on—Miyuki truly was exceptional.

Relieved that the others had noticed You Shunshin's hidden talent, Furuya sighed inwardly. At least he wouldn't have to point it out himself.

Even though Furuya's memories suggested that Seidou would ultimately defeat Akikawa Academy, he knew better than to rely on assumptions.

After all, there was no guarantee that things would unfold as they had before. His mere presence in this timeline could have triggered unforeseen changes—like You Shunshin hiding his true ability.

Under such circumstances, Furuya resolved that they would need to approach the upcoming match with extra caution.

As the game continued, You Shunshin was eventually forced to reveal part of his skill set.

The opposing team, being no pushovers themselves, managed to pressure him into doing so. After all, any team that reached the top 32 in West Tokyo wasn't to be underestimated.

It wasn't realistic for You Shunshin to lead his team to victory without showing at least a glimpse of his true ability.

By then, Seidou's players finally understood what it meant for him to be called "The Precision Machine."

He divided the strike zone into a nine-grid pattern and consistently placed his pitches on the edges—precisely in the corners of those small squares, no larger than the size of a hand.

Seidou's players were dumbfounded.

This level of control wasn't just rare among high school players—it was something even professional pitchers struggled to achieve.

The game ended with a score of 3–0.

Although You Shunshin gave up seven hits and didn't seem to pitch easily, he managed to keep his opponents from scoring any runs.

His opponents left the field with nothing but a goose egg on the scoreboard.

As Seidou's players left the stands, their mood was noticeably heavier.

It was clear now that their 1/8 finals match against Akikawa Academy would be anything but easy.

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