Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 173: Only by Standing in the Batter's Box Can You Truly Understand Furuya's Terror!

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!"

Seeing Raichi get struck out left the players of Yakushi High's baseball team stunned for a good while before they could process what had just happened.

Just moments ago, they had witnessed Raichi making solid contact with the ball. At that moment, every member of the Yakushi team brimmed with confidence.

Though the ball hadn't landed within bounds, Raichi had managed to hit it.

Given what they knew of their monstrous batter, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the next hit would send the ball flying.

But to their shock, the result was an empty swing.

"That despicable guy! It was supposed to be a head-on showdown, but he used a breaking ball?" A particularly burly player grumbled in frustration.

This player's keen eyes had even managed to detect Furuya's breaking ball.

"You can't put it that way," countered Sanada, Yakushi's true ace. "In the duel between pitcher and batter, both sides must give it their all. If a breaking ball gets the job done, why wouldn't he use it?"

"But that last breaking ball…"

"It was probably the forkball, also known as the 'last magical pitch of the 20th century.' He hadn't used it before, but he unleashed it against us right away!" Yakushi's coach, Raizou, felt as if his head was about to explode.

Although they had defeated Ichidaisan High previously, logic suggested that Seidou High's players wouldn't underestimate them.

At most, Seidou might avoid taking them lightly, but a bit of complacency would still be natural given Yakushi's status as an underdog.

However, Seidou's players showed no trace of arrogance.

Not only that, even the monster-like Furuya took Yakushi seriously, enough to bring out his forkball so soon.

"If this is how it's starting, the rest of the game will be tough," Raizou concluded.

Meanwhile, in Seidou High's dugout, the atmosphere was equally tense.

"If I'm not mistaken, Furuya's breaking balls used to only work when he threw off-speed pitches, right?" one of the teammates asked in confusion.

"That's true," Chris, diligently recording the game, replied with a slight smile. "But who says a player can't improve?"

Yakushi's opening salvo had been a strong warning shot and carried significant threat.

If Seidou wasn't careful, they could have easily fallen into their opponent's rhythm.

Fortunately, Yakushi underestimated Furuya's pitching skills and determination, which proved to be a costly mistake.

"A first-year pitcher becoming the ace of our team isn't unheard of. But for it to happen during the summer tournament? Furuya is one of a kind!"

"Don't underestimate our ace!"

Seidou's players, along with their supporters, seemed to see Furuya in a new light.

Raichi, the monstrous first-year batter from Yakushi, had displayed incredible power.

Everyone in the stadium had witnessed it.

Yet, even against such a formidable opponent, Furuya managed to decisively overpower him.

Such terrifying ability and performance left everyone in awe, whether they wanted to admit it or not.

In Seidou's dugout, the players exchanged glances before breaking into enthusiastic cheers.

"Let's keep this momentum and finish them off!"

No matter how shocked they were deep down, they knew they shared the same battlefield with Furuya.

Their role was to support their ace to the fullest.

Even if their ace wasn't performing this well, they would still give it their all.

The internal struggles and resolve of Seidou's players were invisible to the fans in the stands.

All they could see was a team standing united.

"That was incredible!"

"That's exactly what you'd expect from the Kanto Tournament champions—this is a whole different level of skill."

The fans of Seidou High's baseball team were overwhelmed with excitement.

Before the game, they had heard all sorts of rumors, including some bold predictions that Seidou might face a tough battle.

Yes, Seidou was one of the nation's elite powerhouses.

But wasn't Ichidaisan High also a formidable team?

And yet, this dark horse Yakushi High team had sent Ichidaisan packing in the previous game.

The possibility of Yakushi pulling off another miracle couldn't be completely dismissed.

Hearing such talk had left Seidou's die-hard supporters fuming, their frustration almost boiling over.

They wanted to refute those claims, but even from an objective standpoint, there was some logic in them.

Anything could happen on the field. And from a theoretical perspective, Yakushi's chances weren't entirely baseless.

It wasn't until now, after witnessing Furuya's dominant performance, that Seidou's loyal fans finally felt vindicated.

"Dark horse? That's just luck."

"They won't be so lucky against our team."

The stands erupted in chants of Furuya's name, the energy of Seidou's fans reaching an intimidating peak.

Meanwhile, in Yakushi High's dugout, Coach Raizou was rubbing his head in frustration.

He had sent his precious son, Raichi, up to bat right at the start, full of expectations for his performance.

It wasn't necessarily about getting a hit or a base run.

As long as Raichi could assert dominance in the duel, making Seidou's players and their fans feel the gravity of the game, that would have been enough.

If Yakushi could show they had the ability to connect with the ball and even threaten to score, Raichi's job would be done.

Even without scoring in the first inning, they could have built momentum for their side.

But the reality was far from what Raizou had hoped for—Raichi struck out.

With that result, the game's direction was naturally not going to follow Yakushi's initial plan.

Worse, the situation could turn against them entirely.

"This is bad," Raizou muttered, scratching his head in frustration.

Just then, a confident voice rang out.

"Don't worry, Coach! Even though Raichi made a mistake, you've still got me!"

The speaker was Mishima Yuta, one of Yakushi's three first-year core players.

"I'm counting on you, Mishima!" Raizou immediately replied, not holding back his gratitude toward the young player stepping up to take responsibility for the team.

Mishima's face turned bright red, his determination evident.

Even though the opponent's performance was enough to give this self-proclaimed super genius a headache, Mishima Yuta felt a surge of excitement.

After all, it was only meaningful to face such strong opponents.

If he were to compete against weaker players, both he and Raichi would undoubtedly perform well. But how could he truly prove his superiority when everyone looked good?

It was only by challenging a formidable opponent like Furuya that his true strength could shine.

"This is finally my chance to prove my genius to the coach! Once I defeat Furuya, the coach will definitely move me up to cleanup hitter. Becoming both the ace and the No. 4 batter isn't far off now…"

Mishima's face lit up with a sly grin as he entertained his daydream.

Seeing his expression, not only were Seidou High's players confused, but even Yakushi High's teammates couldn't understand what he was thinking.

"What crazy dream is he having now?"

Of course, Yakushi's players had no time to figure out Mishima's thoughts—they were too focused on the man on the mound.

Furuya seemed to glow under the spotlight, exuding an aura of invincibility.

"We have to take him down if we want a chance!"

"Now batting, No. 2—Akiba!"

Yakushi's batting order had been completely rearranged.

Their three first-year core players were moved to the top of the lineup, an obvious attempt to make an immediate impact against Seidou and Furuya.

Chris, ever observant, immediately saw through their plan as he recorded the game.

"This also increases the likelihood of these players getting more at-bats," he remarked, as though reading Yakushi's minds.

"That's all the more reason not to let them have their way!"

Seidou's players chuckled, brimming with confidence.

When the game began and Furuya faced off against the so-called first-year monster Raichi, there was a hint of concern among Seidou's players.

It wasn't that they doubted their ace.

It was simply that the first-year players this year were so unpredictable and dominant that even the senior players couldn't guarantee a victory against them.

But Furuya's performance shattered their expectations.

Not only had he continued to improve, but he was advancing at a remarkable pace.

What was once limited to off-speed breaking balls had now evolved into mastery over fastball variations.

As Chris put it, "The Furuya Satoru who can masterfully use a forkball is on an entirely different level than the one who couldn't throw breaking balls at all."

Unapologetically, Chris declared that the current Furuya had surpassed their understanding.

Whatever he accomplished on the field should no longer surprise them—it was simply who he was.

For Yakushi's players, hitting Furuya's pitches was akin to chasing an impossible dream.

While Seidou's players had complete faith in their ace, Yakushi's players clearly thought otherwise.

Take Akiba, for example, as he stepped into the batter's box.

His eyes locked firmly on the mound, replaying the drills they had practiced countless times in his mind.

To prepare for this moment, Yakushi's players had trained against 150-kilometer-per-hour fastballs to simulate Furuya's pitches.

They had even adjusted their techniques during practice.

"I can see the ball. I can definitely make contact with it!" Akiba thought resolutely.

Then, with a calm and focused demeanor, Furuya began his motion and unleashed the pitch without hesitation.

Fast!

The moment Furuya started his pitching motion, Akiba felt every cell in his body tense up.

It was a speed akin to thunderbolts!

A pitcher capable of throwing at such a velocity must naturally move with unparalleled acceleration during the pitching motion.

Akiba understood this well, but it was only by standing in the batter's box that he truly experienced the suffocating pressure bearing down on him.

Even before the ball left Furuya's hand, his pitching motion alone was enough to strike fear into the hearts of batters.

"Is he really a first-year high schooler like us?" Akiba wondered.

On the surface, the question was absurd. It was impossible for Seidou High to lie about such a thing, and even harder to keep it hidden.

But standing there, facing Furuya, Akiba couldn't help but entertain the thought.

As this doubt filled his mind, the white baseball left Furuya's hand.

Faster than Akiba had imagined!

The ball, accompanied by an ear-piercing sound as it tore through the air, suddenly appeared right in front of him.

To Akiba, the ball wasn't just an ordinary baseball—it felt like some kind of monstrous, unknown entity.

He couldn't swing.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

In Yakushi High's dugout, the players collectively felt their throats go dry.

They had imagined many scenarios for this at-bat, but never did they expect the usually steady Akiba to freeze on the spot.

It was something they hadn't considered, or perhaps didn't even dare to imagine.

"How could someone be this terrifying?"

The players' eyes were filled with questions, but no one could provide any answers.

Leading 0-1 in the count, Furuya immediately threw his second pitch, putting even more pressure on the batter.

But he wasn't done yet!

While the spectators watched in astonishment, Furuya unleashed his third pitch.

"Boom!"

After two pitches, Akiba finally managed to regain some composure. Gritting his teeth, he recalled his coach's advice.

"Such fast pitches can create an optical illusion. Don't aim directly at the ball—swing two baseballs above the fastball's path."

"Two balls above the fastball!"

Locking onto the calculated position, Akiba swung with all his might.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!"

The umpire's declaration was clear and final.

Furuya had struck out another batter, leaving both the Yakushi players and fans stunned and speechless.

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