Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 191: The Most Luxurious Lineup in History!

In the stands.

The die-hard supporters of the Seidou High School baseball team couldn't understand Coach Kataoka's decision at all.

When the team is in a crisis, isn't it only natural to send out their ace pitcher?

If they didn't have an ace, it would be a different story.

In times of weakness, the Seidou High School baseball team had no choice but to compromise.

The loyal fans of Seidou were no strangers to such situations—they had witnessed them countless times in the past.

But this time was different.

They had their ace pitcher. So why weren't they letting him take the mound to turn the game around?

What exactly was going through the mind of the Seidou coach?

It wasn't just the fans who were baffled.

Even Fujio, a professional in the baseball world, was stunned when he saw this unfold.

The long-legged beauty next to him asked in confusion,

"Why didn't they bring Furuya back?"

If the Seidou coach hadn't considered this option, that would be one thing.

But that wasn't the case.

After Furuya's pitching ended, the Seidou team didn't send their true ace back to the dugout to rest.

Instead, they kept him on the field.

Part of the reason was, of course, his batting ability.

Furuya wasn't just a pitcher—his batting skills were also highly valued.

The other reason was to be prepared, just in case.

If anything changed on the field, their true ace could quickly return to the mound.

This wasn't unique to Seidou High School.

The two other top-tier teams followed a similar approach.

When their ace pitchers weren't needed on the mound or were in poor form, the coaches of those teams would often quietly keep their ace players on standby.

The reason was the same—to prepare for any sudden changes in the game.

Baseball rules were different.

In basketball or soccer, players who are subbed out can return to the game.

But in baseball, once a player is substituted, they can't come back.

If Fujio could answer his companion's question, he would have gladly explained everything.

He was that kind of senior.

But now, he regretted that he couldn't understand the coach's decision either.

At the same time, even Seidou's players were puzzled by their coach's actions.

In their impression, Coach Kataoka had always been someone who trusted and nurtured his ace players.

Why would he make such a decision now?

Faced with everyone's doubts, Coach Kataoka remained silent.

His authority within the Seidou High School baseball team was absolute. Even in silence, no one dared to question Coach Kataoka's decisions.

Chris kept twirling the pen in his hand.

If one were to ask who was the smartest on the team, it might be hard to say.

But if the question were who knew the team and the coach best, Chris would undoubtedly be among the top contenders.

While the rest of the team couldn't figure out the purpose behind the coach's actions, Chris had a faint understanding.

"You're really something, Coach," he thought to himself.

The reason Coach Kataoka hadn't sent the ace back in was simple: he believed it wasn't the right time.

The Seidou High baseball team would undoubtedly face many more challenges in the matches ahead.

With Furuya, their ace pitcher who possessed immense strength, they could likely overcome most obstacles.

But should they rely solely on Furuya?

For the current Seidou team, such dependency might not lead to any immediate harm.

However, for the players themselves—especially considering their futures—this dependency could be a fatal flaw.

They needed to learn how to handle difficulties independently.

Coach Kataoka had turned this game into a proving ground for his players.

The third-year players on the team might not understand the coach as well as Chris did, but they could still sense his intentions to some extent.

As a result, when Kawakami took the mound, the team's morale noticeably improved.

Meanwhile, the Yakushi High baseball team's offense showed no signs of slowing down.

Yakushi's original plan was straightforward: they assumed Seidou would bring their ace back to the mound at this critical moment.

If that happened, Yakushi's only strategy would be to exhaust Furuya's stamina as much as possible.

It wasn't the smartest tactic, but it was the only one they had.

From Yakushi's perspective, they had no other way to deal with Seidou's ace.

While they had faced strong pitchers before, someone as terrifying as Furuya was a first for them.

Just the thought of facing him gave Yakushi's players a headache.

In their minds, a showdown with Furuya was inevitable.

But to their surprise, Seidou had no intention of sending their ace back in.

Instead, they sent a second-year pitcher.

Seeing this, the Yakushi players couldn't help but feel a twinge of anger.

It seemed their opponents weren't taking them seriously.

Even with the score gap narrowed to just four runs, Seidou still didn't bring back their ace.

"Well, what else is there to say? They've handed us such a golden opportunity—are we really going to let it slip by?"

In Yakushi's dugout, Raizou roared loudly.

When coaching his players during practice, Raizou wasn't typically this intense.

But once the game began, he transformed into an entirely different person.

On the field, he no longer focused on drills or small details—that was all handled during practice.

Now, the only thing that mattered was giving it their all to enjoy the game and fight their hardest against their opponents.

At this moment, Raizou radiated an indescribable aura, one that spurred his players to action.

The players of Yakushi High School's baseball team, inspired by the fiery aura of their coach, couldn't help but be infected by his energy.

Their blood was boiling, and their determination to hit the ball was written all over their faces.

The remaining batters of Yakushi High began to showcase their abilities.

Although they had been completely suppressed earlier in the game—unable to gain any advantage against Furuya in direct matchups—they now found a renewed sense of purpose.

Even when Seidou fielded their other first-year pitcher, the batters of Yakushi had struggled to make an impact, leaving them frustrated and humiliated.

If Yakushi had been the dark horse in their previous game, in this one, they looked like nothing more than amateurs—a deeply embarrassing sight for them.

The players didn't need anyone else to point it out; they felt it keenly themselves.

They wished they could dig a hole in the ground and bury themselves out of shame, just to escape the ridicule.

But now, everything had changed.

Their opponent was no longer one of those two monstrous first-years. Instead, they were facing a pitcher whose skills were notably weaker.

To be fair, Kawakami wasn't lacking in craftiness.

Holding a position in Seidou's elite roster was proof of his competence.

However, his skills were relative.

Compared to Seidou's other two first-year pitchers, Kawakami's pitching was significantly less threatening—by a long shot.

Adding to that, his current form wasn't great.

Sensing an opportunity, the Yakushi batters—who had been quiet so far—suddenly sprang to life.

Their chance had finally come!

The Yakushi hitters raised their bats high, ready to strike.

As the pitches came, they swung with everything they had, making the most of Kawakami's sidearm delivery.

Whether by stepping back or moving forward, they found ways to minimize the disadvantage of the pitch's angle.

This display left Seidou's players stunned.

For the first time, they truly recognized the strength of their opponents.

Throughout the game, Seidou's players had held a deeply ingrained misconception: they believed that only the three first-year prodigies and Sanada from Yakushi were threats at the plate.

The rest of the Yakushi batters, they thought, were mediocre at best—no real threat.

But reality was proving to be different.

Though Yakushi had struggled against Furuya and even Sawamura, they were now managing to connect with Kawakami's pitches through sheer determination.

Ping!

While not every hit stayed in bounds, the fact that Yakushi could make solid contact was enough to put pressure on Seidou.

And the results began to show.

Kawakami, who had just taken the mound, was unable to completely stop Yakushi's offense.

Yakushi managed to get runners on base and eventually scored another run.

The score on the board shifted to 6-3, narrowing the gap to just three runs.

And Yakushi's offense wasn't over yet.

Despite this, Seidou showed no signs of making a substitution.

The neutral spectators in the stands, unsure of where their loyalties lay, glanced back and forth between the two teams. The game was heating up, and the outcome was anyone's guess.

As they watched the game unfold, the fans suddenly felt an absurd thought creeping in:

"Could they actually pull off a comeback?"

"They've already scored three runs in this inning, and their offense isn't over yet."

"If they score a few more runs, the whole game could turn around!!!"

Seeing this, the neutral fans began to switch sides, now passionately cheering for Yakushi.

The Seidou High School baseball team, which had dominated the game so far, now felt like the villain in everyone's eyes. The sudden shift in atmosphere was unmistakably uncomfortable.

In Yakushi's dugout, Coach Raizou sat confidently, seemingly at ease. Before the start of the seventh inning, most people had assumed the game was already decided. Not just the average fans, but even many of Yakushi's own players had little faith in the outcome.

But now, their mindset was changing.

"Thank you, Coach Kataoka!" Raizou muttered, suspecting that Kataoka had his own reasons for making such decisions. However, once the situation got out of control, it would be hard to reel it back in.

"The longer this goes on, the less impact Kawakami will have when he eventually returns," Raizou thought.

Just then, a shift occurred on the field. Yakushi's players, in an attempt to force a run, used a bunt. The ball flew, and the runner on third base sprinted forward.

The fans in the stands were ecstatic, watching as Yakushi's offense flowed effortlessly. It felt almost like a well-executed plan, a seamless series of moves.

What made it even more impressive was that this team, typically known for their aggressive swings, could pull off such a clean and precise bunt at a critical moment.

Even Seidou's players, who had been watching the game, were taken aback.

They had seen the media coverage, and many had assumed that Yakushi's players weren't particularly focused on bunting.

They had clearly been wrong.

The player executing the bunt had clearly been practicing this skill for much longer than a few days.

Hitting Kawakami's pitches wasn't easy, and converting them into a bunt, not too fast nor too slow, was no small feat.

Just as everyone was stunned, a figure quickly moved forward. With impressive speed, he grabbed the ball and sent it straight into Miyuki's glove.

"Thud!"

"Out!"

The runner from third base was too late to turn back and was tagged out.

"Two outs, runner on first!"

Yakushi's offense came to an abrupt halt, as if someone had hit the pause button.

Seidou quickly secured the final out of the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, Seidou's offense began.

The players gathered around Masuko, showering him with praise for his performance. Even Chris nodded in approval.

Before Furuya joined their team, Seidou's performance hadn't been particularly impressive. It wasn't because their players lacked skill, but because they lacked a strong pitcher.

With Furuya's arrival, Seidou had filled that last gap, and now, their lineup was the most formidable it had ever been.

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