Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 197: The Vanishing Final Shot!

"Furuya!"

"Furuya!!!"

The West Tokyo Regional Tournament, quarterfinals.

The match between Seidou High School and Yakushi High School had reached the top of the ninth inning.

There was one out, and a runner on first base.

The score stood at 7:3.

Since Seidou was the home team, they only needed to secure the last two outs to claim victory.

At that moment, thunderous cheers erupted from the stands.

The vast majority of fans seemed to have transformed into die-hard supporters of Furuya, chanting his name in unison. The entire stadium felt like a stronghold of his loyal fans.

Even though the game wasn't over, the atmosphere conveyed a sense of inevitable victory for Seidou.

Hearing the deafening cheers, Yakushi's players were naturally displeased.

But no matter how frustrated they felt, there was nothing they could do about it.

The spectators had no concern for their thoughts, nor could Yakushi's players dictate the course of the game.

Seidou was getting closer and closer to winning.

In this tense atmosphere, Mishima stepped up to the batter's box.

Despite his impressive performance earlier in the tournament, few believed he could make a difference now.

Even Yakushi's own supporters had doubts.

Why?

Because his opponent was simply too strong!

Furuya's performance had always been remarkable, and now he was back on the mound.

Initially, fans and Seidou supporters had been skeptical and worried.

After being off for so long, would he struggle to regain his rhythm?

Would he lose his form?

Such situations weren't uncommon in baseball.

Seidou's loyal fans had witnessed plenty of similar scenarios.

Their previous ace, Tanba, had faced countless problems on the mound.

Having experienced that, Seidou's supporters had developed an unparalleled level of patience and resilience.

They'd grown accustomed to unexpected events.

However, the current situation was unusual even for them.

Now, Seidou had a reliable ace — a rock-solid presence on the mound.

As long as Furuya was there, they never had to worry about unexpected setbacks.

He would firmly take control of the game and lead the team to victory.

"All eyes on you!"

"Mishima!!!"

Despite the disadvantageous situation, Yakushi High's players and supporters still held onto a glimmer of determination.

Even when the odds were against them, the team never stopped encouraging one another. They sincerely hoped Mishima could deliver an impressive performance.

Raizou, who usually wore a cheerful expression, now had a dark and serious look on his face. He watched Mishima with great anticipation.

The bond between Raizou and Mishima had become almost as infamous as the one he shared with his rebellious son.

Raizou had been coaching Mishima in baseball since he was very young.

Due to the lack of a proper field and team, Mishima's parents had even reported Raizou to the police, resulting in a night spent at the station.

However, those unpleasant incidents were mere trivialities to their mentor-student relationship.

Once Mishima's parents learned of Raizou's identity as a star professional player, they agreed to let their son train under him.

Having a celebrity athlete as a private coach was a privilege they couldn't afford, despite their family background.

So, they wisely entrusted their son to him.

Since middle school, Mishima had been performing well.

He was always the team's ace pitcher and cleanup hitter (No. 4).

He was also Raichi's first friend.

"Mishima, hit it like this!"

Standing on first base, Raichi couldn't stop mumbling, seemingly trying to share his batting experience with his teammate.

Unfortunately, Mishima wasn't interested.

"Stop acting superior! Sure, your name is louder now, but I've never thought you were above me!"

Furuya Satoru—just like them, he was also a first-year rookie.

Even their nicknames were identical: Monster Rookie.

It was this very player who completely suppressed them throughout the game, leaving them helpless.

"I never imagined there'd be a monster like you in our year. Your pitching is top-tier nationwide, and your batting isn't bad either. You're so all-around it's infuriating..."

As Mishima was caught in his thoughts, Furuya had already delivered the first pitch cleanly and decisively.

Whoosh!

The ball flew from his hand as if it were sweeping away everything in its path.

The deafening sound of the ball cutting through the air was impossible to ignore.

Mishima barely managed to swing his bat.

But in the end, his bat didn't even graze the ball.

Pop!

"Strike!"

Seeing the batter forced into a corner, Seidou's players and supporters erupted in excitement.

From their perspective, it was clear that Furuya had taken complete control of the game.

"Did you see that? The opponent is totally stunned!"

"Well, what do you expect? That guy pitching is Furuya Satoru!"

"152 km/h—his speed just went up again!"

To the fans in the stands, they were simply enjoying a spectacular display of blistering fastballs.

Who the batter was didn't matter too much.

Of course, if it was a formidable opponent like Mishima, their excitement would be even more palpable.

"Amazing!!"

The conversations among the spectators echoed clearly into Mishima's ears.

The burly baseball player's eyes turned red.

"Incredible! Even at this point, his speed is still that fierce? Such clean, powerful fastballs..."

As Mishima marveled, he instinctively recalled the teachings of his coach:

"His fastballs are the quickest and hardest to handle. If you want to send one flying, you must remember one thing: never trust your eyes. Aim for two ball lengths above the fastball when you swing!"

Pitchers with ultra-fast speeds often caused visual distortions for batters.

Back when their coach taught this, Mishima and his Yakushi teammates had doubts.

Was it really that magical?

It turned out the coach hadn't exaggerated one bit.

Their opponent's pitches were indeed deceptive and disorienting.

However, the coach wasn't infallible either.

He had gotten some things right—but also missed a few key points.

For example, if they only aimed two ball lengths above the fastball as instructed, even if they timed the swing perfectly, they wouldn't necessarily connect.

The first-year "monsters" had already suffered from this strategy before.

"You must've noticed by now, Coach — this monster is even stronger than you described! If we only aim two ball lengths above, we probably won't even touch the ball. We need to aim higher—three, or even three and a half lengths above!"

Mishima's focus narrowed until only Furuya remained in his vision.

As Furuya released the pitch, Mishima's sharp gaze locked onto the incoming ball.

"Here we go!"

His eyes gleamed as the ball approached.

Timing it perfectly, Mishima swung with all his might.

Boom!

Ping!

Contrary to what Seidou's players and supporters had expected, the ball soared high into the air before dropping behind the home plate umpire.

"Foul ball!"

With that foul, Mishima was pushed into a corner.

But whether it was the spectators or Seidou's own players, everyone held their breath.

Only now did many truly realize just how formidable Yakushi High's team was.

That was the unbeatable Furuya on the mound — a pitcher who had dominated even in the Kanto Tournament, stopping every opponent like an indomitable force.

Despite being just a first-year rookie, he had led Seidou to claim the Kanto Tournament championship, defeating countless top-tier national powerhouses along the way.

And yet, even against such a pitcher, Yakushi's players — particularly these first-year batters — were still able to hold their ground.

Now Mishima had even made contact with his pitch?

Though Yakushi had no realistic hope of a comeback, the scene left everyone shaken.

"This guy... he's something else!"

"Mishima's found his rhythm!"

Not only the others, but even Raichi on first base was visibly excited.

The players in Yakushi High School's dugout were no different. One by one, they stood up as if they had gone mad.

"Hit it out!"

"Just score one run first…"

They knew full well that, given the current situation, they had no chance of turning the game around.

However, the Yakushi players clearly had no intention of letting this match end so easily.

They genuinely hoped for some twist, for something different to happen.

They wanted to keep fighting!

In the batter's box, Mishima puffed out his cheeks and bit down, glaring at Furuya.

"So close!"

He had aimed three balls above the fastball earlier but still hit it too high.

As expected, this monster was even tougher than they'd imagined.

But Mishima didn't give up in the slightest. His sharp eyes remained locked on his opponent.

"Come on, pitch it again! This time, I'm definitely going to hit it out!"

Behind the plate, Miyuki could clearly sense Mishima's emotional shift.

Their first-year opponent seemed filled with an extraordinary level of confidence, convinced he could blast the ball out.

With that much self-assurance, there was a good chance Mishima had already decided which pitch to target.

"A breaking ball should be enough to settle this. What do you think?"

On the mound, Furuya shook his head slightly.

He had no intention of backing down.

"As expected, you pitchers are never easy to deal with!"

Miyuki shook his head in disbelief.

Maybe this was the fate of Seidou High's baseball team?

Their aces never made things easy.

From beginning to end, they were always eager to face challenges head-on with courage.

"Alright, let's go for it. It seems like the other side might have figured us out—keep the pitch low!"

Although Miyuki had devised a strategy to deal with the opponent, he wasn't entirely confident it would work.

Furuya's pitching speed was simply off the charts.

Even if he wanted to keep the ball low, there was no guarantee he could actually control the pitch angle that precisely.

If the ball didn't go low enough, it might end up being exactly what Mishima was waiting for.

Given the batting prowess Mishima had just displayed, he had a real chance of making solid contact.

Just as Miyuki was thinking this, Furuya had already set up on the mound.

The ball shot out of his hand, traveling at a mind-blowing speed.

"So fast!!"

Mishima stared wide-eyed at the incoming pitch, utterly stunned.

Each pitch from Furuya had been faster than the last.

"This time, aim three and a half balls above the fastball!"

Mishima steadied himself and swung decisively at just the right moment.

He was determined to hit the ball out!

This time, his estimate seemed right on target.

The bat swung toward the ball, seemingly ready to connect.

A hint of madness flickered in Mishima's eyes.

"I've got it!!!"

Based on his instincts as a natural hitter, Mishima was sure he had nailed this pitch.

However, after his bat completed the swing, there was only silence—no sound of contact.

It wasn't until he snapped back to reality that he heard the ball hit the glove.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!"

Just like the previous batters, Mishima struggled and barely held his ground against Furuya.

But in the end, he was completely overpowered.

"Two outs, runner on first base."

For many of Yakushi's players and supporters, this was the moment they sensed the goddess of defeat beckoning to them.

As expected, the final outcome matched their fears.

Even though their cleanup hitter had fought desperately, he hadn't even managed to touch the ball.

Furuya secured the third out with precision and efficiency.

"Three outs! Game over!"

At that moment, the entire stadium erupted into a sea of joy.

Seidou's loyal fans raised their arms in exhilaration.

"We won!!!"

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