Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 198: Waiting for the Moment You Shock the Entire Nation!

The West Tokyo quarterfinals saw Seidou High School's baseball team face off against Yakushi High School. After nine intense innings, Seidou emerged victorious with a final score of 7:3.

"Congratulations to Seidou High School for advancing to the West Tokyo semifinals!"

The game ended amidst wild cheers from Seidou's players and supporters.

However, for the players of both teams, the match's conclusion didn't resolve the questions lingering in their minds.

Take Mishima, for example. Even after their defeat, he kept muttering to himself, "How did it just disappear?"

Yakushi's coach, Raizou, quickly noticed his player's confusion.

"Still can't figure it out, huh, Mishima?"

Hearing this, Mishima's eyes lit up with expectation as he looked toward his coach. Despite Raizou's many flaws, Mishima had always respected his knowledge of baseball and strategic insights.

He didn't admire Sanada or the rising star Raichi, but he unquestionably respected their coach.

"The last pitch didn't rise — Furuya forced it down with sheer power," Raizou explained.

"No way! That's impossible!" Mishima exclaimed in disbelief.

By all logic, a pitch that fast should have an equally fast spin, making it easier to defy gravity and rise. From a batter's perspective, ultra-fast fastballs almost look like they're flying upward.

Some elite coaches and players had devised strategies specifically for handling such pitches: aiming two balls above the expected trajectory was their secret trick.

Yakushi had planned to use this strategy to surprise their opponent and perhaps even defeat the rumored "monster" pitcher.

Even if they couldn't completely crush him, just surprising him and forcing a mistake would have been enough.

Yakushi's players were confident in their ability to seize opportunities.

But unfortunately, all their careful preparations proved useless during the actual game.

On the mound, Furuya played like he had activated some cheat code. No matter who the opponent was, he effortlessly struck them out, leaving no chance for a counterattack.

Even now, after their defeat, Yakushi's players were still bewildered, unable to comprehend how he had managed it.

"I don't know either!" Raizou admitted. "Even among professional players, few fastball pitchers can pull off something like that. This kid's talent surpasses most prodigies!"

Hearing such high praise from Raizou, Mishima looked toward the opposing team in disbelief.

It was nothing like they had imagined.

Seidou High School's ace pitcher remained remarkably calm after securing the victory, as if the outcome had been completely within his expectations.

In contrast, his teammates and the Seidou supporters in the stands were ecstatic, wildly celebrating their triumph.

"That arrogant guy acts like he still has energy left to spare," Mishima muttered in frustration.

Overall, he was fairly satisfied with Seidou's players' performance. From his perspective, it demonstrated how seriously they had taken Yakushi as opponents. This intensity was precisely why they were so thrilled after winning.

But Furuya stood apart, appearing relaxed as though he had casually helped secure the victory while playing around.

Just thinking about it made Mishima's blood boil.

"To be honest, this might be hard for you to hear, but Furuya really didn't go all out," Raizou stated bluntly. "His stamina is still strong enough to pitch a complete game. If he had pitched from start to finish, we might have barely made it to the seventh inning."

Raizou didn't care about the sour expressions on his players' faces. He always spoke his mind, even if the truth was bitter.

His objective evaluation further highlighted the significant gap between the two teams.

Despite their hard work and even defeating another West Tokyo powerhouse, Ichidaisan High, Yakushi still lagged far behind Seidou.

"They're completely out of our league," Raizou admitted while looking up at the sky.

The reality of the crushing gap between them weighed heavily on Raizou.

He had once confidently declared his intent to lead Yakushi to Koshien, believing that with his son's talent and the support of other capable players — especially their two exceptional first-years — they could carve out a path through formidable competition.

But now, doubt crept into his heart.

The three powerhouses of West Tokyo stood like unshakable fortresses. Beating one didn't mean a complete transformation.

Seidou's dominant performance, coupled with their two formidable first-year pitchers, raised a troubling question:

Could Yakushi truly rise to prominence?

Even without external skepticism, Raizou began questioning himself.

As he scanned the field in contemplation, despair gnawed at his resolve.

Meanwhile, the players from both teams gathered at the center of the field.

"Thank you for the match!"

"Thank you for the match!!!"

After exchanging bows, the third-year players of Yakushi High School burst into tears, unable to hold back their emotions.

"We lost!"

"It's really over this time!"

Seeing them so heartbroken, the players of Seidou High School were at a loss for words.

Only Sawamura, ever the reckless one, dashed straight to Raichi.

"Next time we face each other, I won't lose to you!"

Thanks to some wise words from the coach and Chris, Sawamura quickly bounced back. Being young certainly had its perks — while the blow was heavy, recovery came fast.

However, his declaration was poorly timed and inevitably misunderstood.

Yakushi's players bristled at his words.

"What's that supposed to mean? You already won the game, and now you're here just to rub it in?"

From their perspective, it seemed like the only logical explanation.

But truth be told, Sawamura had no such intention — he was simply talking about their personal rivalry.

Unfortunately, his timing was off, which naturally upset the Yakushi players.

As tensions flared, the Seidou third-years quickly stepped in to apologize.

"Our first-year is just a bit too headstrong…"

"You guys played great! Don't lose heart."

Yakushi's players, not ones to hold grudges, accepted the apology and let the matter slide.

For a moment, an unexpectedly harmonious atmosphere formed between the two teams.

Fans and reporters in the stands wasted no time snapping photos to capture this rare scene.

Many spectators even offered words of encouragement to Yakushi.

"That was an amazing game!"

"You've done great—looking forward to seeing more of you!"

"I'll keep cheering for you!"

Despite their loss, Yakushi's impressive performance had earned them new fans who genuinely admired them and looked forward to their future matches.

The Yakushi players responded earnestly, grateful for the support.

For them, this was a novel and touching experience.

After finishing these interactions, the third-year players of Yakushi High School gathered around their coach, Raizou.

In perfect unison, they bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Coach!"

Tears streamed down their faces uncontrollably, but this time, those tears were not of sadness or regret.

It was a sense of relief and heartfelt gratitude.

For the ordinary players of Yakushi High School, reaching this stage was beyond their wildest dreams. They had never imagined standing on equal footing with the champions of the Kanto Tournament on the field.

Just thinking about it was enough to make their hearts race.

Now it was all over, but their experiences and emotions would not simply fade with the end of the game.

They were genuinely grateful to their coach, Raizou.

Even now, they clearly remembered the first thing he said when he stood before them:

"Please, lead me to Koshien!"

Nearly a year had passed since then.

Though they had not achieved their original goal, none of the Yakushi players felt dissatisfied.

Of course, there was regret. But compared to what they had gained, those regrets were insignificant.

After expressing their gratitude to their coach, the third-year players turned to their younger teammates, offering their heartfelt blessings.

"Raichi, you will definitely make it to Koshien! Absolutely!"

Though they themselves had failed to reach the dream destination for thousands of young baseball players, they sincerely hoped that their junior teammates would shine on that grand stage.

"Sanada, your pitching was great. We were the ones holding you back!"

"Mishima, Akiba! In our eyes, you two are monsters as well—never underestimate yourselves!"

These words were genuine.

On Seidou's side, though Furuya's batting performance was impressive, when placed alongside the team's other power hitters, his edge wasn't particularly apparent.

That wasn't to say Furuya was lacking. It was simply a testament to Seidou's national-level powerhouse lineup.

Yakushi, on the other hand, faced a completely different situation.

There was a significant gap in strength between their players.

The few players trained by Raizou from a young age, along with the exceptionally talented Sanada, were on a completely different level compared to the rest of the team.

This fact was painfully obvious not only to the fans but also to the players themselves.

Had it not been for their teammates holding them back, who knows how the game might have turned out?

"We believe you'll lead this team to dominate the nation someday!"

"We'll be waiting for the moment when you shake the whole country!"

The players of Yakushi High School were deeply sensitive.

Hearing such words from their seniors made their tears flow uncontrollably, like broken strings of pearls.

"Senpai!"

"Thank you, seniors!"

The younger players weren't ignorant.

They fully understood the struggles and challenges their senior teammates had faced—building a competitive team from scratch despite lacking strong fundamentals and extraordinary talent.

Even though they gave their all and worked hard, their skills and performance still showed a noticeable gap compared to the first-year players.

However, despite this, they fought with everything they had.

They united as one, gave it their all, and through relentless effort, players who were originally far behind managed to barely keep up with the team's progress.

Without their dedication, they wouldn't have even made it to face Seidou High. In fact, they likely would have already been defeated by Ichidaisan High in the previous match.

These senior players were undoubtedly worthy of deep respect.

Even their coach, Raizou, who was usually loud and carefree, was moved to tears by their inspiring efforts, sobbing with snot running down his face.

"You guys… you're truly amazing!"

Although his words were rough, the sincerity of his feelings was undeniable.

Like his players, Raizou's heart was filled with regret.

Even though he spoke casually on the surface, the truth was that he had poured everything he had into baseball during that period.

Now that the team had been defeated, he had no choice but to start over from scratch.

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