Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 201: The Shock from Kataoka

Watching their coach step onto the pitcher's mound, the members of the Seidou High School baseball team were utterly stunned.

They never expected today's showdown to be so intense.

"Is it really okay for the coach to pitch?" a first-year player couldn't help but voice his concern.

"You don't know this, but don't let our coach's appearance fool you. His skills are at a professional level!" Unlike the first-year players, the second and third-year students had seen their coach pitch multiple times.

"How are we supposed to hit that?"

"Suddenly, I feel a bit sorry for the first-string players..."

"Look at you, sympathizing with them! Save your pity for when you make it to the first string yourself!"

Among the first-string players of Seidou High School's baseball team, the expressions on their faces were more or less serious.

For them, this challenge was undoubtedly significant.

Especially for those who weren't entirely confident in themselves, standing on the field and facing their coach head-on was a daunting task.

They couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.

They weren't sure how they would perform.

"Are you all scared?" Coach Kataoka stood tall on the pitcher's mound, scrutinizing his players.

The first-string players of Seidou High School immediately straightened their backs.

There were things they could admit to.

But fear and hesitation? Absolutely not.

In the highly competitive environment of Seidou High School's baseball team, each of them had risen to the top.

Aside from their natural talent, they had also developed incredibly strong mental fortitude.

Some were even itching to step up to the challenge.

"I'll go first!"

Seeing the figure who stepped forward, the Seidou High School players weren't surprised at all.

It was their team captain, Tetsuya Yuuki!

When it came to his abilities as a captain, Tetsuya Yuuki wasn't particularly outstanding.

Whether it was leading the team day-to-day or motivating his teammates, he was just average.

This was something Yuuki himself was well aware of.

So, when the team initially chose him as captain, he had a serious conversation with the coach about it.

He firmly believed that his personality wasn't suited for the role of captain.

But the coach told him that he wasn't chosen for his leadership skills.

"We are the top powerhouse in the nation. The school has provided us with all the facilities we need. Even the support staff is the best. The players' training is handled by the coaches. As for mental guidance, the seniors in each dormitory take care of that. The reason we chose you as captain is because of your strength!"

"It doesn't matter if you're not good at other things. As long as you can lead the team forward with your strength, that's enough."

His role as captain was less about leadership and more about being a spiritual icon.

The pressure that came with this was immense.

For someone else, it might have been overwhelming.

But not for Yuuki.

Since becoming the captain of the Seidou High School baseball team, Yuuki had always lived by the words the coach had told him.

He led the team with his formidable strength, guiding his juniors and pushing the team forward.

Just like now, facing the terrifying skill of their coach, he didn't back down at all.

Instead, he took a stance that screamed, "No matter what, I'm going to hit this ball out of here."

The sheer intensity radiating from him significantly shifted the mindset of his teammates.

"Maybe the ones to pity aren't the first-string players, but our coach!"

It wasn't surprising that such thoughts crossed their minds.

After all, Seidou High School's batting lineup was renowned nationwide.

"Bring it on, I can't wait either!" The mustachioed senior stepped up next.

"Uga, uga!!" Masuko, who usually kept to himself, was also eager to take his turn.

"How many pitches should we make the coach throw?" The ever-smiling Ryosuke was already plotting something that sent chills down everyone's spine.

"Is this guy a devil straight out of hell?"

"That's our coach! Is he really planning to face him like that?"

When Yuuki stepped into the batter's box, he stood as steady as a mountain.

As soon as the coach's pitch came, he swung his bat without hesitation.

"Boom!"

The swing created a small whirlwind in the batter's box.

The Seidou players watching were left in awe.

That was their captain for you—utterly relentless.

Even against their coach, he gave it everything he had.

"Ping!"

The ball was hit hard and flew straight to the outfield.

"Great hit!"

"That's our captain!!!" The first-year players couldn't help but cheer.

However, their cheers were quickly silenced.

A cold glare from Coach Kataoka was enough to make them feel like their throats had been grabbed, leaving them speechless.

"Outfield fly, caught!"

Hearing the coach's call, the first-year players couldn't help but pout.

There wasn't even a defense set up, so the coach's call felt a bit unfair...

But the other players, especially the first-string members, didn't react.

They understood.

In a real game, that ball could have easily been a long hit.

But if it were their outfielders, the outcome might have been different.

They were confident they could have caught it.

Whether it was the mustachioed senior, Furuya, Sakai, or even Shirasu, they likely would have made the play.

Their next opponent was the formidable Sensen High School.

While they didn't know every detail about Sensen's players, based on their recent performances, the rumors they'd heard, and their analysis of game footage, Sensen's outfielders were nearly as skilled as theirs.

In fact, Sensen had already reached the level of a powerhouse team.

Coach Kataoka's judgment wasn't off.

That ball would have been caught!

Next up was the mustachioed senior, and Yuuki wanted to keep batting...

"One at-bat each, take turns!" Coach Kataoka firmly declared.

Coach Kataoka didn't want the players to bear too much pressure at once. After the showdown, they needed time to reflect and learn.

When the mustachioed senior stepped up to bat, he only managed to hit a grounder to the infield.

The result was obvious.

He was out without a doubt!

Next up was Masuko.

But his fate wasn't much better.

Despite Sawamura cheering him on relentlessly, he swung and missed twice, eventually hitting an infield fly.

"Out!"

In just a short time, all the third-year seniors of the Seidou High School baseball team had been wiped out.

The younger players watching from the sidelines were left dumbfounded.

"What's going on?"

"Is the coach just too strong?"

Their team's batting lineup had been dominant even in the Kanto Tournament.

How could they be so helpless against their own coach?

"Don't forget, this isn't even the coach's best pitch! He's just imitating Maki's curveball!"

At this thought, the players felt like something was stuck in their throats, making it hard to breathe.

Was a high-dropping curveball really that terrifying?

And this was just their coach imitating it.

What would happen if Maki himself took the mound?

The mere thought of it made their hearts uneasy.

According to their coach's earlier plan, Furuya wouldn't be pitching in tomorrow's game.

Didn't that mean all the disadvantages were piling up against them?

Just as the players were feeling anxious, they heard words of reassurance from Chris and Miyuki.

"Don't worry too much. That guy Maki probably can't compare to our coach."

"Why?"

The Seidou players couldn't just take their word for it.

"Because he's not Seidou's coach. He doesn't know our team as well as our coach does."

The coach's pitching was undoubtedly strong!

But the reason he managed to strike out so many third-year players wasn't just because of his high-dropping curveball.

What Coach Kataoka truly relied on was his deep understanding of his players.

The spots he pitched to were the areas where his players were weakest.

Combining that with a high-dropping curveball, it was no surprise that the third-year players struggled.

It was like a martial arts master sparring with his students.

Unless the students were far stronger than the master, they stood little chance.

As Chris and Miyuki explained, the players realized that their coach's pitching wasn't as invincible as they had thought.

But even so, the pressure their coach exuded on the mound was overwhelming.

So many third-year seniors, players they considered unbeatable at the plate, had been completely shut down by their coach.

If it were them up there, could they do any better?

The players couldn't help but start doubting themselves.

When Ryosuke stepped down, the atmosphere on the field grew cold.

"Who's next?"

Unlike the earlier enthusiasm, this time no one stepped forward.

"Do I need to call your names for you to find the courage to step up?" Coach Kataoka's voice cut through the silence.

Hearing this, Furuya didn't wait for the second and third-year seniors to take their turns.

He stepped forward without hesitation.

"I'll go!"

Seeing Furuya step up, many of the older players felt a pang of regret.

They had hesitated for just a fraction of a second, and now Furuya had stolen the spotlight.

The previous group of third-year seniors could be considered one generation, and now a new generation was stepping up.

Furuya hadn't competed with his seniors, but he had still become the leader of this new generation, even ahead of Miyuki.

"I'll mix in some fastballs," Coach Kataoka said with a nod.

He was pleased to see Furuya take the initiative and decided to raise the difficulty level.

Furuya didn't say anything. He stepped into the batter's box and raised his bat high.

Originally, Furuya hadn't wanted to rely solely on his natural talent.

When it came to batting, he had always preferred to analyze the opponent's data and even predict their pitches.

He would then choose a strategy and wait for the ball to come before swinging.

His approach was similar to Miyuki's.

Back in middle school, this method had brought him considerable success.

But after entering high school, things had changed.

The opponents were getting stronger.

Furuya noticed that his batting average was gradually declining when he stuck to his old methods.

What could he do?

As a player who wasn't content with just being a pitcher, he had to take action.

From that point on, he began experimenting with new batting strategies.

After numerous trials, Furuya was surprised to discover that his most effective approach was completely different from what he had originally thought.

It was almost the opposite.

"Clear your mind, focus entirely on the ball, and trust your instincts! When the ball comes, don't think—just swing!"

This was Furuya's entire batting strategy.

No strategy, just pure instinct.

"Not a bad stance. Let's see what you've got!"

On the mound, Coach Kataoka put everything into his pitch.

"Whoosh!"

The ball sped toward the plate, almost too fast to follow.

In the blink of an eye, it was right in front of Furuya.

"That's so fast!"

The Seidou players were in awe.

The pitch had to be over 140 km/h.

However, just as they were marveling at the speed, another unbelievable scene unfolded before their eyes.

Furuya didn't hesitate.

Facing the first pitch from the coach, he swung decisively.

"Don't rely on your eyes, trust your body! Now!!!"

As the ball approached, Furuya took a step forward.

In the next moment, his bat swung through the air with a fierce whoosh.

This swing felt more natural than any he had taken before.

It was as if everything had fallen into place.

The bat connected perfectly with the ball, sending the white sphere flying with incredible force.

"Ping!"

The moment the ball soared into the air, the Seidou players were stunned.

The impact of that hit was even more shocking than Captain Yuuki's.

Even Coach Kataoka's eyes widened in surprise.

"This kid… he swung at the first pitch?"

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