Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 181: The Ace Showdown of Divine Mastery

Three outs, sides switched.

The players of Yakushi High School's baseball team had just stepped off the field. Before they could even catch their breath, let alone sit down, they were forced to return to the game.

Under such circumstances, how could their physical condition or mental state remain intact?

"This is what they call the legendary barrier of the elite teams!"

Sitting in the dugout, Raizou showed no surprise at the unfolding situation.

In fact, everything happening before his eyes was exactly as he had anticipated.

"So, what should we do next?"

The teacher accompanying Yakushi High School's baseball team, who usually appeared quite composed, now looked visibly distressed.

His features were twisted, and his demeanor resembled that of an ant scalded on a hot plate.

He wasn't alone in his panic.

Many of Yakushi's players exhibited similar behaviors, panting heavily and visibly unsettled.

The supporters of Seidou High School's baseball team were the first to notice this, and their laughter filled the stands.

"Feel the terror of a national top-tier powerhouse!"

"The old Seidou may have had some weaknesses. If you had faced that team, you might have had a chance. But now? Not even the slightest!"

Caught up in their glee, the Seidou supporters burst into even more arrogant laughter.

"This sense of superiority from elite teams is so irritating!"

Akiko Owada, who had previously sided with Seidou, couldn't help but feel a slight annoyance.

After all, her magazine had gained traction by reporting on Seidou, creating a natural sense of connection.

Additionally, as a glasses enthusiast, the player she had admired, You Shunshin, had already been eliminated. With no alternative, her focus shifted entirely to Miyuki.

By that logic, she should have been overjoyed at Seidou's dominant performance.

However, reality told a different story. Watching Seidou's die-hard supporters gloat, she suddenly found herself feeling a bit resentful toward the powerhouse team.

"Fix your expression! Don't let your personal emotions compromise the professionalism of a journalist!"

Her partner, Fujio, didn't hesitate to correct her.

"Yes, senior!"

Akiko Owada was startled and quickly composed herself. Even she was surprised by the sudden emergence of such thoughts.

"It's just the resentment of the commoners. It's normal. Just like how people dislike those in power or the wealthy," Fujio patiently explained without chastising her.

"As someone from a humble background, it's not unusual to feel this way. But we mustn't let such emotions cloud our judgment. Seidou's players have earned their success through hard work. As for the praises from the stands, they're well-deserved."

Bottom of the third inning, Seidou High School's turn to bat.

Stepping up to the plate first was the team captain and cleanup hitter, Yuuki.

The moment Yuuki took his position, a wave of excitement swept through the crowd.

With Seidou's momentum soaring thanks to Furuya's dominant pitching, and now their fourth batter at the plate, the supporters in the stands erupted with enthusiasm.

"Seidou!"

"Yuuki!"

"Hit it out of the park!"

Yakushi High School's ace, Sanada, had previously managed to completely stifle Seidou's offense.

Even though Ryousuke Kominato had skillfully drawn a walk, Seidou still came up empty-handed.

From the perspective of Seidou's loyal supporters, they were well aware that no matter how much Yakushi High School struggled, the final outcome of the game was unlikely to change.

However, that didn't make them feel any less frustrated. They needed an outlet. They wanted to witness Seidou High School's unparalleled dominance.

In Yakushi's dugout.

Coach Raizou Todoroki fixed his gaze intently on Yuuki Tetsuya.

From his standpoint, no one understood better just how terrifying the man currently standing in the batter's box was.

"This guy is like my foolish son—his bat is worth millions!"

Raizou glanced at his true ace, Junpei Sanada.

In his first round on the mound, Sanada had faced the devilish Ryousuke Kominato. Although Sanada ultimately escaped the crisis, that confrontation had taken a significant toll on him, especially mentally.

"Are you going to let him go, or are you going to face him head-on?"

Despite being Yakushi's coach, Raizou refrained from giving his ace any specific instructions.

He firmly believed that players who had the potential to shine would find a way to do so on the field. A coach's job was to teach them everything they could before sending them out.

Even Raizou didn't know what decision his ace would make.

This uncertainty filled him with curiosity as he observed his prized pupil.

Then, he saw Sanada raise a single finger.

"I'm starting now. Leave the rest to me!"

While others might hesitate or even avoid facing Seidou's cleanup hitter, Sanada showed no such hesitation.

Even though he had been taught a hard lesson earlier by Kominato, Sanada was unwavering in his resolve to face Yuuki head-on.

In Seidou's dugout.

The players immediately sensed the fierce determination radiating from their opponent.

"How does Yakushi train these guys? It's like they don't even know what fear is!"

This wasn't just a thought that crossed Kuramochi's mind; many of Seidou's players were equally astonished.

Despite being outclassed throughout the game, Yakushi's players continued to display an unrelenting spirit, standing firm against Seidou's immense pressure.

"No matter how hard we push them, they keep getting back up and fighting to the end," murmured Ota, the team manager, shaking his head in disbelief.

The resilience of this team far exceeded everyone's expectations.

"It's fine. All we need to do is hold on until the game ends," Sawamura suddenly said.

His words drew the attention of everyone in the dugout, who turned to look at the backup pitcher.

Feeling self-conscious under their collective gaze, Sawamura rubbed his face and glanced around nervously.

"Is there something on my face? Or is there a problem with what I said?"

Hearing Sawamura's confused question, his teammates burst into laughter.

"Nothing at all. What you said was spot on!"

Chris twirled the pen in his hand and replied sincerely. Many of Seidou's teammates shared the same sentiment.

Facing such a determined opponent, none of them could afford to let their guard down until the very last moment of the game.

"Who would've thought that a brat like you could come up with such a profound statement? Did you read it in some manga?"

Kuramochi stepped forward, pretending to interrogate his younger teammate.

"I came up with it myself!"

The two immediately got into a playful scuffle.

Furuya watched thoughtfully as Kuramochi playfully locked Sawamura in a headlock.

Furuya's stellar performance on the mound had overshadowed the other pitchers on the team.

It wasn't that they weren't shining in their own right; it was just that Furuya's brilliance was so blinding that it dimmed the light around him.

Even so, Sawamura Eijun's flashes of genius still managed to draw attention. He had an aura about him that naturally made him the center of focus.

When Sawamura had made that comment earlier, Coach Kataoka had glanced at him multiple times.

Based on Furuya's understanding of their coach, there was a possibility that the planned pitching rotation for future games might be adjusted to give Sawamura more opportunities.

Furuya didn't mind this at all.

Although the team boasted four pitchers, the only one who posed a real threat to his status as the ace was Sawamura.

Tanba's instability under pressure meant that even if he weren't injured, he wouldn't be able to contend for the ace position.

As for Kawakami, while his efforts and solid pitching were commendable, he lacked the overwhelming strength to threaten Furuya's role as the ace.

Sawamura, on the other hand, was different.

Despite his carefree demeanor and still-developing technique, his rapid growth and occasional moments of brilliance made him a standout.

Being in the spotlight wasn't necessarily a bad thing. If leveraged well, it could provide ample resources and opportunities, as Sawamura was demonstrating.

Furuya smirked to himself. "Competition makes it interesting. Otherwise, being the ace would be way too dull."

As these thoughts crossed their minds, the showdown on the field began.

Sanada was fully focused, his intent to strike out Yuuki was evident.

It wasn't that Sanada underestimated Yuuki's strength—far from it.

Through careful analysis of the collected data and observing Yuuki's previous at-bats, Sanada was acutely aware of just how extraordinary Seidou's cleanup hitter was.

Yuuki wasn't just strong—he was overwhelmingly strong.

And it was precisely for this reason that Sanada was determined to take him down.

"The team is in a tough spot, and our momentum is at an absolute disadvantage. If we can take this guy out, we might just be able to reverse this unfavorable situation."

Such a move carried enormous risk, but the potential reward was equally significant.

Yakushi High School's baseball team was currently trailing by five runs, a deficit much harder to overcome compared to their previous game.

Breaking down Seidou's ace entirely seemed like an impossible task.

In this scenario, Sanada had to settle for shaking their opponent's confidence first.

As long as the result was unexpected enough, Seidou would surely feel the impact, creating an opening for Yakushi to exploit.

With that thought in mind, Sanada steeled his resolve and delivered the pitch.

"Whoosh!"

The ball flew with impressive speed.

However, standing in the batter's box, Yuuki Tetsuya, swung even faster!

"Boom!"

The powerful swing startled Yakushi's catcher.

"What? Already? That was just the first pitch!"

Yakushi's ace had performed admirably up until now, taking down several strong batters in succession.

Shouldn't Seidou's cleanup hitter take a moment to think about how to approach this? What pitch to expect?

That was the logical assumption based on Yakushi's strategy.

But it seemed Yuuki had no intention of playing along with their script. The moment he saw the ball flying toward him, he didn't hesitate. He swung immediately.

"He's rushing it. There's no way he'll make solid contact!"

Before the bat connected with the ball, Yakushi's catcher had already made his judgment.

But then, right before his eyes, the white ball was sent flying.

"Ping!"

The ball didn't land far, coming down less than three meters from Yakushi's second baseman.

"Second baseman!!"

Yakushi's catcher tried to call out, but before he could finish, the ball bounced off the ground and shot into the outfield.

The second baseman, seemingly petrified, didn't react at all.

The crowd watched as the ball skipped past, rebounding into the outfield.

Seidou's die-hard supporters were the first to react.

"It went through!"

"Base hit!!"

"That was too fast—he's in a completely different league!!"

This display of dominance fed the fans' pride. They raised their arms in excitement, chanting Yuuki Tetsuya's name with fervor.

Meanwhile, in Yakushi's dugout, the players stared in stunned silence.

They could only watch as Yuuki safely reached first base.

"No outs, runner on first," Yakushi's teacher muttered after a long pause, still in disbelief.

"Is this guy really a high schooler?"

Though Yuuki didn't look older than his age, the question flashed through the teacher's mind.

"He's definitely a high schooler," one of the players murmured. "Just an insanely strong one!"

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