Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 182: Furuya Satoru's Batting Potential is Limitless!

The steadfast supporters of Seidou High School's baseball team initially believed that this game might stretch out longer than usual.

There was no helping it—Yakushi, this dark horse, had been performing exceptionally well.

However, as soon as the bottom of the third inning began, the mindset of Seidou's die-hard supporters underwent a drastic change.

With no outs and a runner on first, Seidou held a commanding five-run lead!

Since Yakushi High's true ace took the mound, the game had subtly shifted.

Under his leadership, Yakushi's defense reached an almost legendary level of strength. It seemed nearly impossible for Seidou to swiftly secure victory.

Yet now, everything felt different.

Although Seidou hadn't managed to score since Yakushi's ace took over, this didn't faze the team one bit.

This isn't an exaggeration—it's simply the truth.

While the scoring had paused, Seidou's batters were still capable of making solid contact.

Take Ryousuke Kominato, the second batter, and their captain, Yuuki.

The two had consistently made life miserable for Yakushi's ace, leaving no room for him to breathe.

This gave Seidou's supporters a massive confidence boost.

It seemed that Yakushi's newly-introduced ace wasn't as invincible as they initially thought.

If Seidou could find the right opportunity, they could still strike and send the ball flying.

Confidence was crucial for both players and supporters alike.

Without it, even Seidou's most loyal fans might have resigned themselves to believing their opponent was almost unbeatable—or at least incredibly hard to defeat.

But now that they saw hope and regained their confidence, their attitude toward the game did a complete 180.

They were brimming with optimism.

At this moment, the supporters of Seidou High felt that Yakushi's ace wasn't as untouchable as he appeared.

"The challenges ahead will only get tougher!"

"Brace yourselves and get ready for it!!!"

Before Seidou's players could even say anything, their die-hard supporters in the stands had already hurled these fighting words on their behalf.

From their perspective, Yakushi's defeat was just around the corner.

They couldn't wait to witness that moment.

"Come on! Push through and finish them off!"

Seidou's players could clearly feel the fans' enthusiasm.

In response, all they could do was smile wryly.

Unlike the optimistic fans in the stands, the players of Seidou High School's baseball team didn't believe their opponents had already reached a point of being easily beaten.

In fact, the opposite was true.

From their perspective, Yakushi remained a formidable adversary.

Sure, Ryousuke Kominato and Tetsuya Yuuki seemed to have hit their pitches effortlessly and made it to base without much trouble.

But who were these two players?

One was their cleanup hitter, a player with a reputation that echoed across all of West Tokyo.

The other had even earned the nickname "The Demon."

What kind of impact must Ryousuke Kominato have had on the top batters nationwide to earn such a moniker?

These two players weren't just skilled; they were among the best, even on a powerhouse team like Seidou.

Could anyone else replicate their results?

No matter what others thought, the Seidou players clearly didn't agree with the fans' perspective.

One by one, they frowned.

Sometimes, the cheers and encouragement from fans could be a double-edged sword.

While they could provide courage, excessively high expectations could also lead to an equally serious problem: unbearable pressure.

At the moment, Seidou's players seemed to be facing a similar issue.

It wasn't that they lacked confidence in defeating Yakushi.

It was just that this opponent was slightly stronger than the ones they had faced before.

To overcome them, the Seidou players would need to expend a bit more time and effort.

This wasn't an issue in itself.

The problem lay in how their measured approach clashed with the overwhelming expectations of the fans.

This created a significant disconnect, putting undue pressure on the players.

They exchanged glances, momentarily at a loss for ideas.

Seeing his players in this state, Coach Kataoka immediately spoke up.

"Focus on what you can do. Don't worry about what others think. As long as you show the abilities you've honed in practice, that's enough."

Reassured by their coach's words, the players of Seidou High felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from their shoulders.

Freed from the weight of expectations, they were suddenly eager to take on the challenge.

Chris, who was responsible for recording the game, noticed this change immediately.

He shot an admiring glance at their coach and jotted down a note.

The power of words!

A coach's role wasn't just limited to tactical decisions. Sometimes, their words could ignite a player's fighting spirit or alleviate their stress.

If Seidou's players had tried to meet every demand of the fans, they might have managed for this game.

In fact, if they unleashed their full potential, they could have ended the game swiftly and decisively.

But would that have been the right approach?

Honestly, not necessarily.

From Seidou's broader perspective, their concerns couldn't be so one-dimensional.

They weren't just playing this one game; many more matches awaited them in the future.

If they kept trying to meet ever-growing expectations, the players would eventually falter.

Better to address the issue at its root now than risk it becoming a bigger problem later.

Prevention was better than cure.

At the plate, Masuko clearly took the coach's words to heart.

He raised his bat high, waiting for the pitch.

When the ball came flying toward him, he swung decisively.

"Boom!"

As the bat swung through the air, the sharp whooshing sound it produced startled the catcher crouched behind the plate, almost making him flinch.

For a brief moment, he felt like crying.

Fortunately, despite the powerful swing, the ball was hit sky-high rather than far.

The Yakushi High players, having gone through rigorous practice, immediately sprang into action.

As the white ball descended from the sky, one of them sprinted forward and, at the critical moment, raised his glove and caught it securely.

"Pop!"

"Out!"

When the call was made, a collective sigh erupted from both the stands and Seidou's dugout.

"Ahhh!!"

Had the swing's angle been just slightly adjusted, the ball would have undoubtedly flown out of the park.

But now, it had ended in a flyout.

The thought alone was frustrating.

Yet, this wasn't the end of the inning.

When Seidou's sixth batter, Miyuki, stepped up to the plate, expectations soared among the team's die-hard supporters.

They were convinced that now was the moment for Seidou to showcase their strength on the field.

But to their surprise, Miyuki, known for his exceptional performance when there were runners on base, seemed to falter.

As the pitch came toward him, he froze, failing to swing in time.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

The outcome shocked everyone on both teams.

Seidou's players stared in disbelief, their eyes wide with astonishment.

Even the Yakushi players were left dumbfounded.

The opponent they thought would be incredibly challenging had suddenly lost momentum.

This was far from what they had imagined, leaving them momentarily unable to process what had just happened.

"What's going on? Why did he freeze like that?"

Unfortunately, no one had an answer to their question.

Meanwhile, on the batter's box, Miyuki's lips curled into a bitter smile.

Earlier, in the dugout, Miyuki had carefully studied Sanada's pitching. Before stepping up to bat, the ace catcher of Seidou High School was brimming with confidence about hitting the ball.

But now, standing in the batter's box, his perspective had shifted completely.

Sanada's pitching wasn't exactly as he had imagined.

While Miyuki had predicted most of it accurately, there was one critical detail he had missed—Sanada's pitches exhibited unpredictable movement just before reaching the plate!

This irregular movement was strikingly similar to Sawamura's unique breaking pitches.

Back when Miyuki had partnered with Sawamura, they had used his peculiar pitches to take down even the most formidable opponents, including players from the prestigious Cosmic team.

Those moments of toying with opponents and dominating the game felt incredible.

But now, as the one facing such unpredictable pitches, Miyuki felt like his brain was about to explode.

He was terrible at dealing with pitches so unpredictable that even the pitcher's opponents couldn't anticipate them.

At the same time, he couldn't help but admire his seniors, Yuuki and Ryousuke.

Despite Sanada's tricky pitches, those two had managed to either force him into allowing a hit or earn a walk to get on base.

Miyuki begrudgingly gave them credit, but for himself, these pitches were proving impossible to handle.

And indeed, the reality matched his feelings.

Despite Miyuki's resilient performance in the batter's box, gritting his teeth and swinging hard every time the ball came his way, he only managed to prolong his at-bat for two pitches before his swing misfired.

What he had aimed to send foul landed fair instead.

"Pop!"

"Out!"

With two outs and a runner on first, Miyuki returned to the dugout, where his teammates greeted him with encouragement—tinged with playful teasing.

"Not bad out there, kid! Nice show!"

Hearing their praise, Miyuki wished he could dig a hole and hide.

Known for his sharp tongue, he immediately picked up on the subtle mockery in their tone.

"Trying to imitate Ryousuke-senpai? Looks like you ended up drawing a dog instead of a tiger!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you tried to draw a tiger but ended up with a dog!"

"Ha ha ha..."

Despite the unsuccessful at-bat, which left Seidou with two outs and a runner on first, the players had taken Coach Kataoka's words to heart.

They didn't dwell on the unfavorable situation or waste energy on self-doubt.

Instead, they viewed Miyuki's at-bat as not entirely fruitless.

For one, it forced Sanada to throw more pitches.

By now, it was clear to Seidou's players that their opponents were running low on stamina, presenting a valuable opportunity.

If they could seize this chance, they could deal a heavy blow to Yakushi.

Their task now was to amplify this opportunity.

Additionally, Miyuki had observed something significant—Sanada's pitches featured terminal movement, much like Sawamura's breaking pitches.

This piece of information was invaluable.

If they hadn't known in advance, the Seidou High School baseball team would undoubtedly suffer even greater losses in their upcoming games.

But now that they were forewarned, they could make the necessary preparations.

"If that's the case, even Furuya might not be able to..."

Faced with Sanada's pitching, it would be incredibly challenging for anyone on their team—aside from their captain—to successfully hit the ball.

Just as everyone was thinking this, Furuya, already standing in the batter's box, decisively swung his bat.

"Boom!"

Seeing his action, the Seidou High School baseball team collectively held their breath.

"Too hasty! No preparation at all!"

From their perspective, Furuya's reckless swing would likely cost him dearly. It might even bring their team's offense in this inning to an abrupt end.

But then, they saw the bat make solid contact with the ball.

"Ping!"

Everyone watched in shock as the white baseball traced a beautiful arc through the sky before landing deep in the outfield.

In that vast expanse of the outfield, there wasn't a single Yakushi High School player in sight.

There was no way the ball could be stopped!

The baseball hit the ground, bounced up, and struck the wall.

The fans seated in the outfield stands stared eagerly at the ball, so close to their grasp, only to see it bounce back into the field.

"Wow!!!"

A young child closest to the ball burst into tears, overwhelmed by the moment.

The Seidou High School baseball team members were equally stunned by what they had just witnessed.

"Furuya's batting potential is truly limitless!"

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