Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 176: Furuya's Fourth Home Run!

The score was 2-0.

Yuuki's timely hit completely changed the situation on the field.

On Seidou High School's side, whether it was the fans in the stands or the teammates in the dugout, everyone's faces were flushed with excitement.

"Awesome!"

"As expected of you, Captain!"

Fujio, a senior reporter from Baseball Kingdom magazine, also gave a very objective evaluation.

"This timely hit fully demonstrates the strength of Seidou High School's baseball team."

On the other side, in Yakushi High School's dugout, Raizou, who had just allowed two runs, had a bitter smile on his face.

"That guy is something else! His swing reeks of money..."

In Raizou's view, praising an opponent's swing by saying it "smells of money" was undoubtedly the highest compliment.

Just like when he praised his own son, he would say his son's swing was worth at least hundreds of millions...

After expressing his thoughts, Raizou turned to his team's real ace and said, "Things are looking bad. Be ready to get on the mound early in this game!"

Seidou's players had guessed one thing right: Yakushi's ace, Sanada, could not last an entire game, especially in consecutive intense matches.

This was partly due to his stamina and partly because of previous injuries.

However, this didn't mean he couldn't give his all in a single game.

Right now, with the team facing a critical moment, they couldn't worry about the future.

If they didn't win today, their summer campaign would come to an early end.

"I understand, Coach," Sanada replied calmly.

Raizou had genuine admiration for this unexpected ace.

Beyond his exceptional pitching skills, what pleased Raizou the most was Sanada's ability to control his emotions.

On the mound, Sanada might not be unstoppable, but his charisma and love for the pitcher's mound were evident.

Off the field, he wasn't a hot-headed individual but a calm and analytical presence who understood their team's weaknesses and strengths.

At this stage, including the three players Sanada had brought in, none could compare to him. With Sanada on the mound, Raizou felt reassured.

"I'll leave it to you! They probably can't hold out much longer..."

Raizou's intuition as Yakushi's coach was undeniably sharp.

After Yuuki's hit, Seidou's morale soared significantly.

Up next was Masuko, who confidently raised his bat.

His robust physique and extraordinary strength meant that if he connected with a pitch, there was a high chance of blasting it out of the park.

"Be cautious, we already have one out!"

"Don't rush!"

"It's nothing major; just face them with all you've got!"

Yakushi High School's cheering was truly outlandish.

The players in Seidou's dugout tried their best to suppress their laughter, but they simply couldn't hold it in.

"Can't they make their cheering a little more uniform?"

"This is way too chaotic!"

"Who knows what they're even trying to accomplish?"

The Seidou players quietly muttered their complaints.

"If even they don't know what their own plan is, it's probably impossible for Masuko to figure it out either..." Chris, holding a pen in his hand, suddenly spoke up.

Before he said anything, the others hadn't noticed. But after his comment, the Seidou players realized he had a point.

If Yakushi's players themselves were confused, how could anyone guess what kind of pitch they were going for?

"Masuko-senpai is really strong. Even if he can't figure it out, he'll still manage to hit the ball!" Sawamura Eijun, as a loyal junior from the fifth dorm, was quick to support his senior.

The other Seidou players nodded, finding some truth in his words. With their understanding of Masuko's abilities, Yakushi's current starting pitcher likely wouldn't be able to stop him.

However, just as everyone began to feel confident, the showdown on the field began.

Masuko wasn't one to back down.

But Yakushi's players weren't pushovers either.

The white baseball came hurtling toward the plate.

Masuko swung his bat with all his strength.

Boom!

As one of Seidou's strongest hitters, the sound of his bat cutting through the air was as intimidating as ever.

Yakushi's catcher, seeing the massive shadow of Masuko's swing, was momentarily stunned.

But it wasn't over yet.

As soon as the bat connected with the ball, the crowd watched in surprise as it was sent flying. However, the angle and distance were far from ideal.

"Argh!"

Masuko, undeterred, sprinted with everything he had the moment he hit the ball.

But no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't outrun the ball.

The ball was swiftly thrown back to first base.

Snap!

"Out!"

Even with all his effort, Masuko was still more than five meters away from first base.

In Seidou's dugout, the players instinctively frowned.

If their memories were correct, during Yakushi's previous game against Ichidaisan, these players didn't seem this strong.

"They suddenly turned on beast mode!"

One of the Seidou players blurted out instinctively.

"That's unlikely. Their quick relay wasn't a coincidence; it must be the result of extensive practice."

Seidou High School's baseball team had always believed in the mantra that hard work never lies.

Whether their opponents had undergone rigorous training or not was something they could discern at a glance.

And it was clear—Yakushi had been through intense training.

Regardless of their previous level, based on their current performance, their training volume was no less than that of any national powerhouse.

That alone explained everything.

"If their training was this thorough, why didn't it show earlier?"

Faced with this question, Chris offered an explanation.

"During their match against Ichidaisan, it was their first time facing a top-tier powerhouse. The excitement likely made them nervous, so that game should only be taken as a reference, not as a definitive gauge of their abilities."

Hearing Chris's reasoning, the players gritted their teeth.

Translated into simpler terms, it meant that Yakushi's victory over Ichidaisan wasn't even them at full strength.

"West Tokyo already has enough powerhouses! This is just..."

The players couldn't help but complain.

With the presence of three major powerhouses in West Tokyo, the competition was already at a hellish level.

And now, another team, seemingly as strong as the national giants, had joined the fray.

As players from West Tokyo, they didn't know whether to consider themselves lucky or downright cursed.

"Regardless, this is the situation. Let's give it our all!"

Ota, the team manager, rubbed his hands together with a bitter smile.

Even though their coach had a strong presence, leaving Ota with little say in the team, his words resonated deeply with the players.

"We already have two runs, don't we? Let's just add a few more..."

As Masuko left the field, Seidou's sixth batter stepped up to the plate.

"Number 2, catcher, Miyuki Kazuya!"

The crowd in the stands and the players in Seidou's dugout were both buzzing with excitement.

They couldn't say much about other players, but when this man stepped up, the Seidou players were confident.

After all, this man was Miyuki Kazuya.

His success rate with hits when there were runners on base was comparable to that of Yuuki.

"Knock it out of the park!"

"It's up to you now!"

The cheers from the stands were loud, and the enthusiasm in the dugout was equally infectious.

"Don't put so much pressure on me. I get nervous too!"

Miyuki said with a grin.

The Yakushi catcher frowned as he studied the man in front of him, a hint of caution flashing in his eyes.

Miyuki claimed he was nervous.

But truth be told, the catcher didn't see it at all.

From his perspective, it looked as though this guy had already hit the ball out of the park.

"Don't underestimate us!"

The Yakushi catcher decisively signaled a strategy.

Since their opponents were ready to go all out, Seidou had no intention of backing down.

"If they have the guts, let them bring it on!"

After seeing the sign, Yakushi's pitcher gave a firm nod. Gritting his teeth, he threw the ball with everything he had.

Whoosh!

As the ball closed in, Miyuki's lips curled into a smirk.

"You sure have a lot of confidence in your pitch, don't you? Always using a high inside fastball when you're looking to get a strike."

Miyuki had guessed it.

Knowing what pitch was coming, he didn't hesitate for a second and swung decisively.

Ping!

It wasn't until the ball was soaring through the air that Yakushi's players and supporters realized they'd been tricked.

But by then, it was too late for regrets.

They could only watch helplessly as the ball shot into the outfield.

"Outfielder!"

Even though the pitcher shouted at the top of his lungs and Yakushi's outfielder sprinted with all his might, it was too late by the time he got there.

He could only watch as the ball landed and bounced past him.

Thud!

"It's through!!"

Thunderous cheers erupted from Seidou's dugout and the stands.

For them, this was incredible!

Seidou's offense never failed to impress—it was always so seamless and smooth.

"You're the best!"

"Outstanding, absolutely perfect!!"

"As expected of you, Mr. Clutch!"

Amid the wave of praise, Miyuki made it safely to second base. Meanwhile, Yuuki, who had been on second, sprinted all the way home.

The score on the board changed to 3-0.

"Three runs ahead, and the game's just begun!"

"It feels like the game is already decided!"

Just as Seidou's supporters were getting excited and ready to celebrate, someone rained on their parade.

"What's there to celebrate? Ichidaisan also scored a lot of runs early on, but they still lost in the end, didn't they?"

"Yakushi High is an unpredictable dark horse. That's their whole strategy."

Those words seemed to make sense.

Akiko, a reporter for Baseball Kingdom, turned to her senior and asked, "Is that true?"

"Not at all! Ichidaisan was completely unprepared, so Yakushi caught them off guard. Plus, their ace collapsed mentally, which led to that outcome. But this time, it's different—Seidou came prepared."

"And Seidou's ace is not someone you want to mess with."

Furuya Satoru.

The mention of his name drew everyone's attention to the pitcher, now stepping up to the batter's box.

The reporter nodded obediently. She agreed—Seidou High School's baseball team was unlikely to repeat Ichidaisan's mistakes.

From any angle, these two teams were fundamentally different.

"I'm even more curious about what they'll do next!"

She wasn't alone. Many in the crowd were filled with anticipation about Seidou's performance against the dark horse that had defeated Ichidaisan.

Just thinking about it was exhilarating.

"Batting seventh, Number 1, pitcher, Furuya Satoru!"

As the announcer's voice echoed through the stadium, Furuya stepped into the batter's box.

The sight of him at the plate seemed to ignite even more excitement among the reporters. Their eyes sparkled, and their cheers never stopped.

"Knock it out of the park! We believe in you!"

"Go, monster pitcher!"

The frenzy surrounding him made even his own teammates envious.

"Watching the cheers for the captain and Miyuki already had me itching to get on the field, but compared to this kid, that was nothing!"

"It's like he's become the biggest star on the team!"

"That little brat still has a long way to go!"

Isashiki Jun, sporting his signature mustache, quipped, "At the very least, he still has room to improve in batting!"

But before Isashiki could finish his sentence, Furuya seemed to awaken at the plate.

He swung his bat with all his might.

Boom!

The deafening sound echoed, so loud it was crystal clear even in the dugout.

Ping!

The ball Furuya hit soared into the sky like a rocket.

Even as it cleared the stands, it didn't stop flying.

"It's out of here! It's gone!!"

Isashiki, who had been mid-sentence, suddenly froze as though someone had grabbed him by the throat. Not another word escaped his lips.

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