Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 179: Have You Ever Seen a Demon?

Two outs, bases empty.

In the bottom of the second inning, Yakushi High School wasted no time and sent their true ace to the mound.

Sanada Shunpei immediately delivered a harsh warning to Seidou upon taking the field. Both Sakai and Kuramochi, two of Seidou's standout players, were swiftly taken care of by Sanada.

The situation on the field became precarious.

At this critical moment, Seidou's second batter stepped into the batter's box.

This batter wasn't particularly tall, but he had a likable personality.

The moment he entered the box, cheers erupted from Seidou's dugout.

"Show them what you've got! Don't let those guys get too full of themselves!"

"We're counting on you, Ryousuke-senpai!"

These cheers made it abundantly clear how much Seidou's players trusted their teammate.

They seemed to firmly believe that as long as this man was at the plate, he would deliver results.

Facing such a strong opponent and carrying the weight of his teammates' expectations, a player with weaker mental fortitude would likely falter.

Even if they didn't completely lose their composure, the pressure would still weigh heavily on them.

But Kominato Ryousuke was different.

He stood there with a calm and friendly smile, seemingly unfazed by the intense showdown in front of him.

In fact, he looked as though he was thoroughly enjoying the moment and eagerly anticipating the battle against the pitcher.

Yakushi's starting catcher observed the small-framed batter standing before him.

A gentle breeze stirred, causing Ryousuke's uniform to flutter, occasionally revealing the sharp lines of his muscles.

Though not overly developed, anyone familiar with him could tell at a glance the terrifying strength hidden within those streamlined muscles.

When this man got serious, his smaller frame didn't stop him from sending the ball flying far.

"Stay alert, Shunpei!"

Yakushi's senior catcher, a third-year player, cast a worried glance toward the mound.

No one understood their ace's weaknesses better than Yakushi's players.

Due to a previous injury, Sanada's stamina made it difficult for him to pitch an entire game.

The more intense the game became, the more evident his weaknesses would show.

From Yakushi's perspective, they hoped their ace could handle the crisis smoothly, keeping Seidou from seizing any opportunities.

But such a notion was wishful thinking.

With Seidou's demonstrated strength, how could they possibly be defeated so easily?

If they were that simple to handle, another powerhouse would have eliminated Seidou back during the Kanto Tournament.

Knowing their opponent, Yakushi had thoroughly prepared.

They had studied every single player on Seidou's roster in meticulous detail, including this seemingly unassuming yet incredibly formidable opponent:

Kominato Ryousuke!

On the mound, Sanada could keenly feel the overwhelming presence emanating from this undersized adversary.

This batter's aura was incredibly strong!

Relying on his pitcher's intuition, Sanada felt that even the slightest slip-up on his part could plunge their entire team into an irrecoverable situation.

"What a troublesome opponent! Truly worthy of being one of the nation's top powerhouses!" Sanada thought to himself.

He then adjusted his stance, pulling out all the stops as he delivered the baseball with full force.

"I hate it when people think too highly of me!"

The baseball shot out of Sanada's hand at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it was already in front of the batter.

Ryousuke watched as the ball flew past him without taking any action.

Smack!

"Strike!"

The batter was now behind with one strike.

Seeing that Ryousuke hadn't swung, the Yakushi players and supporters erupted in excitement.

Having studied Seidou's game footage, they had developed a deep wariness toward Seidou's second batter.

Though his performance at the plate wasn't as illustrious as their cleanup hitter's or as surprising as Furuya's, when it came to being difficult to deal with, he was in a league of his own.

In fact, there wasn't a single player on Seidou's roster more troublesome than Ryousuke.

If Sanada were a pitcher like Furuya, the Yakushi players might have felt a little more at ease.

Or even if he were like You Shunshin from Akikawa, who had previously caused Ryousuke significant trouble, they might have felt more confident.

These two types of pitchers excelled in their unique talents and had a higher chance of suppressing Ryousuke.

But unfortunately, Sanada wasn't that type of pitcher.

It wasn't that Sanada lacked skill—Yakushi didn't believe their ace was inferior to Furuya or Shunshin.

It was simply that every top pitcher had their own style, and Sanada's comprehensive pitching approach seemed to play right into Kominato's strengths.

While watching Seidou's game footage, the Yakushi players had already noticed this potential mismatch, and it had caused them some anxiety.

Now, as the two faced off on the field, that tension was palpable. From the very beginning, their nerves were on edge.

But when the first pitch—a simple inside fastball—sailed past without Ryousuke making a move, it was as if the Yakushi players had discovered a hidden treasure.

It turned out that Seidou's second batter wasn't as terrifying as they'd imagined.

What's more, it seemed their ace's pitches could still be effective against an opponent like Ryousuke.

This unexpected surprise filled the Yakushi players with excitement.

Even though they'd never admit it before, the five-run gap in scores had left them feeling uneasy.

Watching Furuya's pitching had further emphasized the massive disparity between the teams.

The Yakushi players weren't fools—they could clearly see the gap in skill.

Though they hadn't said anything aloud, deep down, they had already harbored a growing sense of dread.

One misstep, and they might lose this game entirely.

But now, with this small victory, both the Yakushi players and their supporters finally felt like they could hold their heads high again.

The game wasn't over yet, and as the saying goes: The future is uncertain, and both of us are dark horses.

Despite trailing by five full runs, Yakushi's players believed that as long as their ace could hold the line, the outcome of the game was still up in the air.

After all, they'd come back from early deficits before, even overturning large margins to claim victory.

"Nice pitch!"

"Finish him off—he looks like a middle schooler!"

"Middle schooler? More like an elementary school kid—he's shorter than they are!"

The Yakushi supporters had no idea how disastrous their words might turn out to be.

Standing in the batter's box, Ryousuke's expression was calm as always.

He hadn't swung at the first pitch—not because he couldn't, but because he wanted to get a good look at the pitcher's delivery.

Yet, that small decision seemed to have emboldened Yakushi's players and fans, making them act as if they'd already won a major advantage.

Calling him a middle schooler? Even an elementary schooler?

Though Ryousuke's smile didn't waver, the vein popping on his forehead betrayed his irritation.

"Oh, so you're that confident in your ace, huh? Well, I'll make sure to test him thoroughly!"

Whoosh!

Sanada wasted no time. As soon as he got the ball back, he delivered his second pitch with the same brisk pace and serious demeanor.

His pitching tempo was significantly faster than most, a fact that had caught the attention of Seidou's bench.

"He's fast!"

"Ridiculously fast!"

"The ball leaves his hand in an instant, and his rhythm is way quicker than normal."

"If you're not prepared, you could really suffer against him."

While the team discussed Sanada's tempo, Ryousuke decided to act.

When he finally moved, it was with such intensity that his smaller frame suddenly radiated an overwhelming presence.

Ping!

The bat made contact with the ball, but it veered foul down the first-base line.

Yakushi's players and supporters grew even more energized.

Their ace was performing brilliantly, having already secured two outs, two strikes, and now forcing a foul ball from a skilled batter like Ryousuke.

"Just one more pitch!"

"Just one more!"

The unified chants of Yakushi's supporters echoed through the stands, demonstrating how deeply they believed in their ace and their team's ability to turn the game around.

Sanada, emboldened by the crowd, prepared his third pitch.

Whoosh!

Smack!

"Ball!"

It was a bad pitch, and Ryousuke didn't swing.

Sanada had miscalculated and wasted a pitch, adding one to the count.

Now, the duel continued, with both sides knowing the stakes were higher than ever.

Despite their team trailing, Yakushi's players and supporters remained confident in the game's outcome.

From their perspective, Sanada securing the final out seemed inevitable. Any difficulties along the way were merely minor bumps, and the result would remain unchanged.

"Come on!"

"Finish him off!"

Amid the roaring cheers, Sanada delivered his fourth pitch. It darted into the strike zone with a sharp and tricky placement.

However, Ryousuke reacted without hesitation, swinging decisively.

Ping!

The ball flew into foul territory.

"Foul ball!"

As soon as the foul ball was called, Yakushi's supporters grew silent.

Even the least perceptive among them began to sense that the game wasn't proceeding as they had envisioned.

"What's going on?" one Yakushi supporter muttered, scratching his head.

Moments ago, they were certain Sanada would strike out his opponent in the next pitch.

But now, although Sanada still had the upper hand, the expected result seemed harder to achieve.

Next to the confused supporter sat a middle-aged man, chubby and cheerful, waving two small flags—one reading Go Seidou! and the other Fight! Clearly, he was a diehard Seidou fan.

Noticing the bewilderment on the Yakushi supporter's face, the man chuckled.

"Have you ever seen a demon?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not talking about the ones in anime. I'm talking about real-life demons. You're about to see one."

The Yakushi supporter stared blankly at the strange man, unable to comprehend his cryptic words.

What was wrong with this guy? Was he insane?

With no one to answer his questions, the Yakushi supporter turned his attention back to the field.

Ping!

"Foul ball!"

When the third foul ball was called, even the dimmest observers realized this was no coincidence.

On the surface, it seemed like Sanada had the upper hand, successfully pressuring the batter.

But those who truly understood baseball—or even those with a basic grasp of the game—could see that Kominato Ryousuke was toying with his opponent.

"Foul!"

"Ball!"

"Ball!"

"Ball!"

"Walk!"

After a grueling nine-pitch battle, Sanada finally relented, walking Ryousuke to first base.

Two outs, a runner on first.

At that moment, it was Seidou's turn to send their core third batter to the plate.

"Third batter, No. 8, outfielder, Jun Isashiki!"

Yakushi's supporters struggled to accept the outcome.

The man they had pinned all their hopes on had just been defeated like this?

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