Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 214: Provocation!

Chapter 215: Provocation!

Seeing Narumiya Mei extend his fingers, his partner, Harada, couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

"Isn't it good to just live peacefully? Why do you insist on making things difficult for yourself?"

Unfortunately, his well-intentioned senior's advice fell on deaf ears.

Narumiya's provocation was blatant.

"I will definitely get my revenge for the Kanto Tournament!"

In the stands, the Seidou High baseball team players stood up in unison.

They saw Narumiya's provocation, but they also saw his unwavering determination.

Now that both teams had defeated their respective opponents and successfully advanced to the finals, it was only natural for Inashiro Industrial to have this kind of mindset.

Miyuki took a quick glance around.

Seidou's lineup was complex, but at least three players were qualified to respond.

One of them was Miyuki Kazuya himself.

Though he was only the team's starting catcher, everyone understood that he was, in truth, the heart of Seidou's baseball team.

As the team's core, he certainly had the right to respond.

The other two were Seidou's captain and their ace.

Both of them, in terms of status, position, and skill, were equally capable of issuing a reply.

Standing in the stands, surrounded by countless fans and reporters wielding cameras, Miyuki wasn't particularly eager to be in the spotlight.

But if the other two didn't step up, then for the sake of Seidou's pride, he had to.

For high school baseball players, strength was only one part of the equation—momentum was just as important.

"We might lose the game, but we can't lose our spirit."

That was something they had to uphold.

Yet, when Miyuki looked over, he could only smile wryly.

He had been overthinking it.

With those two around, how could they possibly stay silent?

Captain Yuuki didn't say a word.

Standing at the forefront of the third-year players, he simply cast an icy gaze down at the field.

Even without uttering a single syllable, the sheer dominance he exuded was enough to perfectly convey Seidou's determination.

"Bring it on. We're waiting for you!"

The third-year players of Seidou High had endured countless hardships to reach this point.

Now, they could stand tall and declare to everyone—

They were the best!

On the stage of the West Tokyo Finals, they would show no mercy in their response to Narumiya Mei.

In this regard, Seidou's senior players had never lagged behind.

But they represented the team's overall strength—its batting lineup.

That alone wasn't enough.

To win the finals, Seidou's defense had to be just as solid.

Furuya, usually easygoing, suddenly curled his lips into a cold smile and gave Narumiya a thumbs-up.

This scene left the reporters watching in admiration.

As expected of the prestigious Seidou High baseball team.

Even when faced with provocation, they could still respond with utmost composure.

"Make sure to record this—it's going to be legendary!"

One of the reporters immediately instructed his cameraman to capture this iconic moment.

"This might just make tomorrow's front-page headline."

However, just as the reporter was thinking this, Furuya took back his hand and made a cutting motion across his neck with his thumb.

The smile on his face turned ice-cold.

In an instant, the players of Inashiro Industrial felt their anger surge.

"That guy is going too far!"

Narumiya Mei was especially furious.

"Who does he think he is? Just a first-year brat! As long as I'm here, he'll never get ahead!"

Seeing Narumiya's expression nearly twist with rage, Harada scratched his head and let out a bitter laugh.

"Weren't you the one who started the provocation? Otherwise, with Furuya's personality, would he really do something like this?"

The two teams had faced each other multiple times already. By now, they knew each other inside and out.

Especially Furuya—the very player responsible for their previous defeat.

Inashiro Industrial had dug up every piece of information they could find on him.

To put it bluntly, they probably knew more about Furuya than some of Seidou's own players.

On the field, he exuded an overwhelming presence, but off the field, he was an easygoing and humble guy.

If Narumiya hadn't pushed him to his limit, he would never have made such a provocative gesture.

"Then let's settle it on the field!!!"

As Narumiya returned to his team, he immediately noticed the stern gaze of their coach, Kunitomo.

Clearly, in Kunitomo's eyes, his prized pitcher's actions were far from appropriate.

First, it wouldn't help them in the game.

Second, it would only heighten Seidou's vigilance and fighting spirit.

If the finals weren't right around the corner, Kunitomo would have made sure Narumiya understood that reckless behavior had consequences.

"Don't let this happen again!"

Narumiya felt relieved.

During his provocation just now, he had been completely sincere.

He wanted to send a message—not just to Seidou but also to his own teammates.

He was back at full strength.

The upcoming match would be anyone's game.

But after making that gesture, he remembered just how strict their coach could be, and uneasiness crept into his heart.

To his surprise, their coach was unexpectedly lenient today.

"Harada-senpai, do you think the coach ate something bad yesterday and had trouble digesting it?"

"Not only did he go to the bathroom twice this morning, but now he's acting completely out of character."

"Shut your mouth!!!"

Narumiya was undeniably good-looking.

On the field, he even had a famous nickname—"The Prince of Tokyo."

Like a character straight out of a manga, he had it all—good looks, flawless skin, and a bright, charismatic personality.

Yet, despite being such a seemingly perfect young man, he had an unstoppable mouth and the rebellious nature of a troublemaker.

Meanwhile, on the other side—

The Seidou High players were just as tense.

They had all seen Furuya's gesture.

And to be honest, they found it incredibly satisfying.

Considering they were in a public setting and representing their team, the Seidou players couldn't help but worry—

Would their coach be upset?

Furuya, realizing only after the fact what he had done, turned around with a grim expression, looking toward their coach.

As expected, Coach Kataoka's face was stern.

He gave Furuya a cold glance, said nothing, and simply turned away.

Furuya let out a huge sigh of relief.

Just moments ago, he had been convinced their coach was about to explode.

"That was close... really close."

But even so, if he were given another chance—

He would still do it.

Whether for himself or for the entire team.

Since the opponent had provoked them, he had to respond.

"Haha, you got lucky!"

Miyuki walked up to him, grinning as he spoke.

"If the finals weren't right around the corner, you'd definitely be punished. You'd probably be stuck in the Second String for two months!"

Incidents like this weren't unheard of in Seidou's baseball team.

This was just how Coach Kataoka disciplined his players.

"That's too bad. I thought I had a shot at becoming the ace!"

Sawamura sighed in mock disappointment.

It seemed his obsession with the ace number was growing deeper by the day.

"Keep dreaming. Even if Furuya gets punished, the backup ace wouldn't be you!"

The second- and third-year players of Seidou immediately shot down Sawamura's wishful thinking.

From their perspective, whether it was Tanba or Kawakami, they were both more suitable than Sawamura.

Even though Sawamura's performance on the mound had already surpassed those two in some aspects, he still lacked one crucial thing—

The composure of an ace from a powerhouse team.

As the ace of Akagi Junior High, Sawamura had never lacked the presence of a top pitcher.

However, the expectations for an ace at a prestigious school like Seidou were different from those at an average team.

The aura they exuded, the way they carried themselves—it wasn't the same.

Meanwhile—

Veteran baseball reporter Fujio from Baseball Kingdom magazine and his assistant, Owada Akiko, had yet to leave.

They had closely observed every little detail of the provocation between the two teams.

The other reporters present seemed completely dumbfounded.

They couldn't even come up with the right words to describe what they had just witnessed.

Seidou's reaction, and especially Furuya's provocative gesture—

It was beyond shocking.

"This is..."

Owada furrowed her brows.

For a moment, the young reporter couldn't think of an appropriate word to describe her feelings.

All she knew was that the whole situation felt surreal.

She couldn't understand—

Did Furuya not fear the consequences of his actions?

Stars and idols had certain limitations.

There were things ordinary people could do, but they couldn't.

If they crossed the line, the consequences could be severe.

Furuya might just be an ordinary high school student now—

But given his raw talent on the field, his future in professional baseball was practically guaranteed.

He wasn't just on track to become a star.

He had the potential to be a superstar.

Did he really not care at all?

Fujio, as if possessing the ability to see through people's thoughts, immediately noticed the concerns lingering in Akiko's mind.

He shook his head slightly.

"You don't understand. In other industries, doing something like this would indeed be inappropriate. Even when provoked, there are many ways to respond without being so direct. But this is baseball. This is a competitive battlefield!"

"When an opponent provokes you, a player must respond decisively! Whether it's his teammates or the fans who support him, they'll love it."

When Furuya made that gesture—

Fujio heard dozens of people applauding.

And this wasn't even a Seidou High game.

Most of the spectators, aside from the professional reporters, were there to support Inashiro.

They were die-hard fans of Inashiro Industrial.

From their perspective, whether it was Seidou or Furuya, they were opponents that needed to be crushed.

Yet, even they couldn't help but applaud Furuya's response.

That's the charisma of a true baseball star.

"Mark my words, Furuya is destined to become a baseball superstar. A legend!"

Fujio had always believed in Furuya's potential, but today—

Today, he had never been more certain.

Hearing her senior's words, Akiko nodded silently.

It seemed she was beginning to understand.

...

As the Seidou team left the stadium, they encountered no obstacles.

They boarded the team bus and headed straight for the school.

On the bus, Sawamura received a message from his childhood friend.

That instantly became the hottest topic among Seidou's players.

Even Furuya, usually indifferent, looked curious and gossipy.

Coach Kataoka glanced at the commotion before shifting his gaze toward Furuya, deep in thought.

Everyone assumed their coach must be furious.

After all, he had always emphasized that emotions should be settled on the field.

Running your mouth in interviews or making provocative gestures in public?

That was nothing short of clownish behavior—completely unacceptable.

But in truth, Kataoka was very satisfied with Furuya's actions.

Even though it went against what he had taught, he believed that—

A baseball player should have dominance and pride on the field.

If they remained silent after being provoked, wouldn't that make them seem weak?

To Kataoka, that would have been truly unacceptable.

Initially, when he promoted Furuya to the First String as a first-year, it had sparked controversy.

Outwardly, everyone accepted it, but deep down, there was still unease within the team.

A first-year ace.

A player who was now excelling at the plate as well.

There was no denying it—Furuya's role within the team was becoming increasingly significant.

But precisely because of that, many—including Club President Ota—had concerns.

No matter how reliable Furuya appeared, there was an undeniable fact:

He was still just a first-year.

No matter how talented he was, no matter how brilliant his performances had been—

That fact couldn't be ignored.

Rookies were bound to make mistakes.

What if he faltered?

Even Kataoka, who had firmly supported making Furuya the ace, couldn't fully answer that question.

After all, Furuya was still human—still a first-year.

But now, looking at him—

It was clear that everyone had been overthinking it.

Furuya was maturing.

At this point, even Kataoka couldn't find a single flaw in his game.

Yes, he was still a first-year.

But he had grown.

To the point where people unconsciously forgot his age, his grade.

He was Seidou's ace.

...

The team bus soon arrived at the school.

After dinner, Coach Kataoka immediately gathered everyone in the meeting room.

With the finals approaching, time was tight.

They had to finalize their lineup and strategy—immediately.

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