Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 103: Record Breaker, The Terrifyingly Powerful Rookie Monster!

"What?"

Many fans at the scene had been so absorbed in watching Furuya pitch that they didn't catch what the commentator said. When they saw the surrounding fans cheering excitedly, they quickly asked their companions what happened.

"Fourteen strikeouts?"

"Record for the Kanto Tournament?"

"First in history!!!"

This string of titles hit the die-hard supporters of the Seido High School baseball team like a hammer, leaving them stunned.

What on earth did they miss?

That was a key moment in history! Meanwhile,

In the dugout of the Inashiro Industrial High School baseball team, their players watched in disbelief as Furuya dominated the field, breaking the Kanto Tournament's strikeout record.

And the players of the Inashiro Industrial High School baseball team were acutely aware that this was just the beginning.

As long as Seido didn't take Furuya off the mound, more records would show up right before their eyes.

"How ridiculous it is," murmured Carlos, with a bitter expression, "for us, the proud Inashiro Industrial High School baseball team, to be forced into such a situation by a first-year rookie."

"Unforgivable, unforgivable!!" mumbled the dignified-looking Shirakawa repeatedly.

It was clear that the players of the Inashiro Industrial High School baseball team were genuinely incensed by Furuya.

Yet, even in their anger, they found themselves powerless against the pitcher from Seido High School standing on the mound.

With pitches exceeding 150 kilometers per hour, even if the batters from Inashiro Industrial had gotten used to seeing such speeds, they couldn't manage to hit those fast pitches when standing at the plate.

"What do we do? We can't just surrender like this," voiced someone unwillingly in the Inashiro dugout.

Earlier, their coach and ace pitcher had confidently assured them that taking down Furuya wasn't difficult.

They even claimed it wouldn't require much effort as Furuya would implode as the game went on.

This reasoning was something everyone on the Inashiro Industrial High School baseball team understood well. Such aggressive pitching, such high-speed balls, surely came with consequences, right?

Based on prior experience, they recognized this rationale.

But now, the situation seemed to have shifted significantly.

After the 6th inning, Furuya only needed nine more outs to complete the game.

Even though Furuya appeared fatigued and likely to crumble at any moment, it was only a possibility...

It was akin to earlier when the Inashiro Industrial High School players thought Furuya was on the brink of exhaustion, yet he resiliently persisted.

He was like an indomitable force, seemingly on the verge of collapse but constantly rebounding with renewed vigor.

With only three innings remaining, just nine more outs...

Whether Furuya would falter due to fatigue truly became an unknown variable.

Facing this question, the Inashiro players went silent.

Their players were highly skilled, with exceptional eyesight.

Precisely because of this, every player on the Inashiro Industrial High School baseball team was acutely aware of the reality.

If Furuya doesn't collapse, and he maintains his pitching speed and quality in the remaining innings, then Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team could be in real danger.

Even though their ace pitcher has been performing well, they can't guarantee that Seido High School's batters won't score against him.

On the other side, Seido High School's players were filled with excitement. Just recently, their team was criticized for insufficient pitching prowess.

Everyone said that while Seido High School's players in other positions were strong and their overall team strength commendable, they would struggle to make a significant impact in major competitions against top-tier teams due to their pitching weakness.

However, the situation is completely different now.

Thanks to Furuya's outstanding performance, Seido High School's baseball team found their backbone, boosting their confidence significantly.

Their pitcher had never been this reliable before.

"Well done, we won't let your efforts go to waste," promised Isashiki Jun, with his distinct mustache, to Furuya.

Considering Furuya's stamina issues, they would do everything to avoid extending the match into extra innings.

In the final inning of offense, Seido High School needed to score a run no matter what.

Other seniors followed suit.

Although Narumiya's pitching abilities, especially his sinking change-up, exerted significant psychological pressure on Seido's batters, they remained confident in achieving hits and scoring runs off him.

"Enough with the pep talk, it's your turn, partner," Miyuki chimed in, reminding Furuya.

It was only then that everyone remembered Furuya still had to step up to bat.

"Don't pressure yourself too much; we're going to score later for sure," encouraged the senior players of Seido High School, as Furuya headed to bat.

"Don't worry, everyone! I won't put too much pressure on myself," Furuya assured them.

But despite his words, once he was at bat, Furuya's stance was entirely different.

He lowered his center of gravity, raised his bat high, and slightly wobbled it, ready to swing at any moment.

Considering Furuya's unparalleled strength, if he made contact with the ball, it was highly likely to be a powerful hit.

Spectators began to comment in admiration.

"Although Seido hasn't yet shown their full hitting potential, facing such a lineup is truly a test for any pitcher."

"Seido has all types of batters, and each type is among the best in high school. It's remarkable that Narumiya can handle them," they added.

As the fans were engrossed in their commentary, Narumiya delivered his next pitch.

Although it seemed unrealistic to break Furuya down early, Narumiya didn't concede.

He had a clear plan.

Even if Furuya didn't tire in two or three innings, stretching him into extra innings would likely exhaust the first-year monster.

"This genius will see how capable you really are," Narumiya thought.

To achieve this, Narumiya needed to efficiently secure three outs.

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