Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 113: Double Play, Power Hitter, and a ___!

The white baseball hurtled towards Furuya's head.

The supporters of Seidou High School's baseball team, along with the players, all looked alarmed.

Even some neutral spectators and Inashiro's supporters were shocked!

As for Yamaoka, who had just hit the ball, he stood frozen, his mind going blank...

He hadn't meant to do it!

Yamaoka desperately wanted to explain himself, but even he felt that no excuse would sound convincing.

Seidou's ace had already been knocked off the mound, and if something like this happened again, there'd be no clearing their names, even if they jumped into the ocean in shame.

In this critical moment, however, Furuya stood calmly on the pitcher's mound, casually raising his glove to shield his face.

"Pop!"

The baseball landed squarely in his glove, as if it was all planned.

Seeing this, Seidou's diehard supporters in the stands felt their hearts, which had been in their throats, finally settle.

And then, their tension turned to joy.

Another out!

"As expected of Furuya-kun, so reliable!"

"It's not over yet!"

Just as Seidou's supporters began to breathe a sigh of relief, they realized the play wasn't finished.

As Yamaoka's bat made contact with the ball, Inashiro's runner at first base—Narumiya—was already charging towards second, full speed.

In such a crucial moment, both of Inashiro's players were taking bold risks.

They weren't satisfied with just a simple hit; they were aiming to completely break through Seidou's defenses.

Although Seidou's players were experienced veterans, their pitcher—this first-year prodigy—was still relatively green. Inashiro saw an opportunity, believing they had a good chance to succeed.

If they managed to pull it off, Seidou's young pitcher would likely falter under pressure, and the rest of the team would follow suit.

It seemed like the perfect plan—two birds with one stone.

Unfortunately for Inashiro, Seidou's first-year pitcher wasn't reacting the way they'd hoped.

Furuya remained unfazed, almost instinctively fielding Yamaoka's hit with skill.

Not only did Furuya secure the out by catching Yamaoka's line drive, but he also put Narumiya in an awkward position as the runner had already bolted towards second.

Realizing his mistake, Narumiya scrambled to retreat.

He cursed his earlier overzealousness and the fact that he'd run too far, too fast…

Now, making it back to first wasn't going to be easy.

Furuya, of course, wasn't about to let this chance slip by.

Without hesitation, he turned and fired the ball to first base.

"Pop!"

The ball landed smoothly in the first baseman Yuuki's glove.

"Out!"

Two consecutive outs, just like that.

The announcer, witnessing the spectacle, couldn't contain his excitement and nearly lost his voice.

"Incredible! Absolutely incredible! Can you all believe what we just witnessed?"

Hearing the announcer's words, many fans in the stands rolled their eyes.

They felt like the announcer was acting a little over the top.

Sure, the double play was spectacular, and Seidou's diehard fans were so moved they were nearly in tears.

But was there really a need for the announcer to go on like this? Everyone had just seen the play with their own eyes, after all.

Soon, however, these unimpressed spectators started to doubt their initial reaction.

Maybe they had judged the announcer too harshly…

"I'm witnessing the rise of a future superstar! A new legend in the world of baseball!" the announcer exclaimed passionately.

Suddenly, the fans who had dismissed him moments earlier found themselves agreeing. The announcer, once thought of as overly dramatic, now seemed completely on point.

"I think I'm becoming a fan myself!" one of Seidou's loyal supporters exclaimed.

Their sentiments weren't exaggerated.

They were truly realizing the undeniable gap that existed between individuals—not only in terms of physical ability and talent, but also in emotional intelligence and the ability to articulate it.

"Don't you think calling a first-year high school player, especially a freshman, a future legend is a bit premature?" the announcer's co-commentator asked, though he, too, was impressed by Furuya's performance.

"I'm sorry, but I stand by my words. We're witnessing the rise of a superstar! Even if this player never goes pro or makes it to the professional leagues, just his high school career alone will be enough to become a baseball legend—a true legend on the field!"

The commentator's partner wanted to say something, but a thought suddenly crossed his mind—the team that had finished as runner-up at Koshien, and more importantly, their ace pitcher.

The Koshien tournament is held every year, but true legends born on that stage are rare.

Especially that runner-up team, and their ace.

They had earned so much respect that even the championship-winning team had to acknowledge their greatness.

In a way, it didn't matter whether that Koshien runner-up ace went on to pursue a professional baseball career or not. His name would still be remembered by many.

Years from now, whenever an underdog emerged at Koshien, people would still recall that team.

They would remember that ace pitcher.

That's what it means to become a legend.

Reflecting on this, the commentator's partner cast a thoughtful glance at the pitcher's mound, where Furuya stood.

From this perspective, it wasn't hard to imagine that Seidou High's first-year pitcher could very well walk down that same path.

He might one day become a legend on the field.

The game continued, but Inashiro Industrial's baseball team had taken a heavy blow.

The greater their ambition, the harder they were hit by the setback.

And now, with the game nearing its end, the impact was devastating for Inashiro.

So much so that it felt like something they couldn't bear.

In the stands, Seidou's loyal supporters raised their voices triumphantly.

"Four more outs!"

The players in Inashiro's dugout understood all too well what Seidou's fans were saying.

They were reminding Seidou that they were just four outs away from ending the game.

This realization ignited a flame of anger in the hearts of Inashiro's players.

"The score is still 0-0," one of them muttered.

No matter how well Seidou had been playing, the undeniable truth was that the score hadn't changed.

The game was still tied.

In this situation, even if Seidou's pitcher Furuya managed to get the remaining four outs, the game wouldn't be over.

A tie meant extra innings.

"Don't worry, I've got this!" declared Narumiya, puffing out his chest.

Despite the criticism he had received earlier for attempting a reckless steal, Narumiya was confident.

When it came to pitching, he knew he had the final say.

"It better be true. If we lose this game, our coach won't forgive you!" one of his teammates warned.

Though the game wasn't as crucial for Inashiro as it might seem, they had their sights set on this summer's tournament, just like Seidou.

Koshien was the ultimate prize.

Compared to that, the Kanto Tournament didn't hold as much weight.

But just because it wasn't as important didn't mean they were willing to lose.

Especially not now, after Inashiro had already revealed their trump card to win the game.

Narumiya's changeup was one of their secret weapons for dealing with tough opponents.

It could easily catch the other team off guard.

"Relax, this genius won't let anything like that happen!" Narumiya declared confidently.

Although the game was drawing to a close and he had already thrown over 100 pitches, Narumiya showed no signs of doubt.

Any normal person, no matter how strong, would have their stamina affected by now. But Narumiya, brimming with arrogance, assured everyone that these concerns were unnecessary.

He would handle it.

As long as he was on the mound, the problem would be solved.

Inashiro Industrial's players, inspired by their ace's performance, felt a surge of energy fill their bodies.

"That's right! A true ace should have this kind of presence!"

"We joined Inashiro Industrial because of moments like this," one of the players said, their spirits soaring.

Despite their dire situation and the earlier drop in morale, Narumiya's words alone were enough to reignite the team's fighting spirit.

This was the strength of Inashiro's ace—the number one pitcher in Kanto.

Miyuki, Seidou's catcher, took this moment to communicate with Furuya on the mound.

"You understand, right? Our opponents are incredibly tough. In times like this, we can't afford any mistakes."

Miyuki knew Furuya was carrying immense pressure, though he tried to appear calm. No amount of reassurance from Miyuki would ease that weight.

So, Miyuki opted for a different approach: challenging Furuya's pride.

Pitchers, after all, were competitive by nature. Even Furuya was no exception.

After grasping Miyuki's intent, Furuya's eyes blazed with determination.

He refused to back down.

Fueled by this unyielding spirit, Furuya wound up and hurled the ball with all his might.

Whoosh!

The white ball shot through the air, arriving at the plate in a flash.

Inashiro's seventh batter, teeth clenched, swung his bat with everything he had.

Furuya's pitches were just too tricky!

Determined to send the ball flying, the batter gave it his all, convinced this would be his moment.

But reality proved different.

Crack!

The ball was hit and sailed behind Furuya—a seemingly perfect hit location—except for one thing: Seidou's defense reacted too quickly.

A figure, moving like a cheetah, appeared at the ball's landing spot.

After it bounced, the player smoothly scooped it up, immediately throwing to first base.

Thud!

"Out!"

With that, the seventh batter from Inashiro was out. Combined with the two previous outs, the inning ended without them putting up much of a fight.

Three outs. Inning over. The teams switched sides.

The game moved into the bottom of the eighth, and now it was Seidou's turn to bat.

However, Seidou hadn't managed to score any runs either, leaving both teams in a deadlock.

The upperclassmen who had reassured Furuya earlier now found themselves at a loss for words. They wanted to comfort him, but with no runs scored, their words would ring hollow.

One player, however, stood apart. The next batter stepping up didn't make any promises to Furuya like the others. But despite that, the entire Seidou team—including Furuya—had high hopes for his performance.

"Batting fourth, number three, first baseman, Yuuki Tetsuya!"

When Seidou's captain stepped up to the plate for the third time, everyone knew this was going to be the decisive battle of the inning.

"Facing an opponent like this as soon as you step on the mound—it's enough to get anyone's blood pumping!" Narumiya muttered, excitement surging through him.

Whoosh!

The energy of Narumiya's pitch was palpable, as if it carried his momentum, and in an instant, the ball was already in front of Yuuki.

Seidou's teammates were momentarily stunned. Inashiro's players were performing better than anyone had expected.

But just then, Yuuki swung his bat.

"Isn't it too late to be swinging now?" many onlookers thought, feeling a wave of doubt.

However, what followed left everyone in shock.

Boom!

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