Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 126: An Unprecedented Ace Pitcher, Furuya Satoru

Inside the Seidou High School baseball team's manager's office:

"What?!"

Furuya gasped, his eyes wide like saucers, almost popping out.

"As a skilled pitcher, the first thing you need to learn is composure! No matter what situation you face, you must keep a calm mind and steady emotions," Coach Takashima lectured him seriously, adjusting her glasses.

"But…"

Furuya tried to argue further.

However, none of the three leaders of the baseball team in the room showed any interest in hearing him out. Their stance was unmistakable: they'd clearly discussed everything before Furuya had even stepped in.

"Are you lacking confidence?" Coach Kataoka asked calmly.

The air grew tense around Furuya, his words caught in his throat as he sensed the intensity behind Kataoka's composed tone.

Before he could respond, Kataoka continued, "Our team doesn't need a main pitcher who lacks resolve. If you don't have the confidence to stand on the mound, say so now. I can put you on the bench—or even in the second string."

"No!"

Furuya's mind barely had time to process before he rejected Kataoka's suggestion outright. As a pitcher—especially one who stood out—there was no way he'd willingly give up his role as the team's core pitcher. Ceding the mound to someone else was never his intention.

"Good. Go back and prepare yourself. Once we're finished here, we'll notify everyone."

And with that, Furuya was ushered out.

Bang!

The office door shut firmly behind him, and he instinctively swallowed. It was his first time realizing just how intimidating their coach could be.

When Furuya returned to the team, he was immediately surrounded by a crowd of curious onlookers.

Although Seidou's players weren't fully aware of Tanba's condition, they all knew one thing: their ace's injury hadn't fully healed, which meant significant changes were likely on the horizon.

So when Furuya—a prominent figure on the team—was called to see the coach and manager, everyone's curiosity was piqued.

"Are the remaining roster spots confirmed?"

"Idiot! What does the roster have to do with Furuya…"

"Did the coach ask you to become the team's ace?"

Before Furuya could react, Tanba's icy glare shot over.

Since shaving his head, Tanba's aura seemed even more intense, making his teammates uneasy under his gaze.

"I…I was just kidding!" Kuramochi stammered.

Still, it was clear that the rest of Seidou's players weren't entirely dismissive of the idea.

Having a first-year as the ace wasn't common, but it wasn't unheard of either.

In fact, their very own Coach Kataoka had held that role as a first-year and led the team to glory at Koshien.

And there were others they could count on one hand with something in common…

Without exception, all of them only became the team's ace in the fall of their first year, after the third-year seniors had left.

A rookie, only three months into the team, leading them as ace on the Koshien field in their first-year summer?

Such a thing had never happened in the history of Seidou High or even among top-tier national teams.

Just how desperate would a powerhouse team need to be for pitchers to consider a new recruit, only two months in, as their ace?

Even if the team were to rely heavily on Furuya, he wouldn't truly be granted the ace number.

Surrounded by his eager teammates, Furuya managed only an awkward smile, staying silent. His teammates, perceptive as ever, could guess the situation without him saying a word.

Among them, one individual stood out: Sawamura, another first-year pitcher, looked at Furuya expectantly and asked, "I heard from Kuramochi-senpai that the team is announcing the first-string numbers soon. Will Chris-senpai be on it?"

Recently, Chris had been giving special coaching to Sawamura, who had made remarkable progress as a result.

Their mentor-student bond was strong, and with Sawamura now training alongside the first-string team, he naturally assumed his place among them. His real concern was for his mentor, Chris.

The young rookie didn't realize that, without an official jersey number, he wasn't yet truly a first-string player.

"Do you think the coach would discuss something that important with me? You're giving me way too much credit!" Furuya responded with a wry smile. If even their captain, Yuuki, didn't know, why would they think Furuya would?

"So, they're really going to announce the numbers?"

Though Furuya hadn't shared much, his teammates sensed the impending update. The jersey numbers would soon be revealed!

"Who'll be the lucky ones to make the cut?"

Currently, Seidou's first-string team had 23 players; if Chris made it, they'd have 24. The core starters' spots were secure, meaning four players from the backup roster would be cut. The likely candidates included Kanemaru, Maezono, Sawamura, Chris, Haruichi, and two second-years.

The upcoming roster announcement had everyone feeling tense, whether second-years or third-years, leaving even the typically lively first-years subdued, wondering if they'd make the team.

That evening, just as practice ended and they were heading for dinner, Seidou's trio of leaders appeared before them urgently.

"Sorry to take up a few minutes of your time," Coach Kataoka said. With the roster finalized, he wasted no time and had the completed jerseys and numbers brought out for the team.

"As you can see, after consulting with the two captains, we've finalized the roster for the summer tournament. Those called will come forward to collect their numbers and jerseys."

As expected!

Even though Seidou's players had anticipated this moment, hearing it firsthand from their coach set their hearts racing.

Winning the Kanto tournament championship had filled them with high hopes for the summer tournament.

But of course, with so many players, not everyone could compete. Per summer tournament rules, only 20 players could be registered as the official first-string roster.

Coach Kataoka held a list in his hand, pausing for two full seconds before he began.

"Number 1!"

Announcing the ace number first?

Even though they had their suspicions, Seidou's players couldn't help glancing back and forth between Furuya and Tanba.

The coach of the Seidou High School baseball team and the two team captains had been engaged in a heated debate. However, for the players of Seidou, there had never been any hesitation in their minds.

The ace of the team would either be their former ace, Tanba. This option had the highest probability, exceeding ninety percent.

As for the remaining one percent, although the players thought it absurd, it could only be Furuya.

The idea of Kawakami becoming the team's ace never even crossed their minds. Being the ace is not just about pitching ability; it requires a certain spirit.

As long as the ace pitcher is on the field, the players gain confidence. Kawakami clearly lacked that quality.

As for Sawamura, despite his belief that he was already a member of the first string, he was not technically a formal member of the Seidou High School baseball team. He had been sitting in the stands during the Kanto tournament.

Coach Kataoka didn't linger on the decision and announced the name right away.

"First year, Furuya Satoru!"

"What?!"

The players of Seido High School were all professionals.

When their coach revealed the numbers, they tried their best to remain silent, not wanting to interrupt him. However, when they heard that name come from their coach's lips, many gasps filled the air.

"How could it be him?"

"He's just a first-year rookie!"

"He's been on the team for only a few months? Not even two months..."

"Even if we won the Kanto tournament, it was his contribution. But with his pitching style, how long can he stay on the mound?"

Predictably, everyone was shocked. Observing the scene around him, Furuya couldn't help but sigh.

When Coach Kataoka had spoken to him about this matter earlier, Furuya had been just as astonished and incredulous as his teammates.

If it weren't for the fact that their coach didn't drink, Furuya would have seriously questioned whether Kataoka had been drinking.

Otherwise, how could he possibly make such a reckless decision?

Seeing the reactions of his players, Coach Kataoka remained unfazed. He had anticipated this very reaction the moment he announced the news.

"I know what you all are thinking, but this decision is final."

Coach Kataoka said calmly.

"Furuya, why aren't you coming up to receive your jersey number?"

Hearing the coach's call, Furuya had no choice but to jog forward, bracing himself to accept the number.

It was clear that their coach and the captains had made up their minds to put him in this difficult position. Since he had no way to refute the decision, Furuya could only close his eyes and accept it.

He had thought that at this moment, he would be the center of attention, a target for everyone's scrutiny.

No matter how well he had performed previously or how good his relationships were with the upperclassmen, he was still just a first-year player.

But contrary to his expectations, his upperclassmen did not focus their attention on him at that moment. Everyone was looking at Tanba.

Tanba's face was as pale as a sheet. It was clear that this news had hit the former ace of the Seidou High School baseball team hard. Unlike Furuya, who had received prior notice and was somewhat prepared, Tanba had been completely blindsided. He was now facing both external and internal pressure.

"Could it be that senpai's injury really is a problem?"

His teammates experienced a wave of turmoil. To put it bluntly, the fact that Tanba was not the team's ace inadvertently filled their hearts with a sense of despair.

Coach Kataoka noticed the misunderstanding in everyone's eyes but did not immediately clarify the situation.

"Congratulations, Furuya!"

"Thank you, Coach, thank you, captains…" Furuya expressed his gratitude repeatedly.

"You don't need to thank us; you've earned this." Although Ota had previously opposed Furuya becoming the ace, it was primarily out of concern for the team's interests.

That didn't mean there would be any problems between him and Furuya. He genuinely felt happy for him.

"Do you know, Furuya, that you are the first first-year player in our Seidou High School baseball team to become the ace during the summer tournament?" Takashima asked.

"The first one?" Furuya had no idea about this before. Upon learning this fact, he felt even more overwhelmed.

Even in ordinary teams, upperclassmen bullying their juniors was a common occurrence.

Not to mention a prestigious team like Seidou, where the hierarchy was even stricter.

It would be expected for second and third-year students to take on the role of ace, even if just for appearances.

It was almost unthinkable to promote a first-year student who had only recently joined the team.

Take Inashiro Industrial's Narumiya and Teito High's first-year pitcher, Taiyou Mukai. Even though they had demonstrated exceptional pitching skills before the summer tournament, surpassing their team's ace, they still had to wait until the autumn tournament to truly claim the ace position.

For Furuya to take on the role of ace for a prestigious team at this time was unprecedented!

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