Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 128: Practice Match, Osaka Kiryuu!

Chris ultimately did not make the roster.

Coach Kataoka assigned him the role of team recorder, a position Chris accepted without hesitation.

Both Chris and Kataoka knew that, while Chris had mostly recovered, over a year of intensive rehabilitation wasn't something he could easily bounce back from.

His injury couldn't withstand the strain of high-intensity competition. In a recent practice game, there were already signs of his old injury resurfacing.

No matter how much Coach Kataoka admired this student, he couldn't allow Chris to play in a way that would jeopardize his future. Unlike Tanba, Chris's injury was of a different nature altogether.

While Chris and Kataoka understood this, Sawamura couldn't fully grasp it.

As a raw, rough-around-the-edges rookie, he had become part of the team's main lineup under Chris's guidance. So why couldn't Chris himself take the field?

Confused and slightly guilty, Sawamura couldn't shake the thought that he might have taken Chris's spot.

For a fleeting moment, he even considered asking the coach to swap places with Chris.

"Come with me!"

As Coach Kataoka dismissed the team, Kuramochi grabbed Sawamura's neck and dragged him off the field.

"This isn't something you need to see."

"Why?"

"Coach and the other coaches made that decision for a reason. Instead of brooding over it, think about how you can represent those who aren't playing," said the usually quiet team captain, Yuuki.

Standing beside him were several other third-year Seidou players who clearly shared their captain's sentiment.

"But..."

"There's no 'but.' If Chris-senpai were able to play, the coach would have already put him on the roster. Since they didn't, it means Chris's body still isn't ready. Are you doubting Chris-senpai's abilities? Or questioning the coach's judgment?" Furuya chimed in.

Furuya's words left many second- and third-year regulars surprised. No one expected such insight from a first-year rookie.

"His awareness is sharper than we thought!"

Even Sawamura found himself clenching his fists against the wall in frustration.

"I will..."

As he silently vowed to himself, Coach Kataoka bowed deeply to the remaining players on the field.

"Thank you for believing in me, and for your dedication over the past three years! Although you won't be part of the main lineup representing the team, I believe that you have all grown through this journey... Third-years, you are officially dismissed from the team!"

The remaining third-years were brought to tears.

For over two years, they had dedicated themselves solely to baseball, never considering anything else. Now, with no spot on the main roster, continuing their training seemed meaningless.

Coach Kataoka encouraged them to leave the team so they could focus on studying for college.

It was well-intentioned, but these players felt an emptiness and a sense of loss.

The next morning, those same third-years, who had technically left the team, still showed up on time at the field. When asked, they awkwardly scratched their heads.

"Our bodies are just used to it; hard to break the habit."

Saying this, their eyes began to well up again.

Seeing this, the remaining players and the younger first- and second-years felt a pang in their hearts, motivating them to work even harder.

No one wanted to experience this early departure, and the only way to avoid it was to put in double the effort, outworking every competitor around them.

From that day on, the Seidou High baseball team entered their grueling "Hell Week" of training.

The second- and third-year players couldn't hide their dread upon hearing those two words. The first-years were puzzled.

"It's just training, right? Why's everyone acting like this?"

To the rookies, Seidou High's training had always been tough, but they had yet to understand the true intensity of Hell Week.

Morning, afternoon, evening…

Whenever they weren't in class, they were on the field.

Even so, it seemed the second- and third-year Seidou High players still weren't satisfied. After evening practice and dinner, they continued training under the streetlights.

Some worked on their swings, others on endurance and stamina.

Over time, even the three first-years had grown used to this grueling routine. They couldn't imagine how much more intense this "Hell Week" could be.

Yet on the first day alone, both Sawamura and Haruichi were already exhausted to the point of throwing up.

While the practice hours hadn't changed much, the intensity, especially for endurance training, had doubled.

In the evening, training seemed endless. Even after finishing all the drills, they still had to run ten laps around the field. It was then that Sawamura and Haruichi finally collapsed from exhaustion.

Though Furuya also struggled, he gritted his teeth and persevered to the end, shakily heading to the cafeteria to grab dinner.

When Furuya arrived, he could feel the respect in the gazes of the second- and third-year seniors.

"Have you done endurance training like this before?" asked Miyuki, clearly curious.

The other Seidou players were equally intrigued, finding it hard not to be. Hell Week was challenging for everyone, even the third-year regulars. Kuramochi and Miyuki barely managed to keep up, so how was Furuya able to handle it?

Furuya nodded, confirming their suspicions.

"I've been training my endurance for two years now!"

He gave a small, reluctant smile. He had hoped his foundation would let him surprise everyone during Hell Week, but he barely managed to keep up himself.

Seeing Furuya's struggle shed light on the Seidou players' intense training regimen.

"No wonder! During the final match of the Kanto Tournament, you held out till the end!" Miyuki's lingering questions were finally answered.

During that match, though Furuya couldn't maintain his high-speed pitching by the end, he still used his changeup to close out the game. While changeups didn't drain stamina like power pitching, they still required focus and control—Furuya's resilience in that situation was impressive.

"That alone deserves recognition," Miyuki thought, echoing the admiration felt by the rest of the team.

"The rookies these days are something else!"

Everyone initially thought they had already given Furuya the highest possible evaluation. But now, they realized their expectations had fallen short—Furuya continued to exceed them, surprising them in ways they hadn't anticipated.

However, instead of distancing themselves from Furuya, the team felt a growing bond with him.

Before, his raw talent made them admire yet feel somewhat helpless around him. They respected his abilities, but they felt there was nothing to learn from someone so naturally gifted. How could they ever compare to such a prodigy?

But now they realized that Furuya's shine wasn't purely natural; it was also the result of hard work.

This dedication and effort earned Furuya the recognition of the Seidou players. Because of his hard work, they knew that when he took the mound, he wouldn't go down easily.

This was trust—trust built one step at a time.

Time passed quickly, and many things happened during Hell Week.

What left the deepest impression on Furuya was the final day of their Hell Week training. Their coach personally took the mound to face the Seidou High School players.

The training continued until both sides were utterly exhausted, yet the third-year field players from Seidou stood strong, refusing to back down. By the late hour, the floodlights on the field were turned on, casting long shadows of the players on the field.

Looking at those figures, Furuya, the team's ace pitcher, felt an overwhelming sense of reassurance. They're here, he thought. With them around, he could throw without worry.

The next day, Hell Week came to an end, and Seidou's baseball team welcomed some visitors.

When the team saw the bus arriving, they were practically bursting with excitement, eagerly anticipating what was coming next.

"Is it a practice game?"

"We've been working on our stamina and fundamentals, but I feel like my hands are rusting."

"It's perfect timing for a game! We can finally relax!"

After days of exhausting physical training, the Seidou players were looking forward to the upcoming practice match. They eagerly watched the visitors, excited to face off and see what kind of team they would be up against.

However, their excitement quickly turned to confusion when one of the players noticed something unusual.

"Am I seeing things?"

The name on the bus was enough to make him do a double-take.

Osaka Kiryuu High School Baseball Team?!

"How is that possible?!"

The Seidou players, already in shock, couldn't believe their eyes. They never imagined that their practice match opponents would be Osaka Kiryuu, one of the most prestigious teams in the country.

Sawamura looked around, puzzled by the looks on his teammates' faces. No matter whether they were in the first string or second string, their expressions were all the same—utter disbelief.

"Are they that strong?" Sawamura asked, not understanding why everyone seemed so shaken.

Seidou High was one of the top schools in the country, and they had just recently won the Kanto Tournament. Sawamura couldn't fathom why this particular opponent would warrant such a reaction.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of them?" Kuramochi asked in disbelief.

"You really don't know them?"

Sawamura's confused expression only deepened.

"Are they that famous?" he asked.

"Isn't that obvious? They were the runners-up in last year's Koshien, second in the entire country!" Kuramochi explained. "Among the top baseball schools, they're in a league of their own. They've won the most Koshien titles in history."

"They're known as the Cosmic Team!"

"The Cosmic Team, Osaka Kiryuu!!"

"Their team brings in the most special recruits of any school. While other schools recruit a handful of outstanding players, they recruit entire teams! Every year, they get a whole roster of special admissions."

As Sawamura began to understand, he was stunned by the sheer reputation of their opponents.

"Just finished Hell Week, and now we have to play a practice match against Osaka Kiryuu?" he said incredulously.

It was Seidou's open day, and in addition to their own players, they hadn't turned away any visitors.

Of course, these so-called "outsiders" had to be alumni or die-hard supporters of Seidou High School's baseball team. Journalists, for example, were not allowed in.

Overall, it was a relatively private practice match, not open to the public.

When the bus doors opened, a man with a kind smile stepped out first. This gentle-faced man was none other than the head coach of the Cosmic Team, Osaka Kiryuu, Matsumoto Takahiro.

"Oh, how embarrassing to have you, Mr. Kataoka, greet me in person!" Matsumoto said with a laugh.

"Matsumoto-senpai!" Kataoka, much younger than Matsumoto, naturally addressed him with respect.

"We've known each other for so long, there's no need for all this formality!" Matsumoto chuckled. "I heard from my disciples that your team has a new star pitcher with a fastball reaching 155 km/h. Congratulations!"

"You're too kind, Senior. He's still very immature and has a long way to go in his training!" Kataoka responded humbly, clearly proud but keeping his words modest.

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