Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 130: Lightning-Fast Strikeout!!

"Is there no limit to your arrogance?"

The leadoff batter for Osaka Kiryuu High School was visibly angered.

He couldn't deny that Furuya's pitching speed was incredibly fast, almost outrageously so. However, just as Miyuki had suspected, Osaka Kiryuu's players had come well-prepared for this match.

For reasons unknown, Seidou High School's coach, Kataoka, had kept this practice game a well-guarded secret. As a result, the Seidou players had no time to prepare themselves, not even mentally.

But their opponents were different. It was clear that Osaka Kiryuu had known about this match long before and had fully prepared themselves to face Seidou. They were not only familiar with Seidou but had also mentally prepared to face Furuya's fastballs.

This was no exaggeration. By observing the batter's stance, Miyuki could tell how much effort Osaka Kiryuu's players had put into preparing for Furuya's high-speed pitches.

"What exactly is our coach planning?"

Miyuki wondered. Coach Kataoka was no fool; leaking such crucial information beforehand had to be deliberate.

Before Miyuki could figure it out, the white baseball was already whizzing towards home plate, and the Osaka Kiryuu batter swung fiercely.

Ping!

At the moment the bat connected with the ball, all of Seidou's players gasped in shock.

"He actually made contact?"

It was the first time an Osaka Kiryuu batter faced Furuya's pitch, yet he managed to send the ball flying? This was beyond the comprehension of Seidou's players and even the spectators.

Plop!

The ball flew a short distance before falling outside the third base line.

"Foul ball!"

Despite it being a foul, the shock among everyone didn't diminish in the slightest.

"They say Osaka Kiryuu High is one of the top teams. I didn't believe it before, but now I realize I was being narrow-minded."

"My goodness, did he really manage to hit that?"

"Could it be that Furuya's pitching speed has dropped?"

Even Seidou's die-hard fans couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. They suspected there might have been some flaw in Furuya's pitch, allowing the batter to seize the opportunity.

"A flaw in a pitch at 150 km/h?"

One of Seidou's ardent supporters had a speed gun in hand. The last pitch he measured was clocked at 149 km/h. Although this wasn't Furuya's peak speed, it certainly wasn't a pitch thrown casually or due to poor form.

"Is the opponent really this strong?"

Hearing this, an elderly fan with graying hair muttered in disbelief.

In other words, their initial assumption was completely off. The opponent had indeed managed to make solid contact with Furuya's blazing 150 km/h fastball.

"No wonder they're called the 'Cosmic Team'!"

Even the surrounding fans were deeply impressed by this showdown.

Needless to say, Seidou's own players were equally astonished. Whether they were on the field or in the dugout, every player was visibly shaken by what had just transpired.

"I've heard people say Osaka Kiryuu High's baseball team is formidable, but I never took it seriously. It's only been a short while since the Kanto Tournament ended, and now their players can already hit pitches over 150 km/h?"

"Furuya might have overexerted himself in practice earlier. Although his current pitches are fast, they aren't quite at his peak speed."

"Is this the time for excuses? A game is a game. No matter what our condition is, once we lose, there's no redo."

Seidou's players murmured among themselves. Despite Furuya's performance on the mound not being as stellar as usual, none of his teammates were surprised, nor did they blame him.

Their opponents might not know, but Seidou's players were well aware of the intense practice they had undergone. Furuya wasn't the only one not performing at his peak; nearly every player, whether a starter or a benchwarmer, was feeling the strain.

Muscle soreness, a sensation like their bones were coming apart... Even if they gave it their all, they could only manage about 70-80% of their usual strength. For Furuya, whose strength lies in his fastball, every kilometer increase in speed adds a significant boost to his pitching power. With only 70-80% of his usual power today, it was tough for him to face off against Osaka Kiryu's top hitters effectively.

"What should we do next?"

"Isn't there still the changeup?"

Though feeling a bit sorry for Furuya, the Seidou players clearly didn't think he was out of tricks just yet. Just like in the Kanto Tournament, even when Furuya was on the verge of exhaustion, he managed to turn things around with his changeup.

Now, they were up against a stronger and seemingly tougher opponent, the so-called "Cosmic Team."

Naturally, Seidou's players assumed it was time for Furuya to use his changeup.

The current version of Furuya's changeup was on a completely different level from what he had shown before.

When combined with his fastball, the changeup could produce a devastating effect, like a 1+1 greater than 2 scenario.

However, this was merely the thought process of the players on the bench.

From Furuya's perspective on the mound, he clearly had no such intention.

Likewise, the batter standing at the plate for Osaka Kiryuu had a mindset very different from that of the spectators.

From a bystander's point of view, it seemed like the Osaka Kiryuu batter swung decisively after a single strike and effortlessly sent the ball flying.

Although the hit ended up being a foul ball, it gave the impression that Osaka Kiryuu's leadoff batter had the strength to drive the ball far.

But there was a misunderstanding here. What the spectators perceived as effortless was anything but.

The batter felt his hands go numb from the impact, especially around the base of his thumb, as if it were about to split open.

"So heavy!!"

If not for experiencing it firsthand, the batter, a highly regarded player from Osaka Kiryuu, would never have believed it. How could someone possess such overwhelming pitching power?

But now, he had witnessed it himself.

"No wonder they call this freshman a monster; he's got some serious skills!"

At this point, the batter had no choice but to admit it. The reality was right before him. Even if he didn't want to acknowledge it, it would be nothing more than stubborn denial.

Despite his acknowledgment, the batter let out a long breath.

"Unbelievable power—definitely double S-tier."

After taking a moment to compose himself, he muttered, "But sheer power alone won't make me back down!"

Just as he resolved to hit the ball, Furuya moved on the mound. As he set his stance and prepared to pitch, he looked like an ancient general charging into battle, exuding an imposing aura.

Whoosh!

The white baseball came hurtling toward the plate once again.

The leadoff batter from Osaka Kiryuu High School had carefully calculated the timing for his swing this time.

"Fly out of the park!"

He swung the bat with all his might, but even though his swing was perfectly timed, he couldn't see the ball at all.

What just happened?

The batter from Osaka Kiryuu High School stood frozen in place, completely baffled. A moment later, he heard the sound of the ball landing squarely in the catcher's glove.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!!!"

Seidou's catcher, Miyuki, grinned like a cunning fox.

"As expected! The changeup is still incredibly effective, especially when combined with the ultra-fast fastball..."

After the Kanto Tournament finals, Seidou High School's baseball team had fully realized the potential of Furuya's changeup.

Not only did their opponents show a great deal of interest in this kind of pitch, but even Seidou's own players were amazed by Furuya's newly developed changeup.

At that time, Miyuki had already started to formulate a plan in his mind.

After the Kanto Tournament ended, he was determined to refine the changeup and see if it could be seamlessly integrated with Furuya's ultra-fast fastball.

If they could combine these two pitches effectively, the result would be absolutely terrifying.

Of course, this was just an idea at the time. In practice, it wasn't that easy to pull off.

After the Kanto Tournament finals, they spent three full days working together to fully incorporate the changeup into Furuya's pitching arsenal.

The outcome left not just the rest of the team stunned but even Miyuki and Furuya themselves questioning if their eyes were deceiving them.

Could it really be so simple to integrate a new type of pitch into a pitcher's repertoire?

And yet, the results spoke for themselves.

Even though neither Miyuki nor Furuya could believe it at first, the outcome was undeniable.

After thinking it over for two minutes, they decided to just go with it.

The changeup was a weapon Furuya had painstakingly developed himself, though in the past, he hadn't been able to throw it with full force.

Now that he could pitch with maximum effort, the feel of his changeup hadn't changed at all.

"This sudden difference in pitch speed... even our captain, Yuuki-senpai, took a while to adapt to it."

Miyuki smirked, feeling a surge of confidence.

He didn't know exactly what their coach had planned, but there was one thing Miyuki was certain about:

Even though they had just gone through intense, grueling training, and even though Furuya's stamina and explosiveness were far from their peak, this combination of ultra-fast fastballs and changeups was more than enough to put up a good fight against their opponent and create a thrilling match.

"The sudden speed change is so deceptive! If you're not careful, you'll be completely fooled by it!"

The Osaka Kiryuu batter who had just struck out made sure to warn his teammate before returning to the dugout.

When the second batter from Osaka Kiryuu High School stepped up to the plate, he immediately adjusted, lowering his center of gravity.

Seeing this, Miyuki's expression tightened slightly.

As expected of the "Cosmic Team," they were definitely a tough opponent.

Each and every one of the Osaka Kiryuu players was skilled, and what made them even more formidable was their teamwork.

There was no sense of individualism; they shared information and communicated seamlessly.

Even though they hadn't yet managed to make solid contact with Furuya's pitches, Miyuki could still sense their tenacity and determination.

"Let's start with a changeup!"

Upon seeing the sign from Miyuki, Furuya didn't hesitate for a moment.

He assumed his pitching stance and immediately launched the ball.

Whoosh!

The white baseball came whistling towards the batter.

The expression on the Osaka Kiryuu High School hitter's face turned serious.

Clearly, he hadn't expected Furuya to open the duel with a changeup. He was unprepared to swing and could only watch helplessly as the white ball flew past him.

Pop!

"Strike!"

With one strike secured, Furuya showed no signs of slowing down. Without missing a beat, he delivered the second pitch.

"The tempo is so fast!"

The No. 2 batter from Osaka Kiryuu High School couldn't afford to wait any longer and took a swing at the pitch.

Crack!

The ball made contact with the bat, soaring high into the air.

"Foul!"

As the ball drifted beyond the foul line, the die-hard Seidou High School supporters around the stadium let out a collective sigh of relief.

"These two have some serious guts, don't they?"

"They've gone with consecutive changeups!"

"Not just two. They ended the at-bat against the leadoff hitter with a changeup as well."

"That makes three consecutive changeups!"

"Two strikes ahead, the batter is cornered!"

"So what do you think these two will throw for the last pitch?"

The crowd fell silent, with no one daring to guess Miyuki and Furuya's next move.

Their unorthodox strategy left even the spectators baffled, making it impossible to predict their next play.

However, the No. 2 batter from Osaka Kiryuu High School, standing in the batter's box, seemed to have a read on their strategy.

"The final pitch will be an ultra-fast fastball! Bring it on!!"

Known as one of the most analytical players on the Osaka Kiryuu team, the batter felt confident in his prediction.

And he was right.

For the final pitch, Furuya gave it everything he had.

BOOMM!

The ball shot out of his hand like a laser, piercing through the strike zone in an instant.

Pop!

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!"

The No. 2 batter from Osaka Kiryu High School hadn't even started his swing.

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