Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 141: First Round of the Summer Tournament, Maimon West High School!

When Furuya returned to the dorm, he walked alongside Sawamura and the others.

Sawamura, full of curiosity, asked, "What did the coach say to you?"

To Sawamura, Coach Kataoka's image had drastically changed over time.

When he first joined the team, Kataoka felt like a cold, merciless drill instructor, someone who crushed Sawamura's fiery enthusiasm.

But now?

Coach Kataoka not only guided him privately on pitching techniques but also disregarded past grudges and went out of his way to promote Sawamura to the first string.

Sure, Sawamura had earned that promotion himself, but if Kataoka were the type to hold grudges over petty things, Sawamura might still be stuck doing endless running drills, let alone making it to the first string.

Because of their shared history, Coach Kataoka had transformed in Sawamura's mind into someone with a sharp tongue but a soft heart—a truly qualified and outstanding coach.

Even though Kataoka's guidance to Furuya might seem harsh and strict, Sawamura was confident it was all for Furuya's benefit.

However, Furuya had enjoyed a smooth sailing path since joining the team. Sawamura worried that Furuya might not fully understand the coach's good intentions.

Though they were rivals, they were also good friends.

How could Sawamura, as a friend, sit idly by and watch Furuya potentially head down the wrong path?

For both emotional and logical reasons, Sawamura felt compelled to help his friend avoid unnecessary struggles.

"I'm such a kind person!"

Moved by his own thoughts, Sawamura began to imagine the perfect way to counsel Furuya.

"The coach said he believes in my ability."

"Let me tell you something," Sawamura began, nodding as he tried to comfort Furuya, "Our coach may have a sharp tongue, but he's got a soft heart. Even if he sounds harsh..."

But just as he was halfway through his explanation, Sawamura froze, as if struck by Medusa's curse.

"What did you just say the coach told you?"

Furuya, confused by the question, repeated himself honestly.

"The coach told me he believes in my ability."

Hearing this, Sawamura quickly turned his head away.

Two streams of tears rolled down his cheeks.

He couldn't help but question whether the Coach Kataoka Furuya spoke of was the same Coach Kataoka he knew.

How could the disparity between their experiences be this vast?

"Didn't the coach say something similar when he was guiding you privately?"

Sawamura, still wiping his tears, felt another metaphorical knife stab into his heart.

"Not exactly," Furuya replied, "The coach has always been very kind in his attitude."

Even though Sawamura asserted his belief confidently, those around him couldn't help but doubt it.

Was it really the same?

If it were, why did Sawamura look so visibly dejected?

"This is just how he is, okay? It's the same for everyone!" Sawamura insisted.

But his repeated declarations of "the same for everyone" seemed to suggest otherwise.

In the midst of their playful banter, Furuya found his previously tense nerves relaxing quite a bit.

He couldn't deny it—having teammates like these was a great remedy for low spirits.

With such supportive companions, Furuya felt less worried about the upcoming match.

...

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, more than a week had passed.

During this time, the summer tournament draw had concluded, the opening ceremony was completed, and Seidou High's first-round opponent had been announced.

Since it was the team's first game of the summer tournament, Seidou High placed great importance on it.

The day before the game, all the team members gathered in the strategy meeting room.

Chris took out his meticulously prepared notebook and began introducing their opponent in detail.

First up was, of course, their ace pitcher.

"Kikunaga Masaaki! Second year, pitcher and outfielder, left-handed thrower. Wears jersey number 1. His fastest pitch is around 120 kilometers per hour, but his control is poor. Specializes in sliders. He's the middle son in a family of three brothers. His hobby is billiards…"

As soon as Chris finished introducing the first name, the players in the room felt their scalps tingle.

This information was far too detailed!

Furuya was the first to raise his hand.

Noticing this, everyone turned their attention to him.

Chris closed his notebook and asked, "What is it?"

"Chris-senpai, I get why you'd include the other stuff, but isn't mentioning his family background unnecessary?"

Furuya liked analyzing opponents' data too, but his approach was completely different from Chris's.

Chris aimed for maximum detail, leaving no stone unturned, while Furuya focused solely on the key points.

"This information is definitely relevant!" Chris replied patiently.

"In families with multiple siblings, the eldest, youngest, and middle children tend to have very different personalities. The eldest often receives the most parental attention and, in large families, may even be groomed as the heir. The youngest typically gets special treatment and affection. However, middle children often receive the least attention from their family."

"This upbringing can heavily influence their personality and even affect their decision-making on the field."

"Wow!"

Chris's explanation left the team in awe.

Seidou High took this match very seriously, and their opponent, Maimon West, did the same.

Maimon West was a public high school. Although their baseball facilities weren't bad, they couldn't compare to Seidou High's luxurious setup.

By the time evening approached, Maimon West's field was already pitch black—they didn't even have proper lighting for nighttime practice.

Even so, under the dim light of the school's streetlamps and in shadowy corners, players were still tirelessly swinging their bats.

A man with streaks of black and white in his hair stood proudly, watching his players with gleaming eyes full of confidence.

He asked his assistant, brimming with enthusiasm, "Did Seidou High send anyone to watch us today?"

"They did! They even brought recording equipment. But none of their players or coaches showed up."

Hearing this, Junichi Chiba's eyes sparkled with determination.

"I knew it! Those elite teams would never take a small, rural public school like ours seriously. This is our chance to win!!!"

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