Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 155: Mom, I Did It!

"Ping!"

The white baseball was hit and flew outside the third-base foul line.

The stands erupted with a series of audible gasps.

"Wow, that must be the 10th pitch already, right?"

"Is he really trying to single-handedly wear out Akikawa Academy's ace pitcher?"

The spectators were completely stunned, and so were Seidou High's players.

"Ryou-senpai looks like he's genuinely angry this time!"

"He's intentionally hitting foul after foul, dragging the pitcher into a stamina battle."

"No matter what, they only have one pitcher, while we have nine batters in our lineup."

"If this keeps up, that You Shunshin guy is going to be completely drained."

The Seidou players were well aware of Kominato Ryousuke's capabilities.

That was exactly why they found him more terrifying now than ever before.

Despite his usual cheerful, smiling expression, at this moment, he was like a demon—a demon determined to break the pitcher all on his own.

"Did something set him off?"

Seidou's players couldn't help but feel pity for their opponents today.

"Of all the people they could have provoked, why did they have to go after the real demon on Seidou's team?"

Meanwhile, in Akikawa Academy's dugout, their head coach Ozaka looked visibly worried.

"As expected, Seidou's players are something else. You're holding up, right, Shunshin?"

Despite his concerns, Ozaka remained confident in his ace pitcher's ability to handle the situation.

On the mound, You Shunshin had been pushed to 10 consecutive pitches by the batter, but his expression betrayed no sign of fatigue or unease.

It was as if everything happening on the field was entirely within his calculations.

This unsettled the Seidou players.

"The opponent seems a bit..."

They could tell the pitcher was difficult to deal with, but for Ryousuke, standing in the batter's box, the feeling was even more vivid.

He could clearly sense the determination in every pitch his opponent threw.

"What a stubborn little guy! But I'm not going to hold back. Either you walk me with a wild pitch, or we keep this going and see who collapses first!"

Ryousuke was full of confidence.

Even if he were to go down first, it didn't matter. Seidou High had no shortage of skilled batters who could step up and score.

But Akikawa Academy wasn't so lucky.

If their ace You Shunshin were to step down, their team would be left helpless against Seidou's relentless offense.

Those players would be crushed.

It was with this unwavering confidence that Ryousuke kept battling without hesitation.

Faced with such a relentless opponent, You Shunshin's pitching seemed to be on the verge of compromise.

"Whoosh!"

The white baseball came whizzing toward the plate but veered outside the strike zone.

Ryousuke, standing in the batter's box, saw it clearly.

He held back his swing, letting the ball pass him by.

"Pop!"

Hearing the sound of the catcher's mitt, Ryousuke prepared to drop his bat and walk to first base.

But then, the umpire's voice rang out.

"Strike!"

"The batter is out on strikes!"

Two outs, no runners on base.

The stands erupted in a chorus of boos.

Ryousuke himself looked visibly confused. He turned to question the umpire.

"That last pitch..."

"Is there a problem, young man?" the umpire replied firmly, meeting Ryousuke's gaze.

"...No, none at all," Ryousuke answered.

Since this wasn't a high-level game, there was no video replay available to review the call.

This also meant that Ryousuke Kominato had no evidence to prove whether the previous pitch was a ball or a strike, or whether it had deviated from the strike zone.

In such a situation, confronting the umpire wouldn't change a thing.

On the contrary, it could create a negative impression, potentially causing the umpire to be harsher in his rulings against Seidou High in the rest of the game.

As a senior and a role model for Seidou High, he couldn't allow that to happen under any circumstances.

So, with a calm mind, he suppressed his impulse to argue and quietly returned to the dugout.

"Was that last pitch really a ball?"

Hearing Chris's question, Ryousuke nodded firmly.

Apart from his height, Ryousuke considered himself top-tier in every other aspect. His keen insight was undoubtedly one of the best on the team, perhaps even among the top two.

He was certain—there was no way he had misjudged that pitch.

"If you didn't misjudge it, and the umpire didn't make a deliberate error, the issue is likely with the catcher. I noticed earlier—his glove was vertical!"

Conversations between sharp minds required no extra explanations.

The way the glove is positioned—horizontal or vertical—can give a completely different impression. If the catcher had caught the ball horizontally, it would almost certainly have been called a ball.

But because he caught it vertically, from the umpire's perspective, it might have looked like a strike.

"With You Shunshin's precise control, even the umpire must have built confidence in his pitching. As a result, borderline pitches near the edge of the strike zone might all get called strikes."

Under Chris's guidance, the Seidou players quickly realized the severity of the situation.

You Shunshin's greatest strength was his precise control. If the umpire's confidence in him grew, his effective strike zone would expand, giving him even greater flexibility in his pitching.

"This is going to be troublesome!"

The teammates exchanged uneasy glances.

They were well aware that their opponent had become even tougher to handle.

"But he's just a second-year kid, right? We'll crush him!"

Jun Isashiki, who was about to step into the batter's box, spoke bluntly, sensing the low morale among his teammates.

Some players on the team had this unique ability—when the team faced challenges or adversity, their bold attitude alone could inspire an incredible level of confidence in others.

Just like now, after hearing Jun's words, the Seidou players couldn't help but straighten their backs.

Truth be told, facing a pitcher as precise as You Shunshin, the expanded strike zone would undoubtedly create significant trouble for Seidou.

But did that mean Seidou's batters couldn't fight back?

The answer was a resounding no.

Although You Shunshin was undoubtedly impressive, he wasn't an invincible opponent for Seidou's batters.

In other words, the players of Seidou High were deeply proud.

It didn't matter who the opponent was or what team they played for.

Seidou's batters firmly believed that no one could completely shut down their offense—not their old rival Inashiro Industrial, not the powerhouse Osaka Kiryuu, and certainly not You Shunshin standing before them now.

Jun Isashiki wasn't bluffing.

Facing You Shunshin's precise edge-of-the-zone pitch, he swung his bat without hesitation.

"He swung at the very first pitch against Shunshin? Is this Seidou batter crazy?"

Akikawa Academy's starting catcher stared in astonishment at the mustachioed batter.

He hadn't expected someone like this to exist in the otherwise polished Seidou lineup.

However, before the thought had fully formed in his mind, he regretted it—deeply.

So deeply, it felt like his guts were tied in knots.

"Ping!"

With an awkward swing, Jun Isashiki managed to sweep the ball away despite his unnatural posture.

"What?!"

Akikawa Academy's catcher widened his eyes in disbelief.

Even You Shunshin on the mound couldn't maintain his usual composed expression.

Seidou High's No. 3 batter had shocked them all.

To hit the ball in such an awkward position was unbelievable. Most players would struggle to even move in that situation, let alone make contact.

"Pop!"

The ball hit the ground and bounced.

Despite Akikawa Academy's fielders rushing desperately to its landing point, they were still a step too late.

All they could do was watch as the ball slipped past them.

Isashiki seized the opportunity and charged to first base with full momentum.

"Safe!"

Two outs, a runner on first base.

Although the play took some time to unfold, Seidou's diehard supporters in the stands were thrilled.

"That was awesome! You're amazing, Jun-senpai!"

The crowd erupted in excitement.

From their perspective, it wasn't just a base hit—it was a statement hit.

And considering the next batter to step into the box would be the captain of Seidou High, one of the Three Big Sluggers of West Tokyo, Yuuki...

The fans could barely contain their excitement.

In contrast, Akikawa Academy's players looked visibly distressed.

To be honest, the situation on the field was far from what they had expected.

Isashiki's base hit had caught them off guard, and they were genuinely concerned about how their ace, You Shunshin, would handle the pressure.

As this thought lingered, they saw their ace calmly raise two fingers.

"Two outs!"

"Two outs!"

The rest of Akikawa Academy's players quickly echoed his call.

It was clear their ace was far more resilient than they had imagined—both in skill and mental fortitude.

Despite facing Seidou High's overwhelming strength, You Shunshin looked... exhilarated.

It seemed as though he had been waiting for a battle like this all along.

Realizing this, Akikawa's players were both stunned and invigorated.

Maybe it was true.

While they themselves might have felt helpless against Seidou High, their ace thrived in the heat of such a fierce and evenly matched contest.

Even after conceding a hit to Seidou's No. 3 batter, a closer look revealed that You Shunshin had held his own against Seidou's lineup, trading blows with them evenly.

"This is the stage meant for you, isn't it?"

With that thought, Akikawa's players found their spirits rising.

If their ace was performing well, didn't that mean they were doing a decent job too?

Seidou's No. 4 batter, Yuuki, stepped into the batter's box.

Facing Yuuki, You Shunshin pitched with extra caution.

Akikawa's ace knew full well that this batter was unlike any other he had faced before.

Yuuki's abilities were overwhelmingly strong—borderline unfair.

Yet even so, You Shunshin didn't shy away.

After setting a trap with two pitches, he decisively chose to take Yuuki head-on.

At this critical moment, You Shunshin's mind was clear.

He knew that if he could overcome this batter, it would give his team a huge morale boost.

And with that boost, they might just find a way to turn the game around.

"Whoosh!"

You Shunshin's pitch was clean and precise.

But his opponent, Yuuki, standing in the batter's box, was even sharper and more decisive.

"Whoosh!"

The sound of the bat slicing through the air was so intense that Akikawa Academy's catcher instinctively closed his eyes.

For a brief moment, it felt as if the bat had emptied the air in front of him.

Then, with perfect precision, the bat connected with the white baseball.

"Ping!"

The ball was launched into the air, its trajectory promising a solid hit.

In the stands, Seidou High's diehard supporters erupted with excitement, while the players in the dugout clenched their fists in anticipation.

Back-to-back hits from their No. 3 and No. 4 batters seemed likely to secure them the first run of the game.

However, just as Seidou's fans and players felt the run was all but certain, an unexpected turn of events unfolded.

Akikawa Academy's outfielder dashed toward the ball's landing point, stumbling and even falling in his haste.

For Akikawa, the fall should have been a disastrous mistake, one difficult to accept.

But in an incredible twist of fate, the stumble allowed the outfielder to extend his glove and make an impossible catch.

"Pop!"

"Three outs! Side retired!"

Before Seidou's fans and players could lament their bad luck, they heard the cry of the outfielder who made the catch.

"Mom, I did it!"

His voice, filled with emotion, resonated across the field.

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