Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 97: Enjoy the Feast of Pitch Speed!

The players of Inashiro Industrial High School didn't think they were any less skilled than their opponents.

Even with Seidou's freshman monster pitcher, capable of throwing pitches over 150 km/h, the players of Inashiro didn't believe they were inferior.

However, strength alone doesn't guarantee victory.

Like now, seeing Harada's failed steal attempt and Narumiya wasting a good pitch, they couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness inside.

That's the nature of the game.

Sometimes, when you lose control of the momentum, even a stronger team can end up on the losing side.

Inashiro's players were starting to get that uneasy feeling, sensing that the game's rhythm had slipped from their grasp.

So far, Seidou had changed pitchers twice, and there had been unexpected incidents on the field. In theory, their momentum and rhythm should've taken a major hit.

But reality told a different story.

Seidou weathered the storm without a hitch. In fact, when Furuya returned to the mound, he looked just as strong, if not stronger, than before.

In the Inashiro dugout, their team manager rubbed his balding head and muttered, "That freshman monster from Seidou has obvious weaknesses. But still…"

Hearing this, the other members of Inashiro's dugout nodded in agreement.

It was clear to anyone watching. Earlier, Furuya hadn't even glanced at first base when Harada made his move, allowing him to advance a large distance. If not for Miyuki's exceptional play, Harada might've stolen the base.

"Not that simple!" Inashiro's coach, Kunitomo, wasn't as convinced as his team manager.

"Huh?" The manager looked at his coach in confusion.

He hadn't exaggerated anything that had just happened, so why wasn't their coach in agreement?

The other players in the dugout also turned their heads, equally puzzled.

Facing their confused stares, Coach Kunitomo didn't hold back and shared his thoughts.

"Of course, there's the possibility that Furuya lacks experience," he began.

Everyone knew that Seidou's first-year ace was an unexpected prodigy. They had no prior information on him. Furuya might've had little to no experience playing competitive baseball in middle school.

"So it's understandable if he lacks certain fundamentals," Kunitomo continued, his eyes sharp as ever. "But there's another possibility."

His words drew everyone's attention.

"And that is… he has 100% confidence in his pitches. He trusts his ability completely and believes his catcher will manage the runners on base."

"But still, he didn't even look back at the runner! That's basic pitching protocol!"

What the coach said made sense, but Inashiro's players seemed reluctant to believe it.

"Simple—he's convinced that no batter will be able to hit his pitch."

After hearing this analysis, even if the players of Inashiro didn't like it, they had to admit the coach had a point.

A pitcher who throws over 150 km/h, paired with a catcher like Miyuki, might have reason to be overly confident.

And if they were in Furuya's shoes, they might have acted even more arrogantly on the mound.

Without realizing it, the players in Inashiro's dugout began to sweat.

This game had already been extremely frustrating for them.

Now, hearing their coach's thoughts, it seemed their understanding of Furuya might only scratch the surface.

This freshman monster could be far stronger than they had imagined.

One of Inashiro's players, holding his phone, confirmed what their coach suspected with a bitter smile.

"Furuya doesn't have any experience playing hardball. No wonder we couldn't find any records of him from junior baseball. But he does have experience with softball. His middle school team was the runner-up in Hokkaido."

Runner-up?

The fact that Furuya had some competitive experience wasn't surprising to Inashiro's players. After hearing their coach's explanation, they'd already suspected as much.

But a team with Furuya as its pitcher couldn't even win the championship?

What kind of powerhouse team had taken first place in Hokkaido?

The game continued.

With one strike already in his favor, Furuya stood on the mound, his face expressionless.

However, whether it was Seidou's teammates or their opponents, they could clearly sense the overwhelming fighting spirit radiating from him.

He was like a hungry predator, ready to pounce on its prey.

"This first-year kid's got some serious presence," Narumiya muttered as he licked his lips and lowered his stance.

Despite Inashiro's failed strategy earlier, which should have affected their momentum and mindset, Narumiya showed no signs of wavering. He quickly regained his rhythm, focusing all his attention on Furuya.

As soon as Furuya released the ball, Narumiya gripped his bat tightly and swung to meet the pitch.

Boom!

Narumiya's reaction was lightning fast. The Inashiro fans in the stands were just about to applaud his timing.

But in the blink of an eye, everyone was shocked to realize the bat had missed the ball completely. The pitch was just too fast, zipping through the strike zone before Narumiya could connect.

Smack!

"Strike!"

"152.5 kilometers!"

Though the fans knew Furuya's velocity was remarkable, seeing that pitch nearly reach 153 km/h still left them stunned.

"This guy… This guy…!" the fans mumbled in awe.

Before they could even gather their thoughts, Furuya unleashed his final pitch.

BOOMM!

The pitch was as explosive as ever.

Narumiya, seemingly in disbelief, didn't even swing. He simply watched as the ball whizzed past him.

Smack!

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!"

Narumiya was out, left standing at the plate, completely awestruck by Furuya's overwhelming speed.

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