Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 203: The Bald Man's Little Episode!

"It flew, it flew out!!!"

As they watched the baseball soar through the air, almost all of the teammates were beyond excited.

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was already the next day.

Early in the morning, the Seidou High School baseball team members were already awake.

Even though today was the crucial semifinal match, they didn't skip their morning practice.

Of course, this wasn't a strict requirement from the team.

It was simply that after persisting for so many days, the players had already developed the habit.

They were up at the crack of dawn.

A few third-year seniors, still feeling the fatigue from the previous day, lazily stretched and complained to their teammates.

"Yesterday's training was brutal! The coach must have thrown at least 200 pitches, right?"

"230 pitches. I heard that one of the second-years was actually keeping count!"

Hearing this number, the mustached senior couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.

A single person throwing that many pitches non-stop?

Forget about high school players like them—even professional pitchers would struggle to do that.

"His pitches were definitely over 140 km/h!"

"And he mixed in so many breaking balls too."

When they talked about Coach Kataoka's performance yesterday, the players couldn't help but give him a thumbs-up.

No matter how proud they were, they had to admit—

Their coach was simply on another level!

Too incredible!

So incredible that he didn't even seem human.

"He's a total monster…"

And whenever they thought about their coach, another name naturally came to mind.

"That guy Furuya had it rough yesterday!!"

The third-years all shared knowing smiles as they brought up Furuya's struggles.

His performance yesterday was something they wouldn't forget, even decades later.

"That kid really doesn't know how to read the room!"

Coach Kataoka threw a total of 230 pitches—

A second-year named Watanabe had counted them.

So the number was definitely accurate.

And out of those 230 pitches, at least 50 were thrown at Furuya.

Then, the Seidou players witnessed something almost unheard of in baseball history—

The man who threw over 200 pitches stood tall and proud.

Meanwhile, the batter facing him was gasping for air, completely exhausted.

"Well, that's what he gets for not going easy on the coach at the start!"

As they recalled yesterday's showdown, a gleam appeared in their eyes.

The first time Coach Kataoka and Furuya faced off in an official matchup, that guy showed no mercy—he blasted a home run!

The entire field erupted in excitement.

After all, the seniors who had batted before Furuya didn't perform well against the coach.

In comparison, Furuya looked like he was in cheat mode.

The sight of him sending the ball flying was so dominant, so unforgettable.

Of course, their coach didn't see it that way.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have chased after Furuya for a one-on-one duel after everyone else had finished training.

"In the official practice session, that guy faced Coach four times, hitting one home run and two base hits. His performance was even better than Yuuki's, making Coach completely lose face! How could he let that slide?"

Ryousuke chuckled.

Aside from those four matchups, the two later had a private duel.

And Furuya's results? Absolutely miserable.

Even after giving it everything he had, all he managed were two high fly balls.

That earlier brilliance was completely gone!

"Our coach sure is as petty as ever."

For the first- and second-year players of Seidou, their fear of Coach Kataoka was deeply ingrained.

Joking about him? That was worse than a death sentence.

But the third-years? They were different.

Their conversation wasn't just poking fun at Furuya—it was also aimed at their coach.

It was clear to them that during the official showdown, Kataoka really wanted to teach Furuya a lesson.

But he probably never expected that the kid would have such insane resilience on the field.

No matter what kind of challenge he faced, he managed to overcome it with ease.

In the end, Coach Kataoka himself lost that battle.

Even if he later redeemed himself in their private match, his defeat in the official session was a fact.

"Do you guys think Furuya will even be able to get up today?"

At the mention of Furuya, everyone became excited.

By the end of yesterday's match, Furuya wasn't completely overwhelmed because he lacked skill—

It was because his stamina and focus couldn't keep up.

His swings had lost their edge.

He was completely wiped out!

So, naturally, the Seidou players all assumed the same thing—

That kid probably wouldn't be able to make it to practice on time today.

But just as they were thinking that, two figures suddenly came running from the distance.

The one in the lead was full of energy.

Noticing the seniors, he immediately greeted them enthusiastically.

"Senpai! I've already finished all my morning practice!"

The moment they saw him, the third-years felt a shock deep in their hearts.

As seniors, they were without a doubt the hardest-working in the team.

They were always the last to leave after evening training.

And in the mornings, they were usually the first to arrive.

As third-year players, they understood better than anyone just how precious their time was.

Only two more wins, and they would reach Koshien.

But on the flip side—

If they lost even one game in this summer tournament, their high school baseball careers would be over.

They would have to leave behind everything they had fought for over the past few years.

During their training, there were times when the third-years felt exhausted, when the future seemed uncertain.

Doubts crept into their minds—

Was it really worth going this far for a high school club sport?

But now, all those painful memories had become a thing of the past—

More than that, they had become cherished moments in their lives.

Even their toughest days now felt like sweet memories when they looked back on them.

And with their high school baseball journey nearing its final countdown, they pushed themselves harder than ever.

Yet now, a first-year rookie had shown up on the field earlier than them.

Even though the third-years still trained longer overall,

The fact that a younger player had beaten them to the field was a wake-up call.

"They say the younger generation always surpasses the old—looks like it's true!"

"And he's already bounced back from that home run he gave up two days ago?"

During their game against Yakushi High, Sawamura had been hit for a home run.

Back then, his confidence had taken a major hit.

Even his own teammates hadn't expected him to recover so quickly—

Let alone be the first one to show up for practice.

Kuramochi, who had just arrived himself, frowned as he looked at Sawamura.

"When did you even wake up?"

They were roommates, and yet he hadn't noticed a thing.

"And aren't you starting on the mound today? What's with the tire around your waist?!"

As a confirmed starting pitcher for today's game, Sawamura wasn't supposed to do any heavy training.

"Have some self-awareness, will you?"

As his roommate and senior, Kuramochi felt obligated to lecture his reckless junior.

"I was wrong!!"

Having been scolded countless times, Sawamura immediately begged for mercy—

A reaction that had practically become instinct by now.

As the two troublemakers from Room 5 started bickering again, The rest of the team finally turned their attention to the other early arrival.

A tall, lanky player—standing at nearly 185 cm.

If their memories were correct, this guy had been completely exhausted yesterday.

And yet, here he was, standing on the field alongside Sawamura.

The only difference? He wasn't carrying a tire.

As Seidou's true ace, Furuya clearly understood his role.

Even though the coach had already told him he wouldn't be pitching today, He knew that anything could happen in a high school baseball game.

And in baseball—it's always better to be ready than to be caught off guard.

As the team's ace, he had to be ready at all times.

Even if he prepared but didn't end up playing, that was fine—

But if the team needed him, he couldn't afford to be unavailable due to his own condition.

"You were completely wiped out yesterday. How are you up so easily today?"

The third-years on Seidou's baseball team were mature and experienced.

At first, they tried to suppress their curiosity.

But after a few failed attempts, they realized—

They couldn't hold it in.

In the end, they had to ask.

"I just slept, and I was fine!"

Furuya answered matter-of-factly.

Yesterday's duel with Coach Kataoka had definitely drained him.

Even he thought his body had reached its limit.

But the reality?

After getting a good night's sleep, he woke up completely recharged.

Not only was his strength back, but even his soreness was gone.

"Man, being young is amazing…"

The Seidou players couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

"Wait, you guys aren't the same?"

Furuya asked, genuinely confused by their reactions.

"Of course we are!"

"No soreness at all the next morning!"

"We're full of energy!"

"What do you mean 'fatigue'? We're not machines. As long as we eat and sleep, our strength always comes back!"

The third-years spoke with confidence, acting as if this was completely normal.

But the moment Furuya walked away, they all looked at his back and muttered the same word—

"Monster!!"

It wasn't just his insane physique and explosiveness—

Even his recovery ability was monster-level.

Aside from that little surprise, the team expected no more unexpected events before the game.

But the moment they arrived at the cafeteria—

They saw something unbelievable.

A shiny, bald head suddenly appeared before them.

"Who… is that?"

Just as confusion spread among the players, Coach Kataoka and Seidou's other two key figures entered the room.

When Kataoka saw the bald head, he clearly paused for a moment.

"Masuko?"

"Coach!!"

Masuko, now completely bald, had slightly flushed cheeks.

"Did you hear about the team's lineup… and shave your head to show your resolve?"

Coach Kataoka asked, puzzled.

The moment Seidou's players heard this, their ears immediately perked up.

With their keen instincts, they could sense that there was something off in the coach's words.

"The team's lineup?"

"Of course not."

Masuko's expression darkened as he reluctantly explained his embarrassing morning mishap.

Because he kept his hair in a crew cut, he had to shave it regularly.

He had a special razor with an attachment that controlled the hair length.

But yesterday's practice had been so exhausting that when he woke up, he wasn't fully alert.

Half-asleep, he forgot to put on the attachment—

And ended up shaving his head completely bald.

This was the result.

After hearing Masuko's explanation, the Seidou players burst into laughter.

They never imagined that something like this would happen right before the semifinals.

Even Coach Kataoka, who was usually strict and serious, couldn't hold it in this time.

For once, he laughed along with the team—his laughter sounding particularly unrestrained.

But after the laughter died down, Kataoka's expression immediately turned serious.

"What's done is done. But in the game, we can't afford to make such careless mistakes."

Hearing their coach's words, the players quickly stifled their laughter.

They straightened up and responded loudly—

"Yes, Coach!!"

After making sure the matter was settled, Kataoka finally announced the last-minute decision they had made the night before.

"Our previous batting order has been too predictable. The opponents have likely figured it out. So today, we're making some adjustments to the lineup…"

Even though the players had already suspected something when the coach accidentally hinted at it,

A suspicion was still just a suspicion—until it was confirmed.

And now, it was official.

Last night, Coach Kataoka and Seidou's two other key figures had decided to shake up the batting order.

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