Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 204: The Highly Anticipated Furuya Satoru!

After Kataoka finished speaking, he noticed that all the players were staring at him.

Kataoka nodded in satisfaction.

No one seemed anxious or upset about the sudden adjustment.

"Furuya will still be playing in today's game!"

Originally, Kataoka had planned to give Furuya a full rest.

Hearing this, the three other pitchers in the team immediately lifted their heads.

Furuya was playing!

Did that mean they could be substituted out at any time in the upcoming official matches?

Clearly, they were overthinking it.

Although Kataoka had decided to bring Furuya back, it didn't necessarily mean he would be pitching.

Seidou's coaches had never wavered in their intention to let Furuya rest.

As the team's ace, Furuya had consistently delivered outstanding performances, never disappointing the coaching staff.

Naturally, when arranging his appearances, they followed the principle of using their best resources at the most crucial moments.

Quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.

The time between these matches was simply too short.

Furuya had already given his all in the quarterfinals.

And looking ahead, it was certain he would have to contribute significantly in the final as well.

Considering this, the coaches decided to rest him for the semifinals.

On one hand, this would create opportunities for the other pitchers.

On the other hand, it would allow Furuya to be in the best possible condition for the final.

Unless something drastic happened during the semifinals, their decision wouldn't change.

"I'm not talking about pitching. I'm talking about his batting order..."

The moment Kataoka clarified, the players fell silent.

Several third-years wore expressions of mild amusement—just as they expected.

Furuya's batting performance yesterday had been phenomenal!

Even this morning, everyone was still discussing it enthusiastically.

Adding to that, his diligent early morning training today...

Many of the third-years had naturally assumed his batting order might be adjusted.

Seidou's top four hitters remained composed.

No matter how they looked at it, they didn't believe Furuya would take their spots.

It wasn't just confidence in their own batting abilities—it was also a matter of hitting styles.

So far, the top four in Seidou's lineup had been incredibly stable.

If Furuya's batting order was being changed, it would most likely affect the two players before him—

Miyuki, the sixth batter, and Masuko, the seventh batter.

Under normal circumstances, both of them had strong hitting styles and solid performance.

It was hard to imagine their spots being changed.

Yet, Furuya's recent form had been so dominant.

Everyone felt conflicted.

Masuko puffed out his cheeks, while Miyuki remained relatively relaxed.

To him, batting order didn't matter much.

As long as his position as catcher wasn't affected, he had no complaints.

Kataoka, noticing their expressions, didn't say anything further.

Instead, he simply gave his next instructions.

"Today's leadoff hitter will be Furuya! The rest of the batting order remains unchanged, shifting back one spot."

Hearing Kataoka's announcement, the Seidou players widened their eyes in disbelief.

The leadoff spot?

Even if yesterday's game had raised their coach's expectations for Furuya's batting ability, wasn't this a bit too extreme?

Any other lineup change would have been understandable, but altering the leadoff hitter? That would completely change their offensive strategy!

"Coach..."

Someone couldn't hold back and was about to question the decision.

However, Kataoka paid no attention to them. Instead, he turned his gaze directly to Furuya.

"Do you remember how it felt when you were hitting yesterday?"

Despite finding it unbelievable himself, Furuya obediently nodded.

"I remember!"

The moment he faced off against Kataoka was still fresh in his mind.

"Don't forget that feeling. Use it in the actual game. If you can make an impact today as well, I'll consider moving you into a core batting position."

The core batting order—the third, fourth, and fifth spots.

Up until now, these three positions had been held firmly by the third-year seniors.

They were the most reliable hitters on the team.

At the same time, they were also the hardest ones to replace.

No one had ever thought that even Furuya could challenge them for their spots.

But now, the coach had made a promise.

Even if it sounded a bit like an empty incentive, for young athletes hungry for glory, just the possibility was enough to excite them.

The third-years stood proudly, their fighting spirit burning.

No matter what Furuya did, they were not about to give up their hard-earned positions so easily.

"Yes!"

Despite knowing how formidable his senior teammates were, Furuya was still eager to compete for a core batting role.

"The same goes for the rest of you. If anyone underperforms, you'll be moved to the lower batting order in the finals."

Hearing this, the third-years' determination burned even fiercer.

With just a few words, Kataoka had ignited the competitive fire in both Furuya and the senior hitters.

Many on the team were left stunned by how effective his approach was.

Even Miyuki couldn't help but give a thumbs-up.

As the team's starting catcher and the commander on the field, Miyuki often viewed the game not just from a player's perspective but also from the coach's.

And from his standpoint, what Kataoka had just done was nothing short of perfect.

"Incredible. I have no idea how he manages to pull this off."

Miyuki was in awe.

Everyone knew that the coach was just firing up the players with motivational talk.

But the way he did it was brilliant!

And the players, fired up as they were, truly looked like they could take on anyone.

"Let's go! Time to head out!"

Led by their captain, Yuuki, the entire team boarded the bus.

Even after getting on, Kuramochi was still grumbling with frustration.

Although, in the grand scheme of things, his batting order hadn't changed much—

The coach had simply placed Furuya ahead of him.

Even so, just this small adjustment made Kuramochi feel completely out of place.

After all, he had always been the team's leadoff hitter. He had long since gotten used to the role.

Now, being suddenly moved to the second spot, how was he supposed to adjust?

"Am I really going to lose my leadoff spot just like that?"

"You don't have to worry about that," Ryousuke replied with a smirk. "The coach is just trying something out. If Furuya passes this test, he'll be moved into a core batting position."

Hearing this, Kuramochi didn't feel comforted in the slightest.

The only reason he wasn't being replaced as leadoff wasn't because he was stronger or more suited to the role.

It was just because Furuya was too strong and wasn't interested in competing for it.

How was he supposed to feel happy about that?

If there was no direct comparison, it wouldn't be so bad. But now that there was, didn't it just highlight how inadequate he was?

Hearing Kuramochi's complaints, his teammates couldn't help but laugh.

The team bus continued its journey, finally arriving at Jingu Stadium.

When the players saw that there were hardly any people at the entrance, they couldn't help but look puzzled.

"Looks like there aren't many spectators today?"

In their previous games, every time their bus arrived, they were greeted by a flood of fans and reporters.

"That's just how it is."

Ota, the team's assistant manager, didn't seem surprised at all.

"Most of our games before this were played on weekends. But once we reached the quarterfinals, that changed—it was on a weekday. Even then, a lot of fans still showed up."

"But most of them had already taken a day off or switched shifts to watch that game. They wouldn't be able to do the same for today's match."

On weekdays, most people were at work, and students were in school.

Fewer spectators were inevitable.

And on top of that, their previous game against Yakushi High had been so intense.

That meant even fewer people would be able to come and support them today.

Of course, the Seidou players understood this perfectly.

But understanding was one thing—actually experiencing it was another.

Realizing that there wouldn't be many supporters in the stands today, they couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

"It's going to be really quiet on the field today, huh?"

Jingu Stadium was a grand venue, with a massive seating capacity.

It was a privilege reserved for Tokyo's top four teams.

In the past, just imagining playing in such a stadium, surrounded by thousands of cheering fans, would have been enough to excite them.

But today was different.

Their fan section was going to be sparse, and the stadium itself was going to feel empty.

Just picturing it made them feel uneasy.

"Don't get discouraged! As long as we make it to the finals, that won't be a problem!"

Furuya said cheerfully.

Miyuki and Chris had told him the same thing many times before.

But from his own perspective, Furuya had never really understood it.

As a first-year rookie, he didn't think of himself as one of the team's leaders.

But today—right now—

The way he naturally said those words, and the way his teammates' expressions shifted in response...

That was when Furuya truly realized—Chris and Miyuki had been right.

Without even noticing, he had become one of this team's leaders.

Not because he wanted to be—but because, as the team's ace, he had naturally grown into the role.

As soon as Seidou High School's baseball team stepped off the bus, they were met by a group of more than a dozen reporters, all armed with cameras and microphones.

They were there to conduct pre-game interviews with Seidou's coach and players.

Although there were fewer fans than usual, the number of reporters had not decreased at all—in fact, judging by their enthusiasm, they seemed even more eager than before.

At that moment, Sensen High School's team bus arrived.

A towering player stepped off, his gaze immediately locking onto Furuya.

His eyes narrowed.

That player was Maki, the one Seidou had identified early on while researching their opponents.

"That Sensen player keeps staring at us."

His intent was obvious, and the Seidou players quickly noticed.

As soon as they did, they began whispering among themselves.

Why was this massive Sensen player watching them with such intense hostility?

"Something feels off about this match. Stay sharp, everyone."

Once the interviews wrapped up, the team headed to the locker room to change.

After suiting up, they pushed open the doors and stepped onto the field.

Mentally, they had already prepared themselves for what was to come.

They expected Jingu Stadium to be practically empty…

But as soon as they set foot on the field, a deafening cheer erupted from the stands.

"SEIDOU!!"

"FURUYA SATORU!!"

"Furuya-kun! I came here just to watch you!"

The cheers were so loud that the Seidou players couldn't ignore them even if they tried.

They quickly looked around and were shocked by what they saw.

Today was a weekday.

Most working people should have been at their jobs, and students should have been in class.

And yet, despite that, the stadium was not as empty as they had imagined.

Two to three thousand fans had shown up, scattered across the seating areas.

Even on a workday, they had come to support Seidou.

"Just how much do these people believe in Seidou High's baseball team?"

A reporter from Baseball Kingdom, a well-known sports magazine, looked around in astonishment.

She hadn't expected this many people to show up on a weekday.

"Rather than waiting to see Seidou… they're here for Furuya."

Another reporter commented.

"His performance in the last game left an unforgettable impression. Even now, people can't stop talking about him!"

"A fastball over 155 km/h… it's absolutely mesmerizing!"

With the energy in the stadium surging, the announcer's voice rang out.

"The first semifinal match of the West Tokyo Summer Koshien Qualifiers—Seidou High School vs. Sensen High School—officially begins!"

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