Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 206: Furuya Never Fails to Impress

As the baseball soared through the air, bypassing the defense…

The players of Seidou High School's baseball team, along with their supporters in the stands, were left utterly speechless.

When Coach Kataoka made that lineup decision, they had already speculated on what exactly he was expecting.

Still, a sense of unease lingered in their hearts.

The players of Seidou High School, who were more familiar with the details, vividly remembered the past matchups between Kataoka and Furuya.

They knew exactly what the coach was hoping for.

Yet, they couldn't help but wonder—could his idea really work?

A result achieved in practice was now being tested in a real game. The opponents weren't exactly the same. Would this really be effective?

For the average fans, it was simply an unbelievable sight. They knew Furuya was an exceptional player, but putting him in the leadoff spot, expecting him to bulldoze through the opposing team—that seemed a bit excessive.

After all, hitting was not the same as pitching!

Because of these doubts, when reality unfolded before their eyes, their shock was all the more profound.

The baseball had truly taken off!

It wasn't a home run, but home runs weren't that easy to hit—those required a bit of luck.

Yet, Furuya's hit was just as impactful!

In the dugout.

Miyuki's expression was one of astonishment.

"That guy… he really did it!"

Chris, who had been taking notes, smiled slightly.

"Yeah. Even though this isn't the first time, I can't help but think—thank goodness this guy chose Seidou."

He wasn't alone in this thought. Many of Seidou's players felt the same at that moment.

They were grateful that this monster had joined their team.

Without him, Seidou's rise wouldn't have been as swift.

Without him, they wouldn't have won the Kanto Tournament this year and would not now be charging toward Koshien.

Of course, there was another undeniable fact—

If Furuya hadn't joined Seidou, he would have joined another team.

In that case, instead of riding the wave with him, they might have ended up facing him head-on.

Just imagining it was a nightmare in itself.

Ota, the team's manager, rubbed his hands together excitedly.

Even though he had strongly opposed Kataoka's decision at the time.

Furuya wasn't just another player. He was the team's ace. When other players experimented on the field, it was seen as the coach's way of nurturing potential.

Perhaps those players would achieve breakthroughs because of those experiments.

But Furuya didn't need that.

He was already the ace of Seidou High School's baseball team.

He was already the most important piece of the puzzle.

Calling him one of a kind wouldn't even be an exaggeration.

To others, this might have seemed like a golden opportunity, but for Furuya, it was just the icing on the cake—nothing particularly significant.

Even so, when Manager Ota saw Furuya actually send the ball flying, he couldn't help but be thrilled.

"Furuya never fails to impress."

On the other side, the coach of Sensen High School clutched the flesh under his chin, his expression filled with agony.

"Baseball is always full of surprises!"

This was not the outcome he had anticipated. It was clear that the game ahead would be an uphill battle.

The difference in strength between the two teams was already evident, and now their opponent had taken an early lead.

How were they supposed to play from here?

And then there was their ace, the "Little Giant" Maki—his condition was another major concern.

After suffering such a setback, could he maintain his previous momentum?

Or worse, would this completely shake him?

These thoughts were unsettling.

Unlike Coach Kataoka, the Sensen coach was fundamentally different in temperament.

He didn't place unwavering trust in his players—he firmly believed that players were human, prone to fluctuations in both emotions and performance.

As the stadium erupted in shock and cheers, Furuya sprinted forward, rounding first base, second base—going all the way to third!

"A triple!"

The Seidou supporters in the stands exploded with excitement.

They realized that Furuya wasn't just a powerhouse in pitching and hitting—even his speed was elite.

"Absolutely perfect!"

No outs, runner on third.

For Seidou's players, this was an ideal start, one that filled them with exhilaration.

In fact, this scenario was even more satisfying than if Furuya had hit a home run.

Offense is all about momentum!

Sure, a home run would have secured an instant score, putting runs on the board immediately.

But if the opponent regained their composure afterward, the game could still turn into a difficult struggle.

A continuous offensive push, however, was different.

Stringing together base hits and runs would relentlessly chip away at the opposing team's confidence.

Sensen might still have other pitchers available, but everyone could see the gap in skill between their ace, Maki, and the substitutes.

In Seidou's dugout.

Coach Kataoka's reaction wasn't as outwardly exuberant as the others, but anyone could see the fire in his eyes.

"Take advantage of this and finish them off in one go!"

The opportunity was right in front of them—failing to seize it would be inexcusable.

"Kuramochi-senpai!"

Sawamura turned to his roommate, calling out.

"I know, I know. Just sit tight in the dugout and watch!"

Kuramochi smirked, stepping up to the plate.

Seidou's players were understanding of Kuramochi's frustration.

They knew exactly how he felt.

Despite being the ideal leadoff hitter due to his unique playstyle—practically unrivaled in that position—it didn't mean he wasn't competitive.

And now, there was Furuya.

Even though their styles were vastly different, once Furuya was placed as the leadoff hitter, comparisons between the two became inevitable.

Kuramochi had likely been holding back his frustration, eager to prove himself in the batter's box.

Unfortunately, his opponent refused to play by the rules.

Furuya nearly blasted the ball out of the stadium, securing a triple right off the bat.

He left no room for Kuramochi to compete.

And to make things worse, Coach Kataoka had given special instructions before his at-bat.

How could Kuramochi possibly feel good about this?

"You big guy, can't you give me a break?"

Stepping into the batter's box, Kuramochi glared daggers at Maki.

Maki, momentarily startled, instinctively assumed that Seidou was aiming for a continuous offensive push.

Given the current circumstances, it was a very real possibility.

Shoving aside his earlier disappointment, Maki quickly strategized with his battery mate.

He opened with a breaking ball.

"Whoosh!"

Kuramochi, completely unfazed by the sudden pitch, adjusted effortlessly.

Lowering his bat, he assumed a bunt stance.

A bunt?

A steal?

The Sensen players were momentarily confused—what was Seidou's speedster planning?

However, their confusion lasted only a second.

They quickly realized what Seidou was trying to do.

From third base, Furuya took off.

"It's a squeeze play!"

Up in the stands, baseball analyst Fujio from Baseball Kingdom Magazine provided a sharp assessment.

"This is classic Seidou baseball—relentless offense, maximizing every opportunity to score. If we're strictly talking about batting power, Seidou might not be the absolute best in the country. But when it comes to their offensive strength as a whole, they are unquestionably among the strongest."

Since each powerhouse had its own style, it was difficult to rank offensive capabilities definitively.

But no matter how you looked at it, Seidou's offense was at the top.

Back on the field—

Just as Fujio was speaking, Sensen's players sprang into action.

Their reaction wasn't slow.

But Seidou's coordination was flawless.

Furuya and Kuramochi's execution was seamless—absolutely perfect.

By the time Sensen attempted to stop them, Furuya's long strides had already brought him close to home plate.

"Throw to first!"

Sensen had no choice but to throw to first base. Even then, they nearly failed to secure the out.

"Bang!"

The baseball and Kuramochi arrived at almost the exact same time.

"Out!"

The umpire made the call—Kuramochi was out.

But he had achieved his goal.

Furuya crossed home plate successfully, securing Seidou's first run.

1-0!

Despite giving up an out, Seidou's offense flowed seamlessly, delivering the first score of the game.

The Seidou supporters erupted with excitement.

"Seidou! Seidou!!"

They chanted as if the game had already been won.

"Incredible! Absolutely incredible!!"

"The game has just begun, and Seidou has already taken the lead against the powerhouse Sensen."

"The opponent played well, but unfortunately, they ran into an even stronger Seidou…"

One out. No runners on base.

Sensen had technically recorded an out.

But neither their players nor their supporters felt any joy.

The situation was dire. They were completely at Seidou's mercy. If this trend continued, the outcome would be unthinkable.

Seeing this unfold, the Sensen coach had already made up his mind.

A prolonged offensive onslaught could shake Maki's confidence.

He glanced toward his bench.

"It's time to be prepared."

He hated dealing with problems only after they exploded in his face.

Baseball is a game of constant shifts.

If they waited until the crisis was upon them, even the best countermeasure might not be enough.

But preparing in advance?

That was a different story.

On the mound—

The towering pitcher lifted his gaze toward the sky.

He had given up a run immediately.

This was not how he had envisioned the start of this game.

He had known from the beginning that today he would face monsters.

But Maki had planned to dominate the mound, proving to Seidou's coaching staff just how blind they had been for overlooking him.

They should have regretted their decision.

But now?

He had no idea if Seidou's staff felt regret.

What he did know was that his team was in shambles.

His emotions were conflicted.

Even though he hadn't been able to achieve what he wanted, watching Seidou's players perform at such a high level…

He couldn't help but think to himself—

"This… is exactly what Seidou baseball should be."

This was the national powerhouse he had always dreamed of.

"Losing this badly from the start… at least I won't have any regrets!"

Suddenly, Maki let out a roar from the pitcher's mound.

"AAAH!!"

His fierce shout snapped the rest of the Sensen players back to reality.

"We've already got one out!"

"Trust us! Even if the ball comes our way, we'll stop it!"

His teammates rallied around him, shouting their support.

With the shackles on his body lifted, Maki faced Seidou's core lineup once again—only this time, he was a different pitcher.

"Whoosh!"

A white baseball whistled through the air, but just as it approached the strike zone, it suddenly dropped from above.

Ryousuke's eyes widened in confusion.

"What the hell?"

They had seen his dropping curveball in yesterday's scouting reports.

But standing in the batter's box now, it was nothing like what they had expected.

Maki had his own unique variation.

Ryousuke wore his usual carefree smile, but internally, his mind was in turmoil.

Before stepping up to bat, when they saw Furuya smash the ball, the Seidou players had only been shocked.

They hadn't expected their first-year monster to be so reliable in a crucial moment.

Against the test that Kataoka had set for him, Furuya had delivered a perfect answer.

But now—standing at the plate, actually facing Maki's pitching—

Ryousuke's perspective completely changed.

"Furuya hit a pitch like this?"

The difficulty level was on a whole different scale from what he had imagined.

He barely managed to swing his bat—but the ball bounced off the ground.

"Pop!"

"OUT!"

Next up, his mustachioed upperclassman stepped in.

But he, too, failed to find the right timing.

The white baseball soared high into the air.

"Pop!"

"OUT!"

"Three outs! Change sides!"

Although Sensen had conceded an early run, their ace Maki had held firm.

He shut down the remaining batters, keeping the deficit at just one run.

In the dugout—

The Sensen coach, who had already made up his mind to pull Maki from the game, suddenly changed his stance entirely.

"Maki, keep going. You're finishing this game."

As expected, the moment Maki heard those words, his eyes practically lit up.

"Ah, these youngsters are so simple.

Say a few nice words, and they're burning with passion again."

Despite thinking Maki was a bit childish,

the Sensen coach had to admit—

"Today, our ace is putting on one hell of a performance."

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