Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 15: All-Out Focus!

Furuya's outstanding performance wasn't enough to reverse the disadvantage faced by the newcomers.

On the contrary, it only served to further provoke the second- and third-year players.

Those guys were like madmen, relentlessly attacking him. It seemed they wouldn't rest until they completely broke Furuya.

However, the scene of Furuya being overwhelmed didn't occur.

But the other rookie players were clearly caught in the crossfire.

By the end of the fourth inning, the score gap had widened to over 20 runs.

Coach Kataoka nodded slightly, almost imperceptibly.

To be honest, he wasn't that disappointed.

Although, in this intrasquad match, he had hoped to identify some useful talent among the newcomers, especially pitchers.

The lack of pitching talent in Seidou High's baseball team was painfully obvious.

But at the same time, Coach Kataoka was also well aware.

Hoping to find a player among these newcomers who could contribute to the first string was practically a pipe dream.

The gap between junior high players and high school players is enormous. Not to mention, Seidou High's baseball team is one of the top powerhouses in the country.

Forget about their first string; even the strength of their second-string players is no joke.

Could the most outstanding junior high players even stand a chance against the second-string players of their team?

Could they even perform well in a match?

Theoretically, it's possible.

Considering the many outstanding players nationwide, it's not hard to imagine someone with a bit more talent standing out.

But first of all, attracting such prodigies to Seidou High's baseball team with its current allure is difficult.

Even if they do manage to recruit one.

They would still likely fall short compared to the first-string third-year players.

For these two reasons, finding suitable candidates among the freshmen was almost an impossible task.

Naturally, Coach Kataoka didn't dare to hope for too much.

From his perspective, as long as this match allowed him to assess the capabilities of a couple of pitchers,

And possibly spot some promising talents among the freshmen? That would be more than enough.

"Tanba, that's enough for today. You performed well. As long as you can maintain this level of play, you'll be our team's undisputed ace."

Even though Tanba was hit for a massive extra-base hit, Coach Kataoka was still very satisfied with his subsequent performance.

He believed that as long as Tanba could keep up this standard, his future was bright.

"Yes, Coach."

Clearly, Tanba wasn't entirely convinced. Before stepping off the field, he glanced at Furuya.

If given a second chance to face him, Tanba was determined to bring out his full strength and reclaim his honor.

"Well done, Tanba."

"Coach is starting to recognize you."

When Tanba returned to the team, the players of Seidou High's first-string baseball team all welcomed him warmly.

No matter how impressive the rookie Furuya might be, for the current Seidou High baseball team, their ace pitcher was still Tanba.

And to some extent, their ace's performance would determine how far their team could go.

Seeing Tanba's recent pitching, everyone clearly thought he did well.

"If only he hadn't been hit for that massive extra-base hit by that first-year rookie, it would have been perfect," Ryosuke Kominato suddenly remarked with a sly grin.

The moment he spoke, the people who had just been congratulating Tanba seemed to have their throats suddenly clenched.

They couldn't utter a word, and their faces flushed with embarrassment.

Tanba, in particular, looked like his eyes were about to shoot flames.

"If you don't know how to talk, just say less, Ryosuke," Tanba responded, his use of such a formal address making it clear that he was genuinely angry.

However, Tanba's anger didn't shake Ryosuke in the slightest.

"As long as you're happy with yourself!"

After saying this, Ryosuke bared his teeth in what he thought was a friendly smile.

"That first-year, Satoru Furuya, hitting that ball probably had an element of luck to it," Miyauchi, one of the team's key catchers, spoke up, unwilling to stand by and watch his partner suffer.

But before he could finish, Miyuki, who had been casually tossing a baseball in his hand, interjected, "Even if there was some luck involved, it still takes skill to hit the ball to that spot. This first-year rookie shouldn't be underestimated in batting either."

No one could argue with Miyuki's words.

At that moment, Coach Kataoka gave the instruction for Furuya to take the mound.

The first-year catcher assigned to receive Furuya's pitches ran up to him and asked what kind of pitch he was planning to throw.

"Just put your glove right in the center," Furuya replied.

As for how to strategize?

Furuya couldn't be bothered to discuss it. After all, no matter what he said, the outcome wouldn't change.

Given that, he figured it would be easier for the first-year catcher to just go along with it.

"All right," the plain-looking catcher began to protest but quickly remembered the pitch Furuya had thrown during the rookie test.

The sheer destructive power of that pitch, which felt like it could tear the heavens apart, still made the rookie catcher shudder with fear even now.

"This is what you insisted on! But remember, today's opponents are different. No matter how fast your pitch is, it can still be hit."

The rookie catcher squatted down, positioning his glove. He stared intently at Furuya.

"If your pitch gets hit, don't expect me to take the blame!"

As the first-year catcher resolved himself with that thought,

Furuya, standing on the pitcher's mound, made his move.

He effortlessly lifted his leg, then stepped forward.

Seeing his textbook pitching form, many of the first-string players on Seidou High's baseball team subtly nodded in approval.

"Not bad at all."

From Furuya's pitching motion, the first-string players recognized the effort he had put in.

You can tell a lot about a pitcher's skill level just by watching their throwing mechanics.

And Furuya's mechanics were clearly excellent.

As these thoughts crossed the minds of the first-string players,

Furuya released his pitch.

His preparation was standard, but once he began pitching, it was as if he transformed into an entirely different person.

He resembled an ancient war general, radiating a terrifying aura of aggression.

"BOOMM!!"

The moment the baseball left his hand, it sliced through the air with a massive, resounding crack.

"Whoosh!"

Everyone who witnessed this scene was utterly stunned.

The first-year catcher, who had positioned his glove at the center, instinctively leaned back.

"It's over! I'm dead!!!"