Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 154: A Clash of Different Levels!

In the dugout of the Akikawa Academy baseball team:

The players were panting heavily, trying to ease the tension that gripped them.

Coach Ozaka, looking at his overwhelmed players, had a vivid image in his mind.

It was like an elementary school student facing a high schooler in a sumo ring. No matter how much the younger one struggled, a single slap from the high schooler would send them sprawling to the ground.

"Furuya Satoru, with his terrifying 150 km/h fastball! He's even more formidable than expected!"

The players of Akikawa Academy had prepared beforehand, but even preparation wasn't enough.

Facing Furuya Satoru's pitching directly was an entirely different experience. He didn't feel like a regular high school player—more like an unknown, monstrous entity.

...

Bottom of the first inning: Seidou High School's turn to bat.

Thanks to their ace's stellar performance, Seidou's morale was soaring.

"Don't worry, kid! We won't let you shoulder the pressure alone."

The leadoff batter, Seidou's shortstop Kuramochi Youichi, spoke confidently to Furuya before stepping up to the plate.

"I trust you, Kuramochi-senpai!!"

Sawamura quickly chimed in.

Seeing Sawamura's enthusiastic response, Kuramochi felt a vein on his forehead twitching.

"You idiot! Who asked for your input? Can't you see I was talking to our ace?"

Kuramochi reached out and trapped Sawamura under his arm.

"Mercy! Mercy!"

Sawamura begged repeatedly, but Kuramochi acted as though he didn't hear him.

"Alright, it's your turn to bat!"

The camaraderie among the players of Room 5 drew a lot of attention. Other teammates had to step in to mediate.

"Just wait until I'm back. I'll deal with you properly then!"

Kuramochi, gripping his bat, headed to the batter's box with a look of frustration.

Akikawa's catcher, who witnessed the entire interaction, broke out in a cold sweat.

"Are the relationships between seniors and juniors in national powerhouses always this tense? The senior has to bully the junior before stepping up to bat?"

"Let's go!" Kuramochi yelled, raising his bat high as he locked eyes with Akikawa's ace pitcher, You Shunshin.

Seidou High School had already analyzed their opponent's data before the game and reached a clear conclusion: Akikawa's ace had been hiding his true strength.

"If you've been holding back, let me see the full extent of your abilities."

Kuramochi gripped his bat tightly, exuding an aura that said he wouldn't hesitate to send the ball flying if it came his way.

Akikawa's catcher signaled to their ace pitcher:

"This Seidou leadoff batter doesn't look like a good person at all!"

Even the usually stoic You Shunshin couldn't help but smile at his catcher's comment.

It wasn't just the leadoff batter. Seidou's second and third batters were just as troublesome.

One was nicknamed "the devil," and the other resembled a sleazy middle-aged man.

"Although they don't look like good people, their skills are top-notch."

As You Shunshin prepared to pitch, his mind replayed the information they had gathered about Seidou.

On the surface, Seidou's batters seemed to have plenty of weaknesses.

Each of their batters had such distinct personalities that their strengths and weaknesses were equally pronounced.

Knowing the opponent's weaknesses might make victory seem within reach.

But that's just how it looks...

Are the distinctive players of Seidou High School's baseball team really that easy to overcome?

The answer is a resounding no.

In fact, each of them is more troublesome than the last.

Seidou's offensive strength is unique, even on a national level.

Judging by their performance in the Kanto Tournament, their offense ranks among the top in the country.

"To deal with such an opponent, extreme caution is necessary!"

Fully prepared mentally, You Shunshin took his stance and threw his first pitch.

"Whoosh!"

The white baseball whizzed out of his hand, and in the blink of an eye, it was right in front of Kuramochi.

Kuramochi saw the pitch clearly.

Given his aggressive nature, he usually wouldn't hesitate to swing.

But this pitch was too close to the edge of the strike zone—so tight to the body that it made the swing awkward for him.

Grinding his teeth, Kuramochi resisted the urge to swing, watching the ball fly past him.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

Kuramochi fell behind with one strike.

In Seidou's dugout, the batters' expressions grew serious.

"I thought that pitch was outside the strike zone. Turns out it was right on the edge?"

"From that, it's easy to see just how precise his control is!"

If any doubts lingered in Seidou's minds about You Shunshin's abilities, they were gone now.

Just one pitch was enough for the Seidou players to recognize his extraordinary talent.

Such pinpoint accuracy wasn't something an ordinary pitcher could pull off in a game.

"He's targeting Kuramochi's weakness. He's probably going to keep attacking the inside corner!"

The players of Seidou High School knew exactly what You Shunshin would do next, but none of them offered any reminders or interference.

The third-year players might complain about Kuramochi's reliability all the time, but it was just their way of pushing their junior to improve.

They didn't truly doubt him.

On the contrary, they believed in Kuramochi's ability to anticipate the opponent's intentions.

Sure enough, Kuramochi would likely turn the tables on his opponent.

"Whoosh!"

As expected, You Shunshin's second pitch was another inside corner ball.

He was clearly aiming to completely dismantle Kuramochi's defenses—both physically and mentally.

But faced with a pitch nearly brushing against him, Kuramochi remained unfazed.

"Heh, you big dummy! This genius already saw through your plan!!"

Kuramochi didn't disappoint his teammates. He had indeed anticipated You Shunshin's pitch placement.

When the ball flew toward him, he took a decisive half-step back.

This adjustment turned what was once a difficult pitch to hit into something much easier to handle.

"Ping!"

Seeing Kuramochi make precise contact with the ball and send it flying, the Akikawa Academy catcher's eyes briefly showed a glimmer of despair.

"Damn, he saw through it!"

The batting prowess of Seidou High School's players was undeniable.

Once their batters caught on to their opponent's pitching intent, they would undoubtedly adjust their swings to counter it.

This dramatically increased their chances of making contact, just like Kuramochi's hit that sent the ball toward first base.

Akikawa's first baseman kept retreating, trying to field the ball, but despite his best efforts, he couldn't catch it immediately.

By the time he scooped it up, it was too late to make the play at first base.

"Haha! Even the heavens are on my side!"

Kuramochi, sprinting down the baseline, was full of excitement.

With his incredible speed, if he successfully reached first base, Seidou's chances of scoring would increase significantly.

It was still early in the game.

Furuya had already made an impact with his terrifying fastball, teaching Akikawa a hard lesson.

Now, if they could strike first and score, it would deal a psychological blow to Akikawa Academy.

This combination of offense and defense would create a devastating effect on their opponent.

Even if You Shunshin had been holding back, it wouldn't matter.

Just as Kuramochi was reveling in his anticipated success, a swift figure appeared at first base.

"Pass me the ball!"

The Akikawa first baseman quickly threw the ball.

"Pop!"

The ball landed securely in You Shunshin's glove.

Despite Kuramochi's incredible speed and proximity to first base, he couldn't avoid the inevitable. He was tagged out.

"Out!"

"One out, side retired!"

From the stands, the crowd erupted into applause.

The clapping was thunderous and continuous.

"That Akikawa Academy ace is something else!"

"The speed of that Seidou player was insane, but he still managed to cover first base in time!"

It seemed almost unbelievable, yet it had just happened before everyone's eyes.

You Shunshin's anticipation and reaction were flawless, cutting short Seidou's offensive play.

In Seidou's dugout, the players couldn't help but express their admiration.

They hadn't expected You Shunshin to be this capable.

"If he reacted only after seeing Kuramochi's movement, it would've been too late! He must have anticipated it and moved the moment he released the pitch."

"It's almost like a choreographed sequence."

Thinking about You Shunshin's precise movements, Seidou's players felt a chill run down their spines.

While Akikawa Academy's overall strength might be average, this You Shunshin was on an entirely different level.

Among the opponents Seidou had faced, You Shunshin was proving to be one of the toughest.

...

"That's too much, kid!"

Kuramochi, dejected, returned to the dugout, his failure sparking anger in another player.

The second batter for Seidou High School, Ryousuke Kominato, stepped up.

He and Kuramochi, known as the "Iron Wall" duo of the middle infield, formed one of Seidou's rare and reliable fielding partnerships.

Seeing his partner Kuramochi outplayed, Ryousuke immediately devised a plan for revenge.

Stepping into the batter's box, he smiled warmly and greeted the umpire.

"Pleased to play with you!"

After his greeting, he turned his ever-smiling face toward the pitcher's mound, where You Shunshin stood.

These two players shared a subtle connection.

Both had traveled great distances to pursue their baseball dreams—Kominato from Kanagawa and You Shunshin from Taiwan.

"Even farther than me, huh..." Ryousuke muttered under his breath.

If anything, You Shunshin's journey probably required even more determination than his own.

However, Ryousuke had no intention of losing because of that.

His usual cheerful expression remained, but his eyes narrowed so much they looked completely shut.

As You Shunshin began his motion, the ball shot out like a bullet.

"Whoosh!"

The white baseball sped toward the plate.

Ryousuke, however, remained calm and composed.

He simply watched the ball pass by without making any attempt to swing.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

Ryousuke's lack of action clearly unsettled You Shunshin and his catcher.

They couldn't figure out what this second batter from Seidou High was planning.

But the game had to go on, and despite the unease, You Shunshin focused on his task.

"Whoosh!"

The next pitch came, again aiming for the corners of the strike zone.

Once again, Ryousuke stood still, letting the ball pass without swinging.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

With two strikes now, the batter was being pushed into a corner.

You Shunshin took a deep breath and threw the third pitch, carefully aiming outside the strike zone, hoping to bait Ryousuke into swinging.

"Pop!"

"Ball!"

But once again, Ryousuke didn't move a muscle, leaving You Shunshin's plan unsuccessful.

Three pitches had passed, and Ryousuke hadn't even flinched.

From the crowd's perspective, it looked as though he had given up.

But the umpire, positioned right behind Ryousuke, saw something completely different.

Despite his stillness, Ryousuke had subtly adjusted his stance and grip twice during those pitches.

If he had wanted to swing, he could have landed a devastating hit.

Yet, he chose not to, instead patiently observing the balls pass by.

The fourth pitch came flying.

"Whoosh!"

Finally, Ryousuke moved.

"Ping!"

The bat connected perfectly, but the ball landed foul, rolling along the third base line.

"Foul ball!"

The batter was still in a tight spot.

Another pitch followed.

"Whoosh!"

"Ping!"

"Foul ball!"

"Foul ball!"

As more foul balls piled up, Akikawa Academy's players initially dismissed them as mere luck.

But as this pattern continued, their confidence began to waver.

What they had once considered flukes were now undeniably deliberate.

--------------

If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21