Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 165: Goodbye Hit!!

"Ping!"

As the white baseball soared into the sky and landed in the outfield stands, the game came to a definitive end.

The players of Akikawa High School's baseball team looked up at the massive electronic scoreboard, their eyes filled with emptiness.

5:0!

When the score was 3:0, they could still console themselves, grit their teeth, and hold on, hoping for a miracle on the field.

But now, their hearts had turned cold.

They knew better than anyone how absurd it was to think they could score five or six runs against Seidou High School's baseball team.

It wasn't just because their current opponent, Furuya, could throw pitches exceeding 150 kilometers per hour.

Even if it were one of the other pitchers—second-year Kawakami or first-year Sawamura—it would still be nearly impossible to score that many runs against them.

"It's over! This time, it's truly over!"

Akikawa High School's coach, Coach Ozaka, closed his eyes in pain.

His players had given their all. From the bottom of his heart, he had to commend their effort.

But even so, they were still no match for their opponent.

The gap in skill between the two teams was painfully evident.

"You've already done your best. From here on out, just enjoy the game!"

From Akikawa High School's perspective, dreaming of a comeback at this point was no different from daydreaming.

However, that didn't mean the remainder of the game was meaningless for Akikawa's players.

On the contrary.

Reaching this stage was the result of their relentless hard work and determination.

Finally, they had the opportunity to face a top-tier national team. If they didn't savor the experience, wouldn't that be a disservice to their efforts?

They had to enjoy it to the fullest!

This game would become a treasured memory, one that might someday provide them with the experience to go even further in their baseball journeys.

While most of the players, limited by physical ability and talent, might not make it to the top, the team's ace, You Shunshin, who had led them this far, undoubtedly had a bright future ahead.

Coach Ozaka shifted his gaze to the pitcher's mound.

"I don't know how that monster pitcher from Seidou managed to hit your pitch, but what's done is done. Don't dwell on it. Just enjoy the rest of the game!"

On the mound, You Shunshin didn't turn around.

But as if through some telepathic connection, he understood his coach's expectations.

Meanwhile, Miyuki and Furuya had already crossed home plate and returned to the dugout.

Inside Seidou's dugout, along with the stands filled with their supporters, everyone seemed intoxicated with excitement, their faces flushed with joy.

In their minds, they had already envisioned the celebratory scenes of their victory.

A 5:0 scoreline left no room for doubt.

"This is what it means to face a top-tier national powerhouse?"

You Shunshin asked himself.

Back when he was in Taiwan, he had traveled all the way here to pursue the kind of baseball games he had seen on TV.

But at that time, his team was too weak, leaving them with no chance to compete against top-tier national teams.

Without even a chance to face them, there was no way to truly experience such games.

This was his first time standing on the field, facing the strength and methods of a national powerhouse.

"No, it's not just about being a national powerhouse!"

You Shunshin quickly overturned his previous thoughts.

In today's game, although he looked quite battered at times, overall, with the support of his teammates, he managed to hold his ground against a top-tier national powerhouse.

Otherwise, the first three innings wouldn't have been so evenly matched.

The real issue lay with someone they had overlooked earlier.

That person was none other than Furuya Satoru!

It might sound strange.

After all, Furuya was Seidou High's ace pitcher. From any perspective, he was not someone they should underestimate, let alone ignore.

Yet, the reality was that they had, and the oversight was significant.

It wasn't Furuya himself they overlooked, but his hitting ability at the plate.

Despite his impressive performances in the batter's box in the past, they assumed that with You Shunshin's skill, dealing with Furuya wouldn't be too challenging.

It wasn't that Furuya's performance was subpar; rather, their analysis of previous game footage led them to conclude that Furuya overly relied on his natural power, making his swing somewhat crude.

While this might not be a glaring flaw against most pitchers, against someone as sharp and precise as You Shunshin, even the smallest imperfection wouldn't go unnoticed.

Confident in their assessment, they had devoted more attention to the other Seidou batters, believing Furuya would be an easy out.

But this slight miscalculation had now nearly cost them everything.

Furuya's presence and his performance at the plate had shattered their expectations.

Even Seidou's own players likely hadn't anticipated such dominance from him.

"This guy has more than just explosive power… there's something else about him," one of the players muttered in Seidou's dugout.

A group of teammates surrounded Furuya, their gazes resembling those directed at a rare treasure.

"This guy's like a cheat code!"

"One base hit and a home run? He's outshining the captain!"

"Looks like his batting position might need to be moved up!"

While everyone praised Furuya, their eyes unconsciously darted toward Miyuki and Masuko.

With Furuya's incredible hitting power, he wasn't likely to be placed among the first three batters.

He was a classic cleanup hitter, suited for the 4th, 5th, or 6th spot in the lineup.

Despite Furuya's outstanding batting performance today, no one believed he could replace Yuuki as the team's captain and core batter.

Even though they weren't as confident as their coach in Yuuki, their faith in him remained steadfast.

However, not being able to replace Yuuki didn't mean he couldn't take someone else's spot.

For instance, the player currently batting 6th—the bespectacled one.

Or perhaps, the power hitter batting just ahead of the bespectacled player.

"Ugh, ugh!" grumbled Masuko under his breath.

Clearly, Seidou High School's fifth batter was feeling an unprecedented sense of pressure.

The game continued.

Although the bases were now cleared, Akikawa High School hadn't given up yet.

Similarly, Seidou's players wouldn't be satisfied with just five runs.

Upon reflection, the majority of these five runs were directly tied to Furuya's contributions, while the remaining ones came from their core batters.

Even now, many of Seidou's players had yet to gain the upper hand in their matchups against You Shunshin.

That wasn't acceptable.

One by one, Seidou's batters stepped into the box, bats raised high and ambitions burning.

Whether for the sake of their team or their own pride, they couldn't let this game end just yet.

They still had more to prove on the field.

"I refuse to believe I can't hit it!"

Their determination soared.

On the pitcher's mound, You Shunshin remained unshaken.

Even if it was clear his team had no chance of turning the game around, he persisted, throwing each pitch with focus and precision.

"Whoosh!"

The white baseball shot out, arriving at the batter's box in an instant.

Seidou's batter swung.

"Ping!"

The ball was hit, but it didn't travel far.

Akikawa High School's fielders quickly moved into position and caught the ball securely in their gloves.

"Pop!"

"Out!"

One out.

Then a double play.

Against Seidou's lower-order batters, You Shunshin seemed almost untouchable, quickly securing three outs.

By the end of the fourth inning, the score remained frozen at 5:0.

Though the outcome was already decided, it felt like the game would continue for a long time.

How much longer would it go?

No one could say, and no one dared to guess.

It just felt like the end was still far off.

As these thoughts crossed people's minds, Furuya took the mound once again.

Akikawa's cleanup hitter stepped into the batter's box for his second at-bat.

"Just hit it! Get a base hit!"

"One run, just one run!"

Akikawa's players, along with neutral fans in the stands who were moved by their perseverance, began to cheer loudly, offering their support.

A comeback was no longer a realistic hope.

From their perspective, as long as Akikawa's players could secure a hit or score a run or two, they would be satisfied.

The effort Akikawa's players had shown throughout the game deserved recognition.

For that reason, fans genuinely hoped these hardworking players would be rewarded, so they wouldn't leave the field empty-handed.

"Keep it up! We're rooting for you!"

In the stands, some of Seidou's second and third-string players watched on with puzzled expressions, questions written all over their faces.

At the start of the game, if their memories weren't playing tricks on them, they clearly recalled that the majority of the fans in the stadium were rooting for them.

So why, at this point, did it feel like so many fans had switched sides?

The Akikawa High School players had indeed performed admirably—that much even Seidou's second and third-string players had to admit.

But wasn't Seidou performing even better?

If that was the case, why were the fans cheering so loudly for their opponents?

They couldn't figure it out, and it didn't make sense to them.

Fortunately, Seidou's players were level-headed.

They didn't dwell on things they couldn't understand.

As long as they kept playing at their current pace, victory was undoubtedly theirs.

Akikawa's momentum was strong.

But their opponent was even stronger!

Furuya, with his emotionless demeanor, seemed like a cold-hearted assassin.

The baseballs he threw carried a suffocating and despair-inducing aura.

"Boom!"

The ball zipped past in a flash.

Akikawa's cleanup hitter clenched his teeth so hard they were almost grinding.

His determination to hit the ball was as strong as anyone's.

But standing in the batter's box against Furuya's pitches, he was utterly helpless.

It wasn't that he didn't want to hit the ball—he simply couldn't.

Even using every ounce of his strength made no difference.

The white baseball whizzed past him, leaving him frozen in place.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

In Akikawa's dugout, the players were growing desperate.

"Swing the bat!"

They understood how difficult the cleanup hitter's situation was at this moment.

But no matter how tough it was, running away wasn't an option.

Avoidance wouldn't solve anything.

Only by swinging the bat did they stand even a sliver of a chance.

Akikawa's cleanup hitter also realized this.

No matter how frustrated he was, he gritted his teeth and swung his bat.

But it was all in vain.

The baseball continued to zip past him, and he was ultimately struck out.

Next up was You Shunshin.

Despite the difficulty of facing pitches over 150 kilometers per hour, he managed to make contact with the ball.

"Ping!"

The ball flew into the air, but not far.

It was quickly intercepted by Seidou's shortstop.

"Ha!"

Kuramochi scooped up the ball and immediately threw it to first base.

"Pop!"

"Out!"

The result was clear—another out.

Two outs, no runners on base.

The final batter's turn wasn't much different.

Three outs in quick succession.

A three up, three down inning, over in the blink of an eye.

In Akikawa High School's dugout, many players barely had time to catch their breath before being forced back onto the field.

At this point, Seidou High School's heavy hitters were stepping into the batter's box for the third time.

Known as the "Demon Batter," Ryousuke Kominato finally managed to draw a walk after struggling in his first two at-bats.

Next up, third batter Jun Isashiki hit a powerful drive into the outfield for an extra-base hit!

Captain Yuuki Tetsuya followed up with a home run, bringing in three runs at once.

The score on the board shifted to 8:0!

Seidou's offense showed no signs of slowing down.

Immediately after, both Masuko and Miyuki reached base, leaving runners on first and third with no outs.

The spotlight shifted once again to Furuya as he stepped up to bat.

Seeing Furuya back in the batter's box left Akikawa's supporters stunned.

"This lineup is terrifying!"

Before they could fully grasp what was happening, Furuya swung his bat with incredible force, connecting squarely with the pitch and sending the ball flying.

"Ping!"

The white baseball soared high into the sky before landing far in the outfield.

"10:0!!!"

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