Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 177: A Despair-Inducing Strength!

In the sky, a small white ball cut through layers of air resistance.

It soared over the outfield fence, past the entire grandstand, and flew out of the stadium.

The commentator for the game felt his soul trembling.

"It's out of here! This is a monster home run that flew right out of the stadium! The boy known as a prodigy never fails to amaze!!!"

His voice was filled with passion, almost as if it would tear his vocal cords apart, yet he couldn't hold back his excitement.

"Let's all cheer for him!!!"

In truth, the fans didn't need the commentator's encouragement.

The moment the ball flew out of the stadium, the loyal supporters of Seidou High School's baseball team couldn't contain themselves any longer.

They raised their hands in excitement and lifted anything they had to cheer with.

"Seidou!!!"

"Furuya!!!"

"You're the best!!!"

"We love you!!!!"

The fans' enthusiasm was as bold as ever.

Meanwhile, in Seidou High School's dugout, the players were equally ecstatic.

"That was amazing!"

"This kid, once he's on the field, it's like he's on cheat mode."

"Unstoppable, truly unstoppable!!!"

Kuramochi, with a teasing grin, leaned toward Jun Isashiki. "Jun-san, what were you about to say just now?"

"Get lost!"

The mustached senior pushed the annoying junior away impatiently, trying to maintain his dignity as a senior.

But despite his efforts, the Seidou teammates couldn't help bursting into laughter.

"You guys are going too far!"

Jun glared at them angrily.

Yet, none of the Seidou players seemed to take his frustration seriously. From their perspective, it was obvious that Jun's anger was just him saving face. Deep down, he was just as thrilled as the rest of them.

"Five runs!"

"5–0!!!"

Even the Seidou players were at a loss for words at this score.

They knew full well that considering the strength shown by Yakushi High's baseball team, getting this many runs before their ace pitcher came on was already a remarkable achievement.

The players of Yakushi High were probably regretting their decisions right now.

And indeed, that was the case.

In Yakushi High's dugout, the team's coach, Raizou Todoroki, looked like he was about to grind his molars to dust.

"The initial strategy didn't work at all. Not only did we fail to score a single run, but we couldn't even get a decent hit. And now we're down by five runs. What a nightmare start!"

Hearing their coach's words, the players of Yakushi High wished they could dig a hole in the ground and bury themselves.

Embarrassing!

Utterly embarrassing!

But even in this humiliating situation, Coach Todoroki merely muttered under his breath.

Then, he turned to his team's ace pitcher.

"There's no more time. You're up next inning. And we'll have to adjust our strategy as well."

Coach Todoroki rarely gave instructions during a game.

His usual approach was to prepare everything beforehand and let the players figure things out themselves on the field.

As he often said, "Only by learning to solve problems independently can a team truly grow."

Otherwise...

The players on the field were little more than puppets, never destined to truly grow.

It was clear that today's game was anything but ordinary.

There was no need to wait for a critical moment—right now, their coach was already stepping in.

But was this what their coach wanted?

The players of Yakushi High School's baseball team weren't clueless. They knew full well that breaking his own established principles was something their coach would never willingly do.

Yet, he did.

Which could only mean one thing: the situation had forced his hand.

This realization made the Yakushi players reevaluate their opponents.

Meanwhile, the players of Seidou High School were making their way back to the dugout, celebrating as they went.

On the surface, the Seidou players didn't seem much different from their own team.

They were all young, and after an outstanding performance on the field, their smiles were just as genuine.

The joy radiating from their faces was easy to understand.

But despite appearing no different, these opponents transformed into something terrifying once they stepped onto the field.

The Yakushi players weren't slacking; they were giving it their all.

Yet no matter what they did, it felt impossible to shake their opponents.

In contrast, Seidou's control of the game only grew stronger as the match progressed.

By this point, the Yakushi players felt as though they were being suffocated, as if their throats were in their opponents' grasp.

"We can't let this continue. We have to fight back!"

In the next inning, signs of desperation became evident in Yakushi's play.

Their efforts began to shine. Even when Haruichi hit the ball cleanly, they managed to catch it and make the throw to first base in time.

"Three outs! Change sides!"

After an immense effort, Yakushi finally held off Seidou for one inning.

But they had already conceded five runs.

Back in the dugout, the Yakushi players grabbed water bottles and gulped down large amounts of water.

The heat was one factor.

But from the players' perspective, the real issue was their inability to adapt.

This inning had felt endless.

So much so that many of the Yakushi players were convinced the game against Seidou had been going on for ages, leaving their bodies feeling drained.

But in reality, only one inning had passed.

The game had lasted just 10 minutes!

"Is a national powerhouse really this terrifying?"

The same question emerged in the minds of every Yakushi player.

They simply couldn't wrap their heads around it.

Previously, they had faced another national powerhouse, but that match hadn't felt nearly as overwhelming.

"This is different. The team you played before was just an ordinary national powerhouse. This one is the Kanto Tournament Champion! If you don't adjust your mindset now, we might as well forfeit this game!"

Yakushi High School's coach, Raizou Todoroki, knew his players all too well.

As they silently gulped down water without saying a word, Raizou instantly understood their concerns and thoughts.

As the team's coach, he had no hesitation in pointing out the issues that had plagued them up until now.

Did they really think beating Ichidaisan High meant they could disregard other national powerhouses?

That would be a grave mistake.

Not only were national powerhouses vastly different in style, but even among teams with similar styles, no two powerhouses were the same.

If they approached this game with the same mentality they had in the last one, the remainder of this match would only get tougher for them.

Hearing their coach's blunt words, the Yakushi players all turned their gazes toward him, as if seeking answers to an unspoken question.

"I know what you're wondering," Raizou said. "But I don't have the answers for you. I'm not lying. I've done everything I can. Once you're on the field, it's up to you. Ask yourselves honestly: are you willing to lose to this team?"

The players fell silent at his question.

Were they willing to lose?

The answer was obvious—they weren't.

It wasn't just this opponent; Yakushi's players wouldn't accept losing to anyone.

They didn't step onto the field to be fillers or experience points for others.

Having already defeated one national powerhouse, the thought of returning to their old ways and giving up their shot at Koshien was unthinkable.

"If you're not willing to lose, then give it everything you've got! I will always be your strongest support!"

Though their coach often appeared sloppy and disheveled, in moments like this, his charisma shone through, captivating his players.

"They're just teenagers like us! I refuse to believe they can suddenly sprout wings and fly!" declared Mishima, his voice full of defiance.

His words inspired the rest of the Yakushi players, especially the upperclassmen.

If even a first-year could have such resolve, what did they have to fear? What was there to hesitate about?

"There's nothing to be afraid of. All we need to do is give it our all! Let's go!"

"Yeah!!!"

The Yakushi players united in determination, their fighting spirit reignited.

Even the players of Seidou High School couldn't help but feel affected by their opponents' sudden surge of energy.

They stared at the revitalized Yakushi team in disbelief, their eyes filled with confusion.

"What's with them? Did they suddenly take the wrong medicine?"

It was hard to blame Seidou's players for their bewilderment.

After all, they had just scored five runs in a single inning. Although Yakushi managed to secure three outs and end the inning, a 5-0 lead was an acceptable result for Seidou.

They certainly had a reason to celebrate!

But what on earth was going on with the Yakushi High School team?

What reason did they have to suddenly become so fired up?

The Seidou players exchanged glances, each searching for a logical explanation, but no one could come up with one.

"They probably just lost their minds. Let's not worry about them," someone suggested.

Unable to understand why their opponents were behaving this way, the Seidou players decided to brush it off.

Their focus was clear: secure their advantage in the match first.

"Now it's our turn to take the field for defense!"

Miyuki approached Furuya and asked, "Got any thoughts on how to pitch this inning?"

Most of Yakushi's scoring power came from their three first-year players. While the rest of the team had performed decently in their match against Ichidaisan High, there was no denying that their hitting power couldn't compare to those three rookies.

This presented Seidou with a tricky situation.

If they ignored the other batters, they could still cause trouble. But going all out against them seemed unnecessary.

"The coach said I'm only pitching three innings," Furuya replied, clearly irritated.

It was obvious that this arrangement didn't sit well with Seidou's true ace.

Miyuki raised an eyebrow, surprised by how much the coach's decision was affecting his partner. Even now, Furuya was still holding onto a grudge.

"You're way too petty about this! As your senior, I have to warn you—don't go against the coach, or you'll regret it!"

Miyuki's advice was sincere.

Whether or not Furuya would actually listen, though, wasn't something Miyuki could control.

With that thought, Miyuki grinned mischievously, like he had gotten away with something.

The game entered the top of the second inning.

Yakushi was up to bat!

Freshly motivated by their coach's pep talk, the Yakushi players displayed a newfound energy. Their determination to hit the ball was evident in their aggressive stances.

"He's just a first-year rookie!" one of them shouted.

Those words seemed almost cursed.

In the past, anyone who underestimated Furuya with that kind of remark faced disastrous outcomes—and Yakushi was no exception.

As soon as they shouted those words, a terrifying pitch came hurtling toward them.

Whoosh!

The ball flew past the batter, leaving them no chance.

Pop!

"Strike!"

"Strike!!"

"Strike!!!"

"Out!"

"Strikeout!!"

"Strikeout!!!"

One by one, the Yakushi batters were struck out, their fiery momentum extinguished by Furuya's overwhelming pitches.

The inning lasted barely two minutes, and Yakushi High School's batters were all sent back to the dugout.

The three batters didn't just fail to get a hit—they couldn't even make contact with the ball.

At this point, Furuya seemed like a true demon in the eyes of Yakushi's players.

In fact, he was no different from one.

"This is just too strong!!!"

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