Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 169: Tokyo in Turmoil!

"The game is over!!!!"

The commentator's voice rang out, loud and clear.

"The winner is the dark horse, Yakushi High School Baseball Team!!"

In the end, Yakushi High School Baseball Team pulled off a stunning comeback.

Seidou High's players were initially skeptical of Furuya's remarks. And it was understandable.

While Yakushi's batters did show impressive performances on the field, Ichidaisan High was no pushover. If not for Seidou's meteoric rise, Ichidaisan High might have been the number one seed in West Tokyo.

Last autumn, this very Ichidaisan lineup defeated both Seidou and Inashiro to advance to the Spring Koshien.

Their strength was undeniable.

Moreover, Yakushi's standout feature was their relentless offense. In comparison, Ichidaisan High wasn't lacking in that area either—arguably, they were even stronger.

If the game had followed a standard rhythm, it was anyone's guess who would emerge victorious.

From Seidou's perspective, it was only natural for them to believe that Ichidaisan would have the upper hand in the latter half of the game.

That was why Furuya's prediction was met with doubt.

But soon, their opinions underwent a complete transformation.

The formidable ace, Manaka, was completely overwhelmed by Yakushi.

Manaka, the ace pitcher, was taken off the mound and sent to the outfield, a role he rarely played.

Yakushi's players, meanwhile, seemed like unstoppable forces on the field.

Their batters, in particular, unleashed an extraordinary level of offensive power.

Even the spectators were stunned by the sudden shift.

Although Ichidaisan kept scoring, the gap between the two teams' scores gradually narrowed.

In the middle-to-late stages of the game, Manaka returned to the mound.

At that point, Ichidaisan High was still leading by one run.

Some of Seidou's players made a bold prediction:

"What a pity! The team you're rooting for has done well so far—exceptionally well, even. But in the end, skill wins out!!"

Clearly, they believed that Ichidaisan had seized control of the game and that the score gap would widen in the remaining innings.

Hearing such claims, many turned their attention to Furuya. His insights were becoming increasingly valued by his teammates.

Especially after witnessing Yakushi's performance, many began to view Furuya in a different light.

Though most still thought Yakushi's players were nearing their limits, they were curious to hear Furuya's take on the situation.

"There's no need to rush," Furuya said calmly. "Besides, Yakushi's real ace hasn't even taken the mound yet."

Another bold prediction.

His teammates were stunned.

Their shock only deepened when Yakushi's coach made a critical substitution as Manaka returned to the mound.

Yakushi replaced their starting pitcher with their number 18, Shunpei Sanada.

"They're actually switching pitchers?"

Seidou's players were caught off guard.

Their gazes toward Furuya now bordered on awe, as though he were some sort of oracle.

How did he know?

It was worth noting that Seidou's immediate opponent wasn't Yakushi.

Nearly all of Seidou's players, including Chris, had their focus entirely on their long-time rival, Ichidaisan High.

They were convinced that Ichidaisan would be their next opponent.

No one expected a dark horse like Yakushi to emerge mid-race.

And even more surprising was how formidable this dark horse turned out to be.

As the game progressed, the way everyone looked at Furuya became more and more like they were gazing at a prophet.

When the man named Sanada stepped onto the mound, the seemingly invincible Ichidaisan High couldn't score a single run.

Instead, their opponents seized the opportunity to keep launching hit after hit, eventually overwhelming Manaka.

Manaka, a legendary figure to this current crop of third-year players, was utterly crushed in this game.

For Seidou's senior players, their greatest wish had always been to hit off Manaka's pitches. Yet this iconic player was defeated here, and utterly so.

"Thank you for the game!"

"Thank you for the game!"

In the final moments, the players of the defeated Ichidaisan High stood with vacant eyes and dazed expressions.

To them, their long-cherished third and final year of high school baseball had ended so abruptly.

Their hearts were filled with frustration, but no amount of unwillingness could change the reality of their defeat.

In the stands, Seidou's players, especially the third-years, watched the dejected figures of Ichidaisan's players, feeling as if they were seeing their own potential future.

If they were to lose, their outcome would be the same.

"How pathetic. Losing to a dark horse like that!" muttered Isashiki Jun, his frustration evident.

"Don't underestimate them," Coach Kataoka said softly. "Yakushi may have been an unknown team before, but from this moment on, their name will be etched into everyone's memory."

The coach's message was clear to all of Seidou's players.

Ichidaisan High had lost.

Though luck and unforeseen events played a role, the result of the game didn't lie.

Ichidaisan's defeat proved one thing: Yakushi High had the strength to compete with, and even defeat, the country's top-tier teams.

Facing such an opponent, even Seidou couldn't afford to be careless.

"Coach, you don't have to worry," Sawamura said with utmost seriousness. "As long as I'm here, I won't let those guys have their way!"

His declaration stunned his teammates for a moment before they burst into laughter.

"Don't you believe in this genius's abilities?" Sawamura asked, his face flushed with embarrassment.

"Before making big claims, how about buying a mirror and taking a good look at yourself?"

"If Furuya said that, maybe we'd believe it!"

"You're not even our team's ace, so where's all this confidence coming from?"

Sawamura's teammates teased him mercilessly, leaving him visibly embarrassed, as if he wanted to crawl into a hole.

But, in spite of it all, his words seemed to shift the team's atmosphere dramatically.

The tension about their upcoming match against an unknown opponent eased considerably.

Even though Ichidaisan High had been defeated, Seidou's third-years didn't believe they would share the same fate.

"Let's head back and prepare!"

"There's not much time left for us!"

During the summer tournament, the early rounds typically saw long intervals between games due to the large number of participating teams and the limited venues available.

Seidou High's baseball team, for instance, had been playing one game per week up to this point.

However, things were different now. With only eight teams remaining in the tournament, the schedule had tightened, leaving less than a week between matches.

Seidou's players were already preparing intensely for their upcoming quarterfinal match, which was supposed to be against their arch-rival, Ichidaisan High.

Considering the strength of their opponent, they knew they needed to give it their all.

But now, with Ichidaisan unexpectedly defeated, Seidou's focus shifted to a new and unpredictable opponent: Yakushi High.

This dark horse team, which had proven its ability to topple giants, demanded even greater caution.

Ichidaisan's loss served as a stark warning.

As a top-tier powerhouse, even they had been caught off guard.

Seidou's players were determined not to repeat the same mistake.

If Ichidaisan's players could justify their loss by claiming they were unprepared for a dark horse, Seidou had no such excuse.

Yakushi had already proven their strength, and if Seidou were to lose to them, it would be purely due to their own shortcomings—something they couldn't accept.

This sense of urgency fueled Seidou's determination.

As they boarded the bus back to school, everyone was ready to dive straight into a strategy meeting.

They didn't even need to review game footage, as they had witnessed Yakushi's performance firsthand from the stands.

On their way to the bus, a small incident occurred. Three first-year players, delayed by a bathroom break, happened to catch a glimpse of Raichi practicing his swings.

"Boom!"

"Remember that feeling," Raizou Todoroki, Yakushi's coach and Raichi's father, said as he observed his son. "You've already hit off a Koshien-level pitcher. Next up are two more monsters—Furuya Satoru from Seidou and Narumiya Mei from Inashiro."

The father-son duo had already begun analyzing Seidou, their next opponent.

Their ambition clearly matched Seidou's own, as they aimed to pull off another upset and send Seidou packing.

"This guy…"

Sawamura initially wanted to make a bold declaration, but standing so close and witnessing Raichi's swings left him speechless.

The sheer power and intensity of Raichi's presence was overwhelming, evoking the same pressure he felt when facing Seidou's third-year seniors during practice.

It wasn't a good feeling—one Seidou's pitchers had experienced more than once.

"Well, well, what a coincidence," Raizou said with a wide grin as he noticed the three Seidou players. "Isn't this Seidou's baseball team?"

His tone was friendly, but the challenge in his words was unmistakable.

This despicable middle-aged man actually resorted to such tactics to intimidate these young, still-maturing players.

"Your team's ace is Furuya Satoru, right? What do you think—can my dim-witted son hit his pitch? A 155 km/h fastball, no less!"

At his father's words, Raichi visibly lit up with excitement.

"A 155 km/h fastball, zooming right by!"

It seemed he had already imagined the scene of himself facing off against Furuya in his mind.

He swung his bat with all his might.

Boom!!!

The thunderous sound of impact made the three first-year Seidou players' faces pale.

Though the two teams hadn't actually faced each other on the field, there was a sense among the trio that if such a matchup occurred, this first-year monster from Yakushi might truly manage to hit Furuya's pitches.

This guy was terrifying.

"Don't swing so hard; the real game hasn't even started yet! Haha..." Raizou continued shamelessly.

The more he spoke like this, the more confident he appeared.

He then noticed that the three Seidou players seemed to be trembling slightly.

"Already scared? Kids these days are so easily spooked! Don't take it to heart, I was just joking. By the way, what are your names?"

Raizou's sudden shift in tone caught them off guard.

Neither Sawamura Eijun nor Kominato Haruichi seemed inclined to respond to the scruffy-looking man.

While they couldn't quite put their feelings into words, they instinctively sensed malice from him.

For some reason, this middle-aged man made them feel incredibly uncomfortable.

"I'm Furuya Satoru!"

Unlike his companions, Furuya's body, though trembling, wasn't quaking with fear.

Rather, it was shaking with excitement.

A worthy rival like this, and a first-year no less—it was exhilarating just to think about.

Without an opponent like this, Furuya might have lamented how dull his high school baseball journey could have been.

Having such a rival was perfect!

This kind of competition would only accelerate his growth.

"I'm looking forward to that moment of our showdown!"

Following the game, the entire baseball world was shaken.

The heavily favored Ichidaisan High, one of the seeded teams, had been toppled by a dark horse.

Manaka, their ace, had been utterly overwhelmed.

Almost overnight, the names Yakushi High and Raichi Todoroki spread like wildfire across every street and corner.

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