Chapter 226: Furuya Using Only 30% of His Strength!
In the Koshien qualifying tournament, the West Tokyo finals.
By the end of the 4th inning, the score remained tied at 1:1.
In the dugout of the Inashiro Industrial High School baseball team, Coach Kunimoto stretched his neck and said, "If we can get through this inning, the tide will turn in our favor."
Though the Inashiro players trusted their coach deeply, they couldn't help but feel puzzled by his statement. Up until now, both teams were evenly matched. Why was the coach so confident that the game would soon shift in their favor?
As players on the field battling Seidou High School, they hadn't noticed any signs of Seidou crumbling under pressure.
Their captain, rubbing his receding hairline, was filled with anxiety. He looked at the coach with concern, knowing that Kunimoto was likely trying to ease the team's tension.
This game had everyone wound too tightly. Without some sort of relief, the team would risk overthinking and making mistakes.
Even if the coach had to bend the truth, it was crucial to help the players relax now. Otherwise, the rest of the match would become increasingly challenging.
But to be convincing, you had to offer something believable.
And it was clear from the players' doubtful expressions that they weren't entirely convinced. If Kunimoto failed to back up his words, it might actually backfire, affecting the team's mentality.
Just as the captain worried in silence, Kunimoto spoke with assurance: "Haven't you noticed yet?"
The players instinctively perked up their ears, watching their coach curiously. What was he talking about?
"Furuya's pitches are no longer as fast as they were at the start! What's more, your eyes have gradually adjusted to his speed."
It was the bottom of the 4th, and Inashiro's core batters were due up. They could confirm whether the coach's observations were accurate.
"He's right! The difference in velocity is clear!" one player said. The once-imposing 155 km/h fastballs were now appearing less frequently. Most pitches were in the low 150s, with some even dropping below that threshold. It seemed that after starting off too explosively, Furuya was now feeling the consequences.
Another heavy hitter, Yamaoka, who had just taken his turn at bat, added, "Even though his pitches are still fast, my eyes can track the ball now."
With testimony from two of their star players, the Inashiro team began to recall the game's progression. It was true—Furuya was undoubtedly a dominant pitcher, but compared to his initial form, he was now less intimidating.
"From the start of the game until now, he's racked up eleven strikeouts. Each strikeout requires throwing multiple quality pitches, and every one of his pitches was thrown at maximum speed!"
As Kunimoto spoke, he glanced at the sky. The sun hung high, baking the field below. The day's temperature had reached a blistering 33°C—an unusually hot day for Tokyo.
"Under this blazing sun, his stamina will drain even faster! Right now, his physical condition has already started to falter! This is our chance—find a way to drive up his pitch count. By the time the hitters step up for their third at-bats, that's when we'll seize our run."
"Got it!!"
In the Inashiro dugout, the players' morale was sky-high. They had already been matching Seidou pitch for pitch, and now that their coach had laid it all out, they felt victory was within reach.
"Victory will definitely be ours!"
"It's time to settle the score from the Kanto Tournament! The moment is now…"
While Inashiro's players steeled themselves for a decisive win, Seidou's players were gathered in their own dugout. It was the top of the fifth inning, and Seidou was at bat.
Inside their dugout, the Seidou players looked tense. Today's game had an unusually brisk pace. Both teams' pitchers were performing so well that the innings were flying by, with most ending in three quick outs.
The third and fourth innings should have been prime scoring opportunities for Seidou. Unfortunately, they couldn't capitalize. Now in the fifth inning, it was the lower part of their batting order's turn.
As was customary, Seidou's supporters in the stands and their teammates in the dugout cheered for the batters stepping up to the plate, offering their most heartfelt encouragement. But no matter how loud they shouted, it seemed they just couldn't put a run on the board.
Seventh in the lineup, Miyuki, stepped into the batter's box and took a full swing.
Ping!
The ball soared high into the air. The Seidou dugout collectively frowned.
"Not again!!"
Mistakes like this had been happening repeatedly for Seidou. No matter what adjustments they made, they couldn't seem to overcome the issue.
Snap!
"Out!!"
The ball was caught, and the batter was out. Groans rippled through the Seidou dugout. Even their diehard supporters in the stands looked grim.
In the stands, a seasoned reporter from Baseball Kingdom magazine, Fujio, spoke gravely. "They've been completely suppressed."
Hearing her senior's analysis, the tall and glamorous reporter Akiko looked skeptical.
"I feel like Narumiya Mei's pitches don't seem as sharp as they were at the start."
"No! When he faced players like Yuuki and Furuya, it was a different story. If there were runners on base, his approach to Miyuki would also have been different."
Huh? Owada wasn't sure what Fujio meant.
Fujio adjusted his cap and continued, "What I'm saying is that he's only using this level of pitching against the regular lineup. Narumiya is intentionally conserving his stamina…"
Inashiro did have a backup pitcher, but he wasn't nearly as reliable as their ace.
On the other hand, Seidou had options. While Tanba and Sawamura each had their flaws, they could hold their own as long as they weren't overextended.
This meant Furuya had someone to step in if he couldn't last the full game. He could even take a break in the outfield if needed.
Narumiya Mei, however, didn't have that luxury. As Inashiro's ace, no matter how tough the road ahead, he had to shoulder the entire game. Knowing this, Narumiya had been holding back his full power after the first inning, except for certain batters.
"He's up against Seidou High, and he still dares to play it this way?" Owada was stunned.
"Before Furuya came onto the scene, Narumiya Mei—this Tokyo Prince—was the undisputed number one pitcher in Tokyo."
Fujio stated this with unwavering confidence.
Even now, with the sudden emergence of the dark horse Furuya, most people still viewed Narumiya Mei as the unrivaled top pitcher—the Tokyo Prince who stood above the rest.
"Precise control, blistering velocity, and an unpredictable arsenal of breaking balls! Narumiya's overall completeness as a pitcher is simply unmatched."
As Fujio spoke, Narumiya quickly secured two more outs—both flyouts—using only five pitches. When his pitching sequence was done, this famous Tokyo Prince hadn't even broken a sweat. His breathing remained steady, and his expression showed no sign of strain.
Seeing this unfold, Seidou's players and supporters couldn't help but feel their heads spinning. Facing an opponent of such monstrous caliber was giving them a massive headache.
"Compared to the Kanto Tournament finals, this guy has matured even more. He's become even tougher to deal with!" Seidou's players muttered with a sense of dread. Last year, they had been caught off guard and defeated by Narumiya Mei. This year, he seemed poised to haunt them all over again.
"It's our turn to take the field!" Captain Yuuki's voice cut through the uncertainty. Although he wasn't known for his commanding leadership, at critical moments, he unquestionably served as the figurehead who could rally Seidou's players and lead them forward.
"Yeah!!!" The players roared in unison and took their positions on defense.
The game reached the bottom of the fifth inning, with Inashiro up to bat. Leading off for them was their sixth batter, Riku Yamaoka—a formidable hitter with outstanding power. Inspired by their coach's pep talk, Yamaoka was ready to take his best shot.
Before heading back out, Miyuki walked over to Furuya. "How are you feeling?"
This game had been incredibly intense, with Furuya pitching his heart out and burning through his stamina at a concerning rate. Coupled with the scorching sun overhead, his sweat-drenched appearance only reinforced how physically taxing this performance had been.
As Furuya's trusted battery mate, Miyuki naturally wanted to make sure his partner could keep going.
"Don't worry. I'm fine," Furuya replied firmly.
Standing in the batter's box, Yamaoka glared intently. Furuya on the mound took a deep breath and released the ball. His motion was seamless—every step, every arm movement perfectly aligned.
To an outside observer, it might have seemed like his pitches were still at peak velocity.
But the reality was different.
In their first encounter, Yamaoka had been utterly overwhelmed. Now, however, as he faced Furuya again, he realized something surprising: Furuya's pitches didn't feel as fast as he remembered. They were even slower than what their coach had described.
"He's clearly at his limit! Don't hold back—swing with everything you've got and drive that ball out of here!!!"
Narumiya Mei, standing at the front of the dugout, couldn't contain his excitement. Throwing caution to the wind, he pumped his fist in encouragement, shouting loudly without a care for appearances.
Yamaoka stepped up to the plate, undeterred by Narumiya's shouts.
As one of Inashiro Industrial's key players, he fully understood the significance of this at-bat. Whether Furuya was genuinely faltering or if the previous pitch was just an anomaly, it didn't matter. All that mattered to Yamaoka was driving the ball out of the park.
"Take that!"
He swung his bat with all his might. His hitting power was truly astonishing—so much so that Miyuki felt his heart skip a beat as he watched the swing.
"What incredible power!" Miyuki thought.
And then came the critical moment: the bat connected with the ball.
Ping!
The instant the ball made contact, excitement erupted from the Inashiro dugout.
"It hit!"
Compared to the Furuya they had faced before, this version was much easier to deal with.
If Yamaoka could make contact, it seemed inevitable that their stronger hitters would follow suit. Hope surged through Inashiro's players and fans. They could almost see the run they had been waiting for.
But just as the Inashiro supporters started imagining how they'd celebrate that run, the ball soared high into the air.
Furuya, unfazed, called out from the mound. "Second base!"
Seidou's second baseman, first-year Haruichi Kominato, was already moving into position.
While some Seidou supporters were still wary of Kominato's ability—worried he might slip up—the young player dashed forward confidently. In just a few strides, he snatched the ball cleanly into his glove.
Snap!
"Out!"
One out, no runners on base. The crowd was stunned.
"That freshman… he's already making plays like that?"
"Outstanding!"
"He's Kominato Ryousuke's younger brother. Who knew both brothers would be so talented!"
"No wonder Coach Kataoka gave him such a key position. The kid's got skills…"
Praises for Kominato's performance echoed around the stadium. This first-year player had stepped up and delivered when it mattered.
"Seidou's scouting this year was really something special…"
Amidst the praise, Inashiro's Coach Kunimoto had his eyes locked on Furuya.
"Now he's starting to hold back?" he murmured.
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