Chapter 227: Unbelievable Growth Rate!
"Out!"
In the stands, the die-hard supporters of Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team didn't seem discouraged at all.
On the contrary, their faces were lit up with excitement.
"They've managed to make contact with the ball!"
"Next step, we just need to push it out of the park!"
"Pitching over 150 kilometers an hour continuously… Even a pitching machine would start to break down."
"Seidou High's rookie ace is still too green."
Just a slight hint of decline in Furuya's pitching form, and the Inashiro fans felt as though the dark clouds looming overhead had vanished.
They saw a clear sky ahead! Their enthusiasm was so intense, it was hard to put into words.
"Aren't these people going a bit overboard with their support for Inashiro?"
A tall, long-legged female reporter frowned.
"They seem more worked up than the Inashiro players themselves. Isn't that a bit much?"
Fujio, a senior reporter for Baseball Kingdom Magazine, glanced thoughtfully at the fans before speaking in a low voice.
"They do seem a bit too deliberate. Maybe this is the kind of pressure Furuya-kun is putting on them."
"Do you think Furuya's stamina is really going to be a problem?"
Akiko, the beautiful reporter, felt the Inashiro fans' reaction was overly exaggerated. However, to be fair, even she couldn't help but wonder whether Seidou's rookie ace might be in trouble.
Continuously throwing over 150 kilometers an hour—what kind of toll would that take on a pitcher's stamina? Not to mention, Furuya had been racking up strikeouts, which drained even more energy.
Akiko couldn't simulate it herself, but she could imagine. It's like sprinting at full speed for a hundred meters—while a steady pace might allow an athlete to run 10,000 meters, going full throttle would leave them exhausted after just 500 meters.
A pitcher's rhythm should be similar to that. Going all-out isn't sustainable, even for the best professionals.
As Akiko was pondering, Inashiro's seventh batter stepped up.
Ping!
When the ball was hit, the fans in the stands froze.
The players in both dugouts were equally stunned.
Clearly, this outcome was completely unexpected and beyond anyone's predictions.
They couldn't figure out why it had happened.
"This is ridiculous!"
This was Furuya, Seidou High's rookie ace, a monster on the mound. Even the nation's top hitters at the Kanto Tournament—Inashiro's core lineup included—had been helpless against his pitching.
Yet Inashiro's lower-order batter had managed to connect?
The female reporter in the stands instinctively covered her mouth to keep from gasping out loud.
As everyone stared in shock, the white baseball shot toward third base. A powerful, bulldozer-like figure suddenly leaped into the air.
Smack!
The ball landed safely in his glove.
"Out!"
Two outs, no runners on base.
"Whoa!"
Masuko made a great play, securing the second out for Seidou.
Even though they'd secured two outs, the shock on the faces of both the fans and the players hadn't faded.
They frowned, their eyes full of questions.
"What on earth just happened?"
They wanted to know the answer.
But no one, not even the commentators, could come up with an explanation.
The Inashiro batter who had just finished his at-bat stared regretfully at the ball.
"Damn it! I was so close!"
When he made contact, he was so surprised that he didn't fully exert his strength.
If he'd used his full power, that ball might have soared over the third baseman's head.
"It's over!"
The female reporter let out a sigh.
In the Inashiro dugout, the players were fired up.
"He's running out of steam. Let's not hold back and finish him off now."
Hearing this rallying cry, the Inashiro players' eyes gleamed with excitement.
"That's the spirit!"
"It's time we show that first-year that high school baseball isn't so easy!"
The atmosphere in the Inashiro dugout was overwhelming.
Coach Kunitomo opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words came out.
The game continued, and Inashiro's eighth batter stepped up to the plate.
Despite his spot in the batting order, this player was a powerhouse.
He had a massive build, a piercingly fierce gaze, and well-defined muscles.
If he connected with the ball, there was a good chance it would fly.
Before stepping up, Inashiro's seventh batter had given him some advice:
"That first-year monster's pitches are slowing down. I can not only see them, but I can hit them. You'll be able to do the same. Just wait for the right pitch and swing. With your power, you can definitely drive it out."
Recalling his teammate's words, Inashiro's eighth batter felt a surge of confidence.
"I can do it! I will do it!"
He raised his bat, exuding a fierce and wild aura.
In the catcher's position, Miyuki instinctively furrowed his brow.
Furuya's pitching was giving Inashiro's players a boost in confidence.
Their growing confidence was undeniably troubling.
Miyuki's brows knit together, but he couldn't suppress the faint curve of his lips.
At the same time, up in the stands, Baseball Kingdom Magazine's senior reporter, Fujio, suddenly widened his eyes.
"No, that's not right!"
His abrupt exclamation made the female reporter instinctively check herself over.
After examining herself thoroughly, she found nothing amiss.
"Was that directed at me?"
As Akiko cautiously asked, Fujio continued to mutter.
"This isn't running out of steam—this is shifting gears…"
Finally, Akiko understood. Her senior wasn't finding fault with her—he was focusing on the game.
But what exactly was off about this game?
Before Akiko could finish that thought, Furuya on the mound made his move without warning.
Whoosh!
The white baseball tore through the air with incredible speed.
In the blink of an eye, it reached the batter.
The pitch clocked in at a staggering 148 kilometers per hour.
It was an utterly fearsome fastball.
However, as Inashiro's eighth batter watched that pitch, his heart surged with excitement.
Sure enough, their seventh batter hadn't lied to him.
Judging by the pitch speed, Furuya's fastball had indeed slowed down.
Even he, the eighth batter, could clearly see it.
"If it were still above 150 kilometers per hour, I wouldn't stand a chance. But now that it's under 150… heh."
As a core player on Inashiro Industrial's baseball team, even as a lower-order batter, he had unshakable confidence in his abilities.
Just like now.
Seeing the ball approach, the eighth batter felt a rush of adrenaline coursing through him.
His heart raced as he watched the ball's trajectory.
He was certain—this was his chance to knock it far. He wouldn't let it slip away.
And now the ball was coming.
The eighth batter from Inashiro geared up and swung with all his might.
Ping!!
"This is it! Fly out of here!"
Using every ounce of his strength, his muscles swelled, releasing an incredible force.
Thunk!
The sound of the bat connecting with the ball sent his heart soaring.
"I hit it!!"
With his power, even a less-than-perfect hit would have sent the ball far. He had that confidence.
"Victory is ours…"
The devoted Inashiro fans in the stands were also on the verge of cheering their team to victory.
But just then, the white ball arced high into the air, seemingly soaring toward the heavens.
Yet for all its height, the ball didn't go very far. After traveling a short distance, it began to plummet.
"What's going on?"
It wasn't until that moment that the Inashiro fans realized—the ball hadn't traveled far at all.
The ball landed no more than twenty meters from home plate.
On the mound, Furuya took a small step forward, raised his glove, and effortlessly caught the ball.
Pop!
"Out!"
"Three outs! Side retired!"
The Inashiro fans let out a collective groan of disappointment.
To them, it felt like a heartbreaking scene, as if their very hearts were bleeding.
But for the Seidou High players and supporters, it was a moment of pure jubilation.
"Amazing!"
"We got lucky this time!"
Many Seidou fans and teammates still thought their three outs were sheer good fortune.
Otherwise, so much about the outcome wouldn't make sense.
Of course, not everyone saw it that way.
For example, Inashiro's coach, Kunimoto, clearly had a different perspective from everyone else.
Kunimoto stared intently at Furuya, his eyes a mix of admiration and deep caution.
"What a terrifying kid!"
In the stands, senior Baseball Kingdom magazine reporter Fujio was full of praise.
"As expected!"
It was as if he had seen through something critical.
This display from her senior left the female reporter utterly perplexed, almost tearing her hair out.
"Senpai, what exactly did you see?"
Akiko was no longer the novice she used to be. While she couldn't pinpoint issues as sharply as her experienced colleague, she had her own interpretation.
"This isn't a coincidence! It's not because Furuya's stamina suddenly dropped. He's deliberately adjusting his approach to match his opponents' abilities, just like Inashiro's ace pitcher."
"What?"
Akiko's astonished reply made her senior nod in agreement.
Facing Seidou's various levels of hitters, Narumiya Mei adjusted his performance accordingly. As the top pitcher in Tokyo—and arguably the entire nation—this kind of precision was second nature to him.
Furuya was undeniably strong—that much was beyond doubt. By now, most agreed his talent was comparable to Narumiya's. But their strengths were of different types.
Furuya's dominance came from his exceptional physical attributes and blistering pitch speed. Narumiya, on the other hand, excelled due to his complete, refined skill set.
He could read hitters and tailor his approach, conserving energy while maintaining control—an ability that only a handful of pitchers nationwide could truly master.
This level of adjustment required top-notch overall skills. Otherwise, attempting it could lead to not only wasted energy but also conceding runs.
Fujio adjusted his cap and spoke with certainty.
"Until now, Furuya had never shown any talent or skill in this area."
"And that's what makes it so frightening! He had never shown this ability before, but now, under the strain of his opponents wearing him down, he's actively adapting. In the previous innings, Furuya's energy loss was significant."
Fujio's tone grew more somber.
"If he'd continued at that pace, his stamina might have run out too early."
In that case, Seidou would be in serious trouble. Though the team had other pitchers, none could match Furuya's combination of skill and consistency. If the game reached that stage, it would likely become an uphill battle Seidou couldn't win.
"It's unbelievable! Just from observing Narumiya Mei's pitching a few times, Furuya figured out how to conserve his strength. He not only possesses blazing speed but also an extraordinary capacity to learn!"
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