Chapter 239: Stronger Than Imagined!
"Strikeout, out!!!!"
"Three outs, switch between offense and defense!!!"
The electronic announcement voice remained as calm as ever.
However, the die-hard supporters of the Seido High School baseball team in the stands were extremely excited.
They held their ground!!
Although they had anticipated this outcome, seeing Furuya easily strike out Harada still made their blood boil.
This feeling was hard to put into words.
In short, they were thrilled!
In contrast, the players and supporters of the Inashiro Industrial High School team were filled with confusion.
If Furuya had struck out Harada with his signature high-speed pitch, the Inashiro players and fans, while equally disheartened, wouldn't have felt so lost.
At the very least, they wouldn't have felt despair.
But just now, Furuya used a changeup to strike out Harada.
This was something the Inashiro players found hard to accept!
"It felt like he was toying with us!"
"A first-year from Seido High School is actually this terrifying..."
Even though the Inashiro players had known for a long time that this first-year ace from Seido High School was extraordinary, it wasn't just their own speculation.
There was solid evidence, real achievements.
Undeniable achievements!!!
But when this moment unfolded before their eyes, the Inashiro supporters were still deeply shaken.
It was terrifying!!!
A first-year rookie actually made them feel fear?
And it was a fear that sent shivers down their spines.
In the Inashiro Industrial High School team's rest area.
Compared to the ordinary fans, the Inashiro players, as professionals and opponents of Seido, felt this even more deeply.
Coach Kunimoto turned his neck slightly.
Perhaps because he had been moving around too much, this time when he turned his neck, it didn't make the same creaking sound as before.
This absence of the familiar noise struck the Inashiro players deeply, sending a wave of unease through them.
A sense of foreboding lingered in their hearts.
The Inashiro manager, with his receding hairline, widened his eyes in disbelief, muttering under his breath.
"Just a short while ago, he wasn't capable of this!"
This seemingly random remark would have confused anyone else, but the Inashiro players were no ordinary group.
They were not only familiar with their manager but also well-acquainted with their opponents.
So, they knew exactly who their manager was talking about and what he meant.
He was, of course, referring to Furuya.
Just two months ago, although Furuya could already throw a changeup and other breaking balls, the Inashiro players could still tell the difference if they paid close attention.
When Furuya threw his breaking balls versus his blazing fastball, the feel was completely different.
By keeping this in mind, they could target his breaking pitches.
Before the game against Seido High School, the Inashiro players had even considered this their secret weapon.
They had hoped to surprise Furuya on the field.
Now, they were indeed surprised—but not in the way they had imagined.
The surprise came from Furuya himself…
"In just two months, he's already fully integrated his breaking balls into his pitching system?"
The Inashiro players felt a headache coming on.
Their secret weapon was gone.
And their opponent had gained a new weapon!!!
In Seido High School's dugout, the players couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
Although they had seen similar situations before, they couldn't deny that every time they witnessed it, they were still deeply shocked.
"This guy is an absolute monster!"
"He's using pitches he's still practicing in an actual game?"
"With just his fastball, he was already dominating. Now, he's practically unstoppable!!"
This was the most genuine feeling among the Seido players.
Even though they spent every day with Furuya and should have known their teammate well, the current situation had far exceeded their expectations.
"Keep it up! Let them see what we're made of!!!"
As a long-standing national powerhouse, Seido High School's grasp of the game was undoubtedly professional.
For example, at this moment.
Seeing Furuya's outstanding performance, while the players were amazed, a thought instantly crossed their minds.
This opportunity was truly once in a lifetime!
They watched as their opponents teetered on the brink of collapse.
The players from Inashiro Industrial High School must have felt an unprecedented sense of despair at this moment.
"Score now! This is the time!!!"
The players from Seido High School were eager and ready.
For the Seido players and their supporters, the top of the seventh inning was undoubtedly an excellent scoring opportunity.
Their batting lineup had reached the third hitter.
This meant that their formidable third, fourth, and fifth hitters would be stepping up to the plate one after another.
Just as the Inashiro players were beginning to doubt themselves and fall into crisis, the Seido players seized the perfect opportunity to score.
Wasn't this a gift from the heavens?
Regardless of what others thought, the Seido players certainly believed so.
In the stands, their supporters were already putting their enthusiasm into action.
"Hit it out of the park, go all out!!"
"Don't give them any more chances, finish them off in one go!!"
"Score that first run!!!"
These die-hard Seido supporters were no longer satisfied with just getting a hit.
They wanted runs, and they wanted them now.
Senior player Jun Isashiki, with his signature mustache, felt the passion from the stands and the support from his teammates.
There was no denying that the support was overwhelming.
He could clearly feel the surge of energy coursing through his entire body.
"You've been battling us for so long. You must be reaching your limit by now, right?"
Jun glared fiercely at the pitcher's mound.
Even their team's monster ace had to rest for two innings.
He refused to believe that Inashiro's ace was made of iron.
"I'll take you down. I'll hit your pitches no matter what!!"
Although Jun didn't voice these words aloud, his eyes and the aura he exuded made it abundantly clear.
If the ball came his way, he would swing with everything he had.
In the stands, veteran reporter Fujio from *Baseball Kingdom* magazine shook his head in amazement.
"Seido High School's momentum has grown even stronger!!"
This was no exaggeration.
Seido's momentum had indeed intensified.
Even when facing Narumiya Mei, known as the "Tokyo Prince," they exuded confidence.
It seemed as though no matter what pitch was thrown, they were determined to hit it.
It wasn't just the aggressive Jun Isashiki.
Many players in Seido's dugout radiated the same determination.
"Bring it on! Just let the ball come…"
Jun's eyes were locked on the pitcher's mound.
On the mound, Narumiya Mei could feel the intensity emanating from his opponents.
That aggressive, pressing aura was all too familiar to him.
"Hmph!"
Narumiya paid it no mind.
Everyone watched as he took his stance on the pitcher's mound and hurled the baseball with precision.
Everything about the motion felt seamless, as if it were the most natural thing in the world…
It was the same motion, the same pitch as before…
Even the location of the pitch was right down the middle.
The players in Inashiro Industrial High School's dugout widened their eyes instinctively as they saw the pitch.
Danger?
They could clearly sense the risk of this pitch being hit.
"Are you looking down on me?"
Jun Isashiki, with his signature mustache, watched the approaching ball, his eyes gleaming. The moment he saw the pitch, a flicker of doubt crossed his mind.
But quickly, he shook off the hesitation.
The pitch's location was too tempting!
Knowing Jun's personality, even if the pitch were in a tricky spot, he wouldn't let it go if he could swing at it.
This pitch was right in his wheelhouse!
How could he possibly let it pass?
He lowered his center of gravity, gripping the bat tightly.
As the ball approached, he swung decisively.
"Whoosh!"
The bat cut through the air with a low hum.
Though it couldn't compare to their captain, Tetsuya Yuuki, as the team's third hitter and vice-captain, Jun's status on the team was second only to Yuki.
His swing was equally formidable.
"Ping!"
The bat connected with the ball, sending it flying.
In the stands, the die-hard Inashiro supporters felt their hearts leap into their throats in that brief moment.
When they saw the ball fly off the bat, they were genuinely nervous.
At the same time, they couldn't understand why this was happening.
However, just as this thought crossed their minds, they were surprised to see that the ball didn't travel far before plummeting back to the ground.
Shirakawa, who had been prepared, sprinted to the landing spot and caught the ball firmly in his glove.
"Snap!"
"Out!!"
One out, no runners on base.
Jun Isashiki was baffled.
The rest of the Seido players exchanged puzzled looks.
What had just happened? A surefire hit had suddenly turned into an out.
Before they could figure it out, the second batter stepped into the batter's box.
"Number 3, cleanup hitter, first baseman, Tetsuya Yuuki."
Although the Seido supporters still hadn't figured out what had just happened, seeing Yuuki step up to bat, they immediately rallied behind him.
"Captain, go for it!!"
When it came to the trust Seido's die-hard fans had in Tetsuya Yuuki, it was almost limitless.
They firmly believed there was no problem their captain couldn't solve…
Even though Inashiro's ace seemed to be in an unusual state, the Seido supporters were convinced that Yuuki could handle him.
And not just handle him—he would definitely prevail.
Tetsuya Yuuki stepped into the batter's box, standing as steady and unmovable as a mountain.
He raised his bat high, his eyes locked intently on Narumiya Mei.
It felt as though he was trying to see right through his opponent.
Facing such a determined Yuuki, Narumiya showed no signs of discouragement.
The ace of Inashiro Industrial High School seemed to have entered an indescribable state.
On the surface, his pitches appeared no different from before.
But in reality, the quality of his pitches had improved significantly.
Perhaps even he couldn't fully articulate this state.
Yet, the Seido players had already fallen victim to it multiple times during their at-bats.
Even Yuuki, in his confrontation with Narumiya, was no exception.
"Whoosh!"
The white baseball came hurtling toward the plate.
Yuuki, in the batter's box, moved like a thunderbolt.
"Boom!"
The swing of his bat produced a deafening roar.
Behind the plate, Harada, the main catcher for Inashiro, pursed his lips tightly.
He didn't say a word.
But it was clear that he recognized the extraordinary nature of Yuuki's swing.
As one of the three strongest hitters in West Tokyo, no one understood better than Harada just how terrifying this man was.
Feeling the force of Yuuki's swing, Harada instinctively furrowed his brow.
"Ping!"
Then he saw the white baseball being sent flying.
"Danger!!"
That was Harada's first thought.
But no sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he saw the ball fly straight toward Narumiya.
"Snap!"
Narumiya extended his glove and caught the ball cleanly.
"Out!"
"Two outs, no runners on base."
Two of Seido's core hitters, their strongest batters, had been retired in succession.
Now, it was the turn of their fifth hitter.
Furuya Satoru!
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