Chapter 153: Unimaginable Power!
When Ninomiya got back on his feet, he still found it hard to accept what had just happened.
Had he really collapsed to the ground out of sheer fear?
The spectators in the stands didn't hold back their laughter, completely ignoring any sense of decorum.
"Did you see that batter from Akikawa High School? What a disaster!"
"He actually fell down?"
"With skills like that, do they seriously think they can compete with Seidou High School's baseball team?"
"Have you ever seen such terrifying pitches before?"
"The first pitch already clocked in at 152 km/h. There's probably no one else in the entire country who can pull that off besides Furuya!"
These comments reached Ninomiya's ears, making him wish he could just crawl into a hole and disappear.
"I've let everyone down—especially Shunshin…"
Ninomiya wasn't thinking about his embarrassment but rather how he had held the team back.
His poor performance would undoubtedly put his team in a difficult position in the rest of the game.
But as he turned toward the dugout, he saw encouraging gazes from his teammates.
"It's okay. It's your first time facing a pitch like that. It's natural to feel overwhelmed."
"Stay calm!"
Even Shunshin, usually composed, stood up from the bench to cheer him on.
"Shunshin…"
Seeing Shunshin's determined gaze and actions, Ninomiya seemed to understand the intent and thoughts of his team's ace.
"We've already practiced for this, haven't we? Their pitch speed is just over 150 km/h. We've faced 160 km/h pitches before."
"No matter how intimidating this Furuya's pitches are, they can't possibly exceed 160 km/h!"
Understanding Shunshin's message, a spark of determination reignited in Ninomiya's eyes.
"That's right! No matter how terrifying this guy seems, his pitch speed can't surpass 160 km/h! I can adapt—I will adapt!"
Resolute in his belief, Ninomiya fixed his fierce gaze on Furuya standing on the mound and shouted:
"Bring it on! I won't be intimidated!"
The player who had just collapsed moments ago now stood reinvigorated in mere seconds.
From behind the plate, Miyuki caught a glimmer of admiration in his eyes.
He was certain this batter had done a significant amount of preparation beforehand.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to recover so quickly after facing Furuya's pitching.
"This won't be easy. Forcing him to collapse completely is going to take more than just one pitch. We'll need a new strategy."
Miyuki's intent was crystal clear to Furuya, who nodded affirmatively toward his catcher.
His expression indicated full understanding of Miyuki's concerns.
Their next task was to make Akikawa High's players truly grasp the gap in skill between the two teams.
"The next pitch—throw it here!"
Miyuki signaled with confidence.
In Seidou's dugout, Sawamura read the sign and couldn't help but be impressed.
"That's how a real man plays—head-on and straightforward!"
As Sawamura mused, Furuya wound up on the mound, ready to deliver his second pitch.
Boom!
The white ball screamed through the air.
Standing in the batter's box, Ninomiya felt as if the white baseball was an unknown, terrifying beast, charging straight at him.
The sheer ferocity made his legs weak, almost causing him to step back.
But just as that thought surfaced, Ninomiya steeled himself and held his ground.
He couldn't back down!!!
To reach this match against Seidou High School's baseball team, their team had already won three games, fighting tooth and nail to get here.
Before this game, every player on their team had put in an extraordinary amount of practice to prepare for Seidou.
One key aspect of their training was getting their eyes accustomed to pitches traveling at 160 km/h.
After putting in so much effort, how could he retreat now?
Not even a single step!
"Pop!"
The ball whizzed through the strike zone and smacked into Miyuki Kazuya's glove.
"Strike!"
Two consecutive strikes put Ninomiya on the defensive.
Yet, despite being backed into a corner, there wasn't the slightest trace of despair on Ninomiya's face.
On the contrary, his eyes sparkled with determination.
He had succeeded!!!
Facing Furuya's pitch once again, he didn't choose to run away, nor did he collapse in fear.
He steadied himself and even restored a bit of pride for the Akikawa High School baseball team.
"Amazing!"
"That's it! There's nothing to be afraid of."
Even though Ninomiya had taken a strike and was now at a disadvantage, the Akikawa High dugout erupted in cheers.
It felt as if Ninomiya had accomplished something extraordinary.
This unexpected response left Seidou's supporters and players baffled.
"Did they lose their minds?"
"They're cheering just because he didn't fall over?"
"This is ridiculous…"
Seidou's loyal fans and players couldn't comprehend the reaction.
But from Akikawa's perspective, Ninomiya's performance undeniably boosted their morale and confidence.
Even if it didn't seem like much on the surface, his steady improvement at the plate inspired his teammates immensely.
It was a powerful reminder that they weren't entirely powerless against Seidou High School's baseball team.
They just needed to seize the opportunity themselves!
And this, Akikawa's players had no doubts about.
Ever since Shunshin joined their team, they had fought for every chance, every opportunity…
This rhythm of play had long become second nature to them.
It was their norm!
"Last pitch!!"
Having regained his footing, Ninomiya's mindset shifted.
No longer was he focused on just not backing down—now he aimed to hit the ball.
And on this point, Ninomiya had confidence.
That confidence came from the pitch Furuya had just thrown.
He had no idea just how much disdain Seidou High School's pitcher-catcher duo had for them.
Furuya had just thrown a pitch straight down the middle!
Normally, with a pitch exceeding 150 km/h, it would be incredibly difficult for Ninomiya to hit.
But if it was right down the middle, the situation changed entirely.
Even Ninomiya thought there was a chance—however slim.
"Whether it's arrogance or underestimating us, I don't care! Just throw it again, another pitch right down the middle!"
Gripping his bat tightly, Ninomiya silently prayed.
Perhaps the heavens heard his prayer, or maybe Furuya really was as arrogant as they thought.
Either way, the white baseball came flying in—straight down the middle.
"It's here!"
Seeing the pitch, Ninomiya gritted his teeth and swung with all his strength.
"Go out of the park!"
Ninomiya's determination was clear, but his swing was too slow.
Before his bat could fully complete its arc, the ball had already zipped through the strike zone and landed firmly in Miyuki's glove.
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
"Strikeout!"
As Ninomiya walked off after the strikeout, his eyes betrayed his disappointment.
He had planned so meticulously, yet in the end, it amounted to nothing.
Behind the plate, Miyuki smirked, a hint of mockery in his expression.
Akikawa High School's players were, frankly, naive.
Did Ninomiya seriously believe that just because the pitch was right down the middle, he could hit Furuya's fastball?
"Don't be ridiculous. No matter what, that's still a 150 km/h pitch. Just knowing where it's going doesn't mean you can hit it."
In Akikawa's dugout, the players' faces were grim.
More than anyone, they understood what this moment truly represented.
"Is a pitch over 150 km/h really this terrifying?"
A pitch down the middle was supposed to be the easiest to hit.
Even without knowing the ball's trajectory in advance, swinging at a middle pitch typically gave the batter a good chance to make contact.
That's why pitchers generally avoided throwing straight down the middle unless they had a specific strategy.
Yet Furuya on the mound made no effort to hide his intentions.
He threw right down the middle because he genuinely looked down on Akikawa's batters.
He was so confident that, even if they guessed the pitch and aimed for it, they still wouldn't be able to hit it.
This confidence reflected Furuya's complete faith in his pitching.
He believed that no matter what, his opponents couldn't touch his ball.
"That's just too much…"
"The pitcher from Seidou High School's baseball team is clearly trying to dominate us with his overwhelming pitching power, isn't he?"
"If their opponent were a power hitter from one of the nation's top teams, there's no way they'd pull something like this…"
The players from Akikawa High School weren't wrong in their assumptions.
Furuya's decision to throw pitches straight down the middle was a blatant display of disdain.
If Akikawa's batters had the skill level of elite hitters from powerhouse teams, even with Furuya's 155 km/h fastball, he wouldn't dare to recklessly pitch down the middle.
But the harsh truth was that Akikawa's hitters simply didn't have that kind of ability.
This meant they had no effective way to counter Furuya's full-powered pitches.
"Seidou High's pitcher-catcher duo is downright ruthless!"
Akikawa's coach, Ozaka, quickly realized what was happening.
Their opponents had figured out their strategy and weren't playing any games.
They came in with overwhelming force right from the start!
As a weaker team, Akikawa High School's chances of finding an opening to turn the game around were growing slimmer by the second.
"This is expected. As the champions of the Kanto Tournament, it's only natural for them to use their strength to crush teams like ours," Shunshin remarked, entirely unfazed.
"So, what should we do now?"
Coach Ozaka, surprisingly, turned to his players for input on how to proceed.
Fortunately, Shunshin had already anticipated this situation.
"This is going to be a battle of endurance. Let's stick to our usual rhythm. If they throw pitches down the middle, we'll focus on making contact and getting the ball in play."
"If we can succeed just once, it'll shake Seidou's morale."
One success could lead to another…
Shunshin's strategy was simple: just one successful hit would be enough to rattle Seidou High School, including their ace pitcher.
However, while Shunshin's plan sounded promising, executing it was an entirely different challenge.
The second batter for Akikawa High stepped up to the plate.
On the mound, Furuya appeared to have made up his mind long before.
With full force, he swung his arm, and the white baseball shot forward like a bullet, reaching the strike zone in an instant.
Akikawa's second batter had prepared himself before stepping up to bat.
But his preparation proved insufficient.
Even knowing he had to swing at pitches down the middle, seeing Furuya's pitch for the first time left him frozen in place.
Even as he tried to muster the courage to swing, his body simply refused to move!
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
It wasn't until the ball had landed securely in the catcher's glove that Akikawa's second batter screamed internally:
"Oh my god, that was terrifying!"
Watching Furuya pitch from the sidelines had already left the Akikawa players in awe.
But when they stood in the batter's box to face him directly, the feeling was indescribable.
No exaggeration—they genuinely wanted to run away.
All they could think about was getting as far away from him as possible...
With such fear gripping them right from the start, the idea of actually hitting the ball seemed like nothing more than a pipe dream.
The batter could only watch helplessly as the ball flew past him over and over.
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
"Strike!"
"Strikeout! Batter out!"
Two outs. No runners on base.
Next up was Akikawa High School's third batter, Onishi.
In the stands, Seidou High School's loyal supporters were beside themselves with excitement.
While they had expected Akikawa to put up a fight, witnessing the raw power of Seidou's pitching completely shifted their perspective.
Suddenly, their earlier concerns about Akikawa seemed unnecessary.
No matter how tough Akikawa High School's team might be, against Furuya's 150 km/h+ fastballs, they could only surrender.
Take Onishi, for example. Even though he gritted his teeth and swung twice, his bat still missed the ball by at least 10 centimeters each time.
"Three outs! Change sides!"
The top of the first inning ended with a score of 0-0.
Furuya struck out all three batters with just nine pitches. Not a single one was wasted.
What made it even more terrifying was that every pitch he threw was straight down the middle.
And yet, Akikawa's batters didn't even manage to make the slightest contact—not even a graze.
Bluntly put, the two teams weren't even on the same level.
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