<111> This is the Stage for Geniuses!

Chapter 111: This is the Stage for Geniuses!

Like the coach of Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team, a nationally renowned star coach, their eyes often light up when they spot a talented player.

Their desire is almost palpable, and they rarely hide it.

This isn't just limited to their own team's players—when it comes to exceptional talents on opposing teams, they can be equally envious.

This is the nature of a top-notch coach.

Just like now, Coach Kunitomo's gaze at Furuya was filled with possessiveness.

Why wasn't such an outstanding prospect in his own lineup?

Seeing their coach like this, the ace of Inashiro Industrial High School pouted so much that he looked like he could tie up a donkey.

"Coach, isn't that a bit too obvious? Even if you really admire that first-year kid, you don't have to be this blatant about it!"

"You brat! Who allowed you to speak to our coach like that? Show some respect!"

Harada's heart nearly jumped out of his throat when he saw Narumiya Mei run straight to the coach to complain.

Their coach had never been someone to tolerate disrespect. Even though the game had reached a critical point, if Narumiya went too far, the coach wouldn't hesitate to pull this arrogant guy off the field.

After all, this wouldn't be the first time their coach had done something like that.

"Am I wrong, though? Even if that guy isn't as good as he seems, or even if he truly is the best in the country, he's still their pitcher, not ours."

Narumiya, the team's usual spiritual leader, was acting like a jealous kid in kindergarten.

"This is ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!"

Shirakawa, watching from the sidelines, grumbled twice under his breath.

He was losing his patience and felt compelled to step in to stop their ace from digging his own grave.

"Wait a second!"

Carlos suddenly grabbed Shirakawa's arm. Shirakawa glared at him angrily.

Although they had all joined Inashiro because of Narumiya, that didn't mean they could let him behave recklessly on the field.

They had joined Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team to win games with the team and eventually dominate Koshien together, not to embarrass themselves on the field.

"Can't you see? The atmosphere of our team has completely changed since earlier."

Huh?

Hearing Carlos's words, Shirakawa turned his head.

He was surprised to realize that, for once, the usually careless Carlos wasn't lying.

The atmosphere of the team had indeed shifted.

Because of Narumiya's antics, everyone had unconsciously forgotten about Furuya's changeup.

No matter how proud Shirakawa was or how confident he was in Inashiro Industrial's baseball team, they had all been stunned when Furuya used that changeup.

It wasn't something they could just shake off, and given the immense pressure Furuya had been putting on them, it wasn't surprising.

Finally, Inashiro's players had a chance to capitalize on his slower pitches, to resolve the issue in one go.

This was supposed to be Inashiro Industrial's moment to turn the tide and shine.

But that opportunity slipped right through their fingers, and they couldn't do anything about it…

Narumiya's outburst had caused a 180-degree shift in the mood of Inashiro's dugout.

The team seemed to have stopped focusing on Furuya's baffling changeup.

They started seriously thinking about how to tackle the rest of the game.

"First, we can't let those Seidou guys score!"

Even without Harada saying it, Narumiya knew this all too well.

The situation was painfully clear.

But the truth remains: in the upcoming stages of the game, the team that scores first will seize absolute control.

The constantly shifting dynamics on the field are precisely because of this.

So far, neither team has managed to score, which has indirectly created a situation where the team at bat always seems to have the upper hand.

After all, they have the opportunity to change the course of the game and take command.

"That first-year monster may be extraordinary, but I don't believe for a second that I'll lose to him," Narumiya said, head held high.

The first-year from Seidou High School was unexpectedly resilient...

No one anticipated that even after nearly exhausting all his energy, he could still find another way to fight.

This is precisely why Inashiro Industrial High School was on the defensive.

But Narumiya wasn't about to go down without a fight.

In fact, in terms of his pitching condition in this game, as Inashiro's ace, he was on fire.

Seidou High School had always seemed easier to handle due to their lack of a reliable ace.

However, when it came to their offensive power alone, Seidou was undoubtedly one of the best in the country.

As Inashiro's ace, Narumiya had faced Seidou multiple times and knew all too well the pressure they brought.

In every previous game, he had never made it through without conceding runs or hits.

But today, up to this point, he had completely suppressed Seidou's batting lineup, not giving them any chances.

Furuya still had six outs to secure the win.

Narumiya had only nine.

As the game resumed, Seidou was up to bat first.

The first batter representing Seidou at the plate was Kuramochi Youichi.

This was the third time Seidou's batters would face off against Narumiya in this game.

"No matter what, I have to hit the ball! We can't put all our hopes of winning on Furuya alone!"

It was clear that Seidou's second and third-year players had made up their minds.

For them, this was their last chance to bat, and there was no way they would give it up.

Although Narumiya had developed a new breaking ball, elevating his pitching skills even further…

So what?

Seidou's main pitcher was struggling, but Inashiro's ace wasn't having an easy time either.

They were all human.

Even though Narumiya had undergone more training and could still deliver solid pitches late into the game, his performance was not as sharp as it was at the start.

Not to mention, as the game progressed and the number of matchups increased, Seidou's players were becoming more familiar with Narumiya's pitching.

It wasn't just their minds—everything from their eyes to their natural bodily reactions was adjusting.

"Bring it on, if you can! I'm definitely going to hit it!"

Kuramochi gripped the bat tightly, ready to go all out.

At that moment, even though Narumiya looked equally exhausted, he made his move.

He lifted his leg high and took a step forward.

As his body weight shifted, the baseball shot out of his hand with incredible speed.

"Whoosh!"

When Kuramochi saw the white ball coming toward him, he nearly bit down on his own teeth.

No matter how well they planned, they had to face a harsh reality: this guy Narumiya wasn't an ordinary player.

Just like the first-year monster on their team, he was also a genius.

They both possessed terrifying innate talent.

Even now, with the game nearing its end, Narumiya's pitching had not diminished.

The ball he threw was still fast.

In the blink of an eye, the baseball was right in front of Kuramochi.

He realized with clarity that even if he gave up on this pitch, it wouldn't change anything.

Narumiya, the monster, wouldn't crack before the game ended.

The quality of the pitches he threw would never be subpar.

"Go fly out of here!!"

Since waiting served no purpose, and he was eager to hit the ball, Kuramochi decided not to hold back.

With both hands firmly gripping the bat, he swung at the incoming pitch.

"Ping!"

After making contact, the ball barely traveled five meters before hitting the ground and bouncing up.

Ignoring everything else, Kuramochi tossed the bat aside and sprinted forward.

For other batters from Seidou High School and even high school batters across the nation, hitting a weak ground ball like that would generally mean giving up.

But Kuramochi was different.

Known as the Cheetah, even with a botched swing, he still had a good chance of safely reaching base.

He might have failed at the bat, but he relied on his powerful legs.

"Smack!"

However, while he was fast, the baseball was even faster.

As Kuramochi was just four or five steps away from first base, the ball was already on its way back.

By the time the ball reached first base, Kuramochi still had a decent distance to cover.

"Such quick reactions?"

The stark contrast was impossible for Seidou's players to ignore, even if they tried to pretend otherwise.

Almost instinctively, everyone turned their attention to the pitcher's mound.

Narumiya had a bright smile on his face.

"I can't just stand by and watch you get on base! While your batting isn't much to speak of when you're not on base, your impact once you're there is entirely different!"

As Seidou High School's opponent, Narumiya understood Seidou's players even better than some of their own teammates.

With the game so tightly contested, he knew he had to be proactive.

As long as he was on the mound, Seidou High School wouldn't just have trouble scoring; he wouldn't allow any risk to emerge at all.

"Eight more outs to go!"

After dealing with Kuramochi, Narumiya seemed to have an epiphany.

He abandoned the flashy breaking balls and opted for straightforward fastballs instead.

This showcased his speed and fighting spirit to a great extent.

In the dugout of Inashiro Industrial High School, Coach Kunitomo nodded in satisfaction.

The outcome of this match was crucial for the Kanto Tournament championship.

If possible, Coach Kunitomo certainly didn't want to hand this honor over to Seidou.

However, compared to Kataoka, Coach Kunitomo was more relaxed about this.

After all, the situations of the two teams were completely different.

Although Inashiro had not dominated Koshien in recent years and had not become a true national powerhouse, they had participated in Koshien numerous times and achieved commendable results.

Over the past decade or so, they had slowly established themselves as the dominant force among the once three great powers of West Tokyo.

These accolades were legitimate.

Seidou High School had nothing to show for it, and compared to Inashiro, they naturally craved victory even more.

But Coach Kunitomo didn't mind.

Losing the game didn't matter!

He had already seen his ace transform on the field.

"That mischievous kid has finally matured!"

"This is a stage for geniuses! Not just Koshien, but the Kanto Tournament finals as well. Whether they are teammates or opponents, they are all top-tier players. To stand out in such competitions, ordinary elites simply won't cut it; only true geniuses can shine!"

The first-year player from Seidou High School, Furuya Satoru!

And Inashiro's ace, Narumiya Mei.

Without a doubt, they were both geniuses on the field.

After dispatching Kuramochi, Narumiya seemed to be on fire, quickly taking down Ryousuke and Isashiki!

He swiftly achieved three outs.

The once unstoppable momentum of Seidou had inevitably hit a wall.

As their players returned to the batter's box for the third time, they found nothing was going as planned.

They didn't even see a glimmer of opportunity.

This undoubtedly added tremendous pressure to Seidou High School.

If the game continued like this, and they failed to get a hit or score…

Wouldn't that mean certain defeat?

Furuya's stamina was like a ticking time bomb.

Even with his impressive changeup, the Seidou players could not fully relax.

After all, they didn't know how long Furuya could hold up.

They didn't even dare to speculate when Inashiro might catch on to the weaknesses in Furuya's pitching and start hitting him.

In this tense atmosphere, the game reached the top of the eighth inning.

Inashiro Industrial High School was on offense.

The first batter to step up was Narumiya, who had just performed remarkably on the pitcher's mound.

No outs, no one on base.

Batting fifth, number one, pitcher, Narumiya Mei!

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