<101> The Indomitable Furuya!
Chapter 101: The Indomitable Furuya!
Top of the 6th inning.
When Furuya stepped onto the pitcher's mound again, it was obvious to everyone that this monstrous freshman was already showing signs of fatigue.
"He had a whole inning to rest, so why does it seem like he hasn't recovered at all?"
The die-hard supporters of Seidou High School's baseball team were full of confusion at this sight. This was far from the scenario they had envisioned.
From the way Furuya looked, Seidou's super rookie didn't seem like he would be able to make it to the end of the game.
"There's nothing that can be done about it."
Unlike the casual spectators, the chubby reporter, a seasoned professional, quickly noticed the reason why Furuya hadn't recovered.
"Not only is Seidou's pitching sharp and efficient, but Inashiro Industrial's pitching rhythm is just as fast. In fact, they're even getting outs quicker. Despite how intense the game is, the pace is lightning-fast. In just half an hour, Furuya has already pitched four or five innings. How could he possibly have rested enough under those conditions?"
Naturally, the same applied to Narumiya, Inashiro's ace pitcher. However, Narumiya was a seasoned veteran of the team, while Furuya was, strictly speaking, just a recent middle school graduate.
There was a significant gap in their stamina.
Furuya was already showing signs of fatigue, whereas Narumiya looked like he hadn't even broken a sweat.
The players from Inashiro Industrial High School quickly picked up on this.
Once they noticed, their eyes gleamed with anticipation.
It seemed like the opportunity they had been waiting for had finally arrived.
"The goddess of fortune hasn't abandoned us after all. That freshman is at the end of his rope."
"So what if he's already struck out eleven batters?"
"Now, we'll show him what real high school baseball is all about."
In Inashiro's dugout, the players were eager and ready to go.
The first to step into the batter's box was Inashiro's seventh hitter.
Even though he was lower in the lineup, as a key player on Inashiro Industrial's team, this seventh batter was tall and imposing, looking like he wouldn't be easy to deal with.
On top of that, he was a third-year player, with plenty of experience and a solid foundation.
As he stood in the batter's box, lightly shaking his bat, an overwhelming pressure seemed to surge toward Furuya.
Catching for Seidou, Miyuki quickly sensed this. His normally well-shaped brows furrowed instinctively.
To be honest, playing against Inashiro Industrial's team was always a true test of endurance.
Take this situation, for example.
Originally, they had hoped to pick on a weaker hitter so Furuya could regain his form.
But against Inashiro, they never found that chance.
Even against the lower end of Inashiro's batting lineup, they couldn't afford to let their guard down for a second.
Every one of these players had serious hitting ability.
That was the hallmark of a powerhouse team, and as the reigning champions of West Tokyo, Inashiro Industrial exemplified this to the fullest.
Even against their lower-order hitters, you couldn't relax.
A single lapse in focus could easily lead to disastrous, irreversible consequences.
"Let's go!"
With that thought, Miyuki signaled for his partner to pitch.
BOOMM!
With Miyuki's signal, Furuya sprang into action on the mound.
The baseball shot out of his hand with unstoppable momentum.
Even though Furuya looked visibly fatigued, the power of his pitches hadn't diminished at all.
The die-hard Seidou High School baseball fans in the stands, seeing this, felt as if their worries had melted away.
"That's how it's done!"
Compared to Furuya's earlier tired appearance, his current pitching form was completely different—like a once-exhausted player suddenly filled with energy.
The seventh batter for Inashiro Industrial could only watch helplessly as the ball zipped past him.
Smack!
"Strike!"
At that moment, the seventh batter felt as if his mind had split open.
The pitch was too fast, too overwhelming.
Before stepping up to face Furuya, he had been brimming with confidence, planning to hit the ball out of the park.
But now, every trace of that confidence was gone.
How could he possibly hit a ball like that?
That pitch, like a bolt of lightning, flew right past him in an instant…
No matter how many times he replayed it in his head, the seventh batter of Inashiro Industrial felt nothing but despair.
As a key player for Inashiro, he had always been considered a star in his own right.
Even as a lower-order hitter, he had ambition, hoping to challenge his opponent.
But now, facing Seidou's freshman monster, he felt completely powerless.
It wasn't that he didn't want to do something.
It was that he couldn't.
BOOMM!
Before the batter could fully process it, Furuya had already thrown the second pitch.
By the sixth inning, most pitchers would typically start to show some inconsistency.
Take Seidou's ace, Tanba, for example. By the sixth or seventh inning, there was always a higher chance he would falter.
Before Furuya joined Seidou, this had been a recurring nightmare for the team.
Given Furuya's aggressive pitching style, it was expected that his stamina would be even more heavily drained.
But to everyone's surprise, despite his tired appearance, Furuya's pitches were as fast—if not faster—than before.
The seventh batter for Inashiro gritted his teeth as the ferocious pitch came at him.
Clutching his bat tightly, he swung with all his might, determined not to give in.
He timed it perfectly.
But when he swung, he was still half a beat too late.
The white ball shot through the strike zone ahead of him, landing in the catcher's glove.
Smack!
"Strike!"
"Strikeout!"
As expected, the seventh batter for Inashiro was out.
The entire process was swift and clean.
The speed of the last pitch was displayed on the big screen:
"152 km/h!!!"
Furuya's velocity hadn't dropped in the slightest.
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