<14> Shock! Shock!!

Chapter 14: Shock! Shock!!

"Why aren't you guys cheering?"

Sawamura couldn't comprehend it.

Weren't they teammates on the same team? As fellow first-year newcomers, Furuya had just made a significant comeback for everyone. Shouldn't they be excited and celebrating?

Sawamura was still too naive.

The new members did feel a sense of vindication.

However, deep down, they understood that Furuya's performance had nothing to do with them.

Having seen his performance during the rookie tests, all the freshmen already knew.

Even though they were all first-year newcomers, the paths they would take in the future were destined to be different.

Especially for Furuya.

As long as the supervisors and coaches of the Seidou High School baseball team were thinking straight, they wouldn't let Furuya sit idle.

Letting such a player go unused would be the greatest waste.

It was only a matter of time before he was promoted.

The timing had just come sooner than expected.

The freshmen's response was minimal; perhaps their perception of Furuya had already shifted long ago.

For a monster who could throw a ball over 130 meters, any unexpected performance on the field would be entirely natural.

In contrast, if Furuya performed ordinarily on the field, they would be curious to know what had gone wrong.

While the new players were indifferent, the second and third-year players, as well as the onlookers around the field, felt entirely different.

They were in disbelief as they watched the scene before them.

Especially the onlookers; after being stunned for a long time, they finally uttered a few words.

"Is this guy really a first-year newcomer?"

Tanba's pitching was not lacking in any way, especially that last pitch. From their perspective, they thought it was perfect.

Yet, that pitch was hit out.

"It was just a little short of a home run!"

"Is his batting ability some kind of cheat?"

"His strength..."

Even though they voiced such doubts, how could these die-hard supporters of the Seidou High School baseball team not understand?

Of course, Furuya was a newcomer.

If this guy wasn't a first-year newcomer, the coaches of the Seidou High School baseball team would have promoted him long ago, so how could he be lingering in the second or third string?

The conclusion is evident.

He must be a first-year newcomer.

But confirming this only heightened their shock.

Setting aside the player's other skills, just the batting level he displayed has the strength of a high school cleanup hitter.

"There must have been some coincidence! Otherwise, this kid would have already made a name for himself nationwide during middle school."

Unlike the clueless onlookers, the coaches of the Seidou High School baseball team and their first-string players quickly figured out the truth.

Furuya's batting power is undeniable.

It's a natural talent he possesses.

But to say that his overall batting skills are truly this strong? That clearly isn't realistic.

Even if he were from a small place, his astonishing number of home runs would attract attention.

"Even if there's some coincidence, this guy still..."

A third-year player mumbled to himself.

The other second and third-year players also showed serious expressions on their faces.

No matter how unwilling they were to admit it, given Furuya's current performance, they couldn't help but acknowledge it.

People are inherently different from each other.

Even though they are second and third-year players on the Seidou High School baseball team, and despite the fact that their training intensity is something newcomers could never match, they have to recognize this reality.

They've had such a monster appear on their team before.

Now, it's just that another monster has appeared.

Coach Kataoka, acting as the chief umpire, watched as Furuya ran to second base.

He couldn't deny that this newcomer was indeed a delightful surprise.

However, at this moment, Kataoka wasn't focused on Furuya.

He was intently watching Tanba on the pitcher's mound.

Kataoka knew better than anyone the issues that plagued their ace.

To put it bluntly, it was a lack of self-confidence—easily pressured and shaken.

Overall, his ability to handle pressure was weak.

Previously, Tanba performed excellently, leaving the newcomers without any chance.

Even Kataoka couldn't find fault with Tanba's performance in that state.

But now, that state was over.

"Having been taken by surprise, how will you perform on this field?"

Can Tanba continue to be the team's ace?

That's the real test.

The next rookie up showed high concentration.

Even though the newcomers didn't particularly like Furuya, they couldn't find any common ground with him.

But it couldn't be denied that Furuya's outstanding play granted them a rare opportunity.

With two outs and a runner on second, if he could just make contact with the ball, his name would certainly come to the attention of the coach and supervisors.

And at this moment, after just being hit hard, Tanba's condition had undoubtedly been affected.

"I absolutely won't miss this opportunity," the batter thought as he gripped the bat tightly, using every ounce of his strength.

It seemed as if the moment the ball flew in, he would relentlessly hit it out.

Yet before he could take action, Tanba on the mound had already started his pitch.

Despite the runner on second, Tanba seemed entirely unaffected.

In fact, he even seemed to have a renewed fighting spirit.

Facing the challenge from first-year Furuya, Tanba had a surge of fighting spirit burning within him.

"Whoosh!"

The white baseball drew a huge arc as it descended from the sky, like a falling star.

"A high drop curveball, Tanba finally did something reliable."

"Don't think that just hitting the ball once means you can score against us; you've got a long way to go."

A player with a little mustache from the first string team roared confidently, giving the impression that he harbored a lot of hostility towards the newcomers.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

"Strike!!"

"Strike!!!"

"Strikeout!!!"

"Three outs, switch offense and defense."

The ambitious newcomer ultimately couldn't hit the ball.

In fact, he never even touched the ball.

All he could do was watch as the baseball flew past him again and again.

"You think you're Furuya too? Dream on if you think you can hit the ball out!"

The second and third-year players, along with the surrounding onlookers, suddenly erupted into loud jeers.