Chapter 228: Furuya Batting Fifth!
The top of the fifth inning ended, and the score remained tied at 1:1.
Although the batters who stepped up for Inashiro Industrial High School during this part of the game were mostly from the lower half of the lineup, their repeated contact with the ball and the way they kept hitting it into play was enough to inspire and excite many spectators.
In the stands, Inashiro's fans were abuzz with excitement, all wondering how much longer Seidou's first-year ace could hold out.
However, inside Inashiro Industrial's dugout, the players themselves weren't smiling at all.
By this point, they had already realized — Furuya on the mound wasn't even giving it his all.
"That damn brat… is he actually looking down on us?"
Even though Inashiro's own ace often held back during games, the players still couldn't help but feel insulted.
Their captain, Harada, nodded and said,
"As much as I hate to admit it, that kid's performance has definitely matured. He's not just thinking about how to strike out each batter — he's considering the flow of the entire game."
Harada paused and glanced at his partner.
Despite all of Narumiya Mei's quirks and flaws, Harada had to admit that his incredibly talented teammate had developed to a ridiculous degree.
At this point, calling Narumiya one of the top pitchers in the country wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Especially this year — Narumiya's rate of improvement was downright scary.
Even though they spent every day together, Harada could still see that his partner was constantly getting better.
That alone was already terrifying.
And then there was Furuya, the first-year rookie pitcher.
It wasn't just that they'd heard all about him — his name was already well known.
It also wasn't the first time they'd faced him on the field. They'd already gone head-to-head against him in the finals of the Kanto Tournament.
It was that very game where Furuya's name truly exploded onto the national scene.
He dominated Inashiro and cemented himself as one of the country's top pitchers.
That humiliating defeat was something none of Inashiro's players could ever forget.
Since that day, they'd spent countless hours thinking of ways to counter Furuya.
They were fully aware that a first-year like Furuya would likely improve at a rapid pace, and they had prepared extensively for that.
Inashiro's players were absolutely confident that when they faced him again, they could give him a rude awakening.
Now, that rematch was here.
As they stood in the batter's box and faced Furuya's pitches for the second time, the psychological impact was overwhelming.
That kid wasn't just faster than before — his whole demeanor on the mound was far more polished and mature.
From their perspective, it felt like they were facing a completely different person.
The atmosphere in Inashiro's dugout was heavy and tense.
Even though the score was still tied, the players could feel the immense pressure bearing down on them.
The Seidou team they once dominated had somehow transformed into an unstoppable giant standing in their path.
Coach Kunitomo rotated his neck, producing a series of cracking sounds.
It was clear the Inashiro coach had already made up his mind.
But before he could say a word, a clear, youthful voice rang out.
"No need to be so serious!"
The one who spoke was Narumiya Mei.
Inashiro's ace wore a bright, carefree smile on his face.
Faced with the mounting pressure from Seidou, the young pitcher seemed completely unfazed.
Seeing their ace so composed…
The players of Inashiro Industrial High School couldn't help but relax.
To them, their ace was someone they could always trust.
"Got any good ideas?"Harada asked.
All the players turned their attention to Narumiya Mei.
Facing their hopeful gazes, Narumiya just smiled and shook his head.
"You've gotta be kidding me — scoring runs is your job!"
There was nothing wrong with what their ace said.
Hearing that, the Inashiro players instinctively hung their heads.
That's right.
It was their responsibility to score runs against Seidou.
How could they just dump all that pressure onto their ace?
It wasn't just a matter of attitude — it was about their pride as baseball players and their pursuit of the sport itself.
"I believe no matter how well that kid pitches, he's not invincible. Didn't we already score a run off him right at the start?"
Narumiya's words made the Inashiro players lift their heads, straightening their backs.
Seidou High School — the champions of the Kanto Tournament.
And Furuya Satoru — the so-called "super monster" of the first-years…
There was no doubt about their strength.
In fact, up until now, Seidou had been steamrolling every opponent they faced.
But only Inashiro had managed to score against them.
That alone proved Inashiro Industrial was different.
And it meant they were the only ones capable of defeating Seidou.
"As long as we don't give up any runs, we won't lose! What I can do is make sure they don't score in these remaining innings."
Their opponent was Seidou High School — the same team that defeated them in the Kanto Tournament final.
And Seidou's batting lineup… was absurdly strong.
Some even said Seidou had the most powerful offense, not just in Tokyo, but in the entire country.
Of course, that claim was up for debate.
But the fact that people were even having that debate was proof of how terrifying Seidou's offense really was.
To put it into perspective — it's like comparing Tyson and Bruce Lee.
People might argue about which one is stronger.
But no one would ever put themselves into that comparison — because they know they're nowhere near that level.
If you were to step into the ring with either of them, you wouldn't last a second.
Seidou being labeled the strongest — even if it's controversial — still speaks volumes about just how scary their batting lineup is.
There were still five innings left.
And Narumiya Mei was boldly declaring that he wouldn't allow a single run for the rest of the game?
What kind of confidence was that?
The Inashiro players were deeply shaken by their ace's conviction.
If their ace could make such a promise, then why couldn't they score off Furuya?
"Let's go!"
"There's no way we're getting scared of some first-year."
"Let's see who's better when we're on the field — just try and get those three outs first."
Bottom of the fifth — Seidou's turn to bat.
The Inashiro players stepped onto the field radiating a confidence that made it seem like they already had Seidou in the palm of their hands.
At the same time, over in Seidou's dugout…
The team that had been riding high with momentum, ready to take over the game — suddenly realized something.
Their opponents' energy had completely shifted.
At this moment, it almost felt like the team holding the upper hand on the field wasn't Seidou — but Inashiro instead.
"No wonder they're the kings of West Tokyo — a terrifying powerhouse that's made it to Koshien countless times over the years. Their experience is just overwhelming. Even when backed into a corner, they can handle it with ease."
Ota, the team manager, frowned so hard his brow was practically knotted.
The more they played against Inashiro Industrial, the more unsettled he felt.
Even now, with Seidou's batters coming up and an excellent scoring opportunity right in front of them, Oota couldn't bring himself to feel happy.
On the contrary, his face was clouded with worry.
Coach Kataoka was frowning as well, fully aware of the immense pressure the opponent was exerting on them.
It was becoming clear — the impact of that Kanto Tournament final was far greater than they had expected.
Inashiro Industrial's overall strength had grown significantly, and on top of that, they had developed far more strategies specifically aimed at countering Seidou.
"They came fully prepared."
On the other hand, Seidou had already cycled through the heart of their lineup by the end of the fourth inning.
That meant their most dangerous hitters — the top four — had already had their turns, leaving Seidou's best scoring opportunities in the past.
From this point on, they had no choice but to rely on the rest of the lineup.
That included… Furuya.
"Batting fifth, number one — pitcher, Furuya!"
Since the last game, Furuya's spot in the batting order had been raised — all the way up to the crucial fifth spot.
In the first round of at-bats, Furuya had already stepped into the batter's box in this position, causing quite a stir.
Especially among Seidou's die-hard fans, who were eagerly awaiting Furuya's performance at the plate.
Unfortunately, in that first matchup, Furuya hadn't been able to gain any advantage.
Now, as he stepped into the box for his second at-bat, the fans' excitement hadn't waned in the slightest.
"Crush it! If anyone can do it, it's you!"
From Seidou's dugout, his teammates shouted their support.
"Go for a big one!"
"Don't overthink it just because you're batting fifth now — just do your thing."
"If you can't make contact, I promise I won't laugh."
Most of the encouragement was normal, but when Sawamura chimed in, Furuya's eyebrow immediately twitched — twice.
No matter the situation, that guy always knew exactly how to get under his skin.
"If you've got nothing helpful to say, just shut up…"
Furuya snapped back, furious.
The rest of the Seidou players quickly dragged Sawamura off to the side.
Meanwhile, in the stands, Inashiro Industrial's supporters couldn't hear exactly what was said between the Seidou players — but they could see the argument unfolding.
For Inashiro's die-hard fans, it felt like a gift from the heavens.
"This is just too good!"
"Look at that — Seidou's players are fighting amongst themselves!"
"Maybe we don't even need to do anything. They might just self-destruct."
That sense of joy — the thrill of watching your opponent trip over their own feet — was impossible to put into words.
All the Inashiro fans felt like they were basking in pure bliss.
They were absolutely wrapped in happiness.
"Calm down, you idiot!!"
In Seidou's dugout, Chris frowned and scolded Sawamura.
"Control yourself."
Most of the time, Sawamura was fine — it was just his mouth that always got him into trouble.
Sawamura looked utterly wronged, his face full of grievance.
He really had just meant to offer a friendly reminder — no other intentions at all.
On the mound, Narumiya Mei had seen the whole exchange play out.
The so-called Prince of Tokyo wasn't the least bit angry.
If anything, he was just enjoying the show — like a spectator munching on popcorn while watching the drama unfold.
In fact, seeing this scene made Narumiya realize something interesting.
Because Furuya's performance had been so composed and mature, even though everyone called him a "first-year," no one actually treated him like a typical rookie.
In their eyes, Furuya was already a rival on the same level as them — or perhaps even stronger.
But at this moment, Narumiya had a sudden realization.
No matter how impressive Furuya's pitching was, at the end of the day, he was still just a first-year rookie.
And in that sense, he was no different from any other kid.
"Heh… still just a little brat. That makes things even better!"
Narumiya had absolutely no qualms about messing with a kid.
"Well then, let's give him a little scare."
Whoosh!
A fastball exceeding 150 km/h suddenly exploded out of Narumiya's hand.
The white baseball rocketed straight toward Furuya.
In Seidou's dugout, his teammates' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Watch out!"
"That's dangerous…!!"
From their angle, it looked like the pitch was headed directly for Furuya's head.
In the batter's box, Furuya instinctively took half a step back — a reflexive reaction from his body.
But he quickly realized the ball wasn't actually going to hit him.
Just before it reached the strike zone, the pitch sharply broke away.
Pop!
The ball landed firmly in Harada's glove.
"Ball!"
The home plate umpire frowned slightly as he made the call.
From his perspective, the pitch had barely grazed the edge of the strike zone.
Technically, he could've called it a strike — but given how dangerously close it had come to the batter, he decided to call it a ball.
Narumiya didn't seem to mind at all.
With a bright smile on his face, he looked at Furuya, who had stepped back.
"Heh — scared you, didn't I? Just like I thought — a first-year rookie through and through!"
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