Chapter 232: The Miraculous Furuya-kun
In Shirakawa's eyes, a fierce glint flickered.
He was determined to settle things with Furuya here.
This was not just about getting an out; it could even affect the morale of both teams.
As the main second batter of Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team and one of their core players, Shirakawa was absolutely unwilling to back down in this situation!
His gloved hand, holding the ball, swept toward Furuya.
Shirakawa was highly confident he could tag Furuya out.
However, just as his glove was about to touch Furuya, before Shirakawa's lips could even curl into a smile, he suddenly heard the voice of the base umpire.
"Safe!"
Upon hearing these words, Shirakawa felt his head buzz.
How was this possible?
This had to be a fix! A conspiracy!!
He turned his head sharply, glaring at the base umpire.
"Is there a problem?" the umpire asked with a frown.
As he spoke, the umpire deliberately pointed downward.
Following the umpire's finger, Shirakawa was shocked to see that Furuya had stretched out one leg ahead of time.
The tip of that leg was now touching second base.
"Wow!!"
"Those long legs are just too impressive!!!"
The fans in the stands were in awe.
Such an intense showdown made it impossible for them to look away.
"Those long legs must be at least 1.2 meters!!"
"Truly a monster for a first-year..."
While people were praising Furuya, players from other schools in the stands couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
As the ace of Seido High School's baseball team, Furuya's decision was undoubtedly very risky.
Didn't he realize that?
In fact, Furuya was fully aware, but he still resolutely chose to do it.
"For the team's ace to have to push himself this hard against an opponent! This just shows how intense this showdown is."
Whether it was Seido High School or Inashiro Industrial High School, both teams were giving it their all.
Both teams were giving 100%, even 120%, of their strength to face this match.
"The strength of these two teams is somewhat beyond the norm."
"This kind of showdown might not even be matched by games at Koshien Stadium."
"It's truly incredible!!!"
As people marveled, Shirakawa looked up at Furuya.
It felt as if he wanted to bore a hole through Furuya with his gaze.
"Sorry, it seems I was just a bit faster."
Hearing Furuya's words, Shirakawa's eyebrows nearly twitched in anger.
"Damn brat..."
While Shirakawa muttered under his breath, the Seido High School baseball team's dugout erupted in cheers.
"That was so timely!"
Thanks to this stolen base, the situation shifted from one out with a runner on first base to one out with a runner on second base.
The runner was now in scoring position.
A simple hit would be enough to score a run.
And to make things even better, the batter stepping up to the plate was none other than Miyuki.
Not only were the players in Seido's dugout excited, but even their coach, Kataoka, was filled with anticipation for the upcoming showdown.
"That stolen base was perfectly timed! Miyuki's focus is completely different when there's a runner on first base versus a runner on second base."
This year, Seido High School's baseball team not only gained two promising rookie pitchers but also saw their core player, Miyuki, deliver performances that filled everyone with anticipation...
Not only did he excel in his primary role as a catcher, but his performance at the plate was equally dazzling.
Especially when there was a runner on second base.
This guy almost never missed.
The coach of Seido High School's baseball team, as well as his teammates, were all eagerly looking forward to the moment when Miyuki would hit the ball.
Crouching in the catcher's position, Harada frowned slightly.
From his perspective, this was definitely not a good sign.
They had put in so much effort to prevent this exact scenario from happening.
But unfortunately, it had still come to pass.
"What a troublesome brat!!!"
By this point, the players of Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team had also subtly changed their attitude toward Furuya.
"No matter what this guy tries to do, he's a dangerous player!!"
With the situation unfavorable, the morale of Inashiro Industrial High School's team inevitably took a hit.
It was at this moment that Narumiya Mei widened his eyes and shouted loudly,
"One out!!"
This previously somewhat self-centered ace was now actively encouraging his teammates?
Harada, crouching in the catcher's position, looked at his partner in astonishment.
"This guy has really matured!!!"
Narumiya's growth was evident to those who knew him well.
Just as Harada was having this thought...
He also received the signal from his partner.
"Don't worry about that terrifying little guy! As long as we can take care of Miyuki, everything will be fine."
The ace of Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team, the famous "Tokyo Prince," had his own pride.
Even in a head-to-head showdown, even when facing the powerhouse that was Miyuki, and even though their current situation wasn't particularly favorable, he remained determined to rely on his formidable strength to overcome his opponent.
As long as they could successfully retire the batter, it wouldn't matter even if Furuya had already made it to second base.
"I can handle him!!"
Seeing the look in Narumiya's eyes and the confidence radiating from him, not only Harada behind the plate but also many of Inashiro's supporters and players felt a surge of confidence.
"Push forward! There's nothing to fear!!"
"Show them your true strength, Mei!!"
"Let them know who the true king of Tokyo is!!"
An outstanding pitcher, a reliable ace, naturally garners his own devoted followers.
Narumiya was exactly that kind of player, with countless supporters.
Even when Inashiro Industrial High School's situation wasn't looking great, their players and the fans in the stands still firmly believed in him.
They all firmly believed that as long as Narumiya Mei took the mound and their ace gave it his all, they could solve any problem.
On the other side, the players and supporters of Seido High School's baseball team clearly held the same belief.
Their main catcher, who was also the absolute core of their team, would surely secure victory in this showdown.
"Come on!"
"Seido!!!"
"Inashiro!! Narumiya Mei!!!!"
The cheering squads from both sides seemed to awaken all at once, beginning to compete with each other.
Standing in the batter's box, Miyuki, despite knowing the heavy responsibility on his shoulders, couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.
"As expected of my partner, you really understand me!!"
Even though the situation was tense, with a runner on second base, Miyuki could clearly feel every cell in his body cheering with excitement.
This feeling was absolutely incredible!
Even though he hadn't hit the ball yet, even though they hadn't scored, this sensation was deeply ingrained in Miyuki's body.
"Come on! Show me what you've got. I can't wait!!"
Just as this thought crossed Miyuki's mind, on the pitcher's mound, Narumiya wound up and delivered the pitch.
This time, he didn't hesitate or look around.
His eyes were locked on the batter's box, and the baseball shot out of his hand like a bullet.
"Boom!"
The moment the ball left his hand, its momentum was overwhelming.
The players in Seido High School's dugout and their supporters in the stands couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
So strong!
This feeling was undeniable, and they felt it clearly.
In the blink of an eye, the white baseball was already in front of them.
Its speed was unreal.
This left the players of Seido High School's baseball team wondering:
"How is it that even at this stage of the game, that guy isn't tired?"
After all, even their own ace, who was known as a monster, had seen a drop in his power and pitching speed as the game progressed past the halfway point.
But this guy from Inashiro Industrial High School's team seemed completely unaffected by fatigue.
His pitching was almost indistinguishable from how it was at the start of the game.
The baseball whizzed past.
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
Miyuki, standing in the batter's box, didn't swing and was immediately put on the defensive.
The players of Inashiro Industrial High School's team and their die-hard supporters in the stands were filled with excitement and enthusiasm upon seeing this.
"Victory is within reach!"
"We've backed the opponent into a corner."
On the pitcher's mound, Narumiya Mei's lips curled into a cold smile.
He had once invited Miyuki to join their team, believing that with him, they could form the strongest team in the nation.
But unfortunately, Miyuki had refused.
"Harada-senpai is just as excellent! In the days to come, you can regret your decision from the runner-up position."
Recalling those past events, Narumiya gripped the ball even tighter.
He lifted his leg and then brought it down.
As his body weight shifted, the baseball in his hand shot out like a bullet.
"Go to hell!!!"
"Boom!!"
The white baseball roared through the air.
Standing in the batter's box, Miyuki watched the incredibly sharp pitch coming his way.
A smile crept onto his lips.
Just as he had guessed.
Although Narumiya Mei had other deadly weapons in his arsenal, at this moment, he absolutely wouldn't use them.
The reason was simple—it would be too wasteful.
Even though Narumiya had a lot of thoughts about him and wouldn't underestimate him, at the same time, Narumiya wouldn't treat Miyuki the same way he would treat someone like Jun.
The "Tokyo Prince" would only go all out, giving 120% of his strength, when facing a batter like Jun.
Only in such a situation would he have a solid chance of securing the out.
But dealing with Miyuki was different.
No matter how explosive Miyuki's performance might be, his power had its limits.
This meant that as long as the pitcher's fastball reached a certain speed, Miyuki, no matter how skilled, would struggle to make solid contact.
Understanding this, Narumiya had no intention of using his decisive pitch against Miyuki.
For him, using a decisive pitch wouldn't just be wasteful—it could also increase the risk.
Instead, he opted for a fastball on the corner of the strike zone.
With a speed of 150 kilometers per hour and placed precisely on the edge, Narumiya was absolutely confident that Miyuki would have a hard time hitting it.
However, all of this had also been anticipated by Miyuki.
"Once the pitch speed exceeds 150 kilometers, that guy will definitely..."
Use a fastball on the corner.
"Here it comes!!"
Fully prepared, Miyuki saw the white baseball approaching.
Without hesitation, he swung his bat with all his might.
"Ping!"
The bat made solid contact with the ball.
The catcher, Harada, and Narumiya Mei, who had just released the pitch, both had their expressions darken.
What they had thought was a sure thing had unexpectedly gone awry.
They believed that two months was a short time!
They never imagined that in such a short period, Miyuki had improved to another level.
If this had happened before, there was no way Miyuki could have hit that pitch.
But now, not only did he accurately judge the ball's location, but he also managed to send it flying.
Narumiya quickly turned his head.
The white baseball traced an arc through the air, landing in the outfield.
"It's over!"
Everyone on Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team felt a sense of despair.
Except for one dark-skinned player, who, seeing the ball bounce after landing, sprinted forward without hesitation.
After hitting the ball, Miyuki quickly ran to first base.
At the same time, Furuya, who had been on second base, dashed toward third.
Upon reaching third, the base coach seemed hesitant.
It appeared the ball had already been fielded by the opponent.
Yet, despite this, Furuya didn't stop running.
"This is reckless!!"
At this point, even Seido High School's own players and supporters couldn't help but show doubt in their eyes.
They couldn't understand...
Carlos, who had picked up the ball, saw Furuya running and immediately threw the ball.
"Idiot!! With your speed, you won't make it in time."
From his perspective, it was clear.
Furuya was too slow!
There was no way he could make it back to home plate.
However, just as Carlos released the ball, he was shocked to see Furuya, running from third to home, actually speeding up?
This made no sense.
"How is this possible?"
Before Carlos, the dark-skinned player, could figure out what was happening, Furuya, who was sprinting at full speed, actually reached home plate before the ball did?
"Safe!!"
Seido High School's baseball team successfully scored their second run.
The overall score on the field now stood at 2:1.
But that wasn't the most surprising part.
What left everyone in awe was how Furuya had managed to accelerate like that?
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