Chapter 263: Furuya's Monster Home Run!
You can tell how popular a player is the moment they step up to the plate.
As soon as Furuya entered the batter's box, the Seidou players and fans erupted like a volcano.
They chanted his name over and over, clapping and stomping in perfect rhythm.
To anyone who didn't know better, it might've sounded like a battle anthem.
Veteran reporter Fujio from Baseball Kingdom magazine watched the scene with a sigh of admiration.
"Furuya-kun's rise can't be stopped now."
For most young talents, Koshien is the perfect stage—a chance to show off their skills, impress fans and scouts, and take the next step toward a professional future.
But for Furuya, that stage almost seemed unnecessary.
Even if Seidou hadn't made it to Koshien, his raw pitching talent alone would have caught the attention of pro teams.
In fact, even Major League scouts might come calling.
Fujio didn't know about Raul's involvement, so he wasn't aware that Furuya had already received interest from the MLB.
And yet, even without that knowledge, this seasoned journalist could see it clearly—
Furuya's future was already secured.
As for public recognition?
There was no question.
Even now—as just a regular high school player—Furuya had already earned the admiration of countless fans with his overwhelming skill.
Some in the stands looked at him with near-reverence.
Even many of Seidou's former rivals, after facing off against Seidou and Furuya—
Had started to see him as a goal, even a role model, worth chasing.
From Seidou's perspective—and even from a neutral one—everyone watching Furuya step into the batter's box couldn't help but feel excited.
But from the opponent's perspective—
Ichizen High's players weren't feeling quite the same.
When they'd been up against Yuuki earlier, it had felt hopeless.
That's why they had chosen to walk Yuuki and instead face Furuya head-on.
Of course, Ichizen's players weren't ignorant.
They knew Seidou's monster first-year wasn't just a pitching prodigy—
he was also a formidable batter.
And yet, they still made that choice.
The Ichizen battery knew exactly what they were doing.
Yuuki, the seasoned veteran, might not have had Koshien experience until now—
But with three years of grinding behind him and the maturity of a captain, he had the poise to rise up when his team needed him most.
A third-year. A team captain.
His level of determination was in a league of its own.
Avoiding a showdown with Yuuki and instead choosing to face Furuya—
in the eyes of Ichizen High's battery, that decision came with significant advantages.
First of all, Furuya was just a first-year rookie, and this was his very first appearance at Koshien.
When placed under pressure, when faced with a critical moment, his mental game might not hold up.
If even the slightest hesitation crept into Furuya's mind, Wada would be ready to pounce—
to end the at-bat in one swift, decisive strike.
And beyond that, there was another major upside—
Furuya's popularity was massive.
Sure, taking down Yuuki would have dealt a huge blow to Seidou's morale.
But that was easier said than done.
In this situation, striking out Furuya was a solid alternative.
After all, the monster ace of Seidou High had even more hype around him than Yuuki.
If they could shut him down here, Ichizen would escape this crisis cleanly.
And that could change the entire flow of the game.
The momentum Seidou had built—
Ichizen might just be able to seize it back.
It was a gamble.
And Ichizen's pitcher and catcher had already committed to it.
If they were in control of the game, they never would've taken this risk.
Anyone would prefer to secure victory step-by-step rather than stake everything on a single play.
But as a strong team—
and as sharp, disciplined players—
They knew how to read the situation.
They understood when to act, and when to take risks.
And right now—was one of those moments.
The decision had been made.
They would face Furuya head-on.
Back in the dugout, the Ichizen players were tense with anticipation.
They were teammates.
They had fought side-by-side.
They understood exactly what their ace and catcher were trying to do.
And because they understood—
They knew that this one battle, early as it might be,
could very well determine the entire outcome of the game.
"You got this, Wada!!"
Ichizen's female coach narrowed her eyes as she stared out onto the field.
Betting the game this early?
It was without a doubt—a troubling sign for Ichizen.
But even so—
They had no choice.
"Don't forget all your hard work!"
Her eyes shimmered—not with doubt, but with expectation.
Seidou High's third-year batters had launched wave after wave of attacks—
gradually chipping away at Wada's sharpness and edge.
Although their stunning female coach trusted her ace deeply, even she had to admit—
Just moments ago, Wada had been on the brink of collapse.
No matter how talented he might be—
he was still just a sixteen or seventeen-year-old kid.
Facing such an overwhelmingly strong opponent out of the blue—
it was only natural for cracks to form in his mental game.
But now, things had improved—significantly.
Because he had chosen to go all in.
Wada had shaken off the shadow that lingered over him before.
His entire focus was now locked onto his showdown with Furuya.
As long as he could get back into rhythm, his coach believed in his ability to deliver.
And she wasn't the only one—
his teammates believed in him too.
Back on the mound, Wada looked like his usual easygoing self again.
Even with the bases loaded, standing face to face with Furuya—
he showed no fear.
He wound up casually, and with a smooth motion, let the baseball fly.
"Whoosh!"
As the pitch sailed in, it looked deceptively slow.
But in Seidou's dugout, the players immediately stiffened with alertness.
They knew better than to take this lightly.
"A slow pitch?!"
Using something like that now? It left everyone speechless...
Just as that thought crossed their minds—
Furuya swung.
"Boom!!"
In complete contrast to Wada's easygoing delivery,
Furuya's swing exploded with thunderous force!
It was as if, no matter what kind of pitch came his way, Furuya had only one intention—
to blast the ball out of the park.
Seidou's diehard fans lit up with excitement, their faces glowing with exhilaration.
For them, nothing was more satisfying than watching Furuya pitch—or swing.
Whether on the mound or in the batter's box, Furuya gave off the presence of someone who could flatten anything in his path.
The moment he swung, many fans could already picture the ball soaring into the sky.
Even the players in Seidou's dugout were all on the edge of their seats.
This was their first game of the tournament, and everyone was deeply invested.
That's why—
They were desperate to see what this swing would bring.
"Ping!"
The bat connected with the ball.
The white baseball ricocheted down the third-base line, then bounced out of bounds.
"Foul ball!!"
To think that such a powerful, intimidating swing—
Only sent the ball that short?
In Seidou's dugout, several players frowned in unison.
Chris, pen in hand, spoke in a low, serious tone.
"Looks like their pitcher's gotten back to normal."
Earlier, Wada had been battered by Ryousuke Kominato and Jun Isashiki, and had even avoided facing Yuuki head-on.
At the time, it seemed like his will might've been completely broken.
But now?
That was probably just their own wishful thinking.
Sure, he'd taken a serious hit mentally.
But to say he'd collapsed entirely?
Way too soon to assume that.
After deciding to stake it all, Wada had clearly regained his rhythm.
And as the ace of a national powerhouse, he definitely had more than a few tricks up his sleeve.
This was his first direct face-off with Furuya.
And even though Seidou's bench believed in their monster first-year—
A tinge of unease crept into their hearts.
What if he misses?
Seidou hadn't scored yet.
But make no mistake—
they had been dominating the flow of the game.
If they couldn't finish this off now—
if they let their opponent catch their breath—
then who knew when the next chance would come?
Seidou's players could feel that pressure creeping in.
Just as that sense of unease began to build—
Wada fired his second pitch.
"Whoosh!"
In total contrast to the earlier slowball, this pitch was sharp, fast, and clean.
The moment it left his hand, the expressions of Seidou's players and fans darkened.
If anyone had still been clinging to a sliver of hope before—
That hope vanished now.
They could all see it—
Ichizen High's ace had fully returned to form.
And not just that—he was red hot.
He was effortlessly switching between fastballs and slowballs, creating a massive velocity gap that made it nearly impossible for any batter to predict the pitch.
Even Seidou's seasoned third-years, after seeing Wada's complete form, couldn't help but frown.
If they were the ones at bat right now—
could they still crush him in one go like they'd planned?
Even they didn't dare say for sure.
From the top of the lineup, Kuramochi grumbled under his breath.
"That little punk on the mound… he's kinda nasty."
And if anyone had the right to complain, it was him.
Truth be told, it wasn't Wada who had been the most frustrated earlier—
It was Kuramochi.
Seidou's top four batters had all performed brilliantly—
All except for him.
As the leadoff hitter, he'd been toyed with.
No matter how you looked at it, it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Now that Wada had shown his true strength, Kuramochi was definitely worried for Furuya…
But deep down, he felt the tiniest bit vindicated.
So it wasn't that I sucked… this guy really does have the stuff.
The rest of Seidou's dugout nodded along with Kuramochi's sentiment.
From their perspective, it was clear:
Ichizen's ace wasn't someone to take lightly.
And just as that thought settled in—
Furuya swung again.
This time—
He didn't even make contact.
"Pop!"
"Strike!!"
One foul, one clean strike.
Furuya was now behind in the count.
Seidou's diehard fans all stared in disbelief, eyes wide open.
Furuya… swung and missed?
That almost never happened in their memory.
"How… how could that be?"
They were stunned—completely unable to comprehend it.
How could Furuya of all people strike out?
But the players in Seidou's dugout weren't as surprised.
"Furuya relies on instinct to read the ball. If it's a straight-up power matchup, he's never afraid."
"But Wada's not just a skilled pitcher—he can read people. He's not quite on the same level as Ryousuke-senpai, but when it comes to someone like Furuya, who only sees straight lines—he's more than enough."
That's Furuya's weakness at the plate.
When he relies solely on instinct, it leaves him vulnerable—especially when the pitcher has a plan.
"Last pitch!!"
On the mound, Wada smirked.
He had completely shaken off his earlier funk, his eyes shining with sharp focus.
Those slick, experienced Seidou seniors—especially the second batter—had been his kryptonite.
They completely shut down his go-to pitches.
But now? He was facing a hard-hitting slugger who relied more on raw power than tactics.
Even if Furuya had monster strength at the plate,
Wada wasn't the least bit intimidated.
He thrived against batters like this.
With that in mind, Wada wound up and unleashed the pitch.
"Whoosh!"
Another fastball—this time aimed high and outside.
A tough pitch for any power hitter to swing at cleanly.
Back in Seidou's dugout, the players leaned forward, eyes glued to the plate.
Everyone held their breath—
And then, the boy moved.
Still as a mountain. Explosive as lightning.
Furuya gripped the bat with both hands, starting his swing from the waist with flawless mechanics.
"BOOM!"
The instant the bat flew through the zone,
Ichizen's catcher felt like he couldn't even breathe.
"No way—!"
Before he could process it, the bat made perfect, brutal contact with the ball.
"Ping!!"
Under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands in the stands, the white ball soared into the sky—
"It's flying—flying out!!"
All eyes followed the ball as it shot toward the outfield stands…
Then over the stands…
Over the fence.
"Congratulations, Seidou!!"
"A monster home run!!!"
-----------------
If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.
Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21