Diamond Ace's Passionate Swing

Furuya, however, had his own thoughts. Because his fingernail cracked during a game, his coach punished him by banning him from pitching for two weeks.

Watching Lin Xiao shine on the field, Furuya felt both pride in his teammate and a touch of resentment.

He knew he was quite capable, but that accident caused him to miss the opportunity to prove himself on the field.

Seido High School.

Stadium A

The Seido High School baseball team's training ground was shrouded in the sweltering heat of the rainy season, with the crisp sound of metal bats hitting the ball mingling with the friction of the clay field.

Lin Xiao is undergoing special pitching training.

The players from both teams crowded outside the barbed wire fence, whispering among themselves: "I heard that professional scouts are coming to observe Lin Xiao today..."

"No way, but it's also quite possible."

Satoru Furuya was swinging the bat alone in the batting cage, his right hand fingers still wrapped in bandages.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Coach Kataoka talking to a professional scout in a suit and tie, the topic of conversation clearly being Lin Xiao's pitching and hitting statistics.

The metal baseball bat suddenly slammed heavily into the protective netting, startling a flock of sparrows into flight.

Furuya stopped Lin Xiao on his way to the cafeteria during lunchtime, his voice echoing down the corridor: "Use your 160km/h straight shot against me!"

The soldiers watching fell silent instantly.

Miyuki Kazuya raised an eyebrow at the two of them, stirring the curry rice with his rice spoon, creating a swirling pattern.

"Wuhu, this is going to be good!!!" Miyuki thought with a grin.

Lin Xiao looked calmly at Furuya: "Are you serious?"

Lin Xiao had actually anticipated this day. "Then come on! I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Lin Xiao was curious to see if Furuya Akira, one of the main characters in the original work, was also skilled in both pitching and batting, but his batting ability relied on his instinctive swing.

Let's see if his bat is better, or if his speed and the type of ball he throws are superior.

This kind of confrontation is incredibly exciting.

The conversation between the two quickly reached Coach Kataoka's ears.

"I am strongly opposed to this! It's very easy for them to get injured. Both of them are key players on the team, with excellent throwing and hitting abilities."

"If he gets injured, the summer tournament will be in trouble," President Ota said, wiping his sweat.

Rei Takashima calmly stated her analysis: "I actually think it's a good thing for us that they're able to bring it up openly."

"There's only one ace jersey number, but Furuya is also a tsundere."

"Now that it's resolved, everything will be fine."

Coach Kataoka listened to their analysis and came up with his own answer.

"Since we're going to have a showdown, let's see how Furuya handles his hands. Let's avoid unnecessary injuries."

Coach Kataoka's meaning was to tacitly approve of the match between Lin Xiao and Furuya, and President Ota couldn't say anything.

Field A was cleared out, allowing only members of the first and second teams to watch.

"Hey, who do you think will win?"

"Lin Xiao, right? That kid's ball isn't something you can just hit easily."

"Furuya's batting average is also quite high."

"That's a strong one too!"

Miyuki and Lin Xiao stood side by side on one side of the venue, both with relaxed smiles on their faces.

It was as if the pitching and batting duel about to unfold was just a relaxed, everyday sparring match.

"Hey, Lin Xiao, you better not hide anything from me."

"That Furuya guy is determined to compete with you." Miyuki teased with a smile, his eyes gleaming with eager anticipation, as if he were looking forward to a spectacular performance.

Lin Xiao's lips curled up slightly, and he replied nonchalantly, "Don't worry, I'll definitely go all out."

"However, it won't be that easy for him to hit my ball away."

In reality, Miyuki knew that the true protagonist of this duel was Furuya.

For Furuya, this is not only an opportunity to challenge Lin Xiao, but also an excellent opportunity to strengthen his mental resilience.

After all, Furuya was previously banned from pitching for two weeks because of a cracked nail.

The purpose of this showdown is to make him clearly realize his shortcomings, and it would be best to address them openly.

Considering the special circumstances of Furuya's fingers, this duel was specifically designed to be a three-round attack to avoid excessive pressure.

After a thorough examination, the team doctor confirmed that Furuya's fingernails were healing well and that daily batting training could proceed as normal, which allowed the highly anticipated match to be prepared smoothly.

Miyuki volunteered to be the catcher: "It's up to you now, junior."

Warm-up activity.

Lin Xiao took a deep breath and steadily walked towards the pitcher's mound. Every step was firm and powerful, as if the ground beneath his feet was trembling slightly in anticipation of his arrival.

He stood firmly on the pitcher's mound, his gaze fixed on Furuya in the batter's box.

Then he raised his gloves high, lifted his leg, turned his waist, and swung his arm in one smooth motion.

call out! ! !

"boom!"

The ball, like a white lightning bolt, shot towards Furuya with tremendous force and incredible speed.

The sound of the pitch reverberated throughout the stadium, as if it were a powerful response to Furuya's provocation.

It was as if he was announcing his immense power to everyone.

Furuya stood in the batter's box, his expression as blank as ever, his signature poker face unchanged.

But he gripped the bat even tighter, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force, radiating an indomitable spirit.

He swung the baseball bat in his hand vigorously, as if conveying his determination to Lin Xiao.

Sawamura and Kominato, who were watching the match from the sidelines, were having a heated discussion about the duel.

"These two guys actually decided to fight on their own without even calling me!!!" Sawamura's face turned red as he excitedly waved his arms.

He shouted loudly, his face filled with dissatisfaction and resentment.

"Sawamura-kun, calm down." Kominato quickly stepped forward.

With a gentle smile, he patiently comforted them, "They must have just been acting on a whim. Let's just enjoy this exciting match here."

The showdown has officially begun.

Lin Xiao, on the pitcher's mound, thought to himself, "Furuya, since you dare to challenge me..."

"Then I'll unleash my full power and show you what I'm capable of."

Whether you can make it or not is up to you!

Furuya, in the batter's box, silently thought, "Lin Xiao, you are indeed very strong, I admit that."

"But I will never give up easily!"

"I must prove myself; I can do it."

Regardless of the outcome, this match will be a valuable experience for both of them.

Everyone hopes that Furuya can recognize his own strength in this match.

We also hope that Lin Xiao can continue to maintain this excellent form and lead the team to a more glorious future.

It's a pity that Furuya and Lin Xiao were in the same year. If Furuya had gone to any other high school, he would have been groomed as their ace.

Furuya's striking ability should not be underestimated. He is usually rather naive and innocent, but he has never slacked off in his striking training. He not only has solid fundamentals but also excellent explosive power.

But facing a powerful opponent like Lin Xiao.

He needs to overcome immense internal pressure in order to perform at his best.