<38> Shock, Nine Consecutive Strikeouts!

Chapter 38: Shock, Nine Consecutive Strikeouts!

The batter from Yokohama Kohouku was taken aback. Standing in the batter's box against a fastball clocking over 150 kilometers per hour was suffocating.

Yet, at the same time, he was stunned to realize that their coach's observation was accurate.

"You can't pitch accurately unless it's straight down the middle?"

Once the batter locked his eyes on Furuya again, his perception had shifted. Furuya was no longer an invincible rookie monster but rather someone with glaring flaws.

"Come on, throw your straight fastball right down the middle!"

It wasn't just the batter; the Yokohama Kohouku supporters in the stands sensed the opportunity as well.

The monster had thrown a ball—what was this? A flaw! A chance!

Having found an outlet for their frustrations, they immediately focused their taunts on Furuya.

"Just a first-year kid. You think you're all that just because you throw fast?"

"Our Yokohama Kohouku batters will definitely hit one out!!"

Seidou High's passionate fans couldn't understand it. How did their previously defeated opponents suddenly regain so much confidence?

Aren't they mocking the same Furuya who had scored the winning run and struck out six in a row—a true monster on the field? Where did they get the confidence to ridicule him?

"Are they out of their minds?"

At this moment, no one could provide a clear answer. They could only look at their opponents in confusion, wondering how they might silence them soon.

Of course, there were those more attuned to the nuances of the game who noticed something unusual on the field.

"It seems our first-year teammate is having some trouble," Haruichi Kominato murmured softly.

"These fools have no idea what they're facing. They're no match for Furuya!" Sawamura Eijun declared confidently.

"You're that sure?" Haruichi asked, puzzled.

"He's my rival; he can't lose to a bunch like them!"

Just as Sawamura finished speaking, the man on the mound made his move. With his physical seals unlocked, Furuya's pitching was no longer restricted.

While his velocity might not have significantly increased, the fluidity in his pitching was entirely different.

"BOOMM!!"

The piercing sound of the baseball cutting through the air left the Yokohama Kohouku batter momentarily stunned. As an elite batter, his muscle memory kicked in, prompting an automatic swing. However, by the time he swung, it was already too late.

The ball had already zipped through the strike zone and into Miyuki's waiting glove.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

The batter snapped back to reality, suddenly aware of the cold sweat on his body.

Terrifying! This guy is terrifying!

Only now did the Yokohama Kohouku batter realize that even if he knew where Furuya's pitch was going to land, hitting the ball wouldn't be easy. He needed to swing with an even quicker tempo, or by the time he swung, the ball would have already passed him.

He adjusted his timing internally, switching from a "one-two-three" to a "one-two" rhythm, planning to swing as soon as he reached "two."

When the next pitch came, his timing alignment was closer, but still not perfect.

"Pop!"

"Strike!!"

Now facing two strikes, the batter was cornered. Yet in the Yokohama Kohouku dugout, neither the coach nor the players showed any signs of disappointment. On the contrary, their eyes reflected anticipation.

"We can definitely hit it!"

"He's gradually getting used to the rhythm."

"Daya has a natural talent for this. He will definitely connect on the last pitch."

This was a fastball exceeding 150 kilometers per hour. Despite facing it for the first time without prior preparation, the Yokohama Kohouku batter had managed to find the hitting rhythm.

Crouched behind the plate, Miyuki couldn't help but be impressed. Yokohama Kohouku, as one of the top teams in the Kanto region, deserved their formidable reputation which extended to their impressive performances at Koshien.

"Last pitch!"

On the mound, Furuya decisively threw the third pitch.

In the batter's box, the second batter for Yokohama Kohouku seemed to have entered a state of laser focus. His eyes were locked onto the ball, and he swung his bat even before it reached his hitting zone.

"Swing time adjusted to one and a half seconds, now!"

Without knowing where the ball would land, it would be impossible for the batter to adjust his swing to hit such a fastball. However, since he knew the pitch's location, timing his swing was no problem for him, especially for this batter who was fully confident.

His eyes glistened with determination as he calculated the timing perfectly with his swing.

"Fly out of here!"

A ball traveling over 150 kilometers per hour carries significant force. The batter clearly knew this and put every ounce of strength he had into his swing, determined to send the ball flying.

Yet, just as the bat was about to connect, the ball unexpectedly rose!

The sudden rise allowed the ball to evade the bat.

"What happened?"

The Yokohama Kohouku batter was left in disbelief, while everyone in their dugout, including the coach, was equally stunned.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!"

Before the second batter could even process what had happened, he had already struck out.

In the stands, Seidou High School's die-hard fans erupted in celebration.

"I knew it, he was going to end up like this."

"Just because Furuya threw a ball, they thought they had a chance..."

"Wow! Can you believe this guy is just a first-year?"

"That's the seventh one, seven consecutive strikeouts! The Kanto tournament record is in jeopardy."

And that was just the beginning. Yokohama Kohouku's third and fourth batters met the same fate.

"Strike!"

"Strike!!"

"Strike!!!"

"Strikeout!"

"Strikeout!!!!"

"Three outs, game over."

Before the announcer could finish speaking, Seidou's supporters exploded with joy.

"Nine!!!"

"That's nine!!!"

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