Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 98: A Record-Breaking 11 Strikeouts!

Two outs, no one on base.

At this moment, the entire stadium went wild.

Especially Seidou High School's die-hard supporters. They raised their hands in excitement and started cheering uncontrollably.

Some fans, not feeling satisfied, even stood up, jumping and shouting.

"Are these guys crazy?"

A pitcher striking out a batter is definitely inspiring.

But considering the man standing on the mound right now is Furuya, many people saw striking out opponents as normal for him.

For Seidou's die-hard fans to go wild over something so routine seemed excessive.

This left other spectators, especially Inashiro Industrial's supporters, puzzled.

"Why are they reacting like this?"

Just as they were wondering, a well-meaning fan began to explain.

"You might not know this, but—"

However, before the fan could finish, the game commentator spoke first.

"Wow, what an exciting moment! First-year player Furuya just recorded his 10th strikeout of the game. Double digits in strikeouts!"

What?

Upon hearing the news of the 10th strikeout, the fans who had been confused just moments before widened their eyes in shock.

Their hearts were racing like drums.

The game had only reached the 5th inning, and it wasn't even over yet.

And Furuya already had 10 strikeouts!

Considering Tanba's earlier situation, Seidou High's original game plan was definitely out the window.

This meant that this first-year phenom from Seidou would continue pitching for the rest of the game.

And seeing how well Furuya was pitching...

Those fans who had previously been indifferent suddenly gulped in unison.

They instinctively sensed that something big was about to happen.

"Does anyone know the strikeout record for the Kanto Tournament?"

For a stat like that, unless someone had specifically looked it up, it wasn't common knowledge.

Even the game commentator was clueless about it.

Of course, the main reason was that such situations were extremely rare.

"Get the records right away!"

The commentator, being sharp, quickly realized that the strikeout record might become relevant.

While commentating, he signaled to his assistant to look up the stats.

As for what the fans in the stands or the commentators were doing?

Furuya wasn't concerned in the slightest.

He was completely focused on his opponent, preparing to get the final out of the top of the 5th inning.

His current opponent was Inashiro Industrial's second-year player, Riku Yamaoka.

Although Yamaoka wasn't particularly tall, his bulging muscles made him stand out.

Compared to other Inashiro hitters, Yamaoka's batting technique wasn't outstanding.

But the sheer power of his swing, combined with his natural hitting instinct, more than made up for it.

As long as his bat connected with the ball, it would fly far.

Furuya took a deep breath.

Although his pitching had gone smoothly so far, he could clearly feel his stamina draining fast.

There was no avoiding it.

Throwing with full effort, without any restraint…

Was too much of a burden on Furuya's current physical condition.

If Furuya continues to pitch at this pace, even with Tanba-senpai stepping in to share the load at some point, it would still be difficult for Furuya to pitch until the end of the game.

"Is this really high school-level baseball? Is this the true strength of Inashiro Industrial?"

Furuya asked himself.

He could clearly feel the pressure his opponents were exerting on him.

This also made Furuya start to reflect on his own shortcomings.

But precisely because of this, Furuya was even more determined not to give up.

The challenges he faced during the game were like mountains. Every time he overcame one, he could feel his strength growing.

"Let's go!"

With his mind set, Furuya fearlessly threw his first pitch.

BOOMM!

The baseball sliced through the air and, in the blink of an eye, was in front of Yamaoka.

Yamaoka didn't hesitate and decisively swung his bat.

Whoosh!

The sound of the bat cutting through the air was just as terrifying.

However, despite his powerful swing, Yamaoka missed the ball completely as the two narrowly passed each other.

Yamaoka's face darkened.

Pop!

"Strike!!"

In the stands, Seidou High's die-hard supporters were ecstatic.

"That's it! So cool!"

"You're the best!!!"

Their love for Furuya was on full display, pure and unfiltered.

It was clear that they truly adored him without any reservations.

"He's really popular!"

A few of Seidou's first-year teammates watching from the stands showed envy in their eyes.

They were all rookies too, but while Furuya was dominating the field, they were stuck as spectators.

Sitting in the stands, cheering for their teammates...

Narumiya, already eliminated from the game, muttered under his breath, "It's infuriating!"

But seeing Yamaoka struggle, he momentarily forgot his muttering and began cheering for him.

"Don't be fooled by that guy. His pitches aren't that special."

Narumiya shouted earnestly.

But besides himself, no one believed a word he said.

"Not that special?"

At this point, Furuya had already proven himself with his pitching.

Who would still dare to say that this first-year pitcher from Seidou High was "not that special"?

Perhaps only Narumiya!

Meanwhile, Furuya had already secured the second out.

His pitching was unexpectedly sharp.

And it didn't stop there—after throwing his second pitch, he swiftly received the ball back and immediately fired his third pitch.

With two strikes already against him, Yamaoka had no choice but to swing again.

Twice in a row, he swung but couldn't time it right.

As Inashiro's sixth batter and a key player, Yamaoka was clearly starting to panic.

Yet even on his final swing, he still couldn't make contact.

Furuya's pitch this time was well outside the strike zone. If Yamaoka hadn't swung, it would have been a ball.

But he swung...

Pop!

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!!!"

Three outs. The sides switched.

The commentator's excited voice echoed through the stadium.

"Wow! Incredible!! Congratulations to Furuya for recording his 11th strikeout of the game!"

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