"Already nine consecutive strikeouts!"
For Zhou Hao, this wasn't anything extraordinary.
He had achieved even more impressive feats before. However, with the rise of Seido High School's pitching staff—especially after the first-year newcomers joined—Zhou Hao rarely had the chance to stay on the mound for extended periods.
You could say the team had simply become too strong. There was no longer any need for their Ace to shoulder the entire game alone.
As a result, Zhou Hao's opportunities to break his own strikeout records had become increasingly scarce.
Many reporters had long considered this a great pity.
After all, pitchers with this level of ability were already rare and those capable of turning that ability into tangible results were even rarer.
Zhou Hao just happened to be both.
If he were allowed to pitch complete games regularly, he would undoubtedly shatter numerous records—especially in strikeouts.
And today…
He finally had the chance.
Their opponent was Hakuba Academy.
While their overall strength and offensive power could only be considered average, they possessed one crucial asset—a pitcher ranked among the top three in the nation.
Moreover, that pitcher was in exceptional form today.
By the end of the top of the third inning, the scoreboard still showed 0–0.
Seido hadn't broken through.
To Seido's supporters in the stands, this was an alarming sign.
In previous games, they would have already piled up runs by now.
Under these circumstances, there was no way Seido would replace their Ace.
They couldn't risk the consequences of losing control of the game.
And that gave Zhou Hao an opportunity.
A rare opportunity.
If things continued like this, he might produce a terrifying record—one that could go down as unprecedented.
In the stands, reporters who had already sensed what was coming trembled with excitement.
They were witnessing something special.
Bottom of the third inning.
Seido on offense.
Facing batters like the all-rounder Shirasu and the super rookie Oshima Shin, Kazama remained completely unfazed.
Whoosh!
The white ball cut through the air.
In the batter's box, Oshima saw his chance and swung decisively.
Ping!
The ball bounced sharply off the ground—only to land cleanly in the second baseman's glove.
A quick throw to first.
Pop!
"Out!"
Two outs. No runners on base.
Oshima, who had always been confident in his batting, couldn't hide the shock on his face.
"So this is what top-tier national pitching feels like…"
He had performed miracles at the plate before—hitting balls even upperclassmen struggled with.
For a time, his momentum had seemed unstoppable.
But now…
It was clear.
It hadn't been pure skill—at least, not entirely.
Against a truly elite pitcher, his batting was completely suppressed.
Just like now.
More troubling was the fact that even after returning to the dugout, he still couldn't understand how he had been defeated.
Which meant…
Even in their next matchup, he might not stand a chance.
"Kazama… as expected of a National Youth Team player."
With two outs, Kuramochi stepped into the batter's box.
His plan was simple—get on base and steal.
With the heavy hitters behind him, there was a high probability he could make it all the way home.
But Kazama was one step ahead.
As if reading his mind, he deliberately increased the spin on his pitch.
Then—
The moment the ball rebounded, Kazama charged forward, scooped it up himself, and fired it to first base.
Pop!
"Out!"
Three outs. Side retired.
Three innings completed.
The score remained 0–0.
This was far from what Seido's players and supporters had expected.
The excitement that once surged through them had noticeably cooled.
"Still scoreless after three innings…"
"Is Hakuba Academy really this strong?"
"When Kohoku faced Seido, the score was 23–0—and Kohoku is a national powerhouse!"
In terms of reputation, Hakuba couldn't compare to Kohoku.
But on the field…
Their performance was undeniably impressive.
"It's simple," a Hakuba supporter said confidently.
"Our Ace isn't any weaker than Zhou Hao."
For them, the explanation was obvious.
Kazama.
As long as he was on the mound, even Seido's overwhelming strength could be contained.
Seido's supporters were not pleased.
When Seido dominated the nation last year, Zhou Hao was already recognized as the top pitcher.
Among the three elite pitchers of that era, every single one of them surpassed Kazama—and they were all core members of the National Youth Team.
And yet—
They had all fallen to Zhou Hao.
Now, Kazama wanted to challenge him?
"Anyone thinks they can compare themselves to us now."
"He's not even close."
"There's no need to take them seriously."
Top of the fourth inning.
According to Seido's original plan, this was when they would switch pitchers.
In truth, it wasn't a bad idea.
Hakuba's batting lineup wasn't particularly strong. A substitute pitcher could likely handle them.
But this wasn't a situation where Seido needed to take risks.
Their Ace was still on the mound.
Full of energy.
Untouched.
So why replace him—and give the opponent even the slightest opportunity?
This wasn't the Spring Tournament final.
Seido had bigger ambitions now.
They wanted the Kanto Tournament title.
They couldn't afford to lose.
"Zhou Hao," Coach Kataoka said firmly,
"keep pitching. We'll change the rhythm."
Zhou Hao's earlier Spiral Balls had already terrified the Hakuba Academy lineup.
But weak offense didn't mean weak defense.
Especially that guy—Kazama.
He was like an unkillable cockroach, shutting down Seido's lineup without giving them a single real opportunity.
Continuing to rely on the Spiral Ball would be pointless.
It would only drain Zhou Hao's stamina.
Coach Kataoka quickly made his decision—switch to a more efficient pitching style.
Miyuki agreed completely.
God only knew how terrifying Zhou Hao's Spiral Ball had become.
Even now, Miyuki's catching hand still throbbed faintly from the strain.
It should have been stopped earlier.
Why use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken?
Against Hakuba Academy, there was no need for such an overwhelming weapon.
A fastball would be more than enough.
Hakuba Academy's leadoff batter stepped into the box.
He had also sensed it—
Zhou Hao was going to change his approach.
On the mound, Zhou Hao raised his leg high.
Then—
As his foot came down, the ball exploded out of his hand.
Boom!
At the instant the pitch was released—
Whether it was the batter at the plate or the players watching from the dugout—
Everyone froze.
They didn't even need to see it clearly to understand.
That pitch…
Was on a completely different level.
It was too fast.
Like a streak of white light, it tore through space and appeared in front of the batter in an instant.
The batter's mind went blank.
"So fast—!"
Before he could even react—
The ball had already passed him.
Pop!
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
"Strike!!!"
"Strikeout!!"
One after another—
Hakuba Academy's first, second, and third batters stepped up.
And one after another—
They fell.
The moment they realized Zhou Hao had switched to fastballs, they had all felt a surge of confidence.
They thought they finally had a chance.
They thought they could send his pitches flying.
Reality crushed that illusion instantly.
Zhou Hao's fastball might not have the bizarre movement of the Spiral Ball—
But in terms of pure speed?
It was just as fast.
Maybe even faster.
Hakuba Academy's batters were not top-tier national hitters.
And even if they were—
There was no guarantee they could touch that pitch.
The result was inevitable.
Strikeout after strikeout.
Three outs.
Side retired.
Seido's supporters erupted.
"Did you see that? That's the difference!"
Earlier claims that Kazama was on the same level as Zhou Hao now sounded like a bad joke.
This—
Was the real gap.
"Already twelve consecutive strikeouts!"
Unlike the fans, the reporters were laser-focused on the numbers.
With the fourth inning complete, Zhou Hao had already tied his previous record.
Twelve straight strikeouts.
"If this keeps going…"
"What kind of record will he create?"
"The conditions are perfect. He won't disappoint."
In the past, after the first rotation, Zhou Hao would occasionally throw bait pitches—easy balls meant to induce contact.
That was why his strikeout records had never reached their full potential.
But today was different.
Everyone could feel it.
Zhou Hao wanted to keep pitching.
And as long as he had that intent—
There was only one outcome.
A record that was unprecedented.
And possibly never to be repeated.
Bottom of the fourth inning.
Seido on offense.
Kominato Ryosuke stepped up first.
After a six-pitch battle, he was forced into an infield grounder.
For the "Devil Batter," it was a frustrating result.
"Troublesome…"
Then came Zhou Hao.
He drew a walk.
Yuki Tetsuya followed, making solid contact—
But the ball was quickly cut off and thrown to first.
Out!
The only gain was Zhou Hao advancing to second base.
Two outs. Runner on second.
Isashiki Jun stepped up next, swinging with everything he had—
But it wasn't enough.
Pop!
Out!
Three outs.
Side retired.
End of the fourth inning.
Score: 0–0.
Seido's core lineup had already gone through the order twice.
Aside from two walks—
They had nothing to show for it.
Top of the fifth inning.
Hakuba Academy's cleanup hitter stepped up for his second at-bat.
Boom!
Another terrifying pitch came screaming in.
"So fast!"
Like a flash of light—
No time to react.
The ball had already passed.
The batter's mind fell into chaos.
But deep down, he understood.
With his level of batting—
There was no way he could hit that pitch.
Zhou Hao…
That name would become a nightmare etched into their hearts.
Boom!
Pop!
"Strike!!"
"Strike!!!"
"Strikeout!!"
Thirteen.
Zhou Hao's thirteenth consecutive strikeout.
Now even Seido's supporters couldn't ignore it.
"Thirteen consecutive strikeouts!!"
"He broke the Kanto Tournament record!"
"As expected of Zhou Hao!"
Excitement surged through the stands.
What they loved most—
Was this version of Zhou Hao.
Untouchable.
Invincible.
Like a legend on the mound, cutting down opponent after opponent.
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
"Strike!!!"
"Strikeout!!"
The fifth batter met the same fate.
Fourteen.
"The fourteenth strikeout!!"
"A record unlike anything we've ever seen is about to be born!"
Even the commentator couldn't contain his excitement.
Moments like this—
Didn't come often.
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
"Strike!!!"
"Strikeout!!"
Hakuba Academy's sixth batter fought desperately.
He didn't even hope for a hit anymore.
Just touching the ball would have been enough.
But even that was impossible.
The fastball—approaching 160 km/h—
Was simply untouchable.
At last—
He went down swinging.
"The fifteenth!!!"