"Vision of future… Zone of ultimate guard… say, Helios more than half of your pinnacle of perfection is already complete. But, in the end is that all you've got?" asked Alan standing up, wiping his sweat under his chin, he glanced at Helios who shown radiantly under the golden sun.
Helios eyed him smiling. "Yes… this might be all I have to show you Alan. Sorry to disappoint you however… it doesn't mean that I'll back up if you say something like this." he threatened at the end.
"Sorry to disappoint me hun… Lair." Alan whispered heading back towards the pitch. Helios smiled taking his position once more.
"So two balls left now hun…" told Senri as Kazuna and Isa gazed below silently. Hopping on both of his toes Alan once more rushed towards the pitch.
"After grasping the entrance on two more gates, his understanding as a batsman will reach the pinnacle of perfection. Now it lies up to me to break it hun…" Alan thought leaving the ball as it whooshed towards Helios in full speed.
"An out swinger again? It won't work! How many times is Alan going to try that?" asked Orion stunned upon Alan's persistence.
"Shut up! And watch!!" blurted Nidou as the high schoolers eyed him surprised.
The moment the ball hit the ground its direction changed towards the inside of the pitch suddenly aiming toward Helios's face. "Huh?!" he eyed the ball jolting instantly moving aside to evade it.
The dangerously hit delivery landed on the wicketkeeper's glove with a loud rustle. Helios blinking his eyes eyed the ball and next Alan who smirked excitedly.
"Heh… couldn't see it or could you? Be careful boy, that delivery just now could've have blown you straight away." he warned mischievously.
"The ball just…?" Helios thought stunned. "Did an in swinger just turn into a bouncer at the last second?!" asked Feng shocked.
"Indeed." replied Seles as the middle schoolers looked at him cautioned. "Since, the Zone of ultimate guard can bring all the swingers towards Helios's region. Alan created a hallucination of a bouncer as an out swinger. And, the moment he delivered the ball it rushed towards Helios's region unknowingly. If worse, his face could've gotten hurt pretty badly if he wouldn't have evaded it in the nick of time." Seles explained.
"So in other words… Helios's Zone of Ultimate guard is sealed right?" asked Cassiel Seles seriously. "Sigh~ I'm sorry to say it but yes. It has been perfectly sealed with Alan's bouncers." replied Seles.
Poseidon and Ezekiel looked at Helios nervously. "Hm… not bad." Helios commented as the golden mist which surrounded him died down. "So you won't use it anymore?" Alan asked.
"If it hurts me, then I suppose I won't. Since, there is a certain someone who would hit me even more if I get hurt arbitrarily." he replied eyeing Poseidon who gazed back at him worriedly.
"See, he's worried even now." Helios sighed.
Alan eyeing his vision smiled, "Is that so? Then, don't worry. It's the last ball after all. In the end, you already passed my expectations. Truth to be told, this was the only thing I could do in a single over to counter your Pinnacle of perfection." Helios looked at him surprised.
Alan once more hopping on his toes rushed forward. "However, not giving up till the last ball is my rule!!" he whispered sinning it inside his wrist while bowling an in swinger this time.
"An In swinger…" Helios read reaching his bat towards the ball however it suddenly spun outside the pitch once again into the wicketkeeper's hand. Helios turned around to gaze at the wicket which remained unabated.
Nidou sighed at Alan. "Three more balls… and he would've broken even Helios's vision of future." he whispered. "Huh?!" asked Senri and Ren surprised. Evan and Haruf eyed him seriously.
"Is that so…?" asked Rauf grave. "Hmp… that rascal. Looking at him makes me wonder just what in the world did he learn back at America." Nidou asked in a whisper. The highschoolers looking at him eyed Alan nervously.
Helios taking a deep breath walked over towards Alan who grinned covered in harsh sweat. His eyes returning back to his usual dark blue ones.
"Really… Not giving anyone else a chance until the very end hun…" he asked slight mockingly yet generously at the same time.
Alan sighing tossed the ball over to him while grabbing his bat in turn. "Of course… since, the world is way too harsh to let anyone shine." he replied heading towards the batting line. Helios taking a deep breath walked away. "It was nerve wrecking…" whispered Azazel.
"Yup, that Alan, not only did he seal Helios's zone of ultimate guard but till the very end didn't gave him a chance to score." endorsed Xavier. "Such a maddening player." Gabriel uttered.
"However, Helios still stood up to his ground. He has already shaken Alan's pride." Seraph continued. "Yeah… a certain someone who was messing around with his opponents is now playing against them seriously, it is indeed a big change." Cassiel stood up. Seles checked his lists silent.
Kenzo looking at Helios grinned relieved, "Fret not, that Alan boy finally realized who he is on par with." Alan gazing at Helios thought, "So the pinnacle of perfection was from the batting side only. However, he must have great skills in his balling as well since he's an all-rounder. Sigh~ I should better get over with it quickly before anything happens…"
Helios throwing the ball into midair and catching it again and again gazed at Alan's posture. "His defense and batting line just by looks seems really strong, so I must tackle it in a crafty way." he whispered rushing towards the pitch.
Aiming towards the right he bowled an exceptional fast delivery. Alan tracing the ball tapped the bat twice on the ground before aiming. Judging its position he slammed his bat towards the off side of the pitch.
Helios eyeing the ball once again went away from the pitch. "Starting off from a fast delivery. Helios is surely being vigilant." Xavier read.
"Huh? Why is that? Isn't Alan a spin returner? Heli, Heli could ball any dangerous fast delivery to get him out?" asked Adam curiously.
"No way, even if he balls fast deliveries he can't be careless. If Alan can ball spin sliders despite being a fast baller who knows if he could return fast balls despite being a spin returner. That is why we have to be wary." explained Cassiel, "Data needs to be taken considering all conditions."
"In either way, it is that Helios reads his weak ball and aim at them or balls him different deliveries." Seraph presumed.
"He won't deliver different deliveries and neither will he find Alan's weakness …" whispered Poseidon, "He will only play against him through his strength."
"Of course, that's the type he is." endorsed Ryan as the others agreed. "So fast balls are an easy return for him. Then, Shall I test him with my swingers…?" Helios thought rushing towards the pitch balling Alan a harsh top spin.
"A top spin delivery!" called Feng as Gabriel eyed Helios seriously.
Alan tracing the ball spin, the moment it hit the ground raised his bat towards the opposite side stopping it with a dot return. Looking at Helios he glanced at the bat.
"Pace deliveries hun… a real pain in the neck! As a spin returner, returning tricky fast balls is my only weakness… I better be careful." Alan thought slightly irritated. Helios grinned.
"Light shots and dot returns… pace balls really are his weakness hun. Very well, since, I have studied enough let's move onward to the show…" he whispered.
Tugging his hairs away and spinning the ball he hopped thrice rushing towards the pitch. Before reaching towards it he for an instant halted. In a blink of moment he spun his wrist as the ball left his hand dashing towards Alan like a silent bright ray of sunlight.
"So fast!!" claimed Aigou and Orion together. Alan surprised by the approaching ball couldn't react as it went through his legs behind the wicket. "Huh?" Alan asked surprised beside Helios who too stood stunned.
For a moment both sides stared at the sight in complete awe. "It… it… it was an out, right!?" asked Ezekiel stuttering as his heart beat fast. "It could either be or not. It was so fast even I couldn't notice." responded Xavier as Azazel and Gabriel agreed.
"Say! Say!! It is an out right? It was a clear wicket touch!!" shrieked Adam moving Seraph left and right as Ryan stood up.
"Yeah! It clearly was!! It was Helios's inswinger!" called Feng and Heber together.
"Indeed my boys, we need a decision on it. It could be an out." claimed Kenzo.
"Yeah!" replied Poseidon and Lucifer together. "You're right. A decision must be called…" Seles endorsed form above. The middle schoolers looked at him stunned. "Are you with us on this?" asked Cassiel in disbelief.
Seles sighed hurt, "Seriously~?! Have a little faith in this old man… why are you making me a bad guy?"
"Alright, alright, we trust you! So get us a chance for decision." urged Lucifer and Ebraham.
Hearing his words Seles smiled, "You don't have to get it, silly boys. You already got it."
Kenzo grasping the sight of the astounded high schoolers smirked in malicious joy. "No way…right?" Noah gulped speechless.
"Yes way, my boy. The delivery was just way too out of the world." replied Ren. Kazuna, Aaron, Nagi, Elias and Senri looked at the pitch in wonder. "But to think it would even by pass Alan?!" asked Orion shocked.
"So, what do we do now?" asked Isa eyeing Rauf and Nidou who stood silent with their expressions grave. Evan and Haruf looked at him intently. "What else, do you think we'll do? It's that boy's call." replied Nidou pointing his bottle towards Helios who stood on the pitch baffled.