"He looks as if stuck in a quagmire. With neither way in nor out. Seriously… I didn't expect something like this coming from an unwell child?" Evan remarked Poseidon. Aaron tapping his finger stared wordless.
"This is what I want to see." spoke Rauf. The highschoolers eyed him puzzled.
"The point where Alan breaks off his limits without any one's advice or interference. This over will tell me, his real strength." he added.
Nidou stared expressionless. "A limitless Alan… I wonder if that's even possible." Haruf whispered seriously.
Poseidon flipping the ball in his left hand stepped on the crease releasing it. "2nd tide of return…" he whispered.
"A china man again…?" blinked Noah stunned.
The ball aimed on full pitch travelled from right to left this time. "The delivery of the second one?!" guessed Alan. Tapping the bat forward Alan returned it with a sweep shot.
Poseidon turning around grinned, "Now Alan… you are completely disabled. Gravity suppress form two… Charm of paralysis."
Alan stood with his eyes widened to find himself stuck in the same place. "I-I can't move?!" he asked taken aback. Kneeling on the ground he clenched his fists exasperated.
"What… in the world is happening?" he doubted unaware, his thoughts all scattered.
Poseidon smiled once again heading back. The middle schoolers stood awed. "Unbelievable… he just made Alan kneel. How much stronger did Poseidon get?" Feng gulped.
"Haha! Good job Poseidon my boy! I give you 10 stars on this development Crush him whole!" Kenzo sneered ruthlessly. Ryan, Gabriel and Adam along with Azazel and Heber stared speechless. "You are indeed merciless…" whispered Seraph in disbelief.
Seles at a loss of words stared nervously. "Alan… get up." he whispered.
"A king in his domain is invincible. Alan might be a world ranker however, right now he is trapped under sea. An unfamiliar sight which will suffocate him. Of course, with this bothering him and the challenge on top of it. It might shatter all his pride, if he can't get out of it." Xavier declared.
Helios stared seriously, "Charm of paralysis… looks like Poseidon was really serious when he wanted Ezekiel to sleep." Claude and Ebraham gulped at each other anxiously.
"Poseidon still can't show this skill to Ezekiel?" Kenzo questioned. \
"Yeah… he still doesn't want to." answered Helios. Xavier eyeing Ezekiel whispered, "But I think, if Poseidon doesn't push him forward now. He might just lose the chance."
"What's wrong? All broken up Alan? I thought you swore to claim a boundary. Where did all that character go?" Poseidon agitated Alan. Alan kneeling on the pitch stood up.
Aaron tapped his finger faster. "Alan…" he whispered restless.
Zach and Orion with Kazuna sat serious."Get up Alan!" called Noah and Aigou together.
"It's the last ball… what will Alan do?" Isa looked forward to the outcome. Senri unable to keep it in stood up as Rauf eyed him stern. Before he could step down Aaron interrupted, "Stop Senri, don't go." Senri eyeing him smiled heading down carelessly, "And… what if I say no?"
"That's because, Alan has already found a way." Aaron told confidently. Senri stopped. "There's no need to go." Aaron added. "Yeah…" Kazuna endorsed, "He is leagues ahead of us with that mind."
Alan tapping his bat stood on the pitch expressionless. "Well done…" he whispered. Poseidon hearing his words nodded. "Thank you, but I think it's too late to say that!" he apprised, throwing the ball towards him again.
"It's the second return!" Adam read loudly. Hearing his voice Ezekiel, moved around waking up.
"What…?" he asked drowsily.
"Ezekiel?" asked Ebraham puzzled as Helios turned around anxious. The middle schoolers including Seraph, Gabriel, Xavier and Kenzo too looked at him silent.
"Huh…?" Ezekiel rubbed his eyes. "Why in the world are you all looking at me like this…?" he asked yawning however instantly realized.
"The second… return?" he whispered baffled standing up, rushing beside Helios. He stared at the sight before him staggered.
"Vice-captain?" he asked shaken.
"Well done Poseidon Ageil… you have pushed me as far as I could go. However, I am unwittingly furious right now. So back off!!" Alan threatened eyeing the ball he curved his bat facing the sky and slammed it vertical upwards and high.
"Huh?!" The highschoolers sat baffled. Poseidon looked at him confused. "He gave a catch delivery?!" asked Ryan and Feng perplexed. The ball soaring high was about to fall down before him as Poseidon walked over to catch. "Back off? Why do you want me to? Forget it, why did do that?" he asked seriously.
"What?" Alan grinned, "There's no way it will be catch out. So it's better if you back off, that's what I meant."
Poseidon hearing him stopped amid his tracks. Alan instantly whispered, "Sorry… Kazu, Kazu… but I don't think I have any choice but to use it."
Pointing the bat upwards towards the sky he called out, "Black hole!"
Stirring the bat horizontal towards the sky a portal as black as the night sky tore open amid the atmosphere in which the falling ball vanished, a moment later reappeared right before the middle schoolers pavilion releasing the ball again over the boundary claiming a four.
The middle schoolers along with the highschoolers stared speechless.
"If you can suppress any ball on the ground, it doesn't mean you can suppress it if I teleport it right?" Alan asked with a winning grin.
"Looks like I won… Tranquil blue moon. I suggest you change your title to sea, king of the sea." he added.
Poseidon taken aback dissolved all his skills revealing the stadium once again. "I have no words left… I lost." he accepted his defeat. "I don't know, but you always leave me speechless." he walked towards him.
Alan taking a deep breath smiled back, "You're wrong. You were the one who surprised me this time. Moreover, I couldn't counter even a single ability of yours so it doesn't count as a real win." "But still, you pushed me back to my utmost limits. I am proud of you." he added giving his hand.
"Thank you." Poseidon replied shaking it back.
"Poseidon, I have some questions for you. If you don't mind can you answer them?" Alan asked seriously.
Poseidon nodded, "If it's in my foresight then I'll gladly answer so."
"Your disease, after the surgery what are the final chances for completely recovery?" Alan inquired.
Poseidon smiled dismayed, "If I tell you the truth… 50%. It's like I can be healed and I also can't. Moreover, I was also given an answer of my life expectancy from the doctors. 25 years approximately."
Alan stared at him wide eyed, "25 years…?"
"Yeah. 25 at most. If my disease is cured until then I'll live like a normal person however, if it stays the same 25 years is the most I'll live." Poseidon repeated.
"I won't let it happen…" whispered Alan inaudible. "Yes?" Poseidon asked confused.
"Even death won't take you away from me! For I'll make sure to cure you!" Alan claimed confident. Poseidon for a while stood dazed instantly laughing, "Haha!! You really are very confident in yourself. To be ready to fight even death? I can't believe it."
Alan stared serious, "And I am not jesting. Since, I did it once before. Challenging even death and you know what, I won in the end."
Poseidon blinked surprised. "Is that so? I wonder who that lucky one is to persist?" he asked interested.
Ezekiel gazing at the sight clutched the rail tightly. Kenzo glancing at him spoke up, "Ezekiel get ready it's your turn now." Ezekiel however ignoring his words turned to Helios.
"Captain… Why didn't you wake me up? I told you to." he asked expressionless. "When did you ask me to? I don't remember ever hearing it." Helios replied.
Ezekiel frustrated gritted, "I clearly said it before going to sleep, to vice-captain to wake me up when it's his turn…"
"You said to Poseidon not me. It was his choice not to wake you up. That's why I told you not to let down your guard at all. It's your punishment now face it." Helios interrupted coldly.
Ebraham and Azazel gulped nervously. Ezekiel irritated turned around to grasp his gear. "You still don't trust me…" he thought angrily.
Gabriel and Seraph eyed him anxious along with the other middle schoolers. "Eze, Eze, looks super doper pissed off." murmured Adam clinging onto Ryan's shoulder. Ryan stared silent. Xavier, Cassiel and Kenzo looking at each other sighed.