"Alan changed his grip's rotation!" read Heber serious. "Is he going for something new again?!" asked Feng and Ezekiel together.
"It could be. He is full of surprises." endorsed Gabriel. Kenzo eyeing the sight smirked, "No… it's one of my favorite deliveries. There's no way Xavier's going to get startled by anything new he uses. It's the Lofted Drive…"
The ball which was aimed high off the ground on a short pitch travelled towards Xavier with a sharp bounce. Xavier stepped forward. His aim locked at Kazuna who sat on the resting seat he whispered, "3rd counter… Hellfire blaze." Struck with all his might, Xavier struck the ball starkly towards the high schoolers pavilion for a huge six.
"Wah!! It's huge! Just like Adam's sixes'!" compared Ines awed. "Wonderful." commented Helios.
"Third counter, Hellfire Blaze it is! Yahoo!!" cheered Mikael while Feng ruffled Ryan's hairs in delight.
Alan turning around eyed the ball which fell towards Kazuna like a blazing meteor.
"Kazu, Kazu! Watch out!" Senri warned while Rauf stared at Kazuna stern. Kazuna sensing the approaching ball glared at it grave. The moment it fell, he raised his right arm towards it catching effortlessly.
Xavier peeking from the corner of his eye whispered with a light grin, "Well done. However, this shot… you can't catch it…"
Alan hearing him stood stunned.
The ball in Kazuna's hand spun rapidly out of the blue injuring his hand with burning marks. "Hot!" Kazuna thought puzzled leaving the ball which fell on the ground with a thud, light smoke emitting it. Kazuna looked at his palm grave, soon glaring at Xavier who grinned caringly.
The highschoolers stood bewildered. "Kazuna! Your hand?" Elias headed down worried, pulling his hand up to see.
However, the burnt marks which were once struck had disappeared revealing an unscathed palm. "What the?!" asked Ren taken aback. Kazuna taking his hand back stood up picking the ball which had turned slightly rusty with the blazing effect.
"So that's the third counter…" Aaron blinked in disbelief.
"This one nullifies all run outs and catches." explained Nagi.
"Horrific… will he even leave an opening to march back to the pavilion?" Orion gulped.
"But! I clearly saw it! Kazuna's palm was really injured. How come the moment I checked him there was nothing there?" Elias uttered puzzled.
"Because, the pain and shock stays only until the ball hits the ground. When the ball is on the ground one cannot get out. The moment a fielder catches the ball, the ball burns with the undesirable power of the shot which makes him lose the control of the ball instantly dropping it. And once dropped, the injury disappears while the batsman stays safe." explained Rauf.
"This counter is covering up his physique. Because, Xavier is not a power player. There might be many time's he could get out just by a short hit six. To cover up for this kind of weakness, he created this counter." explained Haruf.
Kazuna looked at Xavier who stared at the sky assured, "Don't worry, he isn't the type to hurt anyone. If he was someone like that, then Alan would've been his first victim."
"Hehe… they are crazy." Zach grinned dangerously.
Kenzo smirked. "You lot…" he called out grasping attention of all the middle schoolers settling around. "Xavier has been watching Alan play ever since Adam. Whatever, he saw and noticed. His defenses and offences had been constructing continuously. If I had been in Alan's place right now, I'd better stayed alert." he advised.
"Seems like it." endorsed Seraph.
"So this was the third counter hun. I wonder else than Bolds, Lbw's, catches and run outs. Is there any other significant way to get a player out?" Seles sighed in disbelief.
Ryan grinned "Of course there are. Stumped, Hit wicket and hitting the ball twice or..." "If only Alan has the guts to break his counters one by one then I suppose he won't even need to jump over to different cases." Ryan added.
Helios smiled, "Princely boy, I heard that you broke two of his counters that's the reason you're so over confident. But, don't you think that after breaking his counters he might've evolved them? Making them even stronger than before?" Ryan and Feng sat silent. "Hm. That's the kind of guy he is. Counter one thing of his and he'll construct a hundred more before you." endorsed Cassiel proud.
Kazuna tossing the ball up and down threw it back towards Alan. Alan reading the return of the throw caught it back effortlessly.
"Hot… the ball is really hot." he thought as a smirk took over his face, he turned around to Xavier. "Boy~ you intrigue me… and I can't help it anymore. I wonder how it might feel when I break off your counters one by one?" he dared sneer.
Xavier eyeing his bat smiled caringly. "Try it… if you can, Alan." he challenged blatantly. "I too wonder, how it might feel to surpass a world ranker?" he added boldly. Alan hearing his sarcastic challenge walked back with a mile wide sneer. "Ah… this takes us back. Doesn't it little Kazu, Kazu?" he asked in a whisper. Kazuna sitting on the bench smirked.
"Hey, hey! It's the fourth counter now right?" asked Adam curious grasping Ryan in an embrace from behind.
"No, not anymore." told Kenzo.
"Hun? Why?" Adam and Azazel uttered together. "See Alan's eyes, rather than seeing more he wants to break these three first." Gabriel pointed.
"That means vice-captain Xavier can only defend now?" asked Feng anxious. "Tch, who said so? He isn't that kind." Gabriel rolled his eyes.
Feng hearing his words blinked his eyes exhaling, "I don't get a single word you all say."
Alan rushing towards the popping crease bowled the fifth delivery towards Xavier. "A Yorker." read Cassiel. Xavier tracing the ball stepped forward whispering, "1st counter: Breaking whirlwind."
The ball which was aimed at the wicket died down in speed as it hit onto Xavier's bat. Aiming for the leg side he slammed the ball towards the boundary claiming a four. "The first counter again." Senri whispered. "Really, it's going to be hard to break them with only the last delivery left." Orion said.
"But, I have a feeling that Alan will." smiled Isa confidently. Alan picking the ball up went back. Eyeing his wrist band he removed it keeping it aside. "Don't tell me he is aiming for the Ultrasonic serve?!" Feng gasped.
Poseidon and Kenzo looked at each other serious. "I wonder if Xavier has a counter against that." Poseidon wondered nervously. Seles smiled, "Seems like it would be a little hard for him when he's a spin returner. But something tells me, that we would see all of his four counters today."
Kenzo snickered, "Old man… seems like you're gravely mistaken. All of his counters? Don't mess with me. Even he doesn't know how many he has altogether. So, how can you be so sure that there are four?" Seles hearing his words sat stunned for a while soon smiling.
Zach stared at Alan surprised. "Is he going to use it again?" he asked baffled. "Huh? What do you mean?" Orion turned around.
"The Ultrasonic serve, Alan is going to use it again." Ren repeated grave.
"I wonder if it will affect him anyway." Nag worried. "Right, it bugs me too. We don't know anything about Alan's current condition while he's showing powerful abilities one after another. At one side I am wondering, what just happened back at America that he turned out to be so resilient all of a sudden while on the other hand I am afraid that he might be enduring a lot just for this." Senri assumed.
Evan and Haruf stared at Alan who rushed towards the balling crease. Nidou gazing at his file sighed while Rauf stared at the sky silent.
Pulling his gloves up Xavier gleamed, "So it's the Ultrasonic serve this time. Judging my physique I am clearly not a match to return it. So do I use the first counter again or the third one? Or…" he wondered taking his position.
Suddenly the wind began to blow as the sky turned darker. The lights around the stadium flickered open to ease the vision. "Nature hun…" Xavier whispered, "Thank you, for helping me."
Alan stepping onto the popping crease used all his might to send a bustling ray of light. Suddenly, kneeling on the pitch panting hard. The high schoolers along with the middle schoolers at the moment dare not blinked.
Xavier tracing the ball which approached like a bullet whispered, "4th counter… Ethereal Nature's Return."