"You all would be hanging like that as well or may even be squashed to the ground below. So you all better get ready for today's task." Nidou warned.
"Aren't we already hanging like that?" Xavier mused.
"But, why is he so far away?" Cassiel questioned speculating over the distance between Alan and their positions.
"Yeah, you could've even tied him here with us." Ryan suggested Nidou.
Feng patting his shoulder from behind whispered, "Little one… maybe its parental issues." Ryan nodding his head hunged quiet.
Kenzo squinting his eyes stared jumbled, suddenly his eyes broadening he shrieked, "What the hell?!"
The boys flinched at him alarmed.
"What is it now? Quit screaming out already!" Helios scolded.
"Why in the world is that rascal hanging straight unlike us?!" Kenzo uttered vexed.
"HUH?! Is that what you care about out of everything!?" the rest of them blurted.
"Just shut it!" Helios snapped at Kenzo.
Xavier sighed, "Just look clearly below at his feet your highness. I don't believe that you would want to stand straight on a life and death affair."
"Yeah, just looking down from their just give me chills and if he falls?" Adam shuddered gulping, "Even his hands are tied. Grrh…! Just thinking about it kills me."
Seraph realizing questioned, "Um… politely speaking head coach, did you know how severe the current conditions of jails are right now? Heading towards them, despite knowing that fact if a torture to oneself isn't it?"
Nidou eyeing Alan smirked, "As if he'll let me go there."
"How confident..." Heber said unamused.
Glancing at the middle schoolers Nidou uttered, "You all came over to the top and even collected the materials. So today, look at the ground."
The boys looking downwards saw a bat kept below each place they hanged on.
"Grab the bats and swing them a thousand times with both your right and left hands. That is today's task. Complete it by 10 till night that's the limit. As for those who complete it beforehand… they'll be thrown down. That's it for the explanation, now move it."
Hearing his words the boys stood as white as paper. Souls leaving their bodies, they fainted.
"2000! Swings! And upside down on top of it!! Have you gone crazy?!" Gabriel snapped.
"Yes, I have. And, gladly speaking, stay like this and die. Like I care." Nidou retorted back.
Kenzo on the contrary stretched himself picking his queen up which was twice heavier than other bats, he flinched.
"Haha!" Nidou snickered upon his sight, "Not every king faces an auspicious rule!"
Clicking his tongue annoyed Kenzo ordered, "Grab your bats everyone! And on with it!"
The boys slightly nervous nodded at each other clasping their bat from the ground below. "Um… Sera, Sera… I might be too short to grab that" Adam said embarrassed.
Seraph chuckling on the contrary, passed his bat over to him. "It's not just you Adam." he replied pointing at Ryan who too was helped by Xavier.
"Take mine and get on with it." Seraph convinced.
"By the way… what will he do?" Gabriel pointed at Alan who hunged on the edge of the cliff's tree leisurely.
Nidou grasping a look at him smirked. Alan sensing evil ambiances approaching pondered, "Just what is he thinking now?"
"Hey, you rascal!" Nidou called, "Count their swings!"
Alan who was never good in maths stared at him blank, "Do it on your own, old man! If not from falling down, then I'll surely die of math worms eating my brain."
"Math worms hun?" Cassiel repeated dumb.
Nidou however pulled a ball from his clothes. Looking the boys who continuously swinged their bats, he tossed the ball towards them.
"Whoa!" Azazel uttered baffled as the ball hit his bat out of the blue, aiming straight towards Alan.
"Huh?!" Ezekiel uttered stunned alongside Poseidon and Xavier.
Alan suddenly spotting the flying ball stretched himself upwards as it went past his face and down the cliff. Alan dazed, blinked his eyes soon turning to Nidou who grinned mischievously, "Are you out of you mind?!"
"My mind? Dodge the balls you brat. Think of that as your training." Nidou replied entertained taking out many balls at once from under his pallet.
"Where in the world did he take these many balls out from?" Xavier wondered bemused.
"Unbelievable. Huff… huff, just what kind of a father is he?" Feng panted.
And, so the boys counting their swings panted as their muscles and boys ached.
"I'm done for Captain… vice-captain… I can't take it anymore." Ezekiel gave up. His head dizzy he dangled round and round.
"Come on, it's only afternoon right now… Pant, pant, just how can you be tired so early?" Feng asked exhausted.
Helios glancing at Poseidon swinged his bat restless remembering.
(Flashback yesterday night)
"This is the last pill, Helios. If he gets an attack after this, I'm afraid we won't have anything to control or stabilize his condition with..." Cassiel informed.
"Then… what should I do?" Helios asked back grasping the medicine, "The base consults his doctor for prescriptions every month. I can't get his medicine while I'm away from the base."
"But, we have to do something. The training here is vigorous. If by any means he were to suffer from an attack again, it could even be life threatening. What's more he even got his surgery recently. We don't want to push him back to his previous state again." Xavier continued.
Helios looking at Poseidon who rested before him in agony replied helpless, "I don't know… I don't have a way out. Without, his medicine, I don't know what could happen."
Feng looking at Kenzo assured, "Don't worry Helios. Just give this pill to him now and don't worry. Let's hope for the best."
"Yeah, he's right. Don't let him suffer for now just because of a future cause. You better give it to him and let him rest for a bit." Kenzo agreed.
Seraph dabbing Helios's back beside Ryan and Azazel consoled. "We're here with you don't worry." Heber convinced.
Helios nodding grabbed his water bottle. Alan eavesdropping from the side, gazed at the ground grave. "Poseidon…" he whispered anxious.
(Present)
Alan grasping the approaching balls aimed at him clicked his tongue annoyed. Right and left he dodged as the tree quivered. The middleschoolers puzzled yet helpless stared at Nidou who despite knowing the awful dangers aimed at him mercilessly.
However, even middleschoolers had some crazy juveniles stored within them who enjoyed every single second of his mercilessness. "Haha! Serves you right, you multi-haired rascal!!" Kenzo jeered beside Azazel and Gabriel who enjoyed thrashing the ball.
"How silly…" Xavier exhaled disappointed as Ryan swung his bat silent.
The rabbit wobbling over the branch grasped the rope tightly as Alan dodged. Leaves falling down he stared below.
A sudden clue clicking his brain he smirked. Swinging up and up and up, wildly he shook the entire tree.
"Whoa! What is he doing?" Ryan pointed nervously.
"Don't tell me he is committing suicide now?!" Azazel shrieked while Seraph stared tense.
"Me~ and suicide?" Alan chanted amused.
Stirring wildly and wildly, he summersaulted standing over the tree branch safely. "HAHA!" he groaned cockily.
The rabbit's ears immediately perking up he climbed over his shoulder staring at Nidou and the thirteen boys egoistically. Sitting on the branch Alan grinned, "How's that hun? Now even if my hands are tied, I'll easily deflect your hits."
"Want to see how? Black hole!" he summoned.
The balls still aiming ferociously towards him, all of a sudden a large void opened gobbling all of them and throwing them back at Nidou who caught them single handedly and effortless. Void of space of surrounding him from every corner, Alan sat ardently, his hairs fluttering, he grinned confidently.
"Wow… he looks like a real sovereign now." Adam admired.
Kenzo disgusted looked away, "Such a showoff…"
Nidou smirked.
And, so on, the afternoon passed and evening took over. The thirteen hunged boys still swinged their bats while Alan still dodged the balls right and left. Even his skill black hole had vanished in the end due to endless boredom.
Grasping the sight of fatigue hovering the boys, Alan thought, "They are unyielding. The whole ground below is wet from their sweats yet they are still on it… even Xavier and Poseidon along with the four first years. Even though, a lot is left to cover… I can't keep in."
"Listen up all of you!" he called.
The boys glancing up tired and broke didn't even had the energy in them to reply.
"Stop for a while and take a deep breath. Then grasp your bat from the innermost side and twist your wrists more. This might be an exercise for arm control however, your wrist are your asset. Rather than wasting your energy conserve it." he advised.
Cassiel and Seraph nodding did as he instructed beside Xavier, Feng and Poseidon.
Nidou clicked his tongue, "You punk! Can't you stay quiet?"