Nidou staring at the certificate stood up. "I took it didn't I?" "The responsibility for the world cup that is. I did that once before too but lost the chance to win. Why don't you for once stop worrying, Mir?" he glanced confidently.
Mir tracing the hidden yet confident resolve in his eyes too stood up, "I am not worrying. Don't be mistaken. I just don't want this chance to slip of our hands too."
"So you'll take my side then?" Nidou teased.
Mir twitched his brow. "I don't have a choice or do I? Even if it disgusts me." he headed out of the room.
Nidou surprised laughed, "Haha!!" Following him he called, "Seles, Yusuf, we are heading to the stadium. Call Drake and Kortes too and don't forget to take my sport drinks."
Seles nodded. Looking at Yusuf he spoke, "Very well. I'll try to find a solution. Even though it's troubling, I'll make sure he gets healthy in no time."
Yusuf smiled relieved, "Thank you."
"No need." Seles headed out. The rabbit hiding in his white lab coat pocket peeked at the Nidou's shadow. "He is my base's child that makes him my child too. I'll make sure he is stays healthy and spirited no matter what." Seles assured.
(PAKISTAN)= (International Cricket Training Camp of Pakistan (Sindh District) for Juveniles [Stadium 4])
Highschoolers, middle schoolers, coaches, instructors and the base's staff all gathered in the fourth stadium made preparations. Ground, pitch, screens and umpires all set. Middle schoolers and highschoolers settling on different pavillions with coaches and instructors at the front observers seats all got ready for the decisive battle.
"Did you all get it?" Damian asked. Kenzo nodded.
"Don't fret, Damian. Every single word is noted down in this king's mind." he assured him and the rest of the middle schoolers who seated themselves on the audience's seat soon heading towards the rest eleven who waited on the ground.
"Best of luck." Jonah cheered.
Standing together Helios spoke, "Alright, the team members are Adam, Seraph, Azazel, Ezekiel, Heber, me, Kenzo, Feng, Gabriel, Xavier and Ryan. Poseidon will be our substitute in case of any adversity. Moreover, Cassiel will be recording and listing down our entire experience from there…" he pointed towards the audience's seat from where Cassiel and Poseidon waved.
"As for the balling and batting orders now. For our balling
"Yes!" Feng agreed.
"As for the ballers we'll have Azazel, Gabriel, Helios, Xavier and Seraph. And the order is: First two overs or the double over for Helios, third for Gabriel, fourth for Azazel, fifth for Helios, sixth for Azazel again, seventh Gabriel, eighth Seraph, ninth Helios and tenth for Azazel. In which Helios will complete all his overs in the first half." Kenzo informed, "As for the second half of the same innings eleventh for Xavier, twelfth for Gabriel, thirteenth for Azazel, fourteenth Seraph, fifteenth Xavier, sixteenth Seraph, seventeenth Xavier, eighteenth for Seraph again with nineteenth again for Xavier with the last one for Gabriel completing the entire first half of the match. Got that?"
"Wow, confusing…" Adam's head spun.
"No need to make things jumble things up, just write your overs in your palms." Helios advised writing with a pen as the rest copied the exact.
"As for the batting order…" Xavier read from the paper Cassiel handed, "Our openers will be Heber and Ezekiel. Afterwards, we'll have Adam, Feng, Kenzo, Ryan, Helios, Seraph, myself and Gabriel in line."
"Tch, why am I on sixth? I won't even get to ball." Ryan uttered discontented.
"It's alright, Cassiel made this order very carefully. Let's beat the highschoolers first. Then we'll make sure to give you balling and batting more in the next matches." Xavier consoled ruffling his hairs.
"Alright…" Ryan agreed.
Kenzo rolled his eyes, "Who'll go for the toss then?"
"You'll go, of course." Heber replied obvious.
"Tch, I don't want to. You go Helios." Kenzo rejected, "You are the Captain. Go ahead."
Helios smiled awkwardly, "I'll go then."
"Me too! I'll follow." Adam jumped soon following. The two of them walking over to the highschoolers who waited for the toss.
Helios glanced at Alan standing alongside the highschoolers meeting his glance Alan nodded smiling. Helios recalled...
"What about you Alan?" Heber inquired.
"Hm?" Alan asked.
"What will you do now?" Heber repeated.
"Take a wonderful rest and watch you all play and what else?" Alan replied obvious.
"You won't be playing from the highschoolers side?" Seraph inquired.
"No. I am just going to determine your progress against the highschoolers. I have already played with you enough. Moreover, I just want to chill right now." Alan said.
Kenzo rolled his eyes, "Tch, useless."
"Glad to be one, your highness. Beside you, even I have worked hard all this time." Alan debated, "However, ask me anything you want. I'll make sure to guide you." "And remember one more thing…" Alan turned around. Tracing the thirteen of them earnestly he claimed, "I am on your side supporting you no matter what. So show me evolutions! "
The boys remained stunned for a moment.
"The highschoolers…?" Ryan murmured.
"The entire stadium is their supporter. Coaches, instructors and base's staff. Excluding the other middleschoolers even Rauf, Evan and Haruf themselves are by their side. No need to worry about them." Alan assured walking ahead.
Xavier and Poseidon smiled. "But they supported you back then when you played with us… is that really right?" Feng asked slightly anxious.
Alan surprised turned around, "You worried about them?"
"Nope, not at all." Cassiel interrupted clearing themselves from the 'worried' statement.
"You're right... but wrong as well. We are talking about highschoolers here. They have seen many faces of the world. Getting dejected on taking someone else's side is foolish to even think of." Alan stated.
"Shining even when no one is calling your name… is where a player's true victory is reflected." he advised full of experience and skill. A peculiar atmosphere striking over every single word of his. Helios looked at him silent.
____
"He is really, really… strange." he headed to the coin toss area.
"Rauf said, our team members are Nagi, Ren, Zachariah, Isa, me, Aigou, Senri, Noah, Orion, Kazuna and Rauf himself. Aaron, Haruf and Evan are substitutes. Though, I bet we won't be needing them at all." Elias summarized.
"To think Rauf would be playing. They should really feel honored." Ren scoffed.
"Rauf hun… he would seriously be the last one on the batting line. Useless! And take the last overs of balling in the entire innings. Useless again!" Noah uttered cross repeating Rauf's usual deliberate habit.
"Haha." Aigou laughed, "That's just so like him. Don't worry it suits him a lot."
Noah twitched his brow, "Suit my foot!"
A little further from them Orion pointed at himself speechless, "I should do the toss?! "
"Nope, take back your words Isa. He might kill one of them." Senri uttered blatant.
Isa grabbed his forehead, "Yeah right. How can I forget that…?"
"I don't think I am that bad." Orion twitched his brow offended.
"I'll do it." Kazuna volunteered.
"Really?" Isa asked relived. Kazuna nodding headed over to Helios.
Helios and Kazuna stood before each other, prepared for the toss. "Head or tails?" Evan questioned.
"Choose tails, Helios." Adam tugged his shirt. "Tails." Helios followed.
"Head." Kazuna added.
Evan flung the coin up as soon as the two ended. Alan witnessing the sight stood stern. Grasping the coin in his hand again, Evan opened his palm. Revealing a tails. Adam gleamed, "Yay! I told you!"
Helios nodded, "We'll chose to field."
"Alright." Kazuna headed back.
Waking towards the highschoolers he gestured an okay sign which Senri read, "Looks like it's our batting everyone." The highschoolers nodding positioned themselves.
"Come on! We are heading to field everyone." Adam waved at the middle schoolers who upon his call made their way inside the ground warming up.
Alan walked towards the coaches. Tracing Nidou, Seles and Yusuf he headed up however, instantly halted at Mir's sight. His expression widening he gulped, "Chief Counsellor Mir…? "
Mir shifting his gaze towards Alan frowned which Alan immediately evaded, "He's… back? That means…!" he glanced back curious only to find that same abhorred gaze staring back.
"Wow, what a look. I am speechless. I didn't even take a clear look at him and here I am already looking away." he exhaled cautious, "But still… I can't evade our meeting even if he hates me."
Alan taking a deep breath walked over. Standing before Nidou and Mir he greeted, "Good to see you after long, Chief Counselor Mir. I hope you are in high spirits."
Mir frowned looking away, "Seems like you have been doing great as well, Alan Rex Lorenzo."
The atmosphere between the two heavy, Alan glanced at Nidou who glanced back at him and then Mir silent. Seles sitting above blinked twice anxious. Alan tracing Yusuf beside him gently lowered his head paying respects which Yusuf in turn returned.
"All thanks to the All-Mighty, I am great and well." Alan sat on the seats before the two of them. Instantly tracing Rauf's sight he stood up heading down once more.