"That's not good…" Ezekiel whispered. "Are you thinking what I am thinking, Captain?" he turned to Helios.
"Maybe…" Helios replied solemn.
Aaron casually brought up a matter, saying, "There's something about that boy, like he possesses a Realm, right?"
"A Realm?!" Heber, Mikael, Poseidon and Adam exclaimed simultaneously.
"Which one is it, Vice-Captain?" Aaron asked looking at Rauf and Evan in the front.
"Realm of Irreversibility in other words 'No Return'." Evandor replied stern.
"Oh dear, just hearing the name gives me chills." Noah shuddered, "But is it me or many youngsters have Realm's nowadays?"
Aaron shrugged his shoulders.
"Irreversibility?" Poseidon probed further.
"It is one of the Realm's which is known greatly for its endurance. Once activated by the user, it cannot be hidden, dissolved or reversed until the player gets out or the match ends. Assume as if you've signed a contract with the devil and he won't let you go until he achieves what he wants." Evan explained.
"You mean… he can't dissolve his realm once activated?" Ryan asked.
"Yup, he has to endure and discover his realm until the entire match concludes. Quite ruthless, huh?" Pedro smirked, "Not many have the determination to acquire it, but that child might just turn out to be extraordinary."
"That's why this realm stands as the pinnacle in amplifying the user's capabilities to the utmost, even at the cost of completely wearing out the user." Seles added.
"Scary…" Damian gulped.
"Seriously, just why did he had to activate it right now of all times." Heber smacked his forehead irritated instead.
Helios smiled awkwardly as the commentator's voice took their attention, "A SIX! Towards the straight long on!! Didn't see that coming through; but after Iosif Yaroslav, Humayun Arif has sprung into action!"
Humayun's maroon brown hairs fluttering, he removed his helmet revealing a pairs of glowing blue orbs with a translucent mist surrounding him, a calm grin resting his face he whispered, "Next."
As if he was testing the fielding side, Azazel sweated, his heart thumping fast. "What the hell…" he fidgeted his eyes left and right, heading back.
A single accumulated in the last two deliveries. Azazel handed the ball to the umpire, heading to the powerplay ending break. Peshawar's target 54 at a loss of single wicket after the powerplay. Karachi's boys stood around in a circle reenergizing themselves.
"A Realm user hun…" Seraph exhaled wiping his sweat.
Helios taking the sport drink bottles back smiled, "Come on, no need to look so down. I know you will do it."
"Yeah." Adam added, "You just have to find their weakness and attack!"
"We will but Peshawar only needs 120 runs in 84 legal deliveries. Only 36 more runs to level against the deliveries. And with the momentum they are playing, I don't think…" Feng said as Alan interrupted, "That's enough."
The boys turned to him silent.
"The way you are talking right now. You don't look like my boys at all. What's wrong? Just because some of your teammates didn't join you this time, will you lose hope and break so early?" he questioned disappointed.
Poseidon glanced at Ryan and Adam anxious as the highschoolers glanced at each other wordless.
"Where's your aura like that of the last match? Where is your over confidence? At this time… what should you do? What have you always done? Don't tell me you have forgotten?" Alan inquired, his gaze narrowed and voice slightly raised, conveyed a sense of severity.
Kenzo clenched his fists.
Xavier smiled, "By any means… are you angry, Alan?"
Alan exhaled, "What else? Do I look ecstatic instead?"
Cassiel immediately took a deep breath in clapping his face with his hands, "Alright, that's enough. I think we are drowning deeper and deeper into despair for some reason when we don't have the slightest need to do so. We just went through the powerplay not the entire match, yeah!" he encouraged himself and everyone around.
"About the Realm, what were you saying, Senior Isa?" Feng questioned.
"Realm of Irreversibility can't be reversed, right?" Isa asked.
"Hm." the middleschoolers replied.
"That's where the fault lies. Every single thing has pros and cons and that goes for Realms too. If a realm takes toll on the user's body, the user might show some weaknesses. For example; losing control over one of his 5 senses. He might perform best from one side but a little ineptly from the other. As if being aggressive from one point but not defensive from the other. You just have to find a fault from that little difference." Isa explained, "It might be hard but not impossible."
"But… is that how it works for Xavier's precisions too? Because once he uses unlimited upgrade. We can't find a single fault in his play." Kenzo asked.
"You can't find faults until his Realm lasts. There would be a point where he stops using it, right? Or else, he might deplete himself completely." Isa recalled.
"Right…" Seraph whispered, "I think I get it."
Aigou smiled, "Of course you will. We are the ones to teach you after all." he winked.
The middleschoolers headed back unimpressed.
"Senior Senri." Feng called.
Senri who was continuously staring at the field nodded without looking at him, "Hm?"
"Shall we go back? Time's up." Feng asked.
"Yup, off you go and take your positions. Ren will have the next over." Senri informed.
Feng nodded, heading in. The powerplay break ending, fielding positions once again changed. Feng: Long on, Seraph: Third man, Nagi: Fine leg, Cassiel: Deep cover, Xavier: point, Azazel: Extra cover, Kenzo: Square leg and Gabriel: Deep mid-wicket along with Elias with his wicket keeping position, the over was handed to Ren.
Kazuna stepping down from his seat stood beside Senri inquiring, "What's up?"
Senri smiled, "Who knows? I just feel… weird." "Weird?" Kazuna repeated puzzled, "Is it because you are playing with them for the first time?" he looked at the middleschoolers on the field.
Senri shrugged his shoulders clueless, turning around. His gaze meeting Rauf's for a split second he jested, "Rendered speechless, boss?"
Rauf's gaze apathetic and expression unmoved Senri chuckled, "Haiz, I wonder what expression you will hold once I lose this match. Same as this one or will you be mad? Or… you won't believe it's me, right?"
Isa and Noah blinked over his unusual words, "Senri…?"
Zachariah too furrowed his gaze.
Aaron gulped, "Is he feeling alright…? He is the last person to say this."
Alan stared expressionless while Kazuna uttered confused, "Hey, Senri, what's wrong?"
However, Rauf interrupted raising his brow. The wind blowing slightly cold, his azure blue gaze sharp as if looking down, he uttered, "Are you going to lose then…? Disappointing isn't it? Coming from you." His voice slightly of disbelief exact opposite of the expression he held. From his expression it was clear, he was looking down upon him.
"Dear goodness…" Haris looked away, hiding his face beside Lou wang.
As if a hammer spanked to the nerve, Senri glared. Suddenly giving out chilling laughter. "Haha! Oh dear~ oh dear~ you got me." his voice chilling, "You can't be hated more, boss. Words of honey and lessons of abhorrence. Very well done." he waved, heading inside the ground.
Alan grasping the complexity of their words gently caressed Will's fur beside the clueless and surprised middleschoolers.
Kazuna gritting his teeth uttered at Rauf, "You bastard."
Rauf rolling his eyes looked away.
Evan exhaling, sat straight while the coaches on the contrary failed to process what had happened.
"Nidou… I think I get it." Musa whispered.
"What?" Nidou asked.
"The reason why you are stuck in the same designation for years…" Musa finally realised his hardship.
Humayun taking the batting crease looked forward as Ren delivered the first ball of the 7th over. A shot played towards the mid-on, he took a run. Further two dots played by Siraj.
Ren went back, twirling his ball, he stepped on the popping crease, leaving it. HIs posture slightly falling towards the ground, the middleschoolers studied him confused. "I thought he was about to fall for a moment." Xavier thought.
The ball spinning, Siraj stuck it between the deep mid-wicket and cow corner for a 4. "Tch, he changed to his left hand. No wonder, he's annoying." Gabriel grabbed the ball from the boundary throwing it back.
Ren keeping his hand on his mouth wondered. Grabbing the ball back, Senri patted his back. Ren nodded.
Delivering the 5th ball of the over, he stepped on the popping crease leaving the ball. Compared to his previous deliveries the ball went drastically slower. Siraj narrowed his gaze hitting it towards the Mid-on taking 2 runs comfortably.
Feng retreiving the ball rubbed it on his thigh, soon throwing it to Senri. Ren practicing his grip, stood ready to deliver the last ball of the over. "Sedate Replica…" he whispered stepping on the popping crease and leaving the ball ever so lightly as if not even thrown.
Tapping on the crease a little high, it spun very lightly. Siraj taking the chance aimed for a six prompting an awaited smirk from Ren, "Bingo."
The ball immediately changed its direction slightly towards the leg side before Siraj could swing his bat. Rather than being struck on the bat's middle part it struck towards the edge going high. Siraj gasped puzzled.
"A chance!" the middleschoolers gasped from the pavilion as Elias stared at the ball rushing underneath it, Xavier and Kenzo covering him up. The ball as light as a feather, landed in Elias's gloves.