"This can't be…" Noah gulped, wide-eyed. "Did you just see that…?" he asked, bewildered.
"We did. And this is the difference between our levels now," Evan simply stated.
A flare had lit Ezekiel's eyes. "That was the Charm of Paralysis…?" he asked.
"Yes. You finally saw it," Seraph confirmed.
Ezekiel looked down, gritting his teeth in frustration, "Yeah, too bad I saw it when someone just overcame it."
Alan narrowed his gaze, remaining silent.
"But I thought Rovan wouldn't be able to move from the non-striker's end for the entire over…?" Mikael asked.
"How could he not move, when he wasn't trapped in the first place?" Ren interjected.
The middle schoolers turned to him startled.
"You mean he feigned it…?" Cassiel asked.
"Indeed. Did you little ones know that Rovan is called 'The Wizard of Cricket'? If a wizard couldn't overturn a simple charming spell, why would he be called that?" Haruf asked.
"Counter strike," Elias informed. "A defensive skill that reflects the skill back on its user before it could make contact with the target. Right now, Poseidon Agiel is caught in his own 'Charm of Paralysis'. Unable to move at all."
"It wasn't a feint, Sea King. Your Charm of Paralysis is also conquered." Rovan simply stated, stretching his arms, wearily.
"How…?" Poseidon just asked. His voice cracked, shoulders dropping low, the mark on his forehead disappearing and the least bit of hope he carried within his eyes all lost.
"You failed to charm the correct person, Charmer. That's why." Rovan responded pointing towards Seon Yul, "The one who is taking runs, scoring and batting this entire over is Seon Yul not me, so what was the point of Paralyzing me? And, when Seon Yul took your attention you just forgot that you had paralyzed me too, which weakened your ability and freed me."
Poseidon shook his head, "Nope… there was something else as well. If there wasn't how could I not move at all right now?"
Rovan exhaled, "Counter Strike."
"I knew it." Poseidon bleakly smiled. "Once you dissolve your entire skill, you can move once more."
Poseidon exhaled, even after losing everything, a smile of endurance was evident. "Did you thought, I hadn't gone through what I make my opponents go through?" he asked.
"Someone who has fought weakness, pain, numbness and paralysis all over his body ever since a child…" Poseidon told, forcefully raising his feet up and going back. The trident shone once again and the sea stood before Rovan, mighty and strong. He continued, "Doesn't need to dissolve his ability to endure it."
Rovan's stared dazed while Poseidon could finally feel the least bit of strength left in his legs to deliver the last ball of the over.
"Vice-Captain…?" Ezekiel swallowed in disbelief. A sudden thumping overtaking his chest, anger arose within him. Ezekiel clenched his fists tight, declaring, "How dare they… I won't leave them… I won't leave them… just you wait…" His eyes turning colorless and cold.
Senri, glanced at him, surprised.
"Forceful agitation…?" Kenzo realized turning around, immediately calling him, "Ezekiel, come here."
Ezekiel however, gave a cold sneer, "What? You gonna stop me?"
"Hey, stop it!" Adam entered the pavilion, shoving the cans in Seraph's hand and standing beside Ezekiel shaking him harshly. "Don't be angry right now and snap out of it! You can't do anything!" he said nervously.
"Tch." Kenzo walked over to the seats.
Ezekiel, grabbed Adam's arm tightly, pushing him back, "OH~? I can't?" Ezekiel asked menacingly. A translucent silvery mist surrounding, him his hairs began to turn white.
Ren, Noah, Orion and Evan stood up confused.
"Hey, stop it Ezekiel." Gabriel tried to free his grasp from Adam's arm.
"OUCH!" Adam hissed.
Seraph sensing the severity of the mood, kept the cans aside.
Soon, Kenzo stood before Ezekiel and raised his arm ready to knock him out, but before he could hit him.
Senri had intervened. Clapping his hand against Kenzo's, he first stopped him and immediately pulled Adam towards him. His arm, kept across Adam's shoulders.
Adam looked at him puzzled, "Sen, Sen…?"
Raising his index finger up in the sky, Senri playfully asked, "LOOK OVER THERE~!"
Ezekiel's attention suddenly diverting at the sky.
Adam too looked up.
Senri, once again changed his finger's movement pointing towards the left, "No, no, Over there."
Ezekiel instantly looked left.
Senri's smile widening, he changed the direction of his finger once more, this time towards the right, "Oops, not there, over there, over there."
Ezekiel foolishly looked right.
A few movements more and frustration filled Ezekiel's head as he shrieked completely embarrassed, "What the hell are you doing?!"
His grip on Adam's arms immediately loosening, the mist vanished reverting him back to his normal appearance.
"Pfft! HAHA!" Senri laughed loudly.
"Hehe." Haruf followed.
Elias and Nagi, breathed a sigh of relief while Zachariah shook his head, speechless.
"You suck! To think you lost to him like this, Haha!" Orion chortled.
Evan exhaled beside Rauf who paid no attention at all.
Seles sighed while Nidou and Mir looked at them unamused. Haris and Lou Wang looked at them puzzled.
"Sigh~ even Zachariah is not that bad." Alan said.
Zachariah remained unmoved.
"That's the reason Helios drowns you in the river, Ezekiel. Now I get it." Senri ruffled his hairs, caringly, "It's alright… your Captain and Vice-Captain are strong. There's no need for you to take their place." He assured.
Ezekiel looked low, about to cry any moment now. Only a tearful apology escaped his lips, "I'm sorry…"
Kenzo, glanced at Senri, wondering, "He… knew?"
Adam feeling upset for him patted his arm consolingly, "It's alright. I am not hurt at all."
"By the way what was that?" Mikael asked, gesturing his finger left and right.
Senri blinked, soon pointing towards the right, questioning, "That?"
Mikael looked at the right, confused. Only, once he had looked did he realize that he was played by Senri.
"Pft!" Senri chuckled, hiding his mouth while Mikael stood embarrassed, twitching his brow.
"Forget it. No one can beat him in this." Ren exhaled.
"Even Vice boss Evan lost." Nagi scratched his hairs.
"Senri's infamous 'Look Point Game'. A Japanese child play. You have to see in opposite direction of where he points to or else you lose. Moreover, it's impossible to win as fast as he points. And, no matter how fast someone plays with him, he never loses." Nagi exhaled.
"Elias and Kazuna always lose, despite being the smartest." Orion told.
The middle schoolers looked at each other wordless intrigued.
Adam however, amused, grabbed Senri's arm asking, "Play with me too! I will win! I will win!"
Senri chuckled, ruffling his hairs however, their attention was immediately stolen by a tremendous six which was struck by Seon Yul on the last ball towards deep cover.
Islamabad had accumulated 108 runs with the loss of 2 wickets.
"Poseidon's timing was a mess and not just timing he couldn't get the length right as well." Musa observed.
"Coach Musa, I think the fact that he is even standing tall on the pitch despite his condition is more than enough, to salute." Haris replied.
"Hm, it's good that he took his medicine however, I am concerned about his current state very much." Seles added.
Musa, observed Poseidon silently. "It will take time…" he thought.
The boys coming over together, Helios rushed to Poseidon. Poseidon standing wearily before Aaron, his head hanging low, his hairs hid his countenance. Aaron, anxious to step forward stood before him silent. A moment of the same helplessness Poseidon seemed to be feeling now nostalgically overlapped the one from past as he recalled…
_____
Sobs and cries harder than in agony wracked him as he wept, frantically wiping away his tears, hoping they might stop, they should stop, wishing they had never fallen in the first place. Poseidon hid his face, crying helplessly. The IV drip continued its steady drips as seconds passed, the cannula placed in veins on both his hands. His weak hands trembled. Sitting on the hospital bed, feeling utterly helpless, he heard a voice beside him, equally broken and hurting.
"Stop it… Poseidon… you're only hurting yourself more."
Poseidon shook his head vehemently. "No! hic-hic, not today… I will cry, sob… sob and never cry again!" he protested. "I am… tired, hic-hic, fed up, Heli. I want to do something. I can't live? I'll die before I turn 20? Then, I want the whole world to hear my answer, I don't care! I don't want to live! I-I am tired!" he cried out, "At first, it didn't matter, but ever since I met you, Ezekiel, and everyone else. Ever since, I started dreaming of playing the World Cup with you all. All I want now is to play, study, become someone important! Enjoy everything with you, hic-hic… take care of Mom and Dad, and make a lot of friends! I- I don't want to die! I don't want to leave anyone… sob…"
Helios grabbed his arm, sniffing, "You won't… I assure you…"
Poseidon shook his head, disagreeing, "I will! I will! Because… that's the bitter truth, Heli." He looked at him, broken. His porcelain skin flushed red like a burning flame, tears cascaded down his frightened blue eyes.
Helios's hands quivered, his heart thumping painfully in his chest, tears streaming from his shaken purple gaze. For the very first time, the strongest patient, he had met in his life had crumbled before him, helpless in the face of an uncertain future.
"Tell me, Heli, when someone becomes helpless in the face of destiny, what should they do? Besides praying… what else can they do?" Poseidon asked, gripping Helios's sleeves tightly. A fierce determination burned in his eyes as he added angrily, "And don't you dare tell me to just go along with it!"
Helios, raising his hand, wiped his tears, then gently wiped Poseidon's next.
Light hiccups escaped Poseidon's throat as he waited intently for an answer.
"Poseidon Agiel… that person should stand before destiny with the same fire that's in your eyes right now and say clearly, 'Till my last breath, I won't give up!' So, never ever give up, my brother." Helios advised, the last ray of the day illuminating his unwavering conviction.
Poseidon gasped, stunned yet filled with a renewed hope to try once more.
_____