Similarly, Karachi's pavilion was as silent as a graveyard. The middle schoolers stood in disbelief, unable to accept the sudden turn of events, while the high schoolers remained solemn. Mir and Musa gazed at the pitch with expressionless faces, while Seles glanced at the boys anxiously.
"Eight more runs on the last ball, right?" Ryan gulped.
"That's impossible..." Ezekiel muttered, discouraged.
"Only if Islamabad gives no extras," Orion added, his usual mischief gone.
Rauf closed his eyes, grinding his teeth.
As the final ball of the over approached, the entire stadium chanted Islamabad's name. Helios, with his Pinnacle fading, stood numb at the crease, waiting for last delivery.
Juhan delivered an inswinger aimed at his feet as Helios managed to play a shot towards Long Off, but it only resulted in a single. Rovan gleefully grabbed the ball and tossed it into the air, celebrating.
Finally, the crown's rightful owner had been determined—Islamabad United had won the match.
"And that's it, folks! Karachi Kings fall short, needing two sixes in the final two deliveries. Islamabad has held their nerve, winning by 7 runs! Heartbreak for Karachi, so close yet so far, but Islamabad's fielding brilliance has secured the victory!" Maaz exclaimed.
In Karachi's pavilion, Elias sat back on his seat, his expression bitter. Aaron patted his shoulder, upset himself beside Aigou, Isa, Haris, Evan and the rest. Nidou's expression dissatisfied and indifferent he downed the sports drink.
Soon Kenzo's golden aura faded away as Alan turned to him. Kenzo's eyelashes lowered, a look of defeat and disappointment crossing his face. An expression Alan never thought he'd see on him, someone who's always so proud and dominant. It was clear that the king had been defeated by the angel.
Alan cast a glance at Romeo, who responded with a smirk, flashing a
On the field, Kazuna removed his helmet, his gaze dropping to the ground, sweat trickled down his hairs, "I apologize, Isa..." he whispered.
Helios, standing at the non-striker's end, gripped his bat loosely, staring at the spot where his dream six had turned into a mere four.
Islamabad players celebrated wildly, the energy in the stadium shifting in their favor as their spirit won the day in this thrilling, hard-fought match.
"And there we have it! Islamabad United are once again poised to raise Pakistan's flag high in the upcoming World Cup! The reigning champions have demonstrated their strength yet again…" the commentator's voice boomed as Nagi turned off his tablet.
Helios, weary and heartbroken, walked back to the pavilion alongside Kazuna. Poseidon and Ezekiel stepped forward to support him, but upon seeing the pain in his expression, the middle schoolers couldn't hold back their tears.
Standing next to Kenzo, Helios opened his mouth to speak, but the words faltered, his lips trembling. Without a word, Seraph wrapped him in a comforting embrace, while Feng gently patted his back.
Adam discreetly wiped away his own tears as Xavier ruffled his hair, trying to lift his spirits. Ryan bit his lip, his frustration evident. Kazuna exchanged somber glances with the high schoolers, all of them equally at a loss for words.
Isa stared down at his hands in frustration. "Once again... I lost. I still couldn't lead them the way I should." he thought. His vision blurred as he gritted his teeth, fighting back his tears. Zachariah placed a concerned hand on his shoulder.
The crowd outside roared with celebration, but inside the pavilion, Alan clenched his fists in anguish. "It's not over yet…" Alan muttered, more to himself than anyone else, "It's definitely not over!"
As the stadium buzzed with preparations for the awards ceremony, reporters, commentators, and match organizers flooded the field, discussing the recently concluded match.
Soon, Islamabad's team jubilantly approached Karachi's pavilion. Nidou, Mir, Evan, and Rauf entered the ground, first meeting the coaches before congratulating the victorious team.
Meanwhile, Helios sat quietly, still in shock, a cold towel draped over his head as the replay of the match tormented his thoughts. Kenzo remained equally still, frozen in place since the defeat. Ibn Sena, Venus, Emaad, Mikael, and Basid stood near the boundary in front of Kenzo.
"Kenzo ShahJahan... still struggling to accept your loss?" Ibn Sena asked, extending a hand.
Xavier shot him a glare, while Ryan, Poseidon, Adam, Feng, and Seraph all frowned in unison.
Kenzo, however, didn't react.
"Tch, denying it won't help. It's better you accept quickly that we're way ahead of you," Azam grinned, mischief dancing in his eyes.
Sensing the rising tension, Senri nervously added, "Maybe this isn't the best time, right?"
"Indeed," Wasif agreed with a smirk, turning to Isa, who sat alone in the upper stands, "So, Captain Isa, can you answer in their stead? What's your take?"
Isa recognized the provocation for what it was, masking his irritation with a smile, "Yes, we lost. But we're far from done. Let's hope for another match soon."
"Absolutely," Asim replied knowingly, while Orion, clearly irritated, struggled to maintain his composure. "This glasses punk..." he thought, annoyed.
Aaron narrowed his eyes in frustration, while Venus grinned slyly. "Well, tough luck on losing. Better luck next time." Venus said.
Basid waved cheerfully at Adam, "See you, Adam! Make sure to win all your matches so you can face us again."
Mikael, Emaad, Hamza, and Murad waved as they walked off, their taunting smirks obvious.
The Karachi middle schoolers stood silently as Ibn Sena smirked and said, "Next time, Kenzo. I want to face you at your best. Don't lose again." With a sarcastic grin, he added, "Not that I'll let you win though."
Kenzo's patience finally snapped. A slow grin crept across his face before growing into a chuckle that echoed through the pavilion, drawing everyone's attention.
Alan blinked, startled.
"Has he lost it?" Seon Yul wondered aloud, while Leif tensed.
Kenzo's laughter subsided as he shot a chilling glare at Ibn Sena, causing him to take a step back, while Venus and Basid stiffened beside him.
Alan exhaled in relief, feeling a strange comfort.
"Who the hell do you think you're challenging so arrogantly, huh?" Kenzo declared, his usual haughty grin returning.
The change in his demeanor reignited the middle schoolers' spirits. Helios's eyes widened in surprise, and Seraph crossed his arms with a smirk.
"Finally." Gabriel taunted Ibn Sena and the others, "You've crossed the line now. I'd back off if I were you, before we remind you whose territory this is."
Shoving his hands into his pockets, Kenzo stepped forward, addressing Islamabad's players with unwavering confidence, "We lost, but we're not running away. Get ready, because we'll meet again under the floodlights soon, and I swear it won't be the same result."
Rauf and Nidou exchanged impressed glances, admiring his unexpected defiance while Romeo, Ulhas and Hamit looked at Kenzo seriously.
"Kenzo..." Xavier whispered, while Elias, Isa, Aigou, Senri, Haruf, and Kazuna listened, intrigued.
A pleased grin spread across Alan's face as Kenzo continued, "A match worse than this? A defeat more crushing? I'll make sure you feel it. You haven't even faced me yet. How dare you assume my loss before I've stepped onto the field?"
Then, turning his gaze to Romeo, he locked eyes with him. "And you... Don't forget, I never lose to the same opponent twice. Especially not in chess."
Romeo grinned, his purple eyes radiating intimidation.
Kenzo defiantly lifted his chin, glaring back at him. "If glares could kill, we'd have been dead ages ago, don't you think, Head Coach Nidou?"
Nidou and Alan exchanged amused glances at Kenzo's clever repetition of Nidou's once spoken words, both bursting into laughter beside a speechless Seles.
Wasif whistled, shattering the unusual tension in the air.
"Seriously, this kid…" Haris, Musa, Pedro and Damian sighed in exasperation at Kenzo.
"Honestly, Kenzo, your silence was unnerving. Give us a heads-up when you're back in the game," Feng joked, pushing his hair back with a determined glint in his eyes.
Seraph stood beside Kenzo, exuding a challenging aura. "So, are we back to normal?" he asked with a sly smile.
Looking up at the night sky, Kenzo asked, "What do you think, Helios Zadeh?"
Poseidon glanced at Helios, who now sat confidently on the bench with his jacket draped over his shoulders, his hairs fluttering with the cold wind, a fierce grin rested on his face. "Yeah, we're on," he confirmed.
Ezekiel, Adam, Ryan, Azazel, Heber, and Cassiel clapped their hands together, their spirits fully revived.
Alan and the high schoolers, stunned by the sudden shift in energy, simply stared.
"What's wrong? Speechless?" Kenzo teased Ibn Sena, who now wore a frown.
"Come on, everyone." With that, Kenzo turned and grabbed his gear bag leaving while the middle schoolers followed.
"Hey, where are you going?" Musa asked, confused.
"Back to the bus, Coach Musa," Helios replied with a smile.
"And if you're done draping garlands around the 'Winners' necks, feel free to join us," Kenzo added mockingly, winking at Isa and the other high schoolers.
Murad, Emaad, and Nolan clenched their jaws in displeasure, while Rovan yawned, smiling and clearly unbothered.
Nonetheless, "This idiot…", Nagi, Elias, and Ren thought simultaneously, while Aigou and Noah giggled.
"Victory is still victory, Karachi middle schoolers. Don't forget the fact that you lost while we won," Seon Yul called out.
Poseidon glanced and smirked, "Oh yeah? Then enjoy your title while it lasts." soon walking away.
"I'll be waiting for you, Kenzo," Romeo said as Kenzo was leaving.
Kenzo grinned, looking back, "Nope, I'll be the one waiting for you now, preceding champions, Captain. Let's see if you even have the guts to face us again."
With this their silhouettes slowly disappeared into the night.