"Well, I'm impressed. They recovered quicker than expected," Seon Yul remarked as he took a seat.
Alan, gazing down the path the middle schoolers had taken, wondered, "Recovered? I don't think so." he followed them out.
"Leaving?" Romeo asked, causing Alan to pause in his tracks.
"Yeah," Alan replied without looking back, "Make sure to say hello to Maria for me."
"Sure," was Romeo's only response.
"Alan, here you go." Yusuf called, suddenly throwing a pair of keys towards him.
Alan nodded as he left, "Thanks."
_____
As the middle schoolers exited the dressing room, they walked down the hallway with heavy steps. Silence enveloped them, and their expressions fell once more.
"S-ay…" Adam grasped Seraph's and Ryan's hand, halting the others in their tracks, "A-re we really over this…? Because even though I didn't play, my heart still hurts." Tears welled in the corners of his eyes.
Helios bit his lip. Seraph, Kenzo, Azazel, Heber, and the rest remained silent, each deeply aware that this loss wouldn't be easily forgotten. Their words before were mere reassurances, but the pain lingered far too deeply to be overcome so simply.
"Well, that's how it goes, doesn't it? One meaningless loss, and here you all are broken, sulking, and shattered," a familiar voice interrupted, the scorn in his tone unmistakable.
Azazel recognized it instantly, his face turning pale. "Grandpa…" he whispered. Relief washed over him, though, as he saw Hoor, Haris, and Ahmed behind him.
"Mama!" Azazel called, stepping forward, but Hoor shook her head, stepping back with a look of anxiousness. Her silent gesture told him not to come closer.
Azazel hesitated, stepping back slowly until he stood behind Kenzo, Heber, Damian, and Helios. He knew all too well that if he went to her now, he would lose this side of his life—his friends, his hope and his dream. The thought alone sent chills down his spine.
Kenzo and Gabriel exchanged a sharp glance, their expressions hardening as they looked at Azher.
"I assume you remember our deal, Azazel? You lost this match, and frankly, I didn't see any progress from you at all. You've wasted enough of my time." Azher's voice was cold and displeased, "This only leaves us one option. You're coming back to Karachi with us."
Azazel's eyes widened in shock as he stumbled backward, eventually hiding behind Feng. His hands trembled as he whispered, "No... no…"
Azher frowned at Azazel's reaction, while Ahmed looked down at the ground, clenching his fists in frustration.
"Sir, I think you should reconsider…" Xavier began, but Azher cut him off, his voice icy cold, "I have nothing to reconsider. He's played long enough under my permission. No more. I won't let him waste another minute on this foolishness. I'm taking him back."
Azazel, fists clenched, shouted, "I-I am not going back!" His voice was loud, trembling but resolute.
Azher's expression hardened, while Hoor, Ahmed, and Haris looked at Azazel in shock. The middle schoolers were equally stunned.
"I've told you before, Grandpa. I don't want to be a soldier. I want to play. No matter what you say, I'm not going back today. No way! No way! No way!" Azazel's defiant cry echoed as Adam immediately grabbed his hand, standing beside Heber, Ezekiel, and Poseidon, who smiled reassuringly.
"That's enough, Azazel. We're here. No one's taking you anywhere," Heber consoled firmly, glaring at Azher.
"Yeah, if you don't want to go, no one can make you," Adam added, his eyes locked on Azher.
"Calm down, Azazel. It's going to be alright," Cassiel said gently, rubbing Azazel's shoulder as he trembled with fear and anxiety.
Kenzo sighed, turning to Azher with clear disappointment in his eyes. He glanced briefly at Ahmed and Haris, who stood by, saying nothing, "I thought I told you both before that you're supposed to be the pillars of support for Azazel. But it seems you didn't get the message."
Ahmed and Haris exchanged tense glances, swallowing hard.
"Staying silent won't help, even if you're dealing with a dying person. So how do you think this is helping your brother? Your son?" Kenzo asked, his voice stripped of his usual arrogance, replaced with frustration. He sighed inwardly, "Why am I so drained by all this today? I don't even know how to pull Azazel out of this mess. Honestly, what's going on with me today…?"
Azher nonetheless unfazed, ordered his men to grab Azazel. The sudden shift caused Helios, Seraph, Xavier, and Poseidon to step forward, shielding the younger ones from the approaching men.
"This is going too far," Seraph growled, glaring at Azher.
"Grandpa, what are you doing? Please stop!" Ahmed cried out in confusion, while Azazel, overwhelmed by fear, crouched down, clutching his head. "No… please no…" he whimpered.
Haris and Hoor both pleaded for Azher to stop, but he ignored them, determined.
"Argh!" One of the men was thrown violently to the ground, while another was kicked into the wall.
Gabriel cracked his knuckles, grinning menacingly. "I warned you not to get any closer, didn't I?"
Seraph, flipping his hair back with a sneer, added, "They didn't get the message, Gabriel. Nice words never work on thick-headed fools." His Cleve persona taking over him.
"Yeah, you're right," Ezekiel agreed, shifting into Helios's mirage with a lightning-fast movement, striking another man in his pressure points and sending him flying. "Don't worry, Captain, Kenzo. We've got your backs." he assured.
Kenzo gave a nod as Helios, now composed, patted Azazel's back reassuringly.
Ahmed watched in stunned silence, unable to comprehend what just happened.
The black-suited men staggered to their feet again, but Seraph merely grinned at Gabriel.
Azher frowned, his voice sharp. "Resistance is futile. When I said I'm taking Azazel back, I meant he's—"
"Coming back, huh?" An irritated voice suddenly cut through the tension.
A cock ball zipped past the man approaching Seraph, whizzing by Azher's face like a bullet, smashing into the pillar behind him. Ahmed's stare was fixed on the approaching figure, but Azher remained unphased.
"Seriously, that's the third time I've heard that line. Give everyone a break, old man." Alan smirked as he stepped forward, his bat slung casually over his shoulder. His crimson eyes blazed, while his crescent earring gleamed under the lights.
The middle schoolers blinked in astonishment.
"Alan?" Adam and Poseidon said together.
Alan's expression darkened as he caught sight of Azazel trembling in fear. He ruffled his hair, then locked eyes with Azher, his gaze sharp and threatening, "You pushed my little black kitten to this point. You're going to pay for it, gramps."
Azher, irritated, sneered. "Little black kitten? How dare you refer to my grandson like that, and who do you think you are, addressing me so boldly?"
Alan stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Seraph, he glared causing the men who had been advancing to freeze.
"Alan Rex Lorenzo. Karachi Base's Platinum Ranker. Azazel Minhas's senior and friend. Does that clear things up?" His red gaze burned as it bore into Azher, "From this point forward, you're not taking Azazel anywhere. That's not a suggestion. It's an order."
"Such Defiance?!" Ryan swallowed beside Mikael and Feng.
Azher smirked, meeting Alan's fierce stare, "And who do you think has the right to give me orders?"
Alan's voice firm, he spoke, "My old man, Karachi Base's head coach, Nidou Rex Lorenzo. Do you want to keep adding to this? How about a reminder: the former cricket legend, the man who shook the world of cricket with just his name, a man even the highest-ups in the sport and sports management feared and still fears to cross. Or perhaps you'd prefer if I said, 'Pakistan's Galaxy.'"
At the mention of the title, Azher's brow twitched, his expression momentarily faltering.
"Pakistan's Galaxy…?" Adam and the middle schoolers repeated, their disbelief evident.
"The most alarming talent of his era... the once-in-a-millennium player. That 'Pakistan's Galaxy'? Nidou Rex Lorenzo?!" Cassiel's mind reeled in awe and shock.
"No wonder that name rang a bell," Seraph thought realizing.
"Nidou Rex Lorenzo… so it was him." Xavier murmured equally surprised.
"That brat Nidou, who the hell does he think he is?!" Azher clenched his jaw. His gaze piercing.
"'Yes, he did tell me to relay his message, but even without that, I wouldn't let Azazel leave today,' Alan said, his tone firm, "Since, I made a promise to him that I will make him a king of kings."
Ahmed's eyes lit up with recognition, "Ah, so it was you, Alan Rex Lorenzo, the one who vowed to make Azazel a world champion, the same who won the challenge right before he last visited home."
Alan nodded, a calm smile on his face, "That's right. And I'm sorry, but until we win the World Cup and I keep my word to him, Azazel isn't going anywhere."