(Part 15)

"It's a Reverse swing?!" guessed Ryan and Feng together. "A reverse swing…?" asked Helios stunned. "Yeah, One of his evolved Yorker deliveries which he bowled at Hugo right before he left. A call of change, Red revolution." explained Gabriel.

The ball hit on a full toss ended up at Alan's stumps. At the impact of touching the ground it instantly spun round and round revealing six illusion of a single ball simultaneously, bouncing towards Alan in the shape of an ascending dragon. However, the moment it hit the eclipse the real ball revealed itself.

Alan finding an opening smiled stopping the delivery with a dot return. At the moment of Alan's stroke, the huge dragon flew towards the sky making way towards Xavier who stood with a satisfied gleam. Overall ending the entire challenge at long last.

Xavier smiling at the dragon patted its head as the illusion vanished into thin air. "Wow…" whispered Senri impressed while Zach and Kazuna smiled.

"It's over…" whispered Ezekiel breathing relieved settling down. Seles eyeing the sight sat in wonder. "It was really a reverse swing…" he whispered awed.

Kenzo smiled, "Of course it was, the moment I returned I handed him a ball. That ball is more than fifty years old. A few days ago Xavier asked me get one for him since the one he used was torn up. Now I realize what he wanted to use this ball for. It was for him to perfect his revolution."

"Ah, now I see." Helios said.

"Hey, Sera! Sera! It really was a dragon right? It flew up in sky and went right back to Xavier. I thought he was only friends with the dolphin, Phoenix and the unicorn who knew he was even friends with a dragon!" he admired with stars in his eyes.

Heber, Azazel and Ezekiel eyed him speechless, "Is he for real…?"

Seraph smiling awkwardly along with Cassiel patted his head, "Right, good for you. You even saw a dragon for the first time."

Adam nodded awed, "Xavier's so~ cool! I will ask him to show them to me as well when we play again sometime." Gabriel smirked.

"He did it hun… he rocked." whispered Mikael as ground left his feet.

"Just how much stronger has he become?" asked Hadi unable to comprehend. Poseidon looked at Helios contented, "You know Heli, I admire him a lot. Though, we might be different kind of ballers with different playing styles however, Just staying beside him, I get to learn a lot of things." Helios agreed, "Yeah, he is a genius after all."

"Revolution hun… he didn't fail to surprise me till the very end." Kazuna whispered astonished, "It makes me wonder what else is hidden inside him. To the point I want to pull it all out…"

Zach hearing his words blinked his eyes for a second soon smiling. Standing up, he suddenly patted his head. "Such a good boy you are." he remarked out of the blue.

Kazuna puzzled by his action stared back confused. "Haha! You're right, he is such a good boy!" teased Senri popping out from behind ruffling Kazuna's hairs next.

"Hey, hey, let me do it too!" told Aigou as Elias and Noah with Aaron too joined in.

Kazuna flummoxed by the overall situation asked bewildered, "Wha-t are you a-all doing?!" The highschoolers eyeing him embarrassed laughed. "Haha! So cute! Let me take a picture. Who knew even little Kazu, Kazu turns out to be interested in someone." he teased clicking Kazuna's picture.

"Stop it!" Kazuna called out in disbelief.

Isa exhaled. "So what about your game, your highness?" questioned Nagi grasping his sight from the corner of his eye. Isa looking at Kenzo smirked. "What else? I won." he replied boldly.

"Huh?! Just like that? Are you sure?" asked Orion confused.

"Idoit, it wasn't just like that. He was playing this game ever since, the beginning. And, no matter how you look at it, that's hella long for a chess match." told Ren winking at Isa from above.

"In the end, all's well that ends well." Isa said.

Looking at Nagi staring at his journal he asked, "What is it?" Nagi sitting silent for a while turned his journal around.

"I was just wondering. A moment ago only two lines were filled on his brief and now it's filled more than half. In just two overs, he revealed himself like an open book shocking everybody." he traced Xavier on the pitch.

"Seems like it hun… he is a marveling piece after all." whispered Isa. Nidou ticking his file for the last time shut it close harshly. The highschoolers hearing the noise eyed him perplexed. "Augh!! My back!" he growled stretching himself.

"Tch, wasting half of my life in showing me useless stuff, even my back has left me, that rascal." he sneered referring to Alan while getting up.

The highschoolers hearing him glanced at each other speechless. Rauf, Evan and Haruf too sighed silent.

"And, now it's even raining. You boys better wrap this up and go back. While, you take this Rauf and handle this mess. I am leaving now." Nidou ordered throwing the file towards Rauf who caught it single handedly.

"Curse that brat, it's all because of his highly enthusiastic nerves. Making this old man suffer…" Nidou cursed sipping his sports drink heading down.

Rauf looking at the file turned around while the highschoolers sighed. "That old man is unbelievable." Aigou pouted as Elias patted his head with an awkward smile.

"Yeah, every time I see him he is always cursing Alan, even when something's aren't even his fault." endorsed Noah while Ren smiled shaking his head.

"I wonder if all fathers are like that." Aaron wondered.

Eyeing Haruf he walked towards him. "What do you think big guy?" he asked sitting beside him.

Haruf smiled caringly, "Who knows, this might be his way to show how much he loves Alan."

Orion, Isa, Noah and Nagi hearing his words sat stunned along with Aaron who blinked his eyes. "I see big guy… your thinking is on an entirely different level." Aaron commented patting his shoulder.

Suddenly, thunder struck once again as the wind halted. Light drizzle turning into a harsh rain came pouring down. Alan taking deep breaths settled on the ground, his hairs dripping wet. Xavier walked over offering his hand. "Alan… are you alright?" he asked anxiously.

Alan sensing his sight nodded, "Yeah… I'm good." Grasping his hand, he stood up. His legs weak, yet he clutched onto his even last bout of strength. "It was a good game wasn't it?" he asked assured.

Xavier nodding endorsed, "Yeah, it was a great one. It's been long, since I played like that." Alan shaking his hand passed his bat it over to him, "Here you go. Just like yours, this bat of mine has been a long life friend of mine as well. I had it since, four years ago. Let it help you for the time being until I fix yours."

Xavier grasping it nodded, "Thank you, I'll take care of it."

Alan turning around picked up Xavier's bat, gently tracing the crack he smiled. "It's alright. I'll fix you in no time." he whispered exhausted.

"Boy…" Alan called out. Xavier who stared at the subsiding rain looked at him, "Yes?"

"You're a strong one. Despite looking a little delicate, you've surpassed my thoughts over you entirely." Alan remarked, "However… there's one thing missing and I couldn't pull it out from you till the very end. And that is desire." "What do you want to do? How do you feel when you play? Who do you play for? Do you enjoy it? What is… your dream? Can you answer these questions of mine at this moment?" Alan turning around continued.

Xavier hearing his words stood with his expression widened.

"Xavier… where is the real you?" Alan asked looking at him seriously.

Xavier standing silent for a while gulped looking at the ground wordless, "The real me…?" he thought hitting a dead end. Alan grasping him silent walked forward standing before him.

"It's alright, even if you don't have all these answers right now that's fine." he assured patting his head, "You don't have to push yourself in order to reply me, but what if those answers are right before you?"

Xavier hearing his words shot up, "Right before me…?" "Yeah right before you. Xavier, what is your dream?" Alan asked again.

"My dream…" Xavier hesitated as his hairs dripped wet,

"I want to win… I want to become even stronger. I want to… catch up to Hugo. I want someone…"

"To help you right?" Alan guessed correctly.

Xavier hearing his words stared silent.