Golden Age 5: ‘To you who seeks for Future, Shines Forth a Triumphant Path! To you who seeks for Comrades, Shines Forth Eternal Invincible Bonds!!’ (Part 1)

Alan running through the base's speed track gazed at the stop watch in his hands. Sweat dripping forehead like drop of marbles. He stopped in between panting hard.

Grasping his knees he thought, "4 laps around the dorms, 6 laps around each stadium, 3 laps around the base's training center and 1 whole lap around the entire base which is still in progress summing it all up in total… it's been 5 hours and here I am up to my limit…" Looking ahead, Alan gazed at the path before him which seemed hazy.

Blinking his eyes once more to clear his view he whispered "Darn it… Sense of sight is first this time hun…" Looking at the stop watch Alan once more positioned himself running ahead.

Suddenly his gaze, shifted towards the stadium. Lights which were switched on, inside and out took his attention. "The stadium's lights are on? Is someone there?" he wondered. "Let me check it out…" he whispered making his way towards it.

"It's weird… brother and father don't usually forget switching the lights off…" he thought standing before the stadium. His vision slightly hazy, he once more blinked his eyes. "Geez… just return back to normal. I can't see clearly." He thought annoyed.

Hearing familiar voices he went inside suddenly bumping into someone. "Huh?!" Alan asked surprised. "Whoa~ easy boy." told Noah instantly grabbing his hand and pulling him forward.

"Alan?" he asked perplexed.

Alan blinking his eyes stood up, with his sight still hazy.

"Noah? What are you doing here?" he asked puzzled. "It's not him, we are all here." told Isa helping him. "Ah… is that so? What are you doing here?" Alan asked eyeing them.

"What do you mean, what are we doing here? We were obviously practicing for tomorrow's challenge. Don't tell me you forgot?" Kenzo reminded approaching him. "Huh? The middle schoolers as well? Darn it! I can't see properly…" Alan staring at Kenzo with a blurry gaze.

Alan smirked, "Me? Forgetting? Don't be so full of yourself, your highness." Kenzo smirked back, "Now that more like it." "So what were you all doing here?" Alan asked the high schoolers who stood beside him. "We? Oh were just watching over them. We are also about to leave." Orion pointed at the middle schoolers.

"That explains it." Alan replied connecting the dots together. "What are you doing here?" Ryan asked him. "Me? I was also preparing for tomorrow. The moment I saw the stadium lights open I came here to check." Alan replied.

"Seems like you were working hard as well. Are you ready for tomorrow?" asked Xavier handing him a towel. "Hun?" asked Alan slightly confused as he tried to grab the towel from his hand blinking his eyes. "Super ready! Ready than I could've ever been." He replied with a smile.

Wiping his forehead and face, Alan gazed at the middle schoolers as his vision cleared little by little. "Ah… it's back?" he thought slightly surprised. However, seeing them smile back radiantly, he too returned the gleeful look. "Now that's one confident look! I like it." he commented.

"Of course, what do you think? We are facing a platinum ranker of this base tomorrow. Can't we have even this bit of vigor in ourselves?" asked Helios proud. "Oh… so that's how it is. Make sure not to drown into that pride." Alan replied them playfully.

"Don't underestimate us." responded Seraph serious. Alan nodded. "Well then, best of luck for tomorrow." He encouraged. The middle schoolers grasping a look at each other nodded. "Same to you." repeated Poseidon.

"Yeah, make sure not to back away at the last second tomorrow." Warned Gabriel. Alan smirked, "Oh, You don't need to worry about that." Facing beside him, Alan gazed at the highschoolers who smiled back at him, "Take care of them, okay?"

The highschoolers with middle schoolers gazed at him surprised. "What…?" asked Heber and Azazel together. "Of course, we will! No need to worry about that." smiled Ren patting Alan's head. "Hm… just count on us." assured Zach.

Alan nodded. The middle schoolers slightly perplexed looked at each other wordlessly. "Did he really tell them to take care of us? Does he think we are kids who can't take even care of themselves?!" asked Ezekiel slightly annoyed in a whisper.

"Leave it. He really means it." said Kenzo smiling while Helios nodded. "Hun? What does he mean? Tell me! Tell me! Tell me too!!" asked Adam curiously urging Seraph and Cassiel who sighed.

"Ah, by the way where are Senri and Kazu?" Alan looked around. "Ah, the two of them are at the workplace actually." replied Aigou. "Yeah, we were just thinking of calling them back before we return." Elias added. "Workplace…? Now that's news to me. Didn't Kazu, Kazu stop going there?" asked Alan.

"Yeah… he did. Who knows what happened?" replied Noah. "I think it's because he broke, a middle schoolers bat while challenging them at the time we returned. Maybe, that's what took him there." assumed Nagi. "He broke a bat…?" repeated Alan in wonder. "What's wrong?" asked Isa.

"No it's nothing. I was just thinking of calling them back. And, return back to the dorms together." replied Alan. The high schoolers stood astonished. "You are staying at the dorms?!" asked Aaron. "Yes… I am. Why? Can't I?" Alan asked seriously. Noah and Aigou suddenly hugged him happily.

"Yay!! That would be so much fun!!" they claimed to together. Alan blinking his eyes smiled. "Really…?" he asked. "Of course, I think so too." agreed Elias while Nagi smiled. "You're most welcome." Said Isa as Zach nodded. "Yeah!! We are going to play lots of cards at night and have sleep overs in each other's rooms!!" cheered Aigou happily.

"That ain't happening!" responded Ren hopelessly. "Yeah, ain't happening." Endorsed Orion holding the same expression. "Yeah, ain't happening at all!!" continued Aaron grasping his head in disbelief.

"Oh, come on, be a little sympathetic, all of you!" cried Aigou, hearing their continuous rejections.

Alan eyed them speechless as he was being hugged by Aigou mercilessly. "Really… we aren't wrong, with Vice-captain Evan on our heads nothing like that would happen." Elias told. "But, Haruf is still there. So it may be possible." replied Isa. The middle schoolers stared at them baffled.

"Why are our problem's continuously being added?" Feng questioned hopelessly. "Yeah… Weren't those high schoolers not enough that even that Alan boy is coming to stay at our dorms?!" asked Azazel sighing. Helios on the other hand, with Kenzo, Adam, Xavier, Poseidon and Seraph smiled. "It might not be that bad." wondered Kenzo.

"I think so as well." Endorsed Xavier while Ryan smirked. "Really…?" asked Heber and Ezekiel, "Sometimes I don't get what's going on in their minds…"

"Alright, then I'll go get Senri and kazuna back." said Alan as the highschoolers nodded. "But, what if they came to the dorms, since it's late?" told Aaron gazing at his watch.

"It's alright. Even if they come back. I still have to go in that direction to complete my lap. It won't be a useless stroll." Alan responded. "You go back with them, I'll be right back." he waving his hand leaving the stadium.

Halting in his steps he once again turned around, "And don't forget to switch off all the lights before you leave!!" Ren replied, "Alright, we won't. Just go already!" The middle schoolers eyed him wondering.

"Really… he's such a worrywart." sighed Orion. "I can see that." replied Cassiel while eyeing Seraph and the others agreed with a light smile. "Come on, let's go." called Nagi as the boys soon left the stadium.