(Part 12)

As soon as the words left his mouth. The wind and the grass began to howl wildly surrounding him. Clashing his bat on the ferocious last delivery he forced his way out.

"Hey look! The wind is stopping the ball along with Xavier!" Mikael pointed his hand towards Xavier. Kenzo covering his eyes stared at the sight which howled.

"A storm is brewing up!" Aigou warned blinking his eyebrows continuously. The wind harsh as if a sea current blown wailed around the entire stadium.

Evan, Haruf and Rauf too looked at the pitch seriously. "Will this move surpass Alan's ultra-sonic serve or not?" Rauf thought amused. Suddenly Kazuna sitting down responded with an assured grin, "Nope it won't…"

And as soon as those words escaped his lips, Xavier's hand trembled as the ball shot out blowing the bat away from his grip, towards the wicket keeper with an altered trajectory. Alan smirked.

"Boy… you're unbelievable… however, you still have a long… long way to go." he whispered stunned yet certain as Xavier turned around to see his his bat which laid on the ground as his hand trembled nonstop, he panted.

"He… he defeated it… the fourth counter?" Feng gulped baffled.

Ryan stared astounded, "Vice-captain…"

"Captain! Did it really fail, the fourth counter?" asked Azazel bewildered.

"Don't tell me Alan's delivery was that powerful?" Adam grasped Seraph's shirt tightly.

Seraph and Cassiel along with Helios and Poseidon stood wordless.

"Yeah… it was broken. The fourth counter was completely over taken." replied Kenzo. "However… he has finally gained it." he added smiling.

"What?" Ryan inquired.

"His passion." replied Helios, "He has appeared, the second person after Hugo, to pull his potential all out once again."

The wind which soon died down left the stadium silent. Alan standing up once again panted. "On dear… looks like, I'm finally out." he thought looking at his untraceable right hand which trembled from the throw's impact. "I don't feel a single thing in half of my body now…" he continued to think, tapping his right feet on the ground.

"Scary… losing senses is seriously scary." he thought with a light shudder.

Xavier expressionless folded his quivering hand into a fist. Turning around he picked his bat, and stared at a long crack which had appeared right at its center. Tracing it lightly, he smiled grasping a look at Alan, "Seems like, I still am not strong enough to beat the fastest serve right now."

Alan shook his head, "Little rascal, are you kidding me? Didn't you just stop it? Many can't even do that while only detecting it pass their sight. You almost left me shaken." "But you're right, it's still not enough… not enough to beat the world." he added smirking lightly.

"Not enough to beat the world hun… before that I think I might have to get a new bat as well." Xavier continued. Alan hearing his words stood silent, "Huh?!" Making his way towards him he asked anxiously, "What happened?" "It cracked a little from the middle." Xavier showed.

Alan tracing the bat sensed a fissure on it. "I'm sorry." he instantly apologized. "I didn't meant to." he added slightly dismayed.

Xavier hearing his apology blinked soon smiling. "It's nothing to worry about. Bats and balls break and torn all the time. I'll get a new one." he assured. Alan grabbing the bat from his hands guessed, "Prince Dream on… it's a great brand." "Since when did you have this bat?" he asked curious.

Xavier recalled, "Hm… I had it with for a long while, even before the nationals. It was a long term friend."

Alan stood silent for a while abruptly passing him the ball and taking his bat instead, "Leave it to me, I'll ask Kazuna to repair it for you." Xavier hearing him debated, "No, it's alright I will buy a new one…"

Alan instantly interrupted chuckling lightly, "Haha! I get it now, your little one was dire set on getting it fixed while you are dire set on getting it replaced." "Boy… friends aren't replaced so easily and especially not lifelong friends. If not Kazuna. Let me fix it for you. How great of an honor would that be to get your bat fixed by the hands of a world ranker? Though, it was my fault in the first place." Alan uttered proud instantly feeling sorry at the end.

Xavier amazed laughed, "Haha, I am really honored. Who knew you could also fix things."

Alan smirked, "It might not be as good as how little Kazu, Kazu does. But, it won't be disappointing either. Best of luck for round two. Give it your all. After all, the mysterious one is opening himself up for good today, right?" Xavier heading towards the balling pitch nodded.

"Maybe… seems like keeping a lot of things inside is a burden after all. Let me throw some of it out. Since, I'm finally feeling the urge to fight on." he whispered alarmingly from the corner of his eye.

Alan walking towards the batting pitch kept Xavier's bat aside picking his own up. He thought, "Seems like I managed to wake up a long time sleeping dragon…" "Whoa~ that was some real action." gulped Hadi.

"Even Xavier's bat broke amid all the hustle." figured Theo. "Yeah! Yeah! I felt like I was going to fly away with the hurricane." described Adam childishly. Helios nodded, "But he won't take things lightly form now on." "Hm." endorsed Poseidon.

Seraph suddenly smiled, "A moment ago, I just showed my improvement yet, there he goes even hitting Alan's ultrasonic serve head on which went past even me. How doesn't he exceed one's expectation? I don't get it anymore, was I the one to improve or he instead."

"You're right… I am at a loss of words as well." remarked Gabriel. "Hehe… this Alan is going to suffer big time! Just you wait! Haha!!" Kenzo cursed mischievously.

Grasping Isa's sight he grinned boundlessly. Isa meeting his gaze rolled his eyes cross.

"Hehe… he won't leave you until the end." laughed Elias amused.

Zach eyeing Kazuna stood up. "Now where are you going?" asked Orion. Zach giving out a slight angelic smile left downstairs. The high schoolers blinked their eyes marveled. "Was that a smile?" wondered Noah and Aaron together.

"It's the last over now hun…" whispered Nagi grasping all of their attention. Rauf and Evan with Nidou stared at the pitch wordlessly.

Xavier twirling the ball left and right, eyed the sky which turned darker and darker by the passing moment. "Boy!" Alan called out. "Yes?" Xavier asked back. "Hurry up! Before the clouds come showering at us!" Alan advised. Xavier smiled running forth, "Alright."

Alan gazing at his right hand exhaled. "At last, I am at a dead end. The right side of my whole body is numb and I can't even feel the grip of the bat with my sight totally black. Moreover, this boy is a fast baller while I, a spin returner, which means, I am clearly struck on the back of a wall." he thought helpless.

Xavier stepping on the pitch bowled the first delivery towards Alan. "It's a fast spin aiming for the mid-wicket!" read Adam. Alan sensing the pitch's hit moved forward to return the delivery with a light sweep shot. "It was a normal delivery. But, with a highly polished grip. Not fully towards the right neither left. It was aimed exactly at mid-wicket, just like Cassiel's precise balling." thought Alan getting ready.

Kenzo sat silent. "Are you expecting him to show his balling skills as well?" Helios read his mind. "Helios… when you faced him at practice yesterday. The moment he took your wicket was it really a fluke?" Kenzo asked seriously.

Helios eyed the pitch silent. "You haven't once, faced Xavier back at any tournaments, not even in the nationals. Yesterday, was the first time you ever played against him even if it was practice. But, the moment he bold you, it was out of my wits as well." Kenzo continued.

Ryan sitting above them listened attentively beside Seraph and Heber. Helios taking a deep breath smiled, "Yeah… you got me. It wasn't a fluke at all. I was a clean mid-wicket bold. He was just making it up as a fluke. But, why are you asking me this?"

"I knew it. Batting was just one thing. As someone who faced him before… he is a very dangerous baller." Kenzo stated.

Seles wrote in his journal smiling.

Zach patted Kazuna shoulder. "Zachariah…" Kazuna whispered back.

Moving aside, he left some space. "Just Zach is fine." Zach responded.

"What's wrong?" asked Kazuna.

Zach crossing his arms eyed Alan asking, "You were waiting for his balling right?" Kazuna grasping his sight nodded, "You're right. That day when we intimidated them. He threw a marveling delivery which went right past my ear. Ever since that day I wondered, with the delicate figure he possess. To bowl such a powerful delivery how did he do that?"

"And this answer is what I am waiting to find right now." he added.