(Part 12)

Alan turned to Seles.

Seles realizing his intentions, immediately searched his pockets pulling out one. A suniplast!

"As expected of a doctor…" Alan thought, tearing it opening and applying it on the wound.

Zachariah stared at the two.

"Thank you." Seraph said once Alan finished.

"Don't worry, it happens. Just don't overwork yourself now until you play your next match." Alan advised.

Seraph nodded.

"And Seraph…" Seles called, "Before you refrain from it. I'll refrain you from it if you push yourself." he smiled.

"A Threat from a loving face!!" the middleschoolers had all realized, instantly shuddering.

"After all, the last thing I wasn't to see is my children getting hurt." Seles continued.

"Yikes… we better be careful of him." Feng gulped.

"Yup. He is one dangerous doctor as well as an instructor." Ezekiel agreed.

"Hey, how will you refrain, Seraph?" Adam asked Seles innocently.

The highschoolers at his curious sight adored him.

"So cute!" Isa and Aigou internally thought while Kenzo smacked his forehead speechless.

"Hehe, he is such a child," Helios chuckled.

Seles ruffled his hairs, "Hm… let's see. I'll give him a beating or two. If it isn't much."

Shocked! The middleschoolers including Seraph went with their mouths agape.

"Oh~!" Adam however, had a mirthful twinkle in his eyes, "So cool!"

"There is nothing cool about it! Geez, whose side are you on?!" Ryan uttered in disbelief.

Cassiel hid behind Seraph feeling truly sorry for him.

Alan wondering where to step in just enjoyed with his light held smile. All ceremonies complete, the ground began to empty as the boys settled in the coaches' (highschoolers and middleschoolers in different ones) heading back to their lodging.

The middleschoolers coach, including Seles, Mir, Pedro, Christopher, Damian and Mikael along with the 14 middleschoolers. "Sigh~" Adam exhaled pouting his cheeks, "Alan still didn't join us."

"Don't worry, he will. Once we head back to the lodgings." Heber cheered.

"He really cares about highschoolers a lot." Adam looked low.

"You. Just think about him a lot." Gabriel emphasized, rolling his eyes.

"Of course, I do! He's my friend, like Ryan is…" Adam's words faded in between.

"It's alright. Don't be angry at him." Poseidon said to Gabriel, "I adore Alan too. There's no need to get sad on that." he ruffled Adam hairs, pulling him close until Adam rested his head on his arm.

"Maybe… if we had met him, the time he met our seniors. Things would've been a lot different." Poseidon assumed.

Mir listened quietly. "What wishful thinking." he thought, "As expected. They are still too young."

"Things would've been different little ones?" Seles asked peeking around, "I doubt that."

The middleschoolers unable to interpret his words glanced puzzled. A weird silence hovering the coach, Seles spoke, "Anyways, how are you feeling Feng?"

Feng recalling his accomplishment today nodded, "Pretty well. From now on I will try to rebuild my powerplay style but at the same time become a partnership holder too. This way I am sure I can work out my batting skills to my fullest capabilities."

Seles smiled, "Great to hear. If you need my help with anything anytime, I am always there."

"Yeah, coming back to the point. What really happened back then, brother Feng?" Ryan pivoted around.

The entire bus immediately curious faced him. Eventually... Feng had to tell, so why not now? Breaking a sweat, he shook his head, looking down to his hands, "You see… before the match with Roots Millennium last year, I met Nile on my way back home. Who knew I was such a bothersome presence to him all this time. He asked me to play a few overs with him to which I agreed."

Gabriel blinked, "You what…?"

Feng scratched his temple awkwardly.

"Then?" Helios asked him to continue.

"As I was playing him, I realized I was trapped amid some kind of ability but I had no way to counter it. I felt my play style being locked and I was wasting deliveries more than playing them and that scared me." Feng continued, "After a while, when we were at end of our friendly game or so I would call it. I couldn't hit shots at all. That was when Nile warned me, 'To Beware' Honestly I was petrified when he left after that."

"So you were trapped in Arachnid Trap since a day before the match. Can an ability hold on this long?" Xavier murmured in disbelief.

"'Phases 'are preserved abilities. Once employed on someone, they can aid in troubling them repeatedly, regardless of how many times you encounter the same opponent again. And given Nile's exceptional refinement of his Phase, despite his status as a middleschooler, it would have posed a considerable challenge to contend with," Seles elucidated.

"For Nile to manage develop such exceptional proficiency in his Phase at such a young age…" Seraph whispered.

"Determination, passion, commitment and desire. He must have had high hopes to play as well despite going the wrong way to achieve his goal," Seles mentioned.

Gabriel remained silent.

"He said… it was due to my influence Gabriel changed. Not only him but Christopher, Jonah and the others. They changed because of me and that made him lose his value," Feng told.

"What?" Christopher uttered bewildered, "W-wait, why would you change us? Hah? Has he gone mad? Just what is going on in his brain? If not making messes and fighting different academies and quitting rampaging properties was making him unhappy then we just realized we were wrong."

"But it happened at the wrong moment putting Feng into trouble, right?" Cassiel understood.

"The adverse consequences of behaving like delinquents," Ezekiel remarked, shaking his head unamused.

Christopher pouted his cheeks, "Honestly, your words did made us think that day and we felt quiet guilty but you weren't wrong." he confessed.

Feng blinked.

"We hated Gabriel that way too. How he had become after his father's passing. We thought if all that mess making made him happy than we should stand by his side, nonetheless we were wrong and we tried to change too. Who knew Nile didn't like it. If he had a problem, he should've told us rather than hurting you." Christopher added annoyed, "Let me see him, I definitely will smack some sense in him." Fire flaring within him.

"Hehe, calm down." Mikael patted his back.

"He is twisted, I tell you." Heber yawned, feeling drowsy.

"My bad…" all of sudden a light voice interrupted.

Kenzo glancing at Helios and Seraph looked at Gabriel who sat with his arm resting on the window's arm rest. His expression hidden, he smirked bitterly, "To think despite knowing Nile since we were kids. I failed to understand what he was going through. After all… just like you all stood beside me to help me, he did it for the same reason too."

Christopher smiled, "Who needs a 'My bad' from you, Captain? We corrected ourselves and I am glad for that. The only one left is Nile. So leave him to me." he assured.

Feng nodded glad.

"Things are finally peaceful now." Poseidon exhaled relived.

"I'll give him a smack once I see him again, though." Adam twitched his brow.

"Why…?" Seraph asked confused; seriously what connection did he have?

"I just feel like it. I don't know," Adam replied annoyed.

"Agreed." Ryan concurred, "Brother Feng suffered for no reason."

"So… how did you two fought?" Azazel pointed at Gabriel and back at Feng.

"Oh…" Feng fidgeted his eyes left and right, "I told him to mind your own business and he looked like a fool when he was worried for others." his voice fading in between.

The middleschoolers astonished, instantly busted in laughter. "PFT! HAHA!" the entire coach entertained; filled with joking laughter, only Feng sat embarrassed while fumes of fury left Gabriel's ears.

"Haha… my stomach…" Xavier wiped his tears.

"Hehe, is this really why you fought, honestly?" Helios added in incredulity.

"Who are you? 2 year old kids? Haha…" Kenzo and Cassiel clapped their hands.

"I never expected this." Seraph joked amused.

"Oh dear, hehe…" Adam and Ezekiel went.

Seles hiding his smile shook his head ever so lightly beside Mir and Yusuf who exhaled at a loss of words. With this Karachi Kings stood 2/2.