(Part 8)

Alan settled on the audience's seat right at the center grinned.

Tracing Alan's sight before him, the rabbit hopped down from Seles's collar running. "Hey, wait…" Seles called however stopped amid.

Looking at Alan's hairs the rabbit grabbed them climbing up.

Alan hissed glancing sideways. "Ah, you're back?" he realized pulling him up and resting him on his shoulder.

Seeing him rub his nose dazed, Alan chuckled, "Good morning little one." The rabbit nodding hopped in his arms. Turning around Alan assured Seles who smiled back.

"Sleep a little more if you want. After all, you worked hard as well…" Alan ruffled the rabbit's fur remembering...

Running along the path to the headquarters Alan looked at the little rabbit which ran alongside him. "Huff, Little one… I know you would get into trouble with me if I take you along any further. So listen to me very carefully…"

Halting before a passage cutting, Alan crouched before the rabbit. Unzipping his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt's collar, he pulled out a golden, burnished and concealed necklace. Carved with gold, he tied the chain over the rabbit's neck. 

Standing up he commanded, "Go straight to path and enter the building from any window and opening little one. After that just start climbing the stairs and find a very tall heighted man. And once you stop before him… you'll win this game."

The rabbit stepped ahead confused. Alan smiled patting his fur, "Don't worry, we'll meet again real soon. I promise."

The rabbit hesitating for a moment suddenly turned around taking the detour as he once again sprinted along his route. 

Yusuf glanced at Seles, "What wrong?"

Seles shook his head, "Nothing, I was worried it might run away." he referred to the rabbit.

(Flashback)

'Crash' the door went. Seles flinched heading over to open it, "Who is it?" On the contrary to find a little rabbit panting harshly. He blinked crouching low. "A rabbit? What is it doing here?" he wondered confused, his gaze shifting towards the golden necklace he wore.

Picking the rabbit up in his arms he read the words on the necklace. A huge letter 'A' accompanied by four to five more words, Seles smiled. "Good grief. That little idiot." he shook his head.

Patting the rabbit's fur, he took it to the balcony from where Alan and Rauf were spotted below with Evan, Drake and Kortes.

"Look, your owner is right there." Seles pointed at Alan. Tracing his sight the rabbit's ears perked up as he stared below. 

(End of flashback)

Elias and Noah nodding at each other took their positions. "Best of luck." Elias encouraged Feng.

Feng scoffed, "I suggest not to wish us luck seniors or else you might go down instead."

Elias chuckled tapping his bat looking ahead, "Haha, Very well."

The batting umpire taking the square leg position on the field with the balling empire standing behind the batting stumps raised his whistle signaling play.

Hearing the call the boys glanced at each other getting ready. Helios hopping on the ground rushed forward to deliver the first ball of the innings. Elias tapping his bat looked ahead attentive. Stepping on the popping crease Helios whispered praying, "Oh Dear god… victory or defeat, in your hands. Blaze our might to its eminence. No regrets, no sorrow. We aim for the highest!"

The ball leaving his grip with all its might crashed on the pitch blazing. Its power surging Elias stepped back. "So fast?!" he gasped stopping the ball as it hit his protective leg pad beside the bat hitting the ground before him.

Helios at the sight shot up, "OUT!!"

"OUT!!" Feng endorsed.

Elias stood puzzled.

"Haha! It's gone!!" Azazel rushed over as the boys surrounded Helios encouraging him.  Kenzo standing before the umpire called for a decision.

"An LBW7?" Cassiel blinked mystified as the middleschoolers stood up in excitement.

"Are you kidding me? Wicket at the first ball?!" Christopher uttered stunned. "Yahoo!!" Ebraham and Mikael cheered. T

he scene as quick as flash went past the entire stadium. "Haha!!" Alan chortled wide eyed.

"What the hell…?" Orion uttered baffled. "It can't be." Aigou stood up. Rauf and Evan gazing at pitch seriously sat silent. "Is Elias really out, captain?" Senri inquired in disbelief as Isa tapped his finger restless.

"Way to go, Helios!" Seraph ruffled his hairs.

The Umpire calling a decision pending asked for a review.

"Tch, those rascals." Nidou commented proud as Mir glanced silent.

Noah and Elias standing waited for the decision. "Are you really out?" Noah inquired nervous. Elias smiled questioning instead, "Do you know the meaning of 'Pressure', Noah?" Noah silent looked at the screen.

"Are you sure it was an out?" Xavier asked.

"It should be, the ball and his bat were real close. Let's hope for the best." Helios replied.

The Ultra-edge3 reading shown on the wide screen. Cassiel read, "The ball and the bat didn't really create any movement altogether however, if we were to see the balls collision with the wicket. The ball would've crossed the wicket towards the leg side. Considering Helios's delivery, it was a little bit too high for the role."

"That means…" Poseidon continued.

"Yup, it's a Not Out." Cassiel clarified.

The Umpires2 reaching the final decision, waved their arms in a sweeping motion in front of their chests declaring a not out.

"Tch." Heber clicked tongue.

Kenzo and Gabriel patted Helios's back heading back to their positions again. "Good job Helios, keep it up." Seraph encouraged as Helios picked the ball back up again.

Elias smiled taking his position again as Noah stood on the runner crease.

Helios grinned dangerously at Elias heading back. His gaze cunning, Elias blinked, "Oh dear, oh dear…"

Aaron exhaled relieved, "That alerted me for a second."

"You should stay alerted." Rauf warned.

The boys silent stared at the ground. "They are definetly not like the middleschoolers we played against before." Ren acknowledged the vast difference in abilities.

"Well done." Alan whispered amused.

Helios heading back once again rushed towards the popping crease. Throwing a fast delivery again, Elias stepped forward smashing the ball towards the cover of the pitch. Azazel ran to grasp the ball as Elias and Noah scored a run4. Passing the ball back to Helios, Azazel went back. Helios wiped the ball running again.

Mir stared at the pitch silent. "They took them off guard didn't they?" Yusuf inquired.

Seles smiled, "They abhor the highschoolers too much. Of course, they'll try to pressurize them."

"Sigh~ what's the point of hating each other when you have to work together in the future?" Drake shook his head in disbelief.

Nidou chortled, "That's what youth is, boy."

Helios charging the final delivery of the over called, "Twilight Sun Break!"

The ball like the silent bright ray of sunlight dashed on the pitch. Noah alerted tapped his bat stepping forward. "What swing!!" Aigou and Orion gasped. The ball swiftly going through Noah's legs was immediately evaded. "Not so fast~" he chanted.

Helios suddenly glanced up.

"LWB's with fast deliveries might be alarming for Elias but not for me. Helios Zadeh… take your inswinger back!" Noah smashed the bat towards the square leg as his eyes turned blazing gold.

"There it is, Noah's Pinnacle of Perfection!" Nagi pointed.

"Noah's fast to use it." Ren added.

"Of course, Helios's deliveries are mostly aimed for LBW's and Bolds8. Since, his pinnacle was from the batting side rather than balling, Noah has an advantage over his deliveries.

"Pinnacle of Perfection, Stage 1: Vision of future." Noah revealed, "All your deliveries are wide open like a book before me."

Helios narrowing his gaze caught the ball which Kenzo threw back, "Oh? Is that so?" he uttered indifferent. Upon his comment Noah chortled surprised, "Haha…"

"He has the same pinnacle as captain Helios." Claude observed. "You're right, even the first stage is same. The difference might be of capacity and control only." Damian theorized.  "Dangerous…" Mikael gulped.

The first over ended with 7 runs scored. "Those brats, didn't give us an advantage." Senri studied the entire over. Helios warming up got ready for the second over.

"Is he given a Double over5?" Kazuna asked.

"Seems like it. Helios Zadeh was written to play the second over as well." Nagi replied looking at the middleschoolers balling order. "Their captain took permission from head coach Nidou for the double over. So there's no problem in it." Rauf informed. Kazuna stared attentively.

Elias taking over the batting crease got ready. Stepping on the popping crease, Helios once again whispered, "Twilight Sun Break!"

The ball once again aiming for the Elias's stumps, Elias smiled evading the ball he stepped back stopping the delivery. The inswinger returned back as a dot return1, Helios grabbed the ball heading back.

"To think he would read the trajectory of Helios's skill delivery and return it back in the second over… no wonder he's a genius." Xavier thought standing beside Feng.

Helios wiping his sweat ran once again. Bowling again the ball high, went over beside the batsman as Feng summersaulted grabbing it. "Ohh!!" the middleschoolers went. "Come on, come on! keep up the good work!" Feng encouraged.

The umpire extending both of his hands signaling a 'Wide delivery6'. Another run adding, the highschoolers got a free delivery on their hands.

Helios panted going back.