(Part 7)

Looking around, he traced Helios who helped Ezekiel down. "Helios." he called.

"Yes?" Helios asked.

The two standing behind a tree, Alan pulled out a tablet strip. Handing it to him he explained, "Give it to Poseidon before he sleeps and tomorrow after breakfast. I am sure he'll be fine and won't face any seizures. Inform me once it finishes. Moreover, all first aid medicines, clothes and basic necessities and here with you. But, if you still need anything else tell me. Don't hide it."

Helios stunned over his words uttered, "But…!"

"No Buts. You are here to train not to be kept as lackeys. Take a good rest and watch out for everyone. Let's meet again tomorrow." Alan interrupted assuring. Waving his hand, he left.

Kenzo eavesdropping behind the tree exhaled. "So he asked for it."

Helios narrowing his gaze clutched the tablet strip tight. "Yeah… he did."

"Let's thank him tomorrow then." Xavier said walking from between the two.

Kenzo irritated over his words clicked his tongue, "As if."

Soon the boys took a hot bath, soaking themselves they sighed in relief. Pain lingering their bodies, they blinked their eyes preventing themselves from sleeping.

"Augh… it's like my arms were pulled apart and stitched back again…" Seraph winced grasping his shoulders.

The water warm and calming with the atmosphere foggy the boys sat around the spring in a circle.

"Those who sleep in here will get their corpses another day. So be careful." Cassiel warned out of the blue. Surely he had eyed those who were sleeping amid their bath.

Ryan and Adam too drowsy winced in pain. "My whole body is aching… as if a crane has squashed me." Azazel complained.

"Sigh, this is just the beginning, boy. Who knows what is there in store for tomorrow." Helios warned.

"I suggest you don't say it!" Kenzo uttered exhausted.

Xavier resting his head on Poseidon's shoulder who in turn did the same slept soundly.

"And, here I told not to sleep…" Cassiel repeated speechless.

"Let them be… I'll keep an eye on them." Heber yawned.

"Look who's saying." Cassiel replied unconvinced.

Ezekiel too resting his back on the stones behind the spring held his head low hitting Gabriel's shoulder who kept an eye on both him and Feng.

Alan walking back to the mountain top, where Nidou laid on his pallet listlessly, he stood silent. The little rabbit dangling down his flocks of hairs too rolled his eyes. "What do you want me to do?" he asked uninterested.

Nidou peeking at him, sat up straight, "Hey, you little twerp. I accepted all your conditions and is this how you talk back to me?"

Alan grinned sarcastically, "Oh yeah? I just saw them being knocked on the ground mercilessly though."

Nidou silent on his comment stood up, "Pick your bat and return all my deliveries until dusk."

Alan picking the bat up started to return the balls which he delivered, "What a pain…" he thought. "To think this old man has this much strength in his deliveries? Hmph! My whole night is going to be a crazy one!" he abruptly grinned amused.

(THE NEXT MORNING)

The thirteen boys climbing the mountain top gasped wildly taking deep breaths. "Oh dear…! Huff! Huff!! I finally made it! I am first! Finally…" Feng uttered proud panting hard as Adam followed behind along with Cassiel.

"I am second!" Adam cheered.

"And, I am third." Cassiel added.

Kenzo following in the last looked after them in the meantime.

"We aren't late or are we?" Poseidon questioned nervous.

"Nope we aren't. The sun hasn't even risen. It's still dark. So how are we late?" Cassiel replied.

"Good to hear that. Truth to be told I am tired of penalties." Xavier exhaled weary.

"Me too… they suck" Ryan agreed.

The thirteen soon turned to Alan and Nidou who were already present. Nidou sitting on his wooden pallet gulped his sports drink while Alan stared at the sky siting on the mountain's edge. His hairs fluttering, instantly his gaze shifted towards the boys standing before them aligned.  "Good morning." he greeted.

"Morning Alan!" Adam waved back cheerfully.

The rest nodded. Their attire changed into white shirts and trousers with a red jersey covering their backs, Alan smiled relieved. Nidou looking at them called out, "All of you are here?"

"Yes!" they responded.

"Good." Nidou added, "Today before we start, divide yourselves into categories; batsman, ballers and all-rounders."

The thirteen of them glancing at each other divided up on three different sides. Adam, Ezekiel, Heber, Kenzo and Feng on the batting spot, Ryan, Xavier, Seraph and Helios on the all-rounders spot with Azazel, Cassiel, Poseidon and Gabriel on the balling spot.

"Now, the batsmen should pick up their bats and practice swings like yesterday. 500 hundred for each hand. All-rounders divide into teams of two and play each other for two overs. Seraph pairs with Ryan and Helios pairs with Xavier. As or the ballers, come with me." Nidou divided.

The boys hearing their tasks began to practice. Alan watching over the all-rounders corrected their faults. The ballers heading down the mountain lined before a rocky path. Turning to Nidou who pointed towards a tree they saw it resting amid the forest 40 meters apart from their distance.

"It's quiet far… what are we supposed to do here?" Azazel questioned.

Nidou looking at the tree spoke, "Can you trace a black mark at the center of the tree trunk? Until your ball hits that point correctly. You all won't move from here."

"Huh?!" Poseidon uttered stunned.

"Your deliveries should have this much strength in them that it can even hit beyond the level of a normal pitch, you understand? This is your sole task. Take turns one by one and practice your balling to reach that level. If you can't do it today, then you'll continue tomorrow and even the day after tomorrow got it? No one will step a single foot forward before this practice is perfect!" Nidou instructed. 

Gabriel clicking his tongue spun his ball round and round, "As if we'll take that long."

"We'll see." Nidou smirked.

Cassiel reading the distance estimated, "Judging from the looks this much distance can place two and a half pitches together. If we are able to accurately measure our strength and hit the balls right on the tree's mark. Our accuracy will double."

Poseidon concurred, "Then let's do it before tonight." Azazel clutching the ball tightly nodded as they began taking turns one by one.

"It's done!" Kenzo called the moment Nidou returned.

"Done?" he asked dubious.

"Yes, all done." Ezekiel repeated.

Nidou instantly threw bottles of sports drink towards them out of the blue as Heber and Adam caught them abruptly. "Easy there, are you trying to blow our heads of?!" Heber shrieked. 

Keep your bats on your heads and run around passing these bottles to each other without dropping them. Just like a rally race, got it? Ah right, for those who drop them, they are going to swing their bats a hundred times from both hands." Nidou ordered.

"HUH?! Isn't that way too cruel?!" Adam retorted baffled.

"Humph! Cruel? Are you going to tell the world the same thing?" Nidou snorted back.

Kenzo keeping his arm before Adam and Feng replied, "Alright, we'll do it." Ezekiel and Heber too agreed.

"Bend a little downwards and keep your head firm. Your eyes should be on the ball, Ryan. Even if, Seraph changes his personality or fires fast deliveries. Don't panic and trace the ball's sight." Alan corrected his posture.

Ryan crouching low snickered, "Yeah, I know." 

"Nothing vanishes from the sight. You too, Xavier. Keep your eyes on the ball no matter what. Don't get distracted from Helios's pinnacle. The ball might disappear however, if you can't see it. Just detect its presence from its sound, speed and return. And, most of all cover your mid-wicket at all costs." Alan continued to explain.

Time passing by in the blink of an eye, night took over in no time. 

"Haha! You rascal! You still can't return my deliveries? How childish of you hun? What ace? You re worse than kids!" Nidou mocked balling Alan who swung his bat however, the ball passed by the wicket leaving an inch's gap.

"Tch, a little more and you'd be heading back to the pavilion." Nidou sneered.

Alan irritated clutched his bat tightly eyeing him grave, "Just you wait… I'll beat you at all costs!" Standing up a silver light enveloped him, he whispered, "Silver lightning Eclipse!"

Nidou upon his sight grinned, "Haha! Petty tricks. As if they'd work on me!"

Alan tapped his bat grinning, "We'll see~"