(Part 12)

Xavier stepped up to bowl the sixteenth over, the crowd erupting with cheers as the floodlights gleamed brightly. At the non-striker's end, Rovan stood poised, helmet off, sweat trickled down his hair and forehead like beads while Emaad looked around studying the fielding placements from the striker's end.

The fielders took up their usual positions with the Long on, Deep extra cover, deep square leg and Long off covered as Xavier moved outside the 30-yard circle, twirling the ball in his hand. "Realm of Divine Ingeniousness… Release unlimited upgrade," he muttered as he sprinted toward the popping crease, his hairs suddenly changing silver.

"Oh~" Emaad whistled, intrigued.

Xavier delivered a Yorker with pinpoint accuracy, as Emaad deftly played a front-foot defense, immediately setting off for a single.

Xavier blinked in confusion. "His bat vanished...?" he thought, immediately shoving his thoughts and reaching for the ball that was right before him. But before he could grab it, the ball disappeared next. "Huh?!" he gasped, looking around bewildered.

Aigou, too, was reaching for the illusionary ball toward cover. Meanwhile, the real ball rested securely in Heber's hand at mid-wicket, who caught it with equal perplexity.

"Pft, haha! Tricked you," Emaad laughed from the non-striker's end. "That's my 'Mirror Shot' and 'Unseen Manoeuvre' for you," he revealed with a grin.

Heber threw the ball to Isa. "First, his bat disappeared, then when he struck the ball, he created clones while hitting the real one towards mid-wicket," Isa explained, catching the ball.

"No wonder there were three balls all of a sudden," Aigou remarked, rubbing his neck as he refocused.

Xavier smiled as he walked back. "That did catch me off guard," he admitted.

"Right~?" Emaad responded with a playful wink.

At the crease, Rovan took deep breaths, concentrating on the next delivery.

Xavier prepared for the second ball of the over, whispering, "Realm of Divine Ingeniousness, Phase 2: 1st Ring of Limitation… Binding Red!" He bowled a reverse swing delivery, and the ball swung late toward Rovan.

"It's a reverse swing delivery! The ball darts in late towards Rovan…!" Jones commented.

Rovan's eyes glowed as he tried to strike, but a red ring suddenly appeared around his arms, paralyzing him mid-motion. The ball grazed his pads and, by sheer luck, caught an inside edge, narrowly missing the stumps. The ball glanced off his leg and raced toward the boundary, sneaking in for four.

Rovan watched in stunned silence as Xavier crouched outside the bowling crease, covering a disbelieving smile with his hands. Feng gasped, frozen in place.

"Oh, there was an inside edge! The ball raced past the stumps, brushing the pads—what a fortunate escape! The fine leg was too wide, and the ball trickled away to the boundary for four!" Jones exclaimed excitedly.

"It was a tense moment there. The Kings were all set to celebrate the wicket, but Rovan gets away with it, and the crowd can't believe their eyes! That could have easily shattered the stumps, but instead, it adds four runs to the total!" Maaz added.

"Ah!!" Adam and Ezekiel shrieked in disbelief as Elias stared at the pitch with a serious expression.

"Wow, what luck." Haris remarked unamused.

"Pft! Haha!" Musa laughed.

"Come on, Xavier. Get up already, haha," Heber laughed, pulling him to his feet as Xavier shook his head, still speechless.

"It was a great delivery," Kazuna remarked, handing the ball back to him, "Who knew paralyzing him would work to his advantage instead."

"Doesn't matter." Xavier took the ball, "I'll give it another try."

Rovan straightened up as the red ring dissipated.

"What's up, VC1? Got any ideas on how to counter that ring?" Emaad asked.

Rovan closed his eyes, contemplating. "Yes, if you could switch places with me at the right moment."

"Oh~!" Emaad blinked, playing dumb, "Right! I can do that. I almost forgot~"

Rovan sighed in frustration. "How did you figure out there was a ring around me?" he inquired.

"It was quite visible, and since you couldn't move during that last delivery, I guessed it was some sort of paralyzing skill," Emaad explained.

"You have the brains; you just don't use them in time," Rovan remarked ironically.

"Pft! Haha!" Emaad laughed, stepping back. "I'm a Third year MS'er2 and ranked Third, after all~" he said, his eyes glowing purple.

For the Third ball of the over, Xavier deployed the ring of limitation again. However, Rovan, appearing more composed than before, lifted his bat to play the incoming in-swinger but was soon paralyzed mid-motion.

Suddenly, glitches appeared, and Xavier saw Emaad at the crease, executing an on-drive shot.

Helios, stationed at long on noticed the non-striker's end completely empty. "He vanished now…?" he thought dazed.

The illusion quickly faded as Rovan sprinted for runs from the batting crease, while Emaad retreated from the bowling crease.

"What…?" Seraph observed, puzzled.

"Did he just teleport and come back?" Cassiel asked, gulping.

"Um… are you sure he's no big deal, Alan?" Ezekiel questioned skeptically.

Alan smiled, "I just encouraged you all but they won't be completely useless. They're also aiming for the World Cup," he said, gently rubbing Will's fur, who had finally emerged from his nap.

"For a middle schooler he has quite precise movements. His instant teleportation not only counters Xavier's ring of limitation but he can also use his own abilities anytime," Nagi remarked.

Kenzo, with his middle finger on his nose bridge and index finger on the corner of his brow, stared intently. "The rook advances to challenge the knight, but the opponent responds with a precise counter-move, shifting the queen into a defensive position, neutralizing the threat… its strategic counterplay," he murmured. "Moreover, every attempt to capture a piece is thwarted by the opponent's calculated responses; the queen's advance is met by the king's subtle repositioning, maintaining an impenetrable defense. Tch, this is going nowhere," he exhaled.

"Are you losing, Kenzo?" Elias asked. Kenzo smirked replying, "Lose? Me? In a game I was taught from birth? Hmph, dream on." Yet, pressure was evident on Kenzo's face.

Only a single accumulated with the sixteenth over ending. Islamabad's total was 136/4 with the run rate declining to 8.5. Azazel, taking the Seventeenth over, Rovan has positioned himself on the striker's end waiting for the upcoming delivery.

Azazel, rubbing the ball on his sleeve, glanced at the crowd above, gulping lightly. "Somewhere, among them, grandpa will be looking at me..." he thought. "That's why… everything I've got. From Captain Kenzo, brother Heber, this stupid base and every training I've done up until now… I'll give everything I've got!" he vowed poised.

Kazuna patting his back encouraged, "It's going to be alright, Azazel. Just aim for the stumps."

"Yes!" Azazel replied.

Azazel tossing the ball up and down observed the fielders, soon rushing towards the pitch. His thumb on the seam and two fingers supporting the ball on the side. He stepped on the popping crease murmuring, "Five Seam Mirage!"

Rovan's eyes glowed with the magic circle. His head suddenly throbbing. The ball landing on the pitch with a slow tap instantly wobbled diverging into five mirages at the same time. Quick speed and all mirages pointing towards different sides of the wicket.

Azazel smirked.

However, Rovan on the moment of ball's impact on the pitch, had traced the movements of all balls as he struck them one by one in less than a second, all in a dot return. Azazel astonished over his reflexes, grabbed the ball going back. "This was to be expected. He won't just go back by normal skills." He thought, excitedly.

Delivering the second ball of the over, he whispered, "Grave Knuckle!"

Rovan studied, "Aimed at 70 mph, it will increase to 85 mph approximately. Slightly misjudged bounce, less deviation…" he raised his bat up and struck a huge slog sweep shot towards the leg side.

"Oh, what a magnificent shot! He gets down low and connects perfectly with the ball. It's soaring towards the leg side—there's no stopping this one! The ball flies high and deep, clearing the boundary with ease. That's a spectacular six! The crowd erupts in cheers as Rovan's powerful sweep finds the sweet spot, sending the ball crashing into the stands!" Maaz remarked.

The crowd cheered stridently.

"Yes!!" Asim and Hamza clapped their hands elated.

Romeo stepped out of the pavilion, right before the boundary. His expression calm, neutral mask, revealing no hint of excitement. "Rovan." he simply whispered.

"Rovan, has exceeded his playtime limits on the pitch. From the 6th over to 17th, his head must be throbbing in pain." Ulhas said, concerned.

Hamit smiled assuring, "Don't worry. Till he's standing on the pitch for his team and himself, all limits are meant to be broken."

Two more runs added on the next delivery. Azazel returned to bowl the fourth ball of the over. "It's okay. As long as they don't score more than this, it's okay," he kept reassuring himself. Stepping onto the popping crease, he whispered, "Three seam mirage." The ball landed softly on the pitch, wobbling before splitting into three mirages, each diverging towards different sides of the wicket.

Rovan exhaled calmly and struck the ball high and straight, sending it towards the commentator's box. He aimed for the stands. Aigou, Isa, and Heber clicked their tongues in irritation.

"And again! The crowd is going wild! What a fantastic display of skill and timing! The fielders are mere spectators as that ball rockets over the stands and barely misses the windows, haha! Rovan has certainly made a statement with that shot!" Jones commented.

"This is the peak of excitement! Rovan is bringing us closer to his fifty! I tell you, this is the strength of consecutive PSL Champions!" Maaz added, delighted.

Azazel stared at the ball in disbelief. "Again…?" he thought, confused. Sweat dripped from his forehead under the pressure. "Where am I going wrong?" he wondered, distressed. "If this continues, I won't be able to stay here any longer. I won't make it to the World Cup with everyone and Captain Kenzo. I won't remain His Highness's knight…" his thoughts spiraled as panic crept in.

Meanwhile, Kenzo silently observed him from the boundary line.