(Part 6)

Helios and Cassiel followed behind. Seraph too seeing them reach the top one by one climbed up alongside Poseidon, Feng, Ezekiel, Gabriel, Xavier and Azazel. Poseidon assisted alongside Ezekiel and Azazel while Gabriel climbed up steadily as Xavier stepped lightly on the rocks.

Seraph coming up in the last eyed the others anxiously. Alan reaching the top kept his hand pulling himself up. Heber and Adam heaved him.

"Here we go!" Adam pulled him up as he laid on the ground panting hard. Gazing at the sky Alan gasped for air. "Ah… I am seriously broke…" he closed his eyes, his hands quivering.

Afterwards, one by one the rest of the boys climbed up, first Kenzo, followed by Cassiel, Helios and then Ryan.

"Come on, Ryan!" Adam called pulling him up next. Ryan sat on the ground taking deep breaths. Adam instantly hugged him happy, "Haha! We did it, Ray, Ray!" Ryan nodded patting him back, "Yeah… we did it at last."

Soon Ezekiel climbed up alongside Gabriel. "Come on Poseidon, only a little bit is left." Azazel encouraged as Poseidon agreed. Sweat dripping his forehead he smiled, "Yeah… I know."

Helios gazing at him from above waited anxiously. Azazel climbing up was pulled by Heber who patted his head smiling whereas Feng was pulled up by Gabriel and Ryan, who the moment climbed up fell on the ground as if dead. "I am done. My lives all over…" soul left his body.

Xavier heading up was silently assisted by Kenzo. "Thank you…" he thanked.

Helios tracing Poseidon ducked down giving his hand, "Come on…" Poseidon whose breath was distorted was pulled up the moment he gave his hand. Helios dabbed his back gently while he coughed. "Thank you…" Poseidon whispered. Helios in turn smiled.

Worry taking over him he gently pushed Poseidon's hair up relieving him from stress. "It's foggy here… and cold…" Poseidon whispered anxious. "Yeah, it's because of the high altitude. You don't have any problem in breathing or do you?" Helios asked as Ezekiel sat beside them nervous. "Nope, I am fine. It's just temporary. It'll be fine." Poseidon assured.

Lastly, Seraph climbed up. Alan immediately gave his hand as he jumped up. "Thank you…" he thanked who shook his head. "And, thank you for helping Adam as well. Really, I am glad you were with him." Seraph added gratefully. Alan blinked his eyes shaking his head once again.

Adam laughing alongside Cassiel turned around to see Seraph looking at him. His expression half of worry and half of anger (which was directed not on Adam but on himself instead) he clutched his fists tight.

"Sera… Sera…" Adam rushed towards him instantly hugging him sobbing.

"Wah~!! I was so scared Sera, Sera… I thought- I woul-d be do-ne for… Wah!!" he cried as Seraph hugged him back lightly. The rest, eyeing the two of them smiled. "I am glad he is safe…" Xavier said relieved. Kenzo nodded.

"All's well that ends well. So, how long are you going to stay dead like this?" Azazel asked Feng who didn't dared to get back up.

"Forget me… I am a corpse." Feng uttered like a zombie as the others laughed.

Helios looking around spoke up, "Now we've even reached the top. What to do next?" Alan remembering walked ahead. "Hey, it's quiet foggy here so be careful not to fall from the other side." Cassiel warned washing Adam's hands which bled. Alan looking around walked further, Adam who instantly sprinted pulled Alan back as Ryan too stood beside him stopping with his arm.

"Cassiel just warned. Don't be careless." Adam repeated.

"Yeah, I don't think we can afford another horrible experience just like the one before." Ryan added.

Alan smiled asking, "I get that but if I won't check ahead, then how will we move on?"

"Then, let me handle it!" Adam claimed, "I have very sharp senses of sight and hearing, so I'll walk forward. How's that?"

Hearing him the middleschoolers along with Alan twitched their brows. "After all that trouble you've already caused?" Helios sighed speechless.

"No way in hell! Just sit here quietly, you brat! Seraph, just grab your boy alongside you and tell him to calm down a bit." Kenzo clicked his tongue stepping ahead.

Adam rolling his eyes cursed, "This damn stupid monkey king…"

Alan assured patting his shoulder, "Alright, alright, don't worry. I'll be fine. Just take a rest for now." Ryan concurred alongside Xavier.

Adam exhaling upset, sat like a baby with his arms crossed beside Seraph and Cassiel, continuously cursing Kenzo in a light murmur. "Alright, I'll go and take a look." Gabriel said.

All of a sudden a loud voice echoed on the mountain top, "Arrgh…Growl…hiss… Augh…screech…hmm…hun...huff…!" ending with a tired sigh.

The boys including Alan for a while stood with their expressions blank until the voice halted. And the moment it did silence took over all of them.

"What… w-as… that?" Ezekiel asked in a shocked whisper. All of a sudden chills went down every single one of their spines as they jumped up and stood close to each other.

"Oh lord! What the heck was that?!" Heber shrieked in horror as Cassiel turned the pages of his book rapidly.

"I don't know." Poseidon replied puzzled.

"Yeah this is the first time I have heard an animal making so many different voices at once. Don't tell me there was a new discovery recently?" Xavier uttered amused meanwhile, Kenzo slammed his forehead.

"Do we seriously have to face new species now of all times?!" Seraph asked speechless while Ryan gulped grapping Feng who shivered.

"For-get face… if we were to stand before one we might be as good as dead both from the back and the front!" Feng added.

Azazel and Heber instantly turned around to see the dead end of the rock which they climbed up painstakingly.

Of course, there was no way they could go back down now.

"Oh boy…" Helios grabbed his bat tight while Gabriel rolled his eyes tossing his ball up and down.

Alan who stood at the same place stepped forward.

"Alan…" Azazel called in a light whisper as the voice came again, "Auugh… Growl…Hm…sigh… Hiccup!!"

"Zoinks..!" Adam squealed as Kenzo stood in the front alongside Helios, their expressions grim.

"Hiccups?" Cassiel asked confused.

The rabbit hopping outside from Alan's hairs sniffed around as the voice came up yet again, "Auugh… this darn back of mine… gulp! Gulp! Sigh~ I have become quiet old hun… Hiccup!!"

Alan and the others tying to recognize the hoarse and grim voice instantly stood wide eyed.

"What the…" Helios whispered baffled.

Alan stunned walked forward as the fog dissipated lightly.

"You rascals sure are loud hun…?" The voice of an old man echoed around.

Kenzo stared silent. "Isn't… he…?" Poseidon asked dumbstruck.

Suddenly the fog surrounding the mountain dissipated revealing an old man sitting on a wide wooden pallet. His clothes charred with his black hairs disheveled, he gulped down his drink simultaneously. Eyeing his sight, Alan stood grim while the boys stared dumbstruck.

The old man eyeing the fourteen of them smirked. "What's wrong? Did earth leave your feet's'? Haiz, this back of mine is crumbled thanks to you all and your laziness… Auugh, took you hell lot of time to get here hun? You Brats!" he asked haughtily.

Ezekiel blinking his eyes instantly rubbed them alongside Cassiel and Azazel whereas Feng and Gabriel eyed the man dazed.

"Head Coach… Nidou…?" Poseidon whispered.

Alan clenching his fists looked at Nidou wordless. In the end, what could he say? All his assumptions and guesses were now correct right before his eyes. There was no escape.

"So it really was him." Xavier glanced at Kenzo grinning.

Kenzo gripped his bat tight.

"You both Knew?!" Seraph asked.

"Yeah, I did. More like, I had a feeling. Someone who knew both us and Alan together. That was the clue. We met at the base. Else than the people in the base nobody would know our relationship. Head coach Nidou was definitely my first suspect." Xavier explained.

"Unbelievable…" Gabriel uttered. Alan glaring at Nidou asked, "So it was you hun, all this time…?"

Nidou grasping his sight from the corner of his eye replied, "Yeah… it was me. What's wrong? Surprised?"

His words astounding the fourteen of them completely, they looked at each other conflicted. At that point… nothing made even the slightest bit of sense.

"Haiz…" Nidou growled standing up from his wooden pallet ordering, "You rascals did took a lot of time to reach here when my estimation was of yesterday night. Still you even got to this point marks a trivial progress. So, get ready for more next. Including you, you defiant brat!" he ended at Alan who stared back vexed.