Just then, the noise in the pavilion died down. The players turned their attention forward. Helios approached. His jersey draped loosely over his shoulders, a forehead band keeping his hair in place. His expression was calm, commanding, exuding a quiet authority that needed no announcement. With just the slightest raise of his brow, the audience silenced themselves, their excitement now tempered with respect.
Stopping before the bench at the boundary line, Helios looked at his teammates. His voice was steady, clear, and brimming with quiet confidence, "Ready?"
"Yes, Captain! We're ready!" Mirza, Claude, Haadi, and the rest responded in unison.
Poseidon gave a small nod, and Helios met his gaze, his features softening just enough to allow the hint of an encouraging smile. One meant for the team alone. "Go," he said, his voice steady yet electric with conviction, "Blaze up the world."
The boys grinned, fists clenching with excitement, "Yeah!!"
Helios then settled onto the bench, crossing one leg over the other as he leaned back, his gaze sweeping over the challengers and the crowd with an unreadable expression. His eyes met Coach Zavian's, and with a single nod of acknowledgment, the event began.
Poseidon, perhaps the most eager of them all, smiled. Because, the moment it began, a single name echoed among the challengers.
"Vice-captain Poseidon Ageil!!"
"We challenge Vice-captain Poseidon Ageil!!"
An anticipated twist of events.
"One, two, three… Ten! No, twenty-two challengers?!" The host's voice trembled with disbelief.
Helios' brow twitched, his expression darkening.
Meanwhile, Poseidon's blue gaze swirled with an excitement too deep to be put into words.
"Well, there it is. Just as expected," Haadi exhaled, shaking his head.
Claude clenched his fists, "I feel like knocking some sense into them. Do they think Poseidon is some kind of superhero who can take on all their challenges at once?"
Ebraham adjusted his glasses and spoke calmly, "According to the regulations, Poseidon needs to defeat any three opponents in a row to reject the remaining challenges. However, if his victories are not consecutive, he'll have to defeat two more. This secures his position. But if he loses three matches in a row or five matches overall with fewer victories, he'll be ruled out. If it ends in a tie, five wins to five losses, an extra challenge will determine his fate."
A hush settled over the group as Ebraham continued, "And if he gets ruled out, it's even worse. His rank will be in jeopardy, forcing him to compete against a teammate, means one amongst us, to keep his spot. If he yet loses again, he'll drop in rank. Maybe even lose his place entirely in the final team. As a bowler, he'll only be facing batsmen."
Lucifer scoffed, "Tch, forget everything after 'However.' That's impossible."
"I was merely stating the rules." Ebraham exhaled.
Claude turned to Poseidon, his voice steady, "So… are you ready?"
Poseidon grinned, standing up and taking off his jersey, "Of course…" He stretched his arms, effortlessly catching the red cock ball Azazel tossed his way. His smirk deepened. "I've got an entire crowd to prove wrong." He said heading down. Before stepping onto the field, he met Helios' gaze. A silent exchange passed between them.
One of trust, one of certainty.
Helios nodded. The rest settled behind Helios.
"One thing's for sure," Azazel said, his tone brimming with confidence, "Vice-captain never loses a challenge."
"Yeah, that's the only reason I can sit here without worry," Mirza agreed.
Claude leaned in and whispered to Mirza, "He took his medicine, right?"
"Yeah, Helios and I made sure he did," Mirza replied, crossing his arm, "As for everything else. It's up to his will and luck."
"Yeah, show them why you're called 'The Tranquil Sea'." Lucifer whispered in quiet belief.
Inside the ground, Zavian stood, his voice commanding attention, "The rules are simple: One over per challenge. If the bowler takes the batsman's wicket within six balls, he wins. If the batsman scores more than 15 runs, the batsman wins. If the batsman scores less than 15 runs without losing their wicket, the bowler is awarded the victory. For a batsman no more than one extra delivery will be allowed in terms of wide, dead or no balls."
Poseidon stepped onto the pitch, his gaze sweeping over the challengers lined up before him. A faint, knowing smile tugged at his lips. The effect was immediate. The challengers stiffened, their irritation flaring.
"The strongest should go first," Poseidon murmured, his eyes gleaming as they locked onto the lineup. His voice, calm yet laced with an unmistakable challenge, sent a ripple of unease through them. Then, just as suddenly, his expression softened into something almost kind, "So I can be pushed to my limits."
Annoyance flickered in their eyes, but so did hesitation.
As Poseidon took his position at the bowling crease, his gaze wandered, scanning the crowd. Searching. He looked and looked, until his eyes found him.
Ezekiel. Leaning against a shaded pole, hood drawn low over his hair, but his unmistakable sky-blue eyes locked onto Poseidon's with the same unwavering intensity.
"He's here…" Poseidon whispered, a quiet relief settling over him. With that, he was fully prepared. He twirled the ball between his fingers, a smirk playing on his lips. "Come… this Sea king awaits his humble guests." Poseidon whispered and the ball spun, like a beast awakening in his grasp.
"Let's start with a trial ball first," Zavian announced. Poseidon nodded, gripping the ball in his right hand.
The first batsman readied himself.
Stepping onto the popping crease, Poseidon ran his fingers over the ball, a confident smile playing on his lips before he released it. Whispering, "First Tide of Return," he sent the ball spinning sharply from leg side to off, targeting the stumps in an instant.
The batsman, bewildered by the unexpected turn, hesitated for just a blink—too long. Before he could react, the ball had already crashed into the stumps, toppling them.
Poseidon blinked, then let out a sharp gasp, his lips stretching into a broad grin.
A stunned silence settled over the ground. Even the batsman and the challengers stood frozen, unable to process what had just happened.
"Haha!! He took him down before the game even started! What a Googly!" Claude exclaimed, his voice brimming with excitement.
The silence shattered as the rest of the team erupted into applause, and the crowd followed suit with wild cheers. "A-amazing! That was just a trial ball, and he already got a wicket?!" gasps and murmurs rippled through the stands.
From the pavilion, Helios smiled, closing his eyes, "That's Poseidon for you."
Ezekiel swallowed hard, his sharp gaze locked onto the field.
Poseidon retrieved the ball, turning back to the batsman with an unwavering smile.
The batsman, however, stood frozen, his expression shaken.
Poseidon's heart pounded in his chest, a feeling of exhilaration rushing through him as if he had been reborn. His grin widened, his eyes gleaming with focus.
The first challenger had fallen after just two deliveries. Another googly sealing his fate. The second met his end on the over's second delivery, deceived by a sharp off-break. With two quick dismissals under his belt, Poseidon stood tall under the glistening sun, his presence radiating confidence.
The murmurs of doubt from earlier seemed to vanish like smoke in the wind as the third challenger strode to the crease, his glare locked onto Poseidon. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Poseidon Ageil. Those two flukes won't work on me," he growled, frustration laced in his voice.
Poseidon raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering across his face, "Name?"
"Second-year middle schooler, Raihan Amer," the boy declared, his voice brimming with confidence.
Poseidon gave a slight nod, "Best of luck, Raihan. And just so you know…" Poseidon grinned, eyes gleaming mischievously, "You must mean three flukes, not two." His grin widened, "But don't worry. This time, I'll make sure it's not a fluke at all."
Raihan's expression twisted into a scowl. His teeth clenched so tightly they could shatter.
From above, Ezekiel's frown deepened as he watched Raihan.
Poseidon tossed the ball into the air, catching it smoothly before fixing Raihan with a focused stare. Taking his mark, he whispered under his breath, "Short Spin."
The ball skidded halfway down the pitch, darting toward the middle stump. Raihan, reading the length early, stepped back and executed a solid defensive shot.
Poseidon stepped forward, retrieving the ball. Sweat trickled down his temple as he adjusted his grip. His next delivery, a googly, was met with a swift, lofted drive. The ball soared past him, racing toward the boundary.
"Four runs!" the coach announced.
Poseidon caught the returning ball and pressed it against his forehead, rubbing it to make it slipperier. The third delivery, a top-spinner. Raihan smirked, eyes narrowing as he tracked the ball. With a decisive swing, the bat met the ball with a crisp crack, launching it high into the stands.
"Six runs!" The crowd roared, caught in a frenzy.
From the sidelines, Haadi muttered, "He's got sharp hands."
"So, is Poseidon in trouble?" Azazel asked.
Claude and Lucifer exchanged knowing glances before breaking into identical grins, "What do you think?"
Poseidon bent down, gripping the ball. Then, before the eyes of the stunned spectators, he flicked it from his right hand to his left. His confident smirk never faltering. A ripple of excitement surged through the stands.
"There it is! Charmer's Chinaman bowling!" someone shouted, "He wiped out four wickets in last year's Inter-Academy semi-final with this trick, switching his hands out of nowhere! And guess what? he suddenly puts finger spin variations devouring wickets!"
Ezekiel, overhearing the chatter, narrowed his eyes, "He's ambidextrous?"
The boys beside him turned, their eyes gleaming with pride. "Of course! Anyone who truly knows Poseidon stands no chance against him, unlike those fools challenging him now. He's the pride of the Eight-Generation Leg Spin Bowlers! A true Mystery Spinner! There's no one like him." Their voices rang with admiration as Poseidon stepped up to bowl once more, the sun glinting off his confident stance.