On The Side Of The Pitch With You

Faram Orbius V

Far away from the stadium, the castle, and the train station all together, the sound of gunfire resounded through the streets. The planet continues its slow rotation, shrouding the area in the darkness. The only light that remained came from burning buildings or the split-second glow of lasers being shot about. It almost seemed as if the terrified screams of the people were being swallowed by the black hole itself.

"Someone! Anyone! Please!"

Cries for help echoed from all over. Many were trapped under rubble, or had their escape routes blocked by fire.

The mysterious group of black-clad raiders only stopped their advancement when an arrow, made purely of light, landed in front of them. While it disappeared as if it was nothing, the crater it left on the ground made them sure it was no illusion.

Looking up at where it came from, they spotted a figure standing atop a highrise. Had nothing seemed off about the person, everyone present was sure that the raiders wouldn't hesitate to shoot them down. But anyone with eyes can see that the figure was not normal.

Not with the giant they seem to control aiming its bow.

A single shot made a dozen arrows rain. The raiders all dodged the attack, hopping several feet away. Once the barrage stopped, they aimed their guns up, only to find that the figure had disappeared.

~~~~~

"Yay! Grand Celesta Galaxy! The tournament that decides who will survive in the galaxy has reached its final round!"

"Kimiko-san was right. The helpers are all from Faram Orbius." None of them had doubted her theory, but they could only confirm it with their own eyes when they saw Ichikawa pointing at the opposite team.

"Yeah..."

"This is a big game being watched by Queen Lalaya and Princess Katora! It'll decide the fate of the planets, this dead or alive final game! Don't miss a second of it!"

"Potomuri-san!" Konoha smiled when she saw the man standing by the princess' side.

Tetsukado was equally glad. "He's okay!"

But the atmosphere quickly depleted when their attention was caught by the enemy captain. Their friend... that betrayed them.

"Why...?!"

"We worked so hard together all this time..."

"Someone must be controlling him."

"That's just what I was thinking."

"Yeah. It doesn't make sense otherwise."

"Whatever the case, we have to accept this situation for what it is now." Shindou's level-headedness was what snapped them out of it. "We need to focus on the game alone."

"Yeah! We'll just have to do it!" Ibuki backed him up.

"Right." Sakura nodded. "We came all this way to protect the galaxy!"

"Yes. We can't afford to lose." Ichikawa added.

Even so, their own captain's expression was cast down. The air remained heavy even after the striker's return, especially with how he seemed to ignore their existence since they all entered the stadium.

Suddenly, there was clapping. The main monitor turned to a stage above the queen's VIP booth, where she appeared with a microphone ready.

At the sight of her, the goalkeeper moved to stand beside their captain. The rest of the members quickly followed suit. Now, the soccer team was lined up like soldiers about to be sent out to war.