On The Side Of The Pitch With You

Priorities

After the audience left, Katora and Potomuri, with Lalaya and Minel close by, approached them from the tunnel, undoubtedly to formally ask for their help in fighting against Ozrock and his team. She already knew what the team's answer would be, so she paid no mind to their conversation. Instead, she kept her eyes on her friend, who was standing by his team's goal.

With a small sigh, she walked over and placed a hand on his back. He barely reacted to it, earning a frown. "Hey, Kyou. Don't think for a second that this was your fault, alright?"

"I know." Though he said so with trembling lips. "I know in my head that Ozrock did it... But I..."

Seeing how genuinely white his knuckles were compared to his already pale skin tone, she leaned on his shoulder and twined her fingers around his. "You did all you could. Very recklessly and stupidly, might I add."

He let out a small, self-deprecating laugh at that before going silent. They stayed that way for a while, half-listening to the others talking on the edge of the pitch. Or at least, she was. He seemed to be thinking some more, so much that he probably didn't realize that the others were all talking about him.

"It's a stupid thing to think about, but..." He suddenly spoke again, and she hummed to let him know she was listening. "It kind of feels like I'm cursed. Kuro no Kishidan, El Dorado 01, and now Faram Dite... Whenever I become captain, bad things happen..."

"Kyou..."

"I've never won as captain either, so that's also a thing, I guess." He sighed. "Faram Dite were all looking forward to the finals, mostly as a way to get revenge on you guys for beating them in all the previous planets."

"You were with us in Sandorias, though."

"Heh, true. But Barga didn't remember me. Just Tenma, Tetsukado, Konoha, Ichikawa, and you." He looked down. "The only reason they agreed to let me be captain was because it was Lalaya's orders. None of them, aside Hilary, complained about it. I told them I'll lead Faram to victory, and yet..."

"Kyousuke..."

"Can you... try to use your powers? Like, you know... Scan the area for their minds or something? Like what you did with me when you first arrived here. If there's a chance at all, then..."

He wants to know if they're still alive. Though she hated to, she shook her head. "I can't normally sense the minds of aliens. I need ampules for it, but I don't have any with me right now. At least, not the ability enhancing ones. I think it has to do with the difference in brainwaves, but I'll need to talk to Saru and the others to know for sure."

"Oh..."

She pursed her lips. She absolutely hated the expression he had at the moment. Without thinking, her next words came out. "But there may be a chance they're alright."

"... What?"

"Do you remember the first time we went to the future? Training for Ragnarok everyday and all that?"

"Of course."

"Have you ever gone out at night and saw the moon while we were there?"

"Maybe? But what does that―"

"Kyou, the moon's been gone for months now, remember?"

"Wha... Then...?!"

"If it was there in the future, then something must've happened to save it before it could be swallowed by Ozrock's eraser ball. Or maybe, it doesn't actually erase anything and is actually a teleportation device. Something like the sphere devices El Dorado and Zanark have."