On The Side Of The Pitch With You

Space Rankers

Behind the door, they found a soccer field. Because that was just something ancient alien ruins had hidden away. Sure. Why not at this point? Kimiko held back a sigh as the rest of the team gaped in wonder and confusion.

The two Pixies flew around them again, gathering their attention to the center of the field. Then, a bright light surrounded them and...

"You're... Sarjes?!"

"King Acrous?!"

The two revealed their true forms before them.

Sarjes didn't look too different from when they saw him in the memory, but Acrous, contrary to when she and her friend first met him, had appeared as his younger self.

"Hey! You've arrived, Tenma." Sarjes greeted.

Acrous has a slightly colder expression. "How dare you make the king wait, Tsurugi?"

"They're both pretty handsome in person..." Sakura barely muttered under her breath, earning a tiny sweatdrop from the other girls.

"W-Why are you both here?" Tenma asked. "What is this place? And why did you show us those memories?"

The two spirits turned to each other, before one spoke up.

"You first, Sarjes."

"Haha! As the king commands!"

"And stop with that teasing, or I might think you actually did switch your allegiances to Faram Orbius."

"No way! Princess Katora is my one and only princess!"

"So cease with your yapping, and start explaining to them your story."

"I'm on it, I'm on it! Geez..." The knight winked at them. "Sorry, this one's still bitter about his nobles being the bad guys, but he himself isn't a bad person, so don't worry!"

"R-Right..."

"Sure..."

"Hm..."

He clearly saw their doubts, but pretended as if they didn't exist. "Anyway, about this area. They call it the 'Lost Galaxy'... I suppose you could also call it the 'Edge of the Universe'?"

"What?!"

"We're that far away?!"

"Impossible! The universe is ever-expanding! It has no 'edge'!"

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down! It's just what they call it because of how isolated this place is!" He gestured exaggeratedly at the empty void surrounding them. "This place sucks in the feelings of the departed in the galaxy. Like some kind of graveyard of memories, you can say."

"Graveyard..."

"Of memories...?"

"Are we mentally prepared to ask how could such a place exist, or...?" Only Minaho and Manabe nodded at Kimiko's question. So, much to their disappointment, she continued with, "Okay, so we won't do that. Instead, I'll ask, why are we here?"

"We took liberties with your spacecraft and led you here since you left Faram Orbius' orbit." The king's turn began.

"I could guess that much, but why? What for?"

"To test you." His gaze turned to the team. Or, more specifically, their ace striker. "Tsurugi, you have earned Lalaya's trust and respect. Similarly, Matsukaze Tenma has done so with the Princess of Kiel. However, just that won't be enough."

"Huh?"

"What?"

"Tenma." Sarjes called out once again, a serious expression on his face now. "I faced many challenges in my time as a knight. But the reason I persist, even after death, is solely because of my desire to protect Princess Katora. As the previous person to earn his place to be her knight, it is my duty to judge if you're worthy to stand in my place!"