Endou and the rest of Raimon are up against a new enemy. In order to make their team as strong as possible, they travel around the globe to visit old friends. But where have they all gone? Why can't they remember Raimon? Will Raimon's journey end before it can even start?
It was raining, hard. Raimon struggled through the heavy wind and rain to get to the foot of Mount Fuji, the bus occasionally rocking back and forth due to the strong weather. When they finally came to a stop, it wasn't because they had arrived-it was because they were stuck in the mud. Literally.
"We'll have to walk from here." Kidou said when they'd all exited the bus, watching with a little exasperation as the bus driver attempted to get the bus moving again. He turned slightly to the left and sighed in relief. The Academy is only a few minutes away. He glanced over to Endou, who was still trembling from exhaustion, before looking around what was left of their team. Losing our friends lost us our spirit. Ichinose, Domon, Rika, Kogure, Tsunami, Tachimukai...I don't even want to think about how many people we might not get back.
"Brother." Haruna was standing in front of him. Aki stood off to the side. "What will happen when we see them?"
"Honestly, I'm not sure." Kidou replied quietly. He looked up at the remnants of Raimon as they struggled onward. The mud clung to their legs and the rain quickly soaked through their clothing. Kazemaru, who had nearly collapsed from fatigue, was being half-carried, half-dragged by Goenji and Someoka, whose legs were trembling under the added pressure. "We've lost over half our team." It was true. The others, including Kazemaru, were still struggling with the aftereffects of what was left of the Aliea Meteorite; it had been their first day back. Most had been readmitted to the Hospital. "If it came down to it, we would not win a game against Aliea." They walked up to the UFO-eque structure and entered in the code. The doors slid open and they walked in, looking around. With our luck, we'll collapse from exhaustion before we find them.
He looked up in surprise, however, when a familiar group of voices filled the air.
"What did I tell you about using my alien name!" They heard. The sound echoed in the wide-scoped room and several of Raimon looked up in hope.
"Like he'll listen. He's such a baby." Another person said in a teasing voice.
"S-shut up!" Defended another, along with a growled "Watch it." from a forth voice.
"Don't listen to him. He's an idiot." Came another voice, this one colder.
The door opened, and the group looked down on Raimon in surprise, before their eyes darkened.
"I see we have visitors." Hiroto said with a smirk from his place between Midorikawa and Burn. "Let's put them in their place."
Abruzzo, Italy
Fidio laid on his back with his eyes closed, sunlight dancing over his skin, wind ruffling his clothing and keeping him from getting too hot. He felt like something was missing from his memories...something important. He couldn't get a grasp on how much time had passed since his team had been invited to the Football Frontier International. He'd escaped to the countryside by train, determined to clear his mind. However, it hadn't done anything. All he could get was a fuzzy vision of a blue-haired goalkeeper, and it made his heart ache.
"I see you're in confusion too." Fidio opened his eyes at the slightly familiar voice. He'd heard it before, somewhere... In front of him stood a short blonde boy with a skinny figure and long, flawless hair. His eye were unnaturally darkened, however, in a way that made Fidio weary.
"Friend?" He asked.
"Friend." Aphrodi confirmed. "They say birds of a feather flock together-I understand you've lost your memories-"
"-That's what that was?!" Fidio exclaimed. Aphrodi put a gentle hand on his shoulder to calm him.
"Yes. I've experienced it as well. However, I was able to return mine and see the truth."
"The...truth?" Fidio asked doubtfully.
"Yes." Aphrodi's already dark eyes now turned almost black as he grimaced. "A team called Raimon erased our memories." He said.
"Rai...mon?" Fidio murmured, blue eyes wide as he watched Aphrodi, who nodded.
"Raimon erased our memories of the moment we joined Team Iota, the underling of Team Sigma, who is determined to bring illumination to the world through soccer. Together, we played real soccer, true soccer." He raised his hands to the sky. "We delivered the truth, and were rewarded with godly strength."
"What about Raimon?" Fidio asked.
"Raimon...had lost their way." Aphrodi said. "I have not fully recovered my memories, so I haven't remembered playing them yet. But from what I have been told, and from the proof given to me...they were determined to stop us. They fought the truth and refused to let others listen to it either." His arm slid from Fidio's shoulder to his waist, turning to face the Italian boy and pressing their foreheads together. "We must help them. I believe we can do it, if we work together." He watched the other boy earnestly, and his expression was so warm and trusting and close, Fidio felt himself blush as he realized he had also wrapped his arms around the shorter boy in reflex.
"I..." He hesitated, and felt impatience flare up in Aphrodi's face. It was almost...cute.
No. Something about it all felt...off. Another vision flashed in his head, and Fidio heard Aphrodi shout in surprise as they fell over, rolling with Aphrodi trapped under him.
"Hey, Fidio!" The blue-haired boy ran over to the Captain with a bright grin. "Let's play one-on-one!"
Fidio felt his head press against the crook of Aphrodi's shoulder as he tensed in pain.
"I'm saying I love you! I love you more than anything in the world! Will...will you be mine, Fidio?"
More pain, but this time different. It lingered like a burn in his chest. He felt Aphrodi hold him tightly, letting his hand run through Fidio's brown hair soothingly and whispering comforting words, and it was only then that he realized he was crying.
"It's okay." Aphrodi whispered. "Everything's going to be okay."