Mm...
Well...
Ah...
Sitting in a corner of the training grounds, Kitahara held a bottle of water, his expression melancholy.
Several days had already passed since Neicha pinned him down, but he still had not quite adjusted.
It was not as if he had been unable to resist at the time. In fact, if he had wanted to, he could have stopped it from happening without using any real strength.
But just as Neicha had planned, she had used her future to cut off every one of his escape routes, leaving him unable even to resist.
After all, just as she had said, since he had made her into what she was now, he had to take responsibility.
And after the Umapyoi was over, Neicha did not announce it the way the others had. Although her eyes dodged his a little more than usual, she did not let anyone else notice.
But while the other Umamusume still did not know what had happened between the two of them, the change that appeared in Neicha afterward was laid bare before everyone's eyes.
Red ribbons.
Their exact material was unknown, but they felt soft and smooth to the touch.
Neicha herself did not know how she had brought those ribbons out.
But in short, after recognizing what she truly desired, and after the Umapyoi was over, she had called those things forth almost instinctively.
It was like a Domain, yet the feeling it gave off was completely different.
Restraint, griefer, happiness...
Complex sensations wove themselves through the ribbons, and she could command and use them like tentacles.
Had she broken past the limit?
Yes, but also no.
Or rather, she had broken through half the restriction.
Although she was no longer submerged in the dream of Umamusume woven by the Three Goddesses, and although she had found and realized her own desire, establishing a new self and a new future...
Emotionally, she had enough. But on the hardware side, she was still lacking by quite a bit.
So at most, one could say she had broken half the limit.
Neicha, however, did not care much about that.
After all, she had no intention of becoming some leader of a new era.
Those ribbons were fun. They made cleaning her room and doing housework convenient, and they were also good for scaring children.
For her, that was already enough.
But for Kitahara, while Neicha's ribbons themselves were not a problem, the fact that the ribbons had appeared at all was a major problem.
Well, based on confirmation from multiple sides, he could basically be certain that Neicha's ribbons were the product of her own inner awakening.
If this news got out, he would not dare guarantee what it might develop into...
What if other Umamusume refused to believe those things were something Neicha had created on her own, and instead thought they were the product of having Umapyoi with him...?
Kitahara did not dare imagine what consequences that would produce.
Well, one had to understand. The Umamusume inside Tracen Academy basically fell into two types.
Those who had Umapyoi with their Trainers, and those who did not.
The former went without saying. As for the latter...
As everyone knew, racing Umamusume had two desires.
The desire for Umapyoi, and the desire for victory.
Under ordinary circumstances, those two desires ran in parallel.
But if the former had been completely suppressed, that could only mean the latter had already reached some terrifying level.
Calling them obsessive maniacs would not be an exaggeration.
So for the sake of his own safety, he absolutely could not let Neicha's matter be exposed no matter what.
The problem was, even if he did not expose it, there were plenty of people who would.
Especially a certain unnamed white Umamusume who loved watching chaos unfold, never thought any mess was big enough, and was herself an unrivaled master at stirring the pot.
And never mind Kitahara. Quite a few other Trainers had already vanished because she had stirred things up.
Kitahara had actually known there was something off about Shanish. After all, she was an existence even the Three Goddesses had been wary of.
But the problem was, ever since she moved into his dorm, Shanish had behaved quite properly.
No forcibly Umapyoing anyone, no making a fuss. She was so quiet and obedient that she seemed like a completely different Umamusume from the one who had forced herself on him that day.
Although she would usually go out for strolls and chat with other Umamusume.
But chatting was just chatting. Every Umamusume chatted. What problem could that possibly cause?
That was what Kitahara thought.
Until he saw the data Tazuna Hayakawa gave him.
The rate of Trainer disappearances inside Tracen Academy had reached an all-time high.
Not only had it far surpassed previous levels, it was even still climbing.
Kitahara was shocked.
No wonder the number of Trainers in the group chat kept getting smaller.
He had originally thought there were a lot of races lately and everyone was busy. It turned out they had been dragged off.
After that, according to the investigation, all signs pointed to a certain white Umamusume.
And when Kitahara went to confront Shanish, she not only admitted it readily, she casually took out a large sum of money.
"...Did you rob a bank?"
"No. This is my commission from the Mejiro family."
After talking for a while, Kitahara learned that while this creature had been fanning the flames, she had also taken on a side business from the Mejiro family promoting basements.
She fanned the flames and made money at the same time.
For a moment, Kitahara did not know how to judge that.
Well, although those Trainers were good people, and he was on pretty good terms with them, looking at the money in front of him...
Kitahara put on a stern face.
"I think you can go negotiate another business deal with the pelvic care center."
"Good idea."
Let the Trainers suffer a little more.
After all, raising that many Umamusume in the future would cost him quite a bit.
But although money had temporarily blinded his conscience, Kitahara also knew this matter could not be allowed to grow too large.
So after accepting the money, he still restricted Shanish's actions slightly and agreed on a few rules with her, temporarily stopping the disappearance rate from continuing to rise.
Then, as a representative, he went to Ardan and attempted to speak with her, hoping she would cooperate with Tracen's investigation into the missing Trainers.
After all, he had already spoken to her before and knew that the Mejiro family's businesses at Tracen Main Campus were all under her responsibility.
But Ardan looked somewhat troubled.
"Trainer Kitahara, you know as well as I do that the Mejiro family's success comes entirely from our responsibility toward our customers..."
Since this mess had been caused by the Umamusume under his own care, Kitahara was too embarrassed to make forceful demands of her.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to make it a trade.
"Then how about this? Tell me what I can do in exchange for your cooperation with the investigation—no, you don't even have to cooperate with the investigation. Just loosen the restrictions slightly."
"Mm, in that case..."
Ardan blinked, revealing a gentle smile.
"I heard that you were once called a 'wish-granting machine,' Trainer Kitahara. In that case... could you heal my legs?"
She looked at Kitahara, her eyes filled with expectation and hope.
Of course, it was an act.
She had long since prepared to cooperate with Tracen's investigation. After all, if too many Trainers were missing for too long, that would be bad for the overall environment to begin with.
And beyond that, under these circumstances, if some accident were to occur, the losses it would bring to the Mejiro family would far outweigh those profits.
But she had not cooperated immediately because of the person before her.
And now, just as that white Umamusume had planned with her, he had come before her, and then...
"...Fine."
After thinking for a moment, Kitahara nodded, a little conflicted.
"But I can't guarantee it'll work. I can only say I'll do my best."
The fish had taken the bait.
"Of course."
Ardan smiled and nodded.
"If it fails, neither I nor the Mejiro family will trouble you. And if it succeeds, there will be an additional reward..."
Kitahara sighed.
"Your cooperation with the investigation is already more than enough."
Just as that white Umamusume had said, he would not ask what the additional reward was.
Looking at Kitahara before her, Mejiro Ardan's smile lifted higher.
Although that reward had been proposed long ago, and was known to many people.
The man before her seemed not to know. Or even if he did, he had not realized it.
In that case...
"I look forward to your guidance from now on."
Ardan bowed slightly.
"Huh? Oh..."
Kitahara hurriedly returned the gesture, still somewhat confused. He was only making a deal to heal her legs, so why was she making it so formal?
If he had known that one of the items in the trade, hidden behind that additional reward, was Ardan herself...
Then perhaps he would not have thought that.
But he did not know.
And so he took the hand she offered him.
The deal was officially struck.
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