Sunday Silence?
Missing?
Seeing that name, one so familiar he could not possibly be more familiar with it, Kuroha froze slightly.
In the real world, this horse could be called one of the pinnacles of central horse racing.
A great many legendary racehorses of later generations had inherited her bloodline.
If she had gone missing, what was Tracen supposed to do after this?
"...No, that's not right."
As soon as he thought of that, Kuroha abruptly realized something.
Real-world horse racing and the current world of Umamusume were, in truth, subtly different.
In the worldview of Umamusume, it seemed... there was no Umamusume named Sunday Silence.
Or rather, this Umamusume basically only appeared through vague background hints and player speculation.
Dead?
Missing?
Or had she simply hidden herself away?
Kuroha frowned slightly. For some reason, he had the feeling that every time he returned to Tracen in 2002, there would always be quite a few strange things waiting for him to deal with.
"Forget it. I'll deal with it after I go back in three days."
After thinking for a long while and getting nowhere, Kuroha stopped making things difficult for himself and made the decision.
"No matter what happened, with Darley and Byerley, two genuine Three Goddesses of the Umamusume, present, there basically shouldn't be any paranormal event they can't resolve."
After secretly assigning a little work to the two goddesses, Kuroha stretched and walked out of the study.
...
Evening.
When the setting sun once again dyed the estate orange-red, a subtle atmosphere began quietly spreading through the villa.
After dinner, McQueen and Maruzensky were sitting in front of the television, controllers in hand, fighting with all their might.
Meanwhile, in the first-floor study, Kuroha was looking through several race recordings of Umamusume.
Just then, a burst of light footsteps came from the doorway.
"Kuroha-kun, are you still working?"
A gentle, familiar voice sounded by his ear.
Godolphin walked behind him and, with complete naturalness, bent down and wrapped both arms around Kuroha's neck.
Tonight, the blue goddess was not wearing her usual loungewear. Instead, she had changed into a sheer gauze nightdress.
A deep-blue ribbon was barely tied around her waist, faintly outlining her breathtakingly perfect curves.
The unique fragrance that belonged only to the goddess instantly enveloped Kuroha. The astonishing softness pressing near his brow made him stiffen slightly.
"I'm just watching some recordings."
"Oh?"
Godolphin rested her chin on Kuroha's shoulder and looked over curiously. "Suave Dancer's race recordings?"
"Yeah. She and Generous are currently predicted to be McQueen's two strongest rivals."
"We already have actual race experience against Generous, but there still isn't much useful data on Suave Dancer."
"In this year's race footage, these European Umamusume have never once forced Suave Dancer to show her true strength."
With a sigh, Kuroha closed the video, held the hands she had wrapped in front of his chest, and said helplessly, "Also, why did you come downstairs dressed like this? Are you planning to seduce me?"
From the sensation against his back, he could faintly tell that Godolphin seemed to be wearing very little underneath right now...
"Did it work?" Godolphin smiled brightly.
Sensing his body's reaction, Kuroha rubbed his forehead helplessly. "Hasn't it already worked?"
"Really?"
An excited smile rose across Godolphin's face.
"Although this is my first time doing something like this, it looks like I still have quite a bit of potential. I succeeded on the first try."
As she spoke, the goddess even waved her little hand.
Kuroha casually tapped her cheek and chuckled. "So why make your move today all of a sudden? Is it because I'm going back soon?"
"Hm? No."
Hearing that, Godolphin pressed her cheek close to Kuroha's ear, her breath soft and fragrant.
"Because... there's a very important 'arrangement' tonight."
"Arrangement? What arrangement?"
Kuroha turned around and met those green eyes, which seemed capable of seeing straight through a person's heart.
Godolphin did not answer right away.
She smiled faintly, took Kuroha's hand, and pulled him up from the sofa, leading him all the way toward the rooms on the second floor.
"Yesterday, didn't you ask me, since I said I was still just a tiny bit away from 'completely falling for you,' whether that could happen today?"
Godolphin walked ahead, speaking softly without looking back. There was a trace of slyness in her tone.
"But it didn't happen yesterday."
Kuroha already had some idea of what Godolphin was planning.
Looks like she's trying to ambush me again...
He sighed inwardly.
By now, Kuroha had already grown quite accustomed to his Umamusume suddenly deciding to flip the hierarchy on him.
Though... if it was Godolphin, would this even count as defying her superior?
"Mm-hm. That's why it's 'today.'"
Godolphin made a playful little joke, then stopped and turned around, leaning back against a tightly shut door.
"I told you yesterday, didn't I? I said you should look forward to my arrangement."
Kuroha recognized it. That was Folkqueen's bedroom.
"Don't tell me..."
Kuroha realized something, and his eyes widened slightly.
"That is exactly the masaka!"
Godolphin's smile grew even deeper.
She pushed open the door behind her in one motion, pulled the still-stunned Kuroha inside, and then, with a click, locked the door.
Inside the room, Kuroha's vision blurred.
Before his eyes, two Mega Florges seemed to appear, along with one Mega Lopunny.
The breathtakingly beautiful girl with gold-red heterochromatic eyes was shyly rubbing her long, black-stockinged legs together, decisively opening the Pokémon Champion battle arena.
In order to decide who the true Pokémon Master was, they issued a team-battle challenge to Kuroha.
In the end, Kuroha still did not personally take the field.
Instead, he sent out the ace Pokémon that had traveled with him for twenty-one years: Mega Steelix.
Battle on.
This ultimate showdown.
(End of Chapter)
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