"Ikezoe! I want you to ride me! Immediately! Right now!"
"...Huh?"
When Orfevre rushed into the team room and found Ikezoe, he was so dumbfounded by Orfevre's declaration that he almost dropped the cup he was drinking from. Fortunately, he managed to catch himself in time and none of it spilt.
"Uh, Orfevre, it's best if you don't say stuff like that to people later on. If it's just me, I can still understand what you mean, but if anyone else heard it, they'd all think you're a perverted weirdo."
"So, you came to find me because you think the best training method for you right now is for me to ride on your back?"
"That's right! I specifically consulted Doto, and I think this method should work!" Orfevre's eyes were practically glowing as she said to Ikezoe, "I had a dream where I seemed to have transformed into a weird four-legged creature; that creature looked really similar to that 'Aura' thing that Doto was emitting! Not only that, I also saw you riding on my back—so I think if you ride me now, I might be able to unleash my potential!"
'...A dream?'
This was the first time he had heard an Uma Musume seemingly gaining the memories of when they were a Racehorse. Ikezoe's confusion was, of course, normal as Wada, the only one in their team who knew about it, had forgotten to share the details about T.M. Opera O with Ikezoe and Imanami. Therefore, they didn't know about the possibility of their Uma Musume having the ability to dream about their "past lives."
Even though this was the first time Ikezoe had heard Orfevre mention this "dream," from the fragments of her words, he could largely piece together what Orfevre was dreaming about... Could it be that this sudden awakening was caused by his prolonged contact with her when she was sick? Ikezoe couldn't help but think this, and for a moment, he didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
How to put it... if Orfevre truly awakened her memories from when she was a Racehorse... it would definitely be a good thing for her. She would essentially have future sight and know exactly how to unleash her hidden potential. In that case, let alone the Classic Triple Crowns, even winning the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe wouldn't be an impossibility for her in the future!
But there was a huge danger behind this... mainly for Ikezoe. Ikezoe worried that if Orfevre remembered everything that happened in the past, she would bury him alive. After all, he had once, in a moment of excitement, kissed Orfevre... If the current Orfevre knew about this... Ikezoe estimated that her anger-infused kick would be enough to transmigrate him three times over... For a moment, Ikezoe couldn't help but hesitate, as it concerned his personal safety, and he had to treat it seriously.
"...What's wrong, Ikezoe?"
"Nothing." Seeing Orfevre's growing suspicion, Ikezoe immediately acted normally and said, "Since you want to do it, let's give it a try. Coincidentally, I can also teach you how to control your pace when running. Oh, right, if you plan to train this way, there's one indispensable item."
Ikezoe immediately thought of his "important tool," and under Orfevre's expectant gaze, Ikezoe took out something from his drawer... something resembling a muzzle.
Calling it a muzzle wasn't entirely accurate, because this thing wasn't made of wires, but leather, and the strap at the back was simply too long, already the length of a rope. Upon seeing this "thing," Orfevre's pupils visibly constricted a few times as she subconsciously felt resistant to it. Her questioning gaze, looking as if she was looking at a perverted weirdo, made Ikezoe's hand withdraw slightly.
"Uh... after all, if I'm going to ride on your back, I need to let you know when to accelerate and when to slow down, right?" Ikezoe explained to Orfevre, forcing himself to speak: "This tool... actually, I don't know why I made such a thing, but since it's useful now, I think it should be quite helpful for our training... or something..."
However, Ikezoe's voice grew weaker and weaker, and his scalp tingled more and more, because Orfevre's gaze was increasingly resembling the Orfevre he remembered...
"Okay, if I press down on the rope, it means slow down. If I swing the rope, it means speed up, Orfevre, got it?"
"Got it, got it. But let me say this first: this thing makes me very uncomfortable, and it's my first time doing something like this. If I don't follow your instructions later, don't blame me 'kay?"
About half an hour later, an incredibly bizarre scene unfolded on the Tracen Academy's training grounds. There, Ikezoe was seen riding on Orfevre's shoulders, and Orfevre's face mask had been exchanged for a strange leather gag—of course, it didn't cover her nose; otherwise, Orfevre would have difficulty breathing.
Ikezoe was also a bit on edge; riding a Racehorse and riding an Uma Musume were two completely different things. An Uma Musume's back wasn't as stable as a horse's. And Orfevre, no matter what she transformed into, always gave him a sense of trepidation.
"Alright, let's try running slowly first, Orfevre. You try to get used to the commands." Ikezoe said cautiously. The next moment, he gently flicked the reins, signaling Orfevre to move forward.
But with that gentle flick, from an angle Ikezoe couldn't see, Orfevre seemed to have had a switch in her triggered by this familiar vibration. Almost reflexively, she immediately lowered her head and unconsciously grabbed Ikezoe's legs with both hands!
"BANG!"
The next moment, Ikezoe was forcefully thrown off Orfevre's shoulders.
"—AH!!!! Ikezoe?! You're not dead, right???!!!" Orfevre finally realized that she had flung Ikezoe off and immediately returned to her normal panicked state, asking.
"Cough, cough, cough... Not dead... Good thing I was prepared for this..." Ikezoe quickly got up from his upside-down position and slowly laid on the ground. Fortunately, his body's resistance to impact had become much stronger after his transmigration, and he had also immediately taken the correct protective measures when he felt Orfevre's strange movements. So, although it hurt a lot, there was no actual damage.
"So, Orfevre, did you feel anything just now?"
"Ikezoe—it really worked just now! I felt it! When you flicked that weird thing, I felt like my Aura showed signs of being activated!" Orfevre said to Ikezoe with the excitement of a kid who discovered something new. Her tone was filled with joy, and she eagerly pulled Ikezoe, saying: "Ikezoe! Let's try again! Let's try again! I want to find that feeling! That way, I want to control my Aura!"
Actually, when Orfevre said this, she was prepared for Ikezoe to refuse. After all, that fall was really bad; at least, from Orfevre's perspective, she didn't think Ikezoe could withstand a second one. But to Orfevre's surprise, Ikezoe simply patted the dust off his pants, stood up, and said to Orfevre without hesitation:
"Then let's try again, Orfevre. But I hope that the next time you throw me off, you can give me some kind of warning. I don't want to break all my bones today." (T/N: Bro just gave up on coming out unscathed.)
As he spoke, Ikezoe once again climbed onto Orfevre's shoulders. And Orfevre, feeling this weight again, immediately held her breath and concentrated, attempting to make the activation of her Aura last a little longer this time.
"Alright—let's go, Orfevre!"
"OHHHH!"
And just like that, a scene that many students and Trainers found extremely puzzling unfolded on the training grounds. Orfevre would run only a few steps before throwing Ikezoe off her back. Then, after Orfevre frantically apologized before Ikezoe got back onto Orfevre's shoulders as if nothing had happened, they would set off again.
Then, all the above actions would be repeated, over and over and over again... No one knew how long this farce would continue. In fact, some Uma Musume and Trainers even forgot about their own training and became spectators of this weirdly torturous, yet funny training. Occasionally, a few Uma Musume couldn't bear to watch Ikezoe's pitiful falls and shivered in their Trainers' arms... At this moment, countless Trainers felt both admiration and sadness for Ikezoe's persistent spirit... They seemed to see a brave warrior sacrificing his life for his Uma Musume, willing to give up his own body to satiate his Uma Musume's quirks.
Maybe this was the epitome of what it means to be a Trainer, but besides Ikezoe, perhaps no one else could replicate it.
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Freakezoe and his two Uma Musume, Freakevre and Freak Chan.
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.