Despite coming up empty-handed, Kousei couldn't skip her training. Since Narita Brian had said the matter had nothing to do with her, Kousei decided not to investigate further.
After their usual parallel run, Kousei began some light training to clear her mind of distracting thoughts.
During her jog, she overheard a commotion.
"Come on, Tazuna! My dearest friend! Drink this, and I guarantee you'll feel refreshed in both body and mind!"
"I refuse."
Agnes Tachyon was holding a tube of brightly colored liquid, her expression mischievous. Beside her stood Manhattan Cafe, who looked wary and slightly disgusted.
"Ehh~ aren't we dearest friends?"
"No, we're just acquaintances. You're the one who keeps pestering me. Besides, that potion looks incredibly suspicious. Stop forcing people to drink it."
The two were locked in a stalemate when they suddenly noticed Kousei observing from the sidelines.
"Oh my? Isn't this a lost Umamusume?" Tachyon's face lit up with amusement.
A cold shiver ran down Kousei's spine. "N-no, I was just passing by..."
Tachyon materialized before Kousei like a flash, a mischievous grin spreading across her face as she shoved a vial into Kousei's hand.
"Come on, Umamusume! Drink this!"
"No! I refuse!"
This was the first time Kousei had ever raised her voice so loudly.
"Why not? Aren't we comrades?"
"If I remember correctly, this is only our second meeting!"
This fervent obsession with Umamusume shared similarities with Agnes Digital, though Tachyon's intensity was far more dangerous.
"Don't worry! I guarantee there are absolutely no side effects!" Tachyon's words carried no conviction whatsoever.
"Really? I heard some Trainers turned into guinea pigs."
"Science always comes with unexpected consequences, just like Umamusume."
Kousei took a hesitant step back, thinking to herself, This woman doesn't even bother to refute it.
She couldn't decide whether to call Tachyon a science maniac or a science freak.
At that moment, Cafe glanced at Kousei with an odd expression, her gaze shifting sideways.
"Red's friend?"
"Oya? What's wrong, Cafe?" Tachyon, ever observant as a friend, was the first to notice Cafe's unusual behavior.
"No, nothing," Cafe mumbled, her gaze fixed on Kousei.
"Is there something you wanted to ask?" Kousei asked, puzzled.
Cafe simply turned her head away, muttering, "I'm going to train now."
Tachyon stroked her chin, her eyes sharpening with curiosity.
"Cafe's acting like this... could it be...?"
Suddenly, Tachyon let out two odd chuckles and seized both of Kousei's hands.
"I knew it! We're kindred spirits after all! I never expected we'd meet again so soon. I remember you, Kousei."
This science fanatic seemed to have a poor memory, considering Kousei had recognized her immediately.
"I think we're quite different. I'm not particularly obsessed with science or anything," Kousei said, desperate to escape and resorting to a flimsy excuse.
"No, we're fundamentally the same! Are you interested in joining me for an experiment?" Tachyon's eyes burned with fanatical fervor and unwavering ambition.
"I think I'll pass."
"Is that so! Then come to my laboratory first! Though it's technically my dorm, ha ha ha!" Tachyon left no room for argument.
Kousei wasn't good at refusing people, a flaw that had earned her repeated scolding from McQueen.
Fuji Kiseki was visibly surprised to see this unlikely duo together. Though Kousei shot her a pleading look, Fuji Kiseki simply smiled approvingly.
"Hmm! It's wonderful that these two have become friends!"
As the most troublesome Umamusume in Ritto Dormitory, this counted as a significant development in their friendship.
Under Tachyon's relentless prodding, Kousei finally stepped through the door.
A closer look revealed just how remarkable the space was. Despite being a dorm room, the interior showed no trace of it. Apart from two beds for resting, a dazzling array of experimental equipment assaulted the eyes, transforming the room into a full-fledged laboratory.
Kousei couldn't help but wonder what kind of Umamusume could coexist harmoniously with Tachyon in such a space.
In one corner, Kousei spotted a familiar camera, and a flash of pink instantly filled her mind.
"May I ask, who is your roommate?"
"Oh? You're interested in my roommate?"
"Well, sort of," Kousei replied, unable to reveal her true thoughts to Tachyon.
"Her name is Agnes Digital! Just like me, she's completely fascinated by Umamusume!"
Of course, Kousei thought. No one else would indulge Tachyon's wild ideas.
"But... don't you still have me?"
Kousei froze. She hadn't spoken aloud, had she?
"Didn't I tell you? We're kindred spirits. Look: we're both misunderstood, relentlessly persistent, and underestimated. Umamusume naturally gravitate toward each other. Though our connection falls far short of resonance—after all, only Narita Brian is my true choice."
She even knows about Narita Brian, Kousei thought. She frantically searched her mind for information about Agnes Tachyon, but unfortunately, she had never paid her much attention, leaving her mind utterly blank.
"Want to learn more about me?" Tachyon offered a document, knowing Kousei wouldn't refuse.
Kousei took the document and began reading through it on her own. Meanwhile, Tachyon noticed an unfamiliar file on the desk and, driven by curiosity, opened it.
"Hmm? What's this...?"
The life of Agnes Tachyon slowly unfolded before Kousei's eyes. This eccentric scientist was, in truth, a genius.
From a young age, Agnes Tachyon had been the center of attention due to her extraordinary talent. As an Umamusume, she possessed astonishing qualities, her speed so exceptional that it was said her legs could surpass even the speed of light. She achieved a resounding victory at the Satsuki Prize, utterly dominating her contemporaries in a dazzling display of skill.
Yet this very Umamusume, at the peak of public dreams, suddenly vanished without a trace.
Agnes Tachyon announced an indefinite hiatus from the Twinkle Series, and the Umamusume who had carried so many hopes was never seen again.
The record-breaking speed she achieved at the Satsuki Prize became nothing more than a distant memory.
Doubt, ridicule, and curses poured down upon her like a storm.
"Why did you betray our dreams?!"
Faced with such criticism, Agnes Tachyon offered no explanation, instead continuing her mysterious experiments with unwavering determination.
From that moment on, the racetrack lost a runner, while Tracen gained a scientist in a lab coat.
The information was scant, but these few lines summarized Agnes Tachyon's entire career as an Umamusume.
How could it have been so short?
Kousei swallowed hard, glancing up to find that Tachyon's smile remained unchanged.
"Have you... retired?" Kousei asked cautiously.
"Not officially, but it's pretty much the same thing," Tachyon replied, her composure contrasting sharply with Kousei's hesitation.
How can this be? This was the first time the Forbidden Gate had reacted so strongly.