"What the heck? God of Misfortune?"
Mizuno Sora had never believed in gods. Even after transmigrating into the world of Uma Musume, the most he could accept was the existence of the Three Goddesses blessing the horse girls. But what the hell was this God of Misfortune?
Case closed.
Rice Shower's misfortune was clearly caused by some malicious entity cursing her.
"Ugh, what a pain…" Mizuno wiped away the blood trickling from his nose after those two nasty falls, furrowing his brow seriously.
He'd assumed Rice Shower's apology task would be simple—just hand over the lucky charm. But clearly, things weren't so straightforward.
The biggest obstacle was this God of Misfortune attached to her.
Going up against the God of Misfortune was about as tough as crafting an S-rank Honey Special Drink.
Additionally, Mizuno's Doctor's Outfit significantly reduced his presence. Rice Shower couldn't even see him—she'd probably mistaken him for a ghost earlier, which explained her panicked escape.
"System, any suggestions?"
[Recommendation: Remove the Doctor's Outfit.]
"…"
Great, that was utterly useless.
Yet, rather than backing down, Mizuno's fighting spirit surged.
How dare something curse my adorable Rice Shower! As her self-appointed Onii-sama, Mizuno absolutely couldn't let this stand.
Bring it on! Let's see who's stronger—your misfortune, or my determination as an Onii-sama!
Between the training grounds and cafeteria, near the academy buildings—
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" Rice Shower repeatedly apologized as she made her way through a group of Uma Musume.
Surrounded by other horse girls, Rice Shower was no longer so terrified. Her desperate sprint gradually slowed into a slightly relieved jog.
She glanced back nervously. Still, no one seemed to be pursuing her.
That commotion just now really had been caused by the ghost lady.
"Uuuu…" Rice Shower's ears drooped sadly.
As expected, I'm just a child who brings misfortune to everyone. Anyone around me becomes unlucky, surely because the ghost lady is deliberately cursing them.
Rice Shower felt truly useless.
Tomorrow, I'll apply to train alone, eat alone, and live alone. That way, I can avoid causing trouble for others…
Guuuuuu~ Just as Rice Shower imagined her lonely future, her empty stomach let out a loud complaint.
After such intense training, she was starving. Rice Shower decided to head to the cafeteria now.
But just like always, she'd arrived too late after training. Her favorite dishes would already be gone, leaving only food she didn't particularly like…
Her mood sank again, her ears and tail drooping even lower as she trudged sadly toward the cafeteria.
Hovering unnoticed above Rice Shower's head was the translucent figure of a gloomy-looking woman.
This woman was one of the God of Misfortune's countless avatars. Anyone she attached to would gradually become unluckier, continually encountering misfortunes.
Rice Shower was her chosen victim.
Each time she tormented Rice Shower, the God of Misfortune's power grew, meaning Rice Shower's luck would only worsen.
When enough misfortune energy had been collected, the God of Misfortune would completely break Rice Shower, returning triumphantly to her true form with boundless despair as her reward.
Indeed, her ultimate goal was to kill Rice Shower on the racetrack.
One day, during a sharp turn, Rice Shower might suffer a sudden fracture, falling headfirst onto unnoticed debris left on the track…
"Hahaha—!" Imagining Rice Shower's despair-filled future, the God of Misfortune burst into arrogant laughter.
But her laughter quickly ceased, and her face darkened as she noticed Mizuno rapidly approaching.
"God of Fortune, stay away from me."
Mizuno stared dumbly at the Misfortune God, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
So, the God of Misfortune actually exists? And not only can I see her, but I can even hear her telling me to stay away…
"God of Fortune, this girl is mine. She'll remain cursed by misfortune her whole life. Mind your own business," the God of Misfortune declared haughtily.
After hearing such a blatant threat, Mizuno grimaced.
First the Honey Special Drink God, now the God of Fortune? Had he just gained another embarrassing nickname?
It felt absurdly cringeworthy—like ants crawling all over his skin.
"I'm not a God of Fortune. Just an Onii-sama passing through."
Resolutely gripping the lucky charm, Mizuno moved closer to Rice Shower.
Seeing Mizuno approach, the God of Misfortune arrogantly spread her hands wide.
"Oh? You choose to approach rather than flee?"
Why are you referencing JoJo in an Uma Musume world?!
"How else am I supposed to drive you away from Rice Shower?" Mizuno slipped his hands into his pockets, looking utterly confident.
"Hoho. Then come a little closer."
Rice Shower was slowly walking ahead, while Mizuno advanced at a brisker pace, steadily closing the distance.
Just as Mizuno came within ten meters, the God of Misfortune flicked a finger.
Thud!
Mizuno immediately face-planted into the ground.
"Hahaha—too weak! You can't even approach within ten meters. How do you plan to give that irritating charm to my host?"
The fall increased their distance again.
"So… if I approach within ten meters, I'll automatically trip?" Mizuno lifted his head, wiping blood from his nose.
The Misfortune God's ability was absurdly unfair. He'd carefully watched his footing, yet an invisible stone still made him fall. It was a fixed rule he couldn't avoid.
"What about this, then?" Rather than standing, Mizuno chose to crawl toward Rice Shower.
If misfortune tripped one leg, he'd use all fours!
The triangle was the most stable shape—losing one limb's support wouldn't stop him now. As long as he crawled carefully, Mizuno wouldn't fall again.
Sure, he looked ridiculous—like a cockroach scurrying along the ground—but he'd endure any humiliation to rescue Rice Shower and complete his mission. This was his struggle for survival!
Seeing Mizuno approaching on all fours, the Misfortune God nearly laughed.
What a ridiculous sight—was he trying to amuse her to death?
Ten meters again. The Misfortune God flicked her finger.
Tap!
Mizuno's right hand abruptly caught on empty air.
But he didn't fall. With three limbs still stable, Mizuno quickly recovered his balance, rapidly crawling forward.
"Nani?"
The God of Misfortune was slightly surprised by Mizuno's unexpected move.
So, he wasn't just clowning around; the crawling had a real purpose—to avoid tripping!
Clever…
However, her surprise was brief.
After all, ten meters was just the beginning of her misfortune powers.
At seven meters, she casually waved a hand at Mizuno.
"Ugh!" Mizuno's arms immediately cramped up.
Losing control, he began to tumble forward uncontrollably. Without arms to protect his face, he'd suffer severe friction burns when hitting the ground.
"Heh. Now what'll you do—Nani?!" The Misfortune God's eyes widened.
With astonishing reflexes, Mizuno swiftly curled into a ball, rolling toward her like a tire.
Using only his torso, he didn't even need limbs anymore!
His cramping arms were no longer an issue.