The dilapidated room was still the same.
Hyuuga Sakikawa stood before Yorozuya Eiyuu, holding a syringe between two fingers. A viscous, glowing liquid swirled inside. The serum looked like a three-no product—no production date, no quality certificate, and no manufacturer listed. It gave off an ominous, otherworldly aura.
Eiyuu's eyes widened in horror. Yesterday's neurotoxin-like concoction still lingered in her memory, and now this?
"This thing... is an unlicensed product from an unknown production date and an uncertified manufacturer! I'm going to report you to the URA!" Her voice trembled, but she tried to stand her ground.
The sound of his voice, however, was as calm as ever. "Phantom Dragon No. 2 experimental agent," he said, tapping the syringe. "The core sequence is an experimental compound. Its purpose is to increase your speed and reaction time. Don't make a fuss. It's not poison."
A data screen appeared in his mind.
System Notice:
[Attribute Enhancement Agent]
1. Agent Name: [Phantom Dragon]
2. Core Effect: [Accelerate] – Greatly enhances muscle power and nerve response speed, boosting training efficiency.
3. Training Side Effect: [Sensory Flashback] – During the injection's active period, the horse girl's nervous system will be in a hyper-excitable state. After training, she may experience "sensory flashbacks" lasting several hours, where even slight touches or sounds can trigger intense reactions. A quiet environment is required for recovery.
"Alright, that's enough nonsense. Roll up your sleeve," he ordered.
Yorozuya Eiyuu's mind went blank. She instinctively backed away. "Are you trying to kill me so you can dismember my corpse? I'm warning you, I have an uncle who's a doctor! I... I'll give you a hundred yen. Take it and go away."
Her impassioned plea was met with a hot flush of shame. She wanted to die.
Sakikawa didn't say a word. He grabbed her arm with a grip like steel, pulled up her sleeve, and plunged the needle into her arm. "Shut up," he said, his voice flat. "I've already paid for all three injections. There are no refunds."
He pushed the plunger.
An icy liquid shot into her veins, spreading through her limbs in an instant. Her body went numb.
"It's done," Sakikawa said, tossing the empty syringe into a bin. He pointed to the high-tech treadmill in the corner. "Get on. Don't look at it like it's a garbage heap."
She was still in a daze from the shock of the injection. She stumbled over to the ancient-looking machine.
Sakikawa didn't follow. He sat down at his large console, cracked his knuckles, and hit a few keys. A cheerful, upbeat music track started playing.
Clang—
The treadmill belt began to move violently, instantly accelerating to a terrifying speed.
"My legs!"
A short scream escaped Eiyuu's lips as her legs were forced into motion.
"I can't feel them!"
"Follow me," Sakikawa's voice boomed from a speaker, mixed with the cheerful music. "Your breathing is off. Inhale, hold, exhale. You're affecting the respiratory rhythm. Don't you know how to breathe? Do you want me to come over and choke you? My morning milk tea hasn't even had a chance to digest yet."
She gritted her teeth and tried to match her body to the rhythm of the machine. The treadmill shuddered and whirred beneath her feet. Every rotation felt like it was tearing her hamstrings apart. Her lungs burned. After less than thirty seconds, her muscles began to scream, feeling like they were about to rip.
No... I can't... I need a break...
Yorozuya Eiyuu's steps faltered. She almost tripped and fell off the back of the treadmill.
"Did you not hear me?"
Sakikawa pressed another key. The speed of the treadmill increased again.
Just as she was about to give up, an ice-cold power surged from the injection site and flooded her body. Her legs, which had been on the verge of collapse, suddenly started moving on their own.
Thump. Thump. Thump!
Her legs pounded against the belt, a dull, heavy rhythm that matched her frantic heartbeat. The world around her blurred. The pain became a deafening roar in her ears. She even began to hear the wild, desperate thumping of her own heart.
From his console, Sakikawa watched the rising curve on the screen. He tapped another key. "Come on, baby! Feel the rhythm!"
He was playing her.
His mind went blank. Her body was no longer hers. A massive, uncontrollable force was pushing her forward, dragging her into the abyss of exhaustion.
Faster!
Even faster!
Every cell in her body screamed, a mixture of agony and a strange, thrilling ecstasy. She wanted the entire world to be thrown into the glorious blaze of her own burnout.
Right now!
Just as she reached her absolute limit, Sakikawa slammed a giant red emergency stop button on his console.
Screech—!
The belt stopped instantly.
Inertia sent her flying forward.
Sakikawa caught her before she crashed. Her body was as rigid as a board, her muscles locked in spasm. He dragged her over to a nearby chair and unceremoniously dumped her into it.
"Ugh!"
She landed hard in the chair. Her back arched, her mouth wide open, her pupils dilated. Her muscles were screaming.
"Bones... my bones feel like they're breaking..."
Her entire body was steaming. The blood vessels under her skin pulsed visibly, and she gasped for air like a fish out of water. The pain was indescribable; it felt like every nerve ending was being set on fire. It was a pain that went straight to her soul.
"Ahhh—!!"
A pained, desperate scream tore from her throat. Her body convulsed, and all she could feel was the hellish agony of being torn apart.
"Wow... you scream just like a dying pig," Sakikawa commented dryly from the side. "It's almost soothing. Want me to record it for you? You can use it as your ringtone."
He turned away as if to give her some privacy and went to dispose of some of the equipment he had used.
The door creaked open. It was Kitahara and Saki again.
"Hey," Kitahara began, "we heard you got a new trainer, so we came to see..."
They froze. They saw Eiyuu, pale and disheveled, draped over a chair like a wet noodle, gasping for air. Beside her stood a humming, smoking machine. Sakikawa stood in the middle of it all, a cold, emotionless expression on his face.
"What... is this? Art? A monster? Has Yorozuya-chan turned into a pretzel?" Saki stammered, pointing a trembling finger.
Kitahara's eyes narrowed. "You..." she said, glaring at Sakikawa. "What kind of strange play is this you're doing with her?!"
Sakikawa turned to them, his gaze impatient. "I'm injecting my horse girl with my own money to boost her energy levels. Did I ask for your opinions?"
The two of them looked at each other, then back at the madness in the room, and a silent consensus was reached.
"Let's go, let's go. This guy's training methods are too advanced for us to understand." They backed out of the room and shut the door.
Sakikawa didn't even bother to watch them leave. He walked over to the still-trembling Eiyuu. "Hold on," he muttered. "Remember this feeling."
"The transformation has begun."
Her body, though racked with pain, was trembling with a new, unfamiliar power.
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (290 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (240 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (110 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (120 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (310 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (120 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (140 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(70 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (193 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (140 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (100 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (70 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (100 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (120 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (120 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (85 Chapter)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (60 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (70 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (120 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (120 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (60 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (90 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (90 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (70 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (70 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (70 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (70 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (20 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it.