The victor's stage of the Aisong Novice Stakes.
Countless spotlights shone down from above, the light so bright it was almost blinding. The roar of the crowd was a tangible wave of sound, crashing against the stage where a single silver-haired figure stood.
She was at the very center of the stage.
Every horse girl dreams of this moment. The exhaustion from the race had vanished, replaced by a pure, virtual sense of bliss. A dirt track race. Her muscles were still screaming, each fiber aching and raw. But it didn't matter.
She felt the joy, the unrestrained exhilaration. The music from the speakers pulsed through her, a constant stream of power. She danced to the rhythm, every movement stirring the pearl-like sweat on her skin. Her sweat-soaked face was more dazzling than any of the stage lights.
This was... victory. This was what it meant to become a hero.
The stage, the people, the roar of the crowd—a radiant, fleeting dream, and every ray of light was shining just for her.
From a dark, unremarkable corner of the crowd, Hyuuga Sakikawa watched. He had both hands in his pockets, his shoulders hunched, his aura completely at odds with the celebratory atmosphere. He looked like a debt collector who had wandered in by mistake.
His gaze fell on a figure wrapped in a coat nearby, but his thoughts were on something else entirely. A new piece of information had just appeared on his virtual screen.
[System Notice: The current battle data is being compiled. Editing and reorganizing the host's body files based on the battle form.]
[Conclusion: All agents, while providing positive effects, will inevitably have huge side effects. The source is the pain and resentment that cannot be resolved in the soul.]
Sakikawa couldn't speak. He had always believed that his system was some kind of advanced biological technology, perhaps with some minor side effects. But the more he used it, the more he felt it was something else entirely. The scope of its power was far beyond what he considered to be the realm of science.
Was he really doing the right thing? He was patching up a tattered soul with another, just to see what would happen. This wasn't a game for children; it was a pact with the devil.
He wasn't a god. He was just a bystander who had been thrown into this world.
The person who was supposed to be the main character was Eiyuu, with her own distinct personality and path.
And yet...
He glanced at her joyful face on the stage, her smile so bright it outshone the spotlights. His gaze softened for a fraction of a second.
This girl, with her tech-enhanced body, could she really not be given a chance? He pushed the thought from his mind, his expression hardening once more.
The system's cold, mechanical voice echoed in his head, as if responding to his thoughts. [System analysis in progress.]
The voice was icy and detached, like a metal tool scraping against bone.
Who are you? Sakikawa asked silently. You respond faster than the damn service staff on the moon.
After a few seconds of silence, the cold voice spoke again.
[The energy used by this system does not originate from the current world.]
Oh? So it's alien technology? Sakikawa sneered internally.
[The core module of this system is linked to the host's own energy signature: Azure Blue.]
Sakikawa's hand, resting on the railing, clenched slightly. What did that mean?
[System is currently performing a phased scan of the species 'Uma Musume'. Due to its existence being formed by an unknown system, its basic composition is extremely complex. The system has converted it into core drive data, with several parallel entries listed below.]
[System analysis is ongoing...]
The system's explanation was filled with incomprehensible jargon, but one line sent a chill down his spine as it scrolled across his vision.
Horse Head...
Horse Body...
Horse Meat...
His scalp tingled. A wave of goosebumps washed over him.
The victor's performance ended. Yorozuya Eiyuu ran down the stage, her violet eyes sparkling like crystals, full of anticipation as she looked at Sakikawa. She looked like a small animal eagerly awaiting praise from its master.
"Tra-Trainer!"
Her face was flushed from a combination of the performance and her own excitement. "I... I did it! I won!"
Sakikawa snapped out of his dark thoughts and saw the excited girl standing before him. The remorse that had been stirring in his heart was forcefully suppressed. He glanced at her, then his lips curled into the familiar, mocking smile. "Alright, get over it. Your little sports day is over."
The smile instantly faded from Eiyuu's face. But it only lasted for a second. The excitement of her victory was too powerful to be extinguished. It was a faint but distinct spark of recognition from him, and that was enough.
After a week of hellish training, if she couldn't even understand his underlying meaning, then all her suffering would have been for nothing. A sly warmth spread through her, and she broke into a wide, cheerful grin, revealing a row of clean, white teeth.
"Alright, alright, stop grinning like an idiot. You're drooling on your shoes."
Sakikawa waved his hand impatiently, but he subconsciously avoided her clear, bright eyes.
"Looking at you, all scraped up after one race... I suppose it's time to add some stamina points to this weak little horse," he muttered to himself, as if making a firm decision.
-------
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