After spending some time training in VR, Fujiwara Chiya had finally built up enough confidence.
He was still a step behind true world-class uma musume, sure. But if he really pushed himself, he could probably snatch a few wins in international GⅠ races now.
Of course, Fujiwara Chiya had no intention of actually doing that.
The main reason he was training himself was to conquer Orfevre.
If he lost to her, she would turn around and conquer him instead. Worse, he would have to give up Shirayuki.
But if he won?
Then he would gain another powerhouse uma musume under his banner. And with that, their chances of winning the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe would rise even higher.
Naturally, if he had a choice, Fujiwara Chiya wanted Shirayuki to be the one who took the crown.
But he could not defy Central's orders.
Even if Orfevre was a rival, Shirayuki would still have to treat her as a teammate.
Which meant he had to raise an enemy again.
Judging from Orfevre's personality, there was no way she would casually let Shirayuki pass her on the track. When the Arc finally came, the first person Orfevre targeted might not even be Treve.
It might be Shirayuki.
No matter what, Fujiwara Chiya had to be prepared.
He was a trainer. Once Orfevre came under him, he would have no choice but to teach her with everything he had.
Which also meant he would be raising a tiger that might one day bite Shirayuki.
From an uma musume's perspective, that was an extremely dangerous move.
But danger always came with opportunity.
Orfevre could sharpen Shirayuki's sense of crisis. If life became too comfortable, it would be all too easy to forget just how tense and ruthless the European turf could be.
And it was not only Shirayuki who needed to work hard.
Fujiwara Chiya did too.
During the World Series, perhaps because many uma musume were curious about him as a trainer, quite a few of them had added him as a friend. Whenever he had time, Fujiwara Chiya would invite them to train together.
They did not treat him as an opponent, nor did they keep their guard up. Instead, they generously shared their racing experience with him.
If he had been an uma musume, they probably would not have been nearly as frank.
After all, teaching a trainer was way more interesting than teaching another uma musume, right?
Thanks to his unique position, Fujiwara Chiya learned plenty of new things from them.
"Chiya, it's almost time."
Shirayuki's voice came from outside.
These days, whenever Fujiwara Chiya trained, Shirayuki would supervise from the side. Agnes Tachyon claimed that Shirayuki watching over him improved his training efficiency.
Fujiwara Chiya had no idea where that data had come from.
But, well…
The moment he heard Shirayuki's voice, his motivation did mysteriously spike.
Inside the VR world, he and Shirayuki were disconnected. Even so, they still knew what the other was thinking.
A soft hum.
A motion to wipe away sweat.
That was all it took for them to guess each other's thoughts.
Being of one heart and mind did not mean one person controlling two bodies.
It meant this.
Even without words, even with nothing but a glance, they could understand each other.
That was what it meant to be one body and soul.
Even if their souls were separate, the two of them remained tightly bound together.
Fujiwara Chiya pressed the logout button.
White light flashed.
He left the VR world.
Shirayuki took out a towel and gently wiped the sweat from Chiya's forehead.
Agnes Tachyon sat on the sofa, sipping black tea while nibbling on cookies.
"How do you feel, guinea pig-kun?"
"No problem. I'm ready to face Orfevre's challenge."
Crack!
Agnes Tachyon bit through her cookie.
"Excellent. Looks like you're about to lure in yet another powerful uma musume. By the way, how long are you two planning to keep holding hands?"
Agnes Tachyon pointed at Fujiwara Chiya's hand.
At some point, without either of them noticing, his hand and Shirayuki's had linked together again.
"Hm? Ah… force of habit."
Fujiwara Chiya coughed a few times.
He had no idea when this habit had started, but whenever he and Shirayuki were close, their hands naturally found each other.
Fujiwara Chiya thought Shirayuki's hand was soft and pleasant to hold.
Shirayuki felt more or less the same way.
"Guinea pig-kun… I have no intention of stopping you, but I should still give you a warning. Based on the current data, Shirayuki's body is more sensitive than other uma musume. Her skin, as well as other areas, react more strongly."
"I know. You told me that before, didn't you?"
"Indeed. But allow me to add something. The sensory stimulation of an average woman is approximately ten times that of a man's. Shirayuki's, however, reaches roughly fifteen times. If you intend to seek intimacy with Shirayuki, then your own male sensory feedback must be added to that as well. And this is not simple arithmetic. According to your description, the sensations are transmitted between you, which means the stimulation may very well increase exponentially."
Agnes Tachyon pinched her chin and looked at Fujiwara Chiya.
"So, my hypothesis is that the sensation would be stronger than any known human stimulus. When the time comes, you may even be unable to endure it and pass out."
Hearing Agnes Tachyon's terrifying explanation, Fujiwara Chiya swallowed.
"N-No… I've never thought about doing anything like that."
"Really?"
Fujiwara Chiya looked away.
"Guinea pig-kun, your current physical strength has already reached the level of an uma musume, so you need not worry about ordinary exhaustion. However, that is precisely what makes this more dangerous. An intense stimulus may leave behind an addictive effect, making it impossible for you to pull yourself away. You may end up indulging in it every day."
"I already said I haven't thought about it."
"In any case, I have warned you. Guinea pig-kun, you must understand the consequences of doing such a thing. Even if you truly cannot hold back, at least distinguish the time and place. Ideally, return to your dorm first. And if you really cannot endure it, you may also come to me."
"…Hah?"
"Ara~ Guinea pig-kun, is that so strange? As your uma musume, helping you deal with a physiological need seems perfectly normal, does it not?"
"How is that normal at all?! What kind of uma musume does that with her trainer?!"
"You do it all the time."
Chiya and Shirayuki covered their faces at the same time.
On that point, he had no comeback.
Back then, Fujiwara Chiya had wanted to refuse.
As a trainer, how could he lay a hand on his own uma musume?
And yet, after opening that door even slightly, Fujiwara Chiya had only sunk deeper and deeper.
"Even so, you and I are not an ordinary trainer and uma musume pair either, are we, guinea pig-kun?"
Agnes Tachyon stepped in front of him.
Her dark red eyes, like half-lowered blinds, stared straight into his.
"You are my test subject. My irreplaceable test subject. I have no intention of letting you escape so easily."
Fujiwara Chiya was overwhelmed by her presence.
A smile appeared on her fair, delicate face, pale as if it had not seen sunlight in years.
"That is all I wanted to say. Would you like some tea? You must be thirsty by now."
"…Yes. No sugar."
"Here. I prepared it already."
Fujiwara Chiya sat down on the sofa. Shirayuki sat beside him.
Together, the two of them picked up their teacups.
Had everything Agnes Tachyon just said been true?
If his and Shirayuki's senses overlapped, would the pleasure really be intense enough to knock someone unconscious?
Or had Agnes Tachyon simply made it up to stop him?
Watching her quietly enjoy her black tea, Fujiwara Chiya took a bite of his cookie.
What she said was frightening, sure.
But Fujiwara Chiya had already made up his mind.
Shirayuki was his Shirayuki.
He would not hand her over to anyone.