"You have failed, McQueen."
"Grand… Mother…?"
What…? How…? Is this some kind of animatronic?
"Even with such a gifted trainer, you have failed."
"What are you… talking about?"
"I have instructed trainer Igo Heita to train your sisters, and all of them managed to achieve greatness. I have sincerely concluded that you are the problem."
"Tachyon… What is this?"
"I have hopes for you."
"Tachyon!!"
"But it seems that I was mistaken in doing so."
"TACHYON!!"
The grandmother was so similar to her grandmother that McQueen couldn't help herself, but was taken by the atmosphere.
"And for that, I will have to break your contract with him."
"I won't!!"
"This is not your decision to make."
*Snap*
The grandmother snaps her fingers, and 2 umamusumes come charging in and hold McQueen in place.
"Kuh!! Let me go!!"
"You may come in."
"McQueen?"
"Trainer!! Run!!"
McQueen screams with all of her lungs as her trainer enters the room. Instead of running away, the young man entered the room deeper and approached McQueen.
"What's the meaning of this? Please let her go."
"Trainer Igo, I'm doing what's best for us. Please comply. The rest of you may continue."
"What do you mean?!?"
McQueen was in complete confusion. She looked at her trainer with fear in her eyes, wondering what would happen to him.
"Huh? What do you–"
Before the young man could finish his words, a hand came from behind him. It inserted its fingers into his mouth and stretched them. From behind him, Mejiro Ramonu stands tall.
"Mmh!!"
More hands emerge from behind him and grab hold of him with the full intention of owning him. Their fingers dig into his meat, claiming their territory on the young man's body. The owner of those hands appears one by one. Ryan, Bright, Palmer, Ardan, and Dober.
"What are you girls—Mmpphh!!"
Before he can complete his question, Ramonu pulls his face to the side and plants her lips on his. She also grabs a hold of his left wrist while Ryan grabs the right wrist. Ardan and Palmer start unbuttoning his shirt, while Dober and Bright work on his pants.
"Mmmphh!! Mmhhh!!"
"Let go of him!!"
The young man glances at McQueen with fear and worry in his eyes. As a human, he surely can't win against Umas. But McQueen isn't in a good position as well. The 2 umamusumes who are holding her are guard umamusume. They're way stronger than her.
"Erase McQueen's marks on him. Make sure there is not even a single atom left on him."
"LET GO OF HIM!!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Uuuh… Urara~~ This place is scary."
"Don't worry, Rice. Everything here isn't as scary as the truth."
"Urara?"
The first pair wasn't transported into a dungeon like the last 3 pairs. They are transferred into the actual haunted house with creaky wooden floors, paper walls, and broken windows. The occasional flickering lights above them only strengthen the atmosphere.
"Say, Rice, have you ever questioned yourself if you truly belong in Tracen?"
"Huh… Sometimes… What's wrong, Urara?"
The pink blob led the other blob to a more secluded area of the attraction.
"You know… I had some time to think about that, and I was even helped by a wonderful device."
"A wonderful device…?"
"Indeed. It helps me visualize the truth of this world. And the truth of my existence."
"Urara? What's wrong?"
"Don't you ever wonder why I was accepted into Tracen when I couldn't even win a single race to save my life? You must think that I'm just a waste of space, huh? Just like the rest…"
"N–No!! Rice never thought of that!! What's wrong, Urara? Do you need help?"
"No, Rice. I used to, but now I can see further."
"..."
The pink menace finally turns around to face her friend. Rice Shower knows her friend very well, and amongst the characteristics that make her pink friend stand out from the rest is the sakura flower pattern on her eyes. That pattern is missing from her eyes. It was replaced by a pink rose pattern with a very intense dark hole in the middle.
"U…rara?"
"It's weird, right? A loser like me, who couldn't even win a single mock race, being kept around in an academy filled with nothing but champions? Those umas who got rejected must feel furious if they know of my existence."
"No! Rice bet that is because everyone believes in Urara's potential."
"For the first few months… Probably. But after that, no one should be putting anymore hope on this pathetic body of mine."
"Urara!! You shouldn't say that about yourself!!"
"I already accept it, so should you, Rice. I wasn't accepted to be a runner. I was accepted as a mascot. Nobody ever really put their trust in me. Not the President. Not the chairwoman. Not the secretary. Not the teachers. No one ever truly expected me to run on the track as a runner. No one… No one really…"
"That's not right!! Rice always looks forward to the day when we'll run together!!"
"And you'll be grateful. Your dream will come true because someone finally saw me as a runner. Someone finally trains me to be a runner. Someone finally set their eyes on me, not as a mere mascot, but also as someone who'll run professionally."
"Ah! Yes!! It's that big brother, right? Your trainer!"
Rice can't be happier when Urara's tone gets more cheerful and cheerful. She thought that maybe Haru Urara had fallen into depression, but right now, she just sounds like someone who is telling her friend about her ordeal. As a good friend, of course, Rice Shower would listen to her soundly.
"He is the only one who believes me. The only one who is honest to me, as I am surrounded by nothing but LIARS!! The only one I can fully trust, as I'm surrounded by TRAITORS!!! The only light in THIS ROTTEN WORLD!!"
"U–U–U—Urara? Ri–Rice believes you…"
"It's okay, Rice. You can be honest with me. You never really believe in my potential, right? The only reason you befriend me is so that you can feel better about yourself. So that you have someone you can look down upon, right? Everyone does that, too, so there's no need to lie."
"N–N–N–No… Ri–Ri–Rice never thought of th–that…"
"Fufufu~~ Say Rice, do you know what big brother wants?"
"Wh–wh–what?"
"He wants you, Rice. And he shall have it. You'll become my tool to mold him so he'll only lust after me."
"Wha…"
Rice Shower couldn't comprehend what Urara was saying, but one thing she knew: she couldn't look away from Haru Urara's eyes. Each petal, each nerve, each blood vessel, all of them lead Rice Shower's eyes to focus on the black hole at the center.
"So that he'll be bound only to me. Kotoamatsukami."
"Nhh… N…Nnn… No… Rice… Rice… Rice is… Rice… Like… Big… Brother… Igo… Heita…"
"Indeed, you do, Rice Shower."
*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*
"Hello~~? Is anyone here~~? Sweepy is lost."
"Tch!"
"Oh!! Finally, familiar faces!! Hello!! Eh? What's wrong with your eyes, Haru Urara? Do you need me to concoct a potion to help your eyes?"
"Sigh… Why? Oh why? No. No. No. I need to be more resourceful if I want to have him for myself."
"What are you talking about?"
"Say, Sweepy, do you want to know more about my trainer?"
"Uuuuh…?"
Sweep Tosho doesn't know why, but she feels a threatening aura from Haru Urara. She knows Haru Urara, so the fact that she feels threatened by her is alarming. Haru Urara shouldn't be capable of exerting such pressure. Whatever she is facing right now, it is not Haru Urara.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Haru Urara~~"
"No, you're not. Gyokuken!!"
"Fufufu~~ Thank you for letting me test just how far my eyes can see."