Inside the room.
"Alalaa—"
With the hiss of shower spray, a graceful, fiery curve skimmed across the steamy bathroom glass.
On the bed, Kuroha kept his eyes on his phone, expression perfectly neutral.
Scenes like that? He'd gotten used to them.
Inari One, Obey Your Master, Fujimasa March, and Mejiro Ardan had been taking turns this past month—one girl per day, a four-day rotation.
Good thing Kuroha had long since ground his stamina up to the G1×3 tier.
Otherwise, the girls really would've overturned him and seized the reins.
During this not-long yet not-short trip, after some thought, Kuroha had reached out to the mother of Sea City and Sea Star. The two little lolis had sought him out before; pretending he didn't know? That wasn't his style.
The woman—Kuroha just called her Auntie—showed no displeasure at all. If anything, she sounded happy he'd contacted her first. She even shared the girls' phone numbers.
Grade-schoolers with phones are nothing new in a booming tech age.
Worth noting: Sea City already had a Trainer—their family's own. As for Sea Star, the first future European queen Kuroha had ever met—she was younger, a bit hazy on the world still, and didn't have a Trainer yet.
[Group Chat: "Beat-Up Bad-Guy Kuroha" — 3 members]
Sea City: When are you coming to Ireland to play?
My Little Pony (Kuroha): What's up, Xiao-xiao? Miss me?
Sea City: Peh.jpg
Sea City: As if! Who'd miss a bad guy like you!
Sea Star: I miss Kuroha-onii-san.
Sea City: ?
My Little Pony: See? My little Star is the cutest.
Sea City: Baka A-Star, don't say weird stuff!
Kuroha smiled in spite of himself at the childish bickering on the screen.
Teasing those two between sightseeing stops was a nice way to unwind.
Xiao-xiao was Sea City's nickname. She'd been called that by her sister when they first met; Kuroha had picked it up without noticing—and it stuck.
A moment later, Sea City pinged again:
Sea City: After summer break, if you come to Ireland you'll only see A-Star. I'm going to France! tongue-out.jpg
My Little Pony: France? You debuting already?
Sea City: Not yet. But Big Sis Li said the facilities there are… um… cutting-edge.
Sea City: And they've got more races with higher prestige, so I should adapt to the turf there ahead of time.
Sea City: Once I'm famous, I'll come to your place for the Japan Cup and beat your girls till they're picking petals! kitty-punch.jpg
Kuroha snorted softly.
Bold one… Her True Blooming was ages away, and she was already picturing an invincible record?
By historical timing, Sea City would debut a full year later than even Tokai Teio—right in the "golden generation" with Mejiro Dober, Rice Shower, and the like. By then, Teio would've already swept an undefeated Triple Crown—
My Little Pony: I'll be waiting.
Sea City: Heh-heh!
Sea Star: Then will Kuroha-onii-san still come to Ireland? France is boring—let Big Sis go alone. A-Star will be in Ireland the whole time.
Sea City: A-Star! Don't say that!
Just then, the bathroom door opened, and a tall, willowy silhouette stepped out in a towel.
Steam curled around skin white with a cherry glow, long, toned legs bare to the air.
"Trainer, what's got you grinning like that?"
Golden hair tumbling down, Obey Your Master crossed to the bed and smoothly slid under the covers.
"Just teasing two silly brats," Kuroha said, pinching the pale cheek of the blonde girl. "Night climb starts around 11 p.m. I'll wake you then. Till we go, catch some sleep."
At that, mischief glinted in her eyes. She dove fully under the quilt, only her head peeking out.
"I thought Trainer might, you know, use this time…"
She blinked slowly; those long lashes carried a sly sparkle.
The white-eagle country horse girl had morphed again—today's form, a golden-haired gal.
Feeling the restless movements under the blanket, Kuroha sighed.
"Not sleeping, huh?"
"Trainer—are you scared?"
—An hour later, Obey Your Master lay sprawled across Kuroha's chest, breath coming in soft little huffs, ten fingers too lazy to move.
Holding the warm softness of her, Kuroha's smile turned gentle. He stroked the silk of her hair.
"Hey, Ami," he murmured, "did you have fun this summer?"
It was a long while before the girl gave a drowsy little hum.
Too tired even to speak, she nuzzled against him instead—looking for a comfier spot.
Kuroha didn't rush her. He waited.
After another pause, she whispered, "Fun."
Or rather—after that special competitive scene back in the White Eagle country, every day since coming to Kuroha felt like joy.
A Trainer who watched both her body and heart, planned her growth, and had her back.
Friends she could bare her soul to.
Air she liked, tracks she liked—someone she liked.
"For the autumn Japan Cup… I'm thinking we don't enter," Kuroha said.
The body in his arms tensed.
Then she rolled over. The lazy satisfaction from moments before vanished, replaced by the hawk-keen light he knew so well.
Her lips curved—cool and bright.
"Then I'll win," she said, a soft laugh in the words, full of unshakable pride. "Whoever stands there."
Just like the first time he'd asked.
They held each other's gaze for a moment; Kuroha couldn't resist pinching her small nose. "I believe you."
It wasn't baseless belief—this was the trust born of a full year in lockstep.
After a bit more playful wriggling, Obey Your Master dozed off with a contented sigh.
Kuroha lay beside her, mind sketching out the autumn campaign.
This spring, Team "Chasing the Light" had become a household name.
They'd practically swept the spring G1 crowns:
March bagged the Osaka Hai and the Takarazuka Kinen.
Inari took the Tenno Sho (Spring) and the Arima Kinen—
Sakura Chiyono O won the Yasuda Kinen.
And a blizzard of G2s and G3s besides.
For autumn, he'd set the table just right:
Fujimasa March: Sprinters Stakes → Mile Championship.
Inari One: Tenno Sho (Autumn)—aiming to become the second after Tamamo Cross to complete the Tenno Sho Spring–Autumn double.
Mejiro Ardan: Queen Elizabeth II Cup.
Obey Your Master: all-in on the Japan Cup, to seize an unprecedented back-to-back.
If this came together—
Then this year's Central would be ruled by the horse girls of Chasing the Light.
"As for the Arima Kinen…"
Kuroha glanced at the sleeping blonde, then closed his eyes; one by one, his girls' silhouettes lined up in his mind.
Aside from McQueen, everyone now was classic-year or older. Inari and Obey Your Master were already at their peaks; he couldn't even be sure they'd run next year's Arima Kinen.
If they entered, none of them would yield the stage.
The same for March, Ardan, and Sakura Chiyono O.
Kuroha could feel their resolve as clearly as his own heartbeat.
If they run—win or lose, there will be no regrets.
He could forbid it by fiat. They'd obey.
But of course he wouldn't.
"Then… let the year-end crescendo of Central's grand stage be the birth cry of Chasing the Light," he whispered.
He was their Trainer. He would respect their choices.
"Inari's Spring–Autumn Tenno Sho double… March vs. Oguri Cap, the destined duel… Ami's Japan Cup defense… and finally—Arima Kinen…"
He exhaled, a trace of a grin on his lips.
"It does sound a bit like an epic, doesn't it?
Our epic."
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 500 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]