When the wet wipe finally left King Halo's face, the horse girl's eyes were blank, as if her mind had completely stopped working. Her thoughts were a mess. Even her memory of what had just happened seemed to be slipping out of place. Her throat bobbed, but no words came out.
Shinji Terizumi nodded in satisfaction, then took out the vial of Apex Bloodtrace.
The eerie liquid swayed inside the bottle, like the future itself had begun to branch and tremble into more possibilities.
Once it had been bound by the rune, Apex Bloodtrace had already become King Halo's equipment. Even if she did not physically wear it, it belonged to her now and could no longer be used on any other horse girl.
Shinji uncapped the bottle, and a thick, almost cloyingly sweet scent of blood rose from within, making even his expression shift slightly. It was his first time smelling Apex Bloodtrace for himself, and he had not expected it to smell so sweet.
He tilted the bottle over his fingertip.
The liquid did not flow.
Instead, it spun along the mouth of the bottle, slowly gathering into a single concentrated bead of blood that hovered over the tip of his finger.
Shinji stared, startled.
He had not expected Apex Bloodtrace to manifest in such a fantastical way. He had been about to think up an explanation, only to realize that none of his three trainees seemed remotely shocked.
This was a world where the Three Goddesses existed.
It had never been pure reality to begin with.
Settling down a little, Shinji reached toward King Halo's face.
At once, all three girls understood what he intended to do.
It looked as though he was about to paint something onto King Halo's face. King Halo hesitated. Offside Trap, meanwhile, felt her eyes sting.
She watched his finger touch that fine skin. The motion was so gentle it was almost a caress.
[Negative Emotion +90]
Offside Trap absolutely could not accept this.
Fine, if he wanted to draw on her, then draw on her. But why did his movements have to be so soft, so careful, so tender—as if he were brushing his fingers across the face of someone he cherished at dawn, afraid of waking her and unwilling to disturb the sacred beauty of her features in the morning light?
And just look at the flush rising in King Halo's face.
What exactly are you blushing for?!
Of course, King Halo could not hear that accusation.
All her attention was on the man in front of her.
His expression was focused, and in his pupils she could see her own reflection.
She saw the embarrassment there. She saw the pleasure she could no longer hide in her own face, as if she were staring into a mirror, and that only made her want to turn away.
But the sensation was too intoxicating.
The coolness spreading over her skin seemed to carry something seductive with it. Something insistent and feverish wormed its way into her mind, clamoring for her not to pull back, as if there were something terribly important right in front of her—something she had to reach out and touch for herself.
She did not want to obey.
But she could not resist.
As she watched Shinji finish the pattern on one side of her face, she unconsciously stepped forward, closing the distance between them.
The man's expression changed in surprise. King Halo caught it at once, and her embarrassment deepened even further.
But the heat rising inside her only grew stronger. That murmuring, coaxing voice in her mind had become lower, richer, more magnetic. She could not explain it. She could not make sense of the feeling that something ought to be in front of her—something definite, something real—yet there was nothing there at all.
She was losing track of herself.
She felt as if she were burning alive.
"Hey!"
"H-Halo?"
"Don't move, King Halo!"
The warnings from the other two girls and Shinji's sharp bark came almost at once, and only then did King Halo realize how close she had drifted. Her face was now near enough to Shinji's that he had been forced to stop what he was doing, staring at her darkly.
"What are you moving around for? Stay still until I'm finished."
Shinji's expression was so severe that King Halo hurriedly backed away two steps.
She wanted to explain that she had not done it on purpose, but the shame swelling inside her was too much. She could not force the words out.
Her emotions were like a tiny boat caught in a storm at sea. At this point, even the smallest wave might be enough to capsize it.
Is it really this strong?
[Not sure. But maybe since it lets her see souls, it's acting directly on the soul? Could it be amplifying some deep-seated impulse or desire? Judging by that dazed look, it's almost like she took—]
That's enough.
The more Shinji listened, the more wrong the system sounded. He cut it off before it could say anything filthier.
He resumed his work.
The girl before him desperately wanted to lower her head, to avoid his gaze, but she could not. In the end she simply shut her eyes.
And yet, even with her eyes closed, Shinji's face seemed to remain before her, perfectly clear.
So clear that it felt as though she might see even more detail if she kept looking.
The image in her mind formed too quickly, too vividly. With her eyes shut, the heat only grew fiercer.
His touch against her face was feather-light, while the liquid seemed almost to move of its own accord over her skin.
King Halo knew it wasn't truly moving, but the irritation beginning to sting around her eyes was enough to draw a soft sound from her lips.
[Negative Emotion +100]
[Negative Emotion +50]
Shinji heard both notifications at once—one from Offside Trap, one from Narita Brian. Offside Trap had already come to stand at his side, while Narita Brian could not hold back any longer and asked,
"What is that, Shinji?"
"It's something that can…" Shinji paused, unable to come up with a cleaner lie, and finally said plainly, "awaken the bloodline."
"Awaken the bloodline?"
Offside Trap still had not fully grasped what that meant. Narita Brian, however, immediately stiffened.
Many great bloodlines had remained powerful precisely because, generation after generation, exceptional horse girls appeared who inherited the strongest traits hidden in that lineage.
And now this liquid—eerily beautiful to look at, sweet and thick in scent—could directly awaken the power hidden in one's blood.
No wonder Shinji had chosen to use it on King Halo.
King Halo herself heard Shinji's explanation as well, and for a fleeting instant she wanted to break free.
She did not want to surpass that woman by depending on that woman.
But then Shinji's hand came down on her shoulder.
He had predicted this reaction the moment he chose to explain it.
"Listen carefully."
His movements were slow. He had to make sure each line of liquid had fully settled into place on her face before shifting downward to continue the design.
"If you can't surpass her, then no matter what you refuse to rely on, people will only say that even with her blood in your veins, this is all you were capable of. But if you do surpass her, then even if you relied on everything available to you, people will still only say that you were incredible—that you exceeded the limits your bloodline set for you."
Shinji's words gradually calmed her.
Only then did he finally finish the last part of the marking.
King Halo had changed completely.
The two streaks on her face were like trails of blood-tears. She rubbed at them hard, yet they did not smear in the slightest.
Shinji handed her a mirror, and she looked at herself.
Those twin scarlet lines lent her an additional air of temptation. The proud, aloof young lady she had once seemed to be now carried an almost dangerous allure, enough that Offside Trap looked away.
All the books said that men liked beautiful girls.
King Halo had already been striking before. Now she was even more so.
Yet when she stole a glance at Shinji, she found no trace of fascination in his eyes. Only puzzlement.
That made Offside Trap feel much better.
"Feels like there wasn't much effect, though?"
[Maybe it doesn't activate that fast?]
Shinji exchanged a few words with the system in his mind, frowned, and checked King Halo's panel, only to find no immediate changes there either.
Just as he was about to ask how she felt, King Halo let out a scream.
She was staring at Shinji's shoulder, terror all over her face.
In her eyes, a pale green figure was floating there, sitting casually on Shinji's shoulder with an expression of complete boredom, occasionally smacking the side of his face.
That was what the whispering voices earlier had been urging her to look at.
The moment the apparition noticed King Halo screaming at it, it looked startled too.
Then, all at once, it became urgent and rushed straight toward her. King Halo squeezed her eyes shut in fright, her legs giving out beneath her as she collapsed to the floor.
The final sound she heard by her ear was too unclear to make out. She could not tell whether it was a call or some sort of spell.
She hid her eyes behind one arm until Shinji crouched down and asked what had happened. Only then did she dare open them again.
The soul was gone.
Shinji's expression was concerned, but beneath that concern, she could see hope.
"A ghost…"
The word slipped from her mouth.
Narita Brian's face froze at once.
She had just heard one of the things she feared most.
"A ghost?"
Shinji was momentarily stunned, then quickly realized she must have seen a spirit. He was a little disappointed.
He had been hoping Apex Bloodtrace had started to awaken her body directly.
"There really was a ghost! It rushed right at me…"
King Halo buried herself in Shinji's chest. The thought of the spirit still made her body tremble. She wanted badly to describe what it had looked like, but in the shock of the moment she had completely forgotten its face.
At the side, Offside Trap inhaled sharply.
She only half believed in ghosts to begin with, but the place King Halo had buried herself was supposed to be hers. Yet looking at King Halo now—her face pale, her eyes wet, clearly frightened out of her mind—Offside Trap could not quite bring herself to get angry. She clicked her tongue and looked away.
"Do you still see it now?"
"No…"
King Halo's answer made Shinji scratch his head, unsure what else he could do. In the end, he simply helped her back to her feet.
System?
Without any answer, the system instead dumped King Halo's panel directly into his mind.
Trainee Horse Girl: King Halo
Condition: Terrible
Popularity: 50,147
System Blessings (2 random chances remaining): None
PT (skills only): 0
Attribute Points: 50
Five Stats:
Speed 672 (1670)
Stamina 508 (1305)
Power 717 (1601)
Guts 513 (1298)
Wisdom 437 (1174)
Running Aptitude:
Front-runner G / Pace Chaser B / Mid-pack A / Closer D
Distance Aptitude: 1000m–2600m
Track Aptitude: Turf A / Dirt G
Skills:
Call Me King Lv. 4 (Unique): When able to plan calmly during a race, unleashes her strength in the final 200 meters, increasing speed.
Straight-Line Adept (Yellow): Slightly increases speed on straightaways.
Pick Up the Pace (Yellow): Slightly increases speed when passing opponents in the middle phase of the race.
The Diligent One (Yellow): Slightly improves ease of overtaking. {Mid-pack}
Territory: None
Runes:
(Noble) (Mad Craftsman) Noble Adornment
The horse girl may choose one piece of equipment to gain a special effect.
The horse girl may choose one item and treat it as equipment, granting it a special effect.
If the horse girl is wearing a Noble Crest, it may be converted into a Mad Craftsman Crest.
If the horse girl is wearing a Mad Craftsman Crest, it may be converted into a Noble Crest.
Stat Bonus: Speed +4 / Stamina +4 / Will +17
Special Status: None
Equipped Items:
Halo Crest: Increases competitiveness and pride. While maintaining fighting spirit, Guts +200.
Special Effect: A crest containing the strength of her lineage. The horse girl may inherit the purest form of that legacy.
Apex Bloodtrace: A piece of equipment that fully awakens the potential of a horse girl's bloodline, connecting souls through shared blood.
Speed +100.
Special Effect: At certain times, allows the user to see spirits.
{Usage: Apply beneath the eyes, beginning at the center and drawing downward to the lowest point of the face.}
Excels more at Power and Guts training.
Shinji stared blankly.
He had no idea why the system had suddenly chosen now to show him this, but his sharp eyes immediately picked out the differences.
King Halo had somehow gained 50 attribute points. The description of Apex Bloodtrace had also changed, acquiring a clearly beneficial effect.
More importantly, the upper limits of all five of her stats had increased.
Not by much, but to Shinji—who until now had found no other method in the system for raising stat caps—that change was shocking enough on its own.
When he called the system several times and got no reply, he assumed this too would remain another one of its unsolved "mysteries."
Seeing King Halo still trembling from fright, Shinji sighed and looked toward the lounge.
"Then stay in the lounge this afternoon. I'll stay with you and see whether it appears again."
"Okay…"
Her voice came out soft and weak. Shinji found this version of King Halo strangely amusing, so he turned to leave with her.
Then another hand caught his sleeve.
He turned and saw Narita Brian standing there rigidly, staring at something unseen, her expression blank.
"What is it, Brian?"
"I… I want to stay with you too."
"…All right."
So the three of them left the field together, leaving only Offside Trap behind to stare at their retreating backs.
Shinji had never called for her.
Offside Trap nodded to herself.
"It's fine, Offside Trap. You can just follow them yourself."
Clenching her small fists to encourage herself, she finally broke into a light run, hurrying after them in the direction the man had gone.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 142)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter181)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter103)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter192)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 173
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 166
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 110
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 190
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 165
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 156
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 81
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 102
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 120
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 80
Uma Musume: I Want All 95
I Can Copy Unique Skills 84
Summoning an Evil God, but the 66
Supernatural Multiverse 83
My Harem Is Indescribable 75
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 81
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 67
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 75
Still playing traditional Honk 55
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 60
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 57
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 45
Transmigrated as Sukuna 55
Checking In in Demon Slayer 60
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 65
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 35
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 35
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 39
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 58
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