"He's already passed out..."
Misfortune looked down at Mizuno, who was still clutching her tightly even in his unconscious state. Her pupils trembled, an indescribable emotion welling up in her chest.
Her admiration for Mizuno completely eclipsed the burning pain searing through her body.
She had to admit it—he truly deserved to be called the most respectable opponent she'd ever faced. Such courage, the resolve to perish alongside an enemy, was something she'd almost never seen in a human.
Now, Misfortune was convinced. Since he'd gone this far, what right did she have to complain?
She stopped resisting and quietly lay in Mizuno's arms, letting the flames born from the collision of their opposing energies slowly consume her body.
"You win this round…" Misfortune murmured through clenched teeth to the unconscious Mizuno.
"But remember—this time, you only beat one insignificant clone. The real problem's still ahead!"
"So wait for me! Next time, I'll make sure to crush you under my feet!"
With those last, defiant words, Misfortune calmly closed her eyes and accepted the fate awaiting her.
Moments later, her clone body—woven from misfortune energy—gradually lost its strength and dissolved into glittering stardust, vanishing completely from Mizuno's embrace.
MISFORTUNE CLONE #12581—OUT OF COMMISSION!
"Mizuno-dono…" Gold Ship gasped, clutching her aching abdomen. She leaned against the wall for support, forcing herself forward step by step toward him.
When she finally reached him, she knelt between his legs, leaned in, and gently pulled his hood back over his head.
As the garment's effect reactivated, Mizuno's Uma Mint constitution was once again concealed.
Though a faint sweetness still lingered in the air, with that dangerously captivating face hidden, the crushing pressure on the three Uma Musume eased at once.
Even so, Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka couldn't tear their eyes away from him.
Their attention had shifted—not just drawn to his face anymore, but to the man himself.
After all, they had seen firsthand what kind of person their mysterious idol truly was.
Staring at Mizuno slumped against the wall, both girls pressed their heated palms to their pounding hearts, unable to calm them.
It wasn't just the joy of seeing his face again, nor merely the thrill of victory—it was something far deeper.
It was love.
Not love for his looks or for his Uma Mint nature, but for the purity of his heart—the courage to sacrifice himself to protect others—that had utterly captured theirs.
Even when facing an evil foe, Mizuno never stooped to evil means. He stayed true to his principles, resolving every conflict with righteousness and compassion.
The sight of him holding Misfortune close, purifying her within his embrace, had been both gentle and resolute—like an angel redeeming a sinner, the perfect balance of tenderness and valor.
Most of all, his unwavering rejection of Misfortune's temptation had scattered the confusion that had long plagued Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka.
Back then, the reason their personalities had suddenly swapped when they saw the mysterious man before the Three Goddesses' statue was because each had envied the other. Their innermost desires, amplified by Uma Mint's influence, had led them to trade identities.
But was someone else's life truly as perfect as it seemed?
Daiwa Scarlet might've acted carefree and reckless, pretending not to care about judgment, but she was still hurt by the words: "Girls shouldn't be so rough,""Try to be more ladylike,""You're not charming at all."
Vodka, meanwhile, played the refined beauty—always elegant, always proper—but deep down, she longed to return to her old self: the free, unrestrained Vodka who lived without caring what others thought.
After switching lives, neither found happiness in the other's shoes. They didn't gain what they'd admired—they only lost what they already had.
They argued endlessly, criticizing their old selves through each other, never realizing the "flaws" they saw were exactly what the other admired most.
But Mizuno had shown them, through his actions, that instead of chasing someone else's ideal life, it was far more important to stay true to your own.
At that moment, they finally understood—
Admiring someone didn't mean becoming them.
It meant following them forward, while staying true to who you are.
Swapping personalities had been meaningless. What mattered was being themselves.
"Thank you…"
Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka stepped closer, each taking one of Mizuno's hands and pressing it to their chests. Their hearts overflowed with gratitude.
Through his courage and kindness, Mizuno had not only settled their old debate—whether he was a gentleman or a hero—but also freed them from the confusion they'd carried for so long.
Yet while those two finally found peace, the silver-haired Uma Musume who'd just experienced Mizuno's Uma Mint power for the first time fell into quiet dread.
"Ugh…"
Sitting on Mizuno's lap, Gold Ship gently touched his cool chest. Her lips trembled, as if pierced by a sharp ache.
"Mizuno-dono… so this is what you've been enduring all this time…"
She looked at the spot where Misfortune had vanished, her scalp prickling with unease.
Grabbing at her ponytail, her gaze turned hollow.
"This is dangerous… far, far too dangerous…"
Biting her finger, Gold Ship stared at Mizuno's unconscious form, a quiet yet firm resolve beginning to take shape in her mind.