"That's right, Evil Trainer! No matter what you've done to T.M. Opera O, or what strange concoction you've had her drink, we will bring you to justice! Desu!"
On the other side, Taiki Shuttle, an Uma Musume with blonde hair dressed in a training uniform, also spoke menacingly to Wada, pulling out a revolver she carried and pointing it at Wada, her face beaming with a threatening, transactional expression, saying:
"Heh heh, if you confess honestly now, I might still forgive you. But if you remain stubborn, then I'll have no choice but to let you experience the power of American Iai!"
"WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET THAT REVOLVER?! IT'S DANGEROUS! PUT IT AWAY!"
It was the first time Wada had ever been threatened with a gun, and he immediately felt the pressure. He didn't know the Uma Musume in front of him was Taiki Shuttle. But even if he did, this revolver pointed at him was enough to make him not care about it—he could actually die here!
Did she even have a firearm permit to carry a gun in Japan?! This is Japan, not America! The US forces in Japan aren't even in Tokyo!
"Heh heh, although I also think it might be a bit reckless... But for T.M. Opera O, I am willing to do it!" Another Uma Musume girl wearing a mask, named El Condor Pasa, spoke to Wada in the exact same accent as Taiki Shuttle, proving her identity as an Uma Musume with American blood:
"Now, confess and walk away unscathed, or resist and be ready to face the consequences. Trainer Wada, quickly hand over the antidote! Return T.M. Opera O to normal! Otherwise, we'll have no choice but to send you to Tracen's basement for interrogation!"
"IS TRACEN ACADEMY A CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION?! WHY IN THE WORLD DOES IT HAVE A BASEMENT?! HOW MANY THINGS HAVE NOT BEEN DISCLOSED TO US IN ADVANCE?!"
Under the coercion of the two Uma Musume, one strong woman, and a gun pointed at Wada, all three Trainers were feeling immense pressure. Though Hana Toujou looked as if she was just an office worker, her grip strength was truly astonishing; her petite frame held a lot of hidden strength.
Perhaps it was due to some martial arts she had learned previously? The three weren't sure, but so far, the combat power of the two sides was completely disproportionate. Facing the two Uma Musume who were closing in, they didn't know what to do for a moment.
Fortunately, at this moment, their Uma Musume finally arrived in time.
"TRAINER (OLD MAN)?!" x4
The commotion here immediately attracted the attention of the three men's Uma Musume. The four in-charge Uma Musume almost simultaneously abandoned their training and rushed towards their Trainer, like a howling gust of wind!
"Bang!"
"Ouch!" Hana Toujou also winced in pain, feeling a strong gust of wind hit her, and her arm was struck with a heavy force. She instinctively released Wada's collar and retreated.
Behind Hana Toujou, El Condor Pasa and Taiki Shuttle immediately supported their Trainer. The three looked and saw Meisho Doto, whose physique was no less than El Condor Pasa and Taiki Shuttle, spreading her arms like a protective hen, her face flushed with a mix of what seemed like embarrassment or anger, stammering:
"D- don't bully Trainer!"
Doto showed an unprecedented hint of anger, her horse ears on her head directly flattened back, showing Doto's truly fluctuating emotions at this moment. She stared intently at Taiki Shuttle and El Condor Pasa, yet she showed no sign of fear.
"Um… Doto? Ugh?!"
Taiki Shuttle, who had a good relationship with Doto among the three, tried to step forward to communicate, but as soon as she approached, Doto glared at her, scaring her into hiding behind Hana Toujou.
"A- an angry Doto-san… I've never seen her like this… She feels so terrifying…"
"Hey! What are you guys doing to our Trainer?!" Gold Ship and Mejiro McQueen also immediately protected Imanami, with Gold Ship being the first to step forward and shout:
"You wanna fight?! I ain't afraid of you! You weaklings! I'll kick you all the way to Mars!"
"Hehe~, you can't bully Curren Chan's Trainer, I will get angry too you know~"
However, Curren Chan, who was protecting Ikezoe on the side, still had a smiling expression on her face, but everyone noticed her slightly flattened ears. Curren Chan raised her phone, seemingly recording, and said:
"So, it's best for everyone to get along peacefully, otherwise Curren Chan might accidentally post the video on Umastagram, and then, everyone might encounter a little trouble~"
"Oh, by the way, Curren Chan has close to 4 million followers, so you'd better think carefully~"
"…" x9
This little girl was the scariest. For a moment, everyone felt an intense feeling of fear towards the smiling Curren Chan, and they all quickly calmed down. They couldn't take such a risk.
"W- well, um, Trainer, perhaps it's better to ask for clarification first, instead of being so hasty, okay?"
"Yes! Yes! Trainer is too impatient! It's better to talk it out first, desu."
Hana Toujou: "…"
"You two were even more 'enthusiastic' than me back then, and now you're putting all the blame on me?" Hana Toujou looked at the two Uma Musume beside her who had actively responded to her call and come along, now looking so timid, and suddenly had an urge to give them extra training.
"Phew…" But Hana Toujou also finally calmed down. She then looked back at Wada and asked, word by word:
"Wada, are T.M. Opera O's recent emotional changes because of you?"
"To be honest… I don't know." Wada also patted Doto's shoulder, allowing the girl to relax her guard a bit. Then, with a subtle smile, he asked, "You mentioned T.M. Opera O's changes… what exactly are you referring to?"
"…Recently, I've been having T.M. Opera O train her Late Surger running style for the Mainichi Hai, to ensure her victory." Hana Toujou, seeing that Wada seemed genuinely unaware, said calmly after a moment of silence:
"But ever since you last met T.M. Opera O, her condition has been poor. She has been constantly distracted during training, goes to bed late every day, wakes up late, and simply couldn't be woken up—according to T.M. Opera O's roommate, Biwa Hayahide, T.M. Opera O has been constantly talking in her sleep during this period, but what exactly she's saying is unknown."
"Most importantly, T.M. Opera O is becoming less and less obedient to my instructions! I tell her to train her Late Surger running style, but a few minutes after I leave, I come back to find T.M. Opera O running as a Pace Chaser!"
At this point, Hana Toujou's expression was a mix of anger and frustration. Clearly, she had discussed this issue with T.M. Opera O more than once during this period, but if it hadn't been completely fruitless, she wouldn't have taken her anger out on Wada.
"…It sounds like it doesn't have much to do with Trainer Wada, does it?"
Mejiro McQueen also felt a bit strange at this moment and couldn't help but ask, "If T.M. Opera O's condition isn't good, shouldn't she go to the hospital? Why come to Trainer Wada?"
"I…" Hana Toujou opened her mouth at this moment but didn't know where to begin.
What could she say? That she could tell Wada and T.M. Opera O had an unusual relationship? Who else could affect T.M. Opera O's performance besides him? Had some drugs leaked out of Agnes Tachyon's lab again? (T/N: This is the second time this has been mentioned, I need to know what the hell happened for everyone to get PTSD from it.)
But Hana Toujou couldn't produce any concrete evidence at the moment. Just as Doto felt that Hana Toujou was unfairly blaming her Trainer and was about to angrily retort, Wada, however, stepped forward and said:
"…Trainer Toujou, although I don't know much about what you're saying."
"But if T.M. Opera O is having emotional problems, I'd be willing to talk to her… I wonder if you would let me see her?"
However, when Wada proactively made this suggestion, Hana Toujou pondered for a moment, and after exchanging glances with El Condor Pasa and Taiki Shuttle beside her, she sighed helplessly and said:
"…Alright, but you're not allowed to say anything unnecessary."
"Understood." Wada nodded silently, but just as he was about to leave, Doto gently grabbed Wada's sleeve and said timidly:
"Trainer… be careful, I'll wait for you to come back."
"Mm, Doto, train well, I should be back very soon." Wada also stroked Doto's head, soothing her emotions, and then, under Doto's anxious gaze, he left with Hana Toujou and the others… And that departure, no one expected it to last until nightfall. Everyone's training had already ended, but Doto still lingered in the track area, waiting for her Trainer to return.
However, it seemed like too much time had passed, and the exhausted Doto found a bench to lie down and rest—previously, Imanami and the others had all urged Doto to go back, but Doto insisted on waiting here for Wada to return.
And after an unknown amount of time, finally, Doto, who was resting on the wooden bench, was gently picked up by a figure. The movement was so incredibly gentle that it didn't wake Doto; instead, it made her sleep more comfortably.
"This is really troublesome… I didn't expect T.M. Opera O could act so difficult at times."
Wada, who had just returned, also muttered to himself. This trip of his had been quite time-consuming. T.M. Opera O, whose mind was in a mess, wanted to avoid Wada as soon as she saw him. She was very uncooperative with Wada which caused it to drag on until she finally fell asleep, and only then could Wada return.
Looking at Meisho Doto, who was foolishly waiting for him to return in the same spot, Wada didn't know what to say. It was lucky that Imanami and Ikezoe had told him; otherwise, he would have thought Doto had already gone back to her dorm.
"Sleep well, Doto, our time is coming soon."
"Hmph…"
However, as if hearing Wada's voice, a faint smile appeared on Doto's face, and her hand gripped Wada's clothes as she softly spoke in her sleep:
"Trainer… He he…"
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FUCK YEAH AMERICA!!!!! *Gunshots and Bald Eagle cries*
Also, late day chapter cause I fogor to publish it 💀💀💀💀
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.