The celebration party after the Japan Cup was in full swing in the most luxurious banquet hall of Tracen Academy.
The lights were bright, and the music was at full volume.
However, one of the "heroines" of the party, Taiki Shuttle, was like a golden leopard who had fixed her final prey.
She ignored all congratulations and, with an undeniable air of an executive director, grabbed Kaito's wrist and dragged him by force, before the astonished gazes of the crowd, to a secluded balcony overlooking the outdoor garden.
The noise of the party was muffled by the heavy glass door.
On the balcony, only the moonlight shone, and the fresh night breeze could be felt.
It was a private, quiet place, absolutely perfect for... sharing secrets.
Once they reached the balcony, Taiki Shuttle immediately pushed Kaito onto a cold marble bench.
Then, as if by magic, she pulled a stack of "trophies" out of her large bag...
A huge KFC family bucket, two extra-large Domino's pizzas, a dozen Dunkin' Donuts, and several large bottles of ice-cold Coca-Cola bubbling happily.
She put her hands on her hips, her face wearing the proud and radiant smile of a victor, and declared to Kaito
"Hand of God! Even though I wasn't the champion this time! I was the fastest runner of our American team! Right?"
"So! According to our house rules, these are the 'prizes' I won for you!"
With every right, she opened a pizza box, thrust a slice into Kaito's hand, and spoke with a tone that was both adorably naive and logically aggressive.
"Now! Let's exchange!"
"I took advantage of my victory to acquire what I consider the best food in the world, to share it with you!"
"So, in exchange..."
"You should also give me the most 'precious' thing you have, to exchange it with me!"
After speaking, she gave Kaito no time to react!
She tossed the slice of pizza from her hand and, like a leopard that had been lurking for a long time and finally launched her attack with full force, she pounced on Kaito!
She caressed Kaito's face and sealed all his questions with an incredibly passionate, radiant, and dominant kiss that still carried the scent of pizza and fried chicken.
The kiss was charged with aggressiveness and an indisputable desire for conquest.
Just like her personality: cheerful, direct, passionate, and irresistible!
Just as the tension between them increased on the windy and moonlit balcony, anxious searching noises from the members of the "Harem Council" arrived faintly from the venue.
"How strange... where could that explosive blonde and the head trainer have gone?"
"Agnes Tachyon! Hurry up! Activate your 'Satellite Thermal Positioning'!"
"Report! Target located! Location: Balcony number three! Vital signs are... rising rapidly!"
This extreme tension at the possibility of being "caught red-handed" acted as the most powerful catalyst!
It made Taiki Shuttle's actions even more urgent.
However, just as she was about to use that momentum to take the atmosphere to an irreparable state, Kaito suddenly exerted force.
With an impeccable turn, he instantly swapped their positions, regaining control.
"American fast food, although delicious, if eaten too quickly..."
He observed her chest, which rose and fell rapidly due to her agitated breathing, and whispered in a hoarse voice full of amusement:
"It can cause indigestion, you know?"
He did not go further.
Instead, he let her go and picked up the slice of pizza she had dropped.
"You said you wanted to exchange the most 'precious' thing, didn't you?"
Taiki Shuttle froze, then nodded, confused.
Kaito handed the pizza back to her.
Then, he closed his eyes and extended his hands—the hands revered as the Hand of God, the hands every trainer in the world dreams of—flat and open before her.
"This is everything to me, it is also the most valuable thing I can give you."
"Now it's your turn."
Taiki Shuttle was completely bewildered.
She observed those long and firm hands, endowed with miraculous power.
Those hands had relieved her muscles, improved her condition, and worked miracles on the race track.
Those hands were everything to him.
She understood.
The "exchange" he wanted was not the superficial and impulsive possession she had imagined.
Instead, it was a... ritual.
Her cheeks flushed instantly, and her previous dominance and initiative vanished completely.
Carefully, with her own slightly trembling hands—hands that also belonged to an elite athlete—she gently placed hers upon Kaito's palms.
In the instant their four hands met, it was as if an electric current ran through them.
Kaito opened his eyes and looked at her with an unprecedented gaze, at once tender and dominant.
"Now..."
"Let me teach you what it truly means... to 'savor'."
In the following sequence, the rhythm was completely controlled by Kaito
He did not kiss her again, nor did he make any inappropriate gestures.
He simply took her hands and began to speak to her.
He spoke of that quality of Californian sunlight he perceived in her for the first time when he met her.
He spoke about the strengths of her racing style and the details that could be improved.
Using the warmth of his Hand of God and a deep delicacy and tenderness, he transmitted to her the purest affirmation, admiration, and... affection through the contact of their palms.
It was a kind of "cooking" that penetrated the soul more deeply than any physical intimacy.
What he cooked was her confidence, her glory, and her soul.
Taiki Shuttle surrendered completely.
If her previous attack was a torrential storm.
Kaito's "caress" was silent and omnipresent, yet at the same time, it was like a deadly spring that made her soul tremble.
She transformed from a leopard who actively hunted into a completely domesticated and docile kitten who could only emit soft moans, and her eyes even filled with tears of emotion.
Reaching a spiritual peak of unprecedented happiness, breaking like a tsunami...
She was no longer the carefree and sweet American from before.
But a woman whom he understood perfectly, whom he conquered completely, and who belonged only to him.
[Ding—!]
[Cultural fusion completed!]
[Congratulations, host!]
[A deep resonance at the [Soul Level] has been achieved with the target [Taiki Shuttle]!]
[The passive bond skill 'American Sweetheart LV1' has received a permanent upgrade!]
[Effect update: The energy replenishment effect has increased considerably! Additionally, there is a certain probability of randomly obtaining a powerful temporary buff related to 'Speed' or 'Strength' when sharing high-calorie foods.]
Afterward, Taiki Shuttle lay weakly in Kaito's arms, murmuring in a deep, nasal, and sugary voice:
"Kaito..."
"...I... think... I have fallen in love with you..."
"...More than I like... burgers..."
Just as the two were preparing to share the "victory pizza," a great stir broke out at the party venue.
The music stopped abruptly.
The huge screen in the center of the hall crackled and was abruptly interrupted by a mysterious signal!
On the screen appeared a blonde, blue-eyed, middle-aged woman of noble bearing.
Pinned to her chest was the emblem of the World Uma Musume Alliance (WMA), the highest governing body of world horse racing.
Speaking fluent English, she smiled at the microphone and addressed everyone present.
"Good evening, esteemed guests, I ask you to please excuse my interruption"
"On behalf of the World Uma Musume Alliance, I extend my sincerest congratulations to Tracen Academy for its brilliant achievements in this Japan Cup"
Her gaze seemed to pierce through the walls, fixing precisely on Kaito, who was on the balcony.
"Especially... I offer my deepest respect to the one who worked miracles, the Hand of God: Mr. Kaito"
She paused, and her smile took on a deep meaning.
"Tracen's performance was truly spectacular."
"So, as a gift of gratitude..."
"The next and most spectacular 'Strongest World Uma Musume Tournament' will be officially held earlier than planned at our usual venue: the American Breeders' Cup grounds."
"Mr. Hand of God... We... and our 'children'..."
"We look forward to your presence."
On the screen, behind the woman, several blurred figures with suffocatingly powerful auras flashed by.
Those were the "fierce Umas" of the world.
This high-profile "declaration of war," broadcast live worldwide, spread instantly across the globe.
Kaito held the still-stunned Taiki Shuttle, who was stuffing herself with fries, and looked at the queenly smile on the screen, slowly revealing a smile of his own, confident and ready for battle.
He knew it.
His true challenge.... was about to begin.