River

"Kuro~ let's take bath together~." With the usual carefree expression—Okayu called out to Kuro.

A huge change in attitude, when they first went to bath together, she was half unwilling to it, but the rubbing to her head apparently made it feel good for her that she's starting to go with him to bath more.

"Okay." Since Kuro himself felt dirty, he had no disagree with her.

Speaking of bath, it's actually just a water soaking in the river nearest from here. Naturally, it was cold.

'At first, it was cold and painful, but as time went on, my body started becoming more sensitive and I started feeling an unfound warmth while it started feeling good… wait, why does this sound so wrong?'

To be honest, Kuro thought he would caught a cold from soaking his body with cold water, but Ayame told it was okay.

In contrast of Kuro's first impression, the cold water where it made his body so sensitive that he could literally feel every single water droplet traveling his body—once he calmed his body.

It got used—the uncomfortable was also gone, replaced with comfort.

Another changes he noticed after bathing in cold water: after the bath, he found himself a little bit hungry.

But that was it. No sign of being caught with cold. Instead of bad effects on his health, it was toward the better sides.

Whilst thinking these sorts of unnecessary thought, Kuro looked toward Okayu whose tails was slightly thrashing in left and right.

'It was hard at first time.'

When Okayu first entered the bath—as expected of a cat, she didn't like the water. Although she is humanoid and her dislikes toward water was around halved, this water were cold.

Not to mention cat, even a normal human would feel uncomfortable bathing in this. Kuro worked hard to calm her.

'Now that I think of it… why in first place, did we take bath together? From my memory, Okayu was unwilling it— but I don't remember inviting her?'

"Ah, there is it~!" Okayu pointed the river, as she excitedly ran toward to that spot.

Despite her calm tone, she was rather excited as she took off her clothes and

"Hyuuu~" Making an sound that even gladiator would feel proud of, she jumped toward it.

-----

[The race has started… Oh? What's wrong, #16?]

[What an unfortunate day for #16, it seems that the horse is not feeling unmotivated—instead of running late, our lovely horse Urara is not even running!]

That's right. Although the gates was opened the rest of the horses ran toward the goal, single horse was left on the gate, not showing a sign of running.

At the observation sit, a single man dumb enough to bet 111,000 golds to horse who he don't even know, was despairing.

[However a single horse stopping won't stop the entire match! MacKing taking the lead the following goes to BurgarDong, UltraWeek, Mononomomonokinonomo… and finally, Urara!]

[Just an simple suggestion to official, how about we add an letter restrictions to horse? Even an handsome and outstanding man such myself have a hard time saying some participants' name, no offence though!]

The crowds reactions were… well they pointed their thumbs down while booing simultaneously. It had an interesting rhythm in it—even though the crowds were booing, the smiles never left their face—as if this just their daily routines.

[Thank you for the warm compliment. Here it goes! At the halfway the course MacKin started picking up his pace… are you kidding me! Aren't that too fast? Will it hold? You may ask, but you're asking the wrong horse!]

[It's MacKing we're talking about. He'll do it! Following MacKing, the other horse have started picking up their pace in chain…]

"Urara, are you ready?"

'No.'

"Good answer. Let's amaze them." These 2 unexpectedly couldn't understand with each other.

No, the horse may just didn't want to understand because staying ignorance were more relaxing to it… or that is it's habit.

Despite the two being like the water and oil, these two produced an better chemical reaction than what gasoline and fire brings.

Maou lowered his body posture, dropping to the point of his upper body was sticking to the horse and the center of gravity shifted to forward.

At the same time, the horse also started running.

[Urara has started moving! And the speed behind it… is beyond fast! Befitting of its name, it runs implies the wind! No way, right!? It's acceleration, max speed, no—everything surpass the past record of the horses!]

Maou closed his eyes in peace. This is the feeling he wanted. The sound of wind passing him in rhythm. While the slights shook from beneath. It's an strange yet comfortable feelings that no magic of him can bring.

"Good boy." Maou silently complimented the horse he painstakingly grew up.

'Can you just shut up? I am running here with all my might. Besides, I am a girl…'

The horse once again picked up it's pace as it's speed were to the point of bringing shame to Hermes. It's muscle moved beautifully—now instead of cutting the wind, it was as if the wind was assisting it.

"I… Am I hallucinating…?" He couldn't see it—but it he did see it.

A transparent wings behind the horse' back. It's magnificent white form with the invisible wing behind it—it was like mythical creature he once read when he was a kid.

Pegasus.

Silent engulfed the whole place as the rhythmical stepping of pegasus shortening the 5,000m gap. The once despair-like situation was turned upside down due to the appearance of pegasus-like creature.

Not to mention the narcissist broadcaster, not even the spectator—not even John Gun—not even Kramer Burns could open their mouth.

Urara's running form were too beautiful to the point of capturing the spectator's eyes and charming them.

[A-ahem! I am deeply apologies for my mistake I was too mesmerised by Urara—continuing the broadcast, the lead still goes to MacKing, the next on BurgarDong… CRAP! Urara caught up with the groups!]

[Urara is starting to overtake #15… #7… Mononomomonokinonomo… At the same time, we've rached the 9,900 meters mark! 100 more meters until the goal! Can Urara make it and be the dark horse, or will the victor goes to MacKing, BurgarDong or even UltraWeek!?]

[50 meters! Urara overtake UltraWeek but! The gaps is still long enough! By the time Urara overtake BirgarDong, MacKing have already won the races!]

[Now for the last seconds! Never ever blink and miss this magnificent battles occurring in the seemingly normal tournaments!]

The broadcaster was talking so fast but for some reason, the spectator could make sense of his words. It's the work of rune writing in his mic.

[Noo! Uars won't make it! Although Urara has overtaken BurgarDong, MacKing is only a meters ahead from the goals! So close! If Urara had the motivation, maybe they could have won this competition!]

Just as the crowds started losing their faith, Maou raised himself from his comfortable posture as he whispered to Urara.

"Let's win this."

'Of course.'

For the first time, this two synchronised. The effects it brought was something that was easily described with just a chemical reactions alone.

The background has gone, the crowds disappeared, the cheering sounds were also gone, all Urara can see were the 16 horse running in the tracks and Maou.

MacKing whose supposed about to win, was so infinitely slow in this perception.

She was also the same, slow only a little bit faster than MacKing.

But she accelerated. From the speed what she thought was the max speed of her, she accelerated.

Accelerated and further accelerated—faster than what winds can travel, faster than what a normal creatures can travel.

She was getting fast and faster—in contrast, MacKing was getting slower and slower, then eventually, he stopped. While she stepped forward.

'Ah, I can't go even faster now… that's a shame…'

[MacKing has won the rac… WAIT A MINUTE! WHERE IS URARA!?]

The expectancy made him lose his calm. He hoped that this unknown horse, the dark horse no, The Dark Pegasus would bring him another miracle.

[Due to unclear results, we'll use camera!]

The camera scene moved to the part where MacKing was only a meter behind the goal. Urara's figure was just MacKing's side—however she was lacking a head to win.

At this moment, the crowds prayed to see more miracles—their bets didn't matter anymore.

In the camera, playing at slow motion, MacKing's body was moving slowly—while Urara's body started blurring and it gets more blurry and finally, it disappeared.

[Do we have more slower camera? Huh? That's relief.]

The broadcaster seemed to talk with the other person in the room as he sighed in relief.

This camera was now that changed to a really slow one. The example was: now it used a camera that captured in a ten billion frame in a second.

The horse moved as if it's stopped but Urara's figure began to get faster and faster—despite being in the space that's as if the time has stopped, Urara actually moved in a pace of walking, then to speed-walking.

At this moment, Urara's figure has long since overtaken MacKing's and passed the goal, but it continued to accelerate without a sign of stopping.

[Oh no! At this rate she'll crash the wall… wait she should have already did at this point of time! Is Urara safe!?]

The broadcaster couldn't help but show an panicked expression. He didn't want a tragic incident to happen on national treasure-like horse.

-----

"Good grief… it's good to be competitive but don't forget about your own health."

Maou said to the horse who fell unconscious.

"Now, now. How far is this place from racing place?" Confirming the place, he made the horse float with his magic as he jumped to the spot without taking much attention of the crowds.