After recovering from their initial shock at seeing Mizuno suddenly confined to a wheelchair after just a few days, the gathered Uma Musume rushed over, quickly forming a worried circle around him.
"Onii-sama, are you alright?" Rice Shower crouched in front of the wheelchair, eyes full of concern.
She lifted a hand to touch Mizuno's, but seeing how frail he looked, she hesitated, afraid she might hurt him. Her hand drew back, anxious.
"Ah, this…" Seeing Rice Shower's stricken face, Mizuno didn't dare mention Misfortune—he worried it would eat at her and disrupt her daily life. He kept it vague instead:
"I tripped over a rock and fell."
"A rock?" the Uma Musume echoed in surprise.
He ended up in a wheelchair from stumbling over a rock? How bad was that fall?!
"Trainer-san, you're way too careless!" Tokai Teio puffed out her cheeks and lightly gripped Mizuno's arm, realizing for the first time just how fragile he was.
Even a tiny rock could bring Trainer-san down…
She decided that if she ever dated Mizuno-san, she'd have to keep him safely locked in a cozy little room—otherwise, if anything happened to him, her heart would shatter!
"Trainer-san…" Urara clenched her fists and cheered him on with earnest energy. "Please rest well and get better soon~!"
"Alright, thanks for the well-wishes," Mizuno nodded, warmth flooding his chest at the little angel's sincere smile.
But aside from Tokai Teio and Urara, none of the others fully bought Mizuno's explanation.
"There's no way…"
Given how cautious Mizuno was, how could he trip over a mere rock?
He must've run into something truly dangerous—that's why he was hurt and stuck in a wheelchair!
Maybe the "rock" he mentioned was a metaphor… for one of the Uma Musume here.
"Could it be… the rock that tripped Mizuno-san… was me?" Mejiro McQueen trembled, anxiety gripping her heart.
It didn't seem impossible. Just a few days ago, she'd tried to kidnap Mizuno.
Even though she'd failed, it had to have left Trainer-san with deep psychological trauma! Mind over body—that must be why he was now paralyzed in a wheelchair…
"Ugh… I was far too rough…" McQueen lowered her head guiltily, fingers twisting together.
"Hm?" Rice Shower's ears flicked, catching McQueen's whispered self-reproach. She turned, incredulous.
So the one who hurt Onii-sama was Mejiro McQueen-san?!
And what exactly did "too rough" mean? It couldn't be what she was thinking… right?
"McQueen-san…" Rice Shower parted her lips to question her—
But another Uma cut in first.
"Sorry… it's probably my fault…" El Condor Pasa rubbed the back of her head, voice small.
Condor was sure Trainer's injury came from their wrestling match that day.
Humans were far too fragile compared to Uma Musume…
Even her father, a human, needed days to recover after playing with her. Trainer Mizuno would be the same—especially since she hadn't held back.
He hadn't collapsed on the spot, but maybe adrenaline masked it. The damage could've been hidden, lingering underneath.
There were even news stories about wrestlers who suddenly became paralyzed days after a lively bout.
Maybe Trainer Mizuno was one of them—fine at her home, only to collapse into disability soon after leaving.
"I'm really sorry… It's my fault for using too much strength…" Condor bowed, hands clasped, sincere.
"You?" Rice Shower turned stiffly, her expression freezing as she faced Condor—the outsider Uma Musume.
She'd already sensed something off between Condor and Onii-sama—and now his legs wouldn't move because Condor used "too much strength"?
"Guh…" Rice Shower's face darkened, a shadow falling over it.
But Condor wasn't the only outsider Uma Musume Rice Shower hadn't yet accepted as a teammate.
"Mizuno's injuries weren't your fault—actually, Daiwa Scarlet and I are to blame…"
Only when Vodka spoke did Rice Shower notice two unfamiliar Uma had quietly appeared behind her beloved Onii-sama.
"Vodka's right. Mizuno's condition is tied to us," Daiwa Scarlet added, laying a delicate hand on Mizuno's shoulder—unaware of a certain petite, dark-haired Uma whose expression was growing colder by the second.
"Mizuno, he… is truly a gentleman…" Scarlet pressed a hand to her ample chest, lips parting as if to say more. But she only shook her head, sighed, and fell silent.
As much as Scarlet and Vodka wanted to reveal what happened with Misfortune—and Mizuno's heroics that day—he'd asked them not to, to keep more innocents from harm.
Mizuno insisted on carrying every misfortune alone. Even after Scarlet and Vodka witnessed Misfortune and kept asking for details—desperate to help—he stubbornly refused to share even a hint.
In his eyes, facing danger was his responsibility as an adult and a trainer. Underage Uma Musume should just enjoy life and their races. The evil deity Misfortune was his burden alone, as the Apostle of Fortune.
And though Mizuno could be maddeningly secretive—like a cryptic TV-drama lead—Scarlet and Vodka trusted him completely. If Mizuno asked, they'd honor it.
So they kept that day's events to themselves.
Even so, Vodka, blunt as ever, couldn't help raising her voice:
"Mizuno was truly courageous and heroic—he sacrificed everything for us, completely draining himself…"
"You all…" Rice Shower stared at the four Uma who'd just claimed responsibility, her ears folding back in displeasure. Her eyes hollowed, and a faint blue-black aura seeped from her small frame.
Her hand drew back, instinctively reaching for the empty space at her waist—never before had she so badly wished she carried a little knife…