BAD ENDING 004: The Tamed Mare
Wh… what are you doing… Riri…!
With her vocal cords sealed, the only means Sonia had left to rely on was the telepathic ability she had gained through the Military Horse privilege.
Desperation forced the power out of her. The thoughts she screamed inside her head became a faint wave of transmission and reached Riri.
The moment the mental pulse made contact, Sonia's body — which had been locked rigid under Riri's command — shifted ever so slightly in a different direction.
It was not a gesture of resistance. Rather, her chest pushed forward a touch, settling into a proud, imposing stance that seemed to flaunt her dignity as a Military Horse.
"So that's the Military Horse privilege you mentioned, big sister? Wow… I was really surprised. Not that I ever doubted you, of course. Just looking at those ears sticking out of your head is enough to tell."
Having read the thoughts transmitted in place of Sonia's unopenable mouth with perfect accuracy, Riri answered calmly.
She rose from her seat as if it were the most natural thing in the world and approached Sonia. Without the slightest hesitation, Riri poked her fingers into the voluptuous breasts straining against the leotard bondage suit that held Sonia motionless.
A firm, springy elasticity pressed back against her fingertips. There was no sexual intent in the gesture, nor any malice — it was more like checking the flesh of a perfectly ripe fruit.
Nothing but pure curiosity and admiration. As if nothing unusual had happened at all, Riri sat down beside Sonia the way she had when watching that instructional video, gently stroking her blonde hair in a manner that seemed meant to soothe her.
"Don't worry, Sonia. This isn't magic. I didn't put anything in that drink you just had, either. It's just… um… a little ability of mine that's a bit embarrassing to tell other people about… but since it's you, big sister, I'm showing you specially."
Y… you're telling me not to worry while you've got me completely frozen in place… who on earth would believe that?
Sonia's thoughts, thick with anxiety and anger, reached Riri once more.
Riri furrowed her brow slightly, as if troubled, yet her hand never stopped stroking Sonia's hair.
"Think about it the other way around. Who would just grab a hero who's a citizen of Sky City and kidnap her out of nowhere? If someone did, it would either mean they really needed you, Sonia — or that they were a reckless villain who didn't care about the consequences at all, right?"
Even as she spoke, Riri continued pressing and releasing her fingers against Sonia's breasts, which swelled full and round beneath the black leotard bondage suit.
As if savoring the springy bounce of the flesh each time she let go, Riri wore a pure, bright smile.
Riri's strangely persuasive words made the fierce resistance burning inside Sonia settle, just a little.
Catching that subtle shift in her psyche, Riri poked Sonia's breast firmly once more and said:
"Alright, go ahead and speak freely now, Sonia!"
The instant the words left her mouth, Sonia's voice — which had been sealed shut as if an invisible bit had been forced between her teeth — burst free as though the whole thing had been a lie.
"Th… this… what kind of ability is this… is it… magic…?"
"It's taming… the ability to train animals or monsters and make them fight. Well, it's not anything that impressive. My ability is… honestly a little embarrassing to even call an ability… hehe…"
"The spirit said so too, right? That there were no descendants left to serve them… and in the end, even the medal that had been treasured as a sacred relic ended up in the hands of a kid like me, only to be lost in a dungeon… Honestly, I might have even thought it was a good thing the spirit disappeared…"
"W… why would you say that? Just a moment ago you were saying you wanted to see them, that you wanted to train…"
Though she had regained freedom of her body, Sonia remained seated on the sofa, listening to Riri's explanation.
It was a perfectly fine time of day to walk the streets in a leotard like this, but Riri had offered to lend her something to cover up with if she really wanted to leave.
"The region where mares and Military Horses were common… well, it completely collapsed in the end. In terms of the history of the world you live in, Sonia… it would be something like… mare chariots…?"
"…I've never heard of anything like that."
Riri explained with earnest gestures, and at last Sonia was able to grasp the rough outline of the situation.
In the hometown where Riri had lived, the highest-grade unit of that region had been the Military Horse — but rather than being valued for their power, they had been treated as objects of twisted lust, or collected like rare limited-edition items. Everyone either kidnapped them or bought them up.
In the end, they had been unable to hold back the oncoming monster hordes and had fallen. That was the full story of her homeland as Riri told it.
"My ability is… a lesser version of real training techniques that can tame anything — animals or monsters — as long as you're skilled enough. In short, if I stroke a mare or a Military Horse, their stats go up, and their affinity rises really easily… it's that kind of passive ability."
Riri bowed her head. She confessed honestly that the reason people called her a genius trainer, and the reason most of the mares who had "passed through her hands" went on to win races and take center stage at idol performances, was all thanks to this privilege ability.
Unlike ordinary training or taming techniques, Riri's peculiar skill worked only on mares and Military Horses.
"I'm really sorry for startling you, big sister!"
"There really are all kinds of strange abilities in this world… but what does that ability have to do with what you're doing to me right now, Riri?"
"That's obvious… because you're the perfect match for this ability, Sonia. The horse I want to raise this time is a power type… whisper whisper… I've even prepared a matching outfit…"
Riri fidgeted with her fingertips as she murmured.
Apparently she still couldn't let go of her attachment to the strong, powerful Military Horse Sonia — the one who had knocked out sturdy porters with a single barefoot kick. Riri refused to give up and kept trying to persuade her.
(Ugh… how am I supposed to change her mind… Something like "With genius trainer Riri at your side, you can win championships and make a dazzling Triple Crown debut!" probably won't work… and she doesn't look like she's short on money… the hardest people to persuade are the ones who are already satisfied with their situation… hnn…)
How could she convince the perfect specimen sitting right in front of her? Thanks to the Military Horse training, this was a partner to whom her ability — not some general-purpose technique like ordinary training or taming, but one with extremely limited conditions — applied perfectly. Riri began turning her mind over as hard as she could.
Then Sonia's earlier words flashed through her mind.
"Thanks to that, I do feel like I've gotten a little stronger… I think? Probably?"
"…?!"
(Th… that's it! People say heroes are similar to adventurers! And the reason she went through Military Horse training… if she was willing to train in an outfit that embarrassing, Sonia's desire to get stronger must be enormous…!)
Riri — the genius trainer — had completely misunderstood Sonia, who had simply finished a satisfying training session because she liked the "design," as a D-class hero who had endured shame and thrown herself into bizarre-outfit training for the sake of growing stronger.
"…That's the kind of ability it is. The reason you couldn't move earlier, Sonia… ah, it's released now. These days, thanks to idol racing, mares are pretty common around here… but I'd never actually seen a Military Horse even back home, so I got a little too excited without meaning to. I'm really sorry for startling you, Sonia!"
"I… if you've apologized, that's enough…"
"Just think about it, big sister! Even ordinary mare girls, who my Military Horse ability barely works on, have won championships! If you'd sign a contract… that would be more than I could ask for! But even if you don't, just letting me give you a massage would be an honor for me — just the fact that I, Riri, got to massage a real Military Horse like you! Please, I'm begging you, Sonia!"
Even though she had only protected Sky City once, Sonia couldn't bring herself to coldly turn away a girl whose eyes sparkled as she declared she would work hard for the hero who watched over the streets.
(She doesn't seem to be lying…)
Riri's enhancement effect, which worked only on Military Horses and the lesser-compatible mares — and the epithet "genius mare trainer" that followed her around as if to prove that ability.
"Th… then… would it be alright… if I asked…?"
The genius mare-racing trainer's predictions had been completely off the mark, but in the end, Sonia agreed to receive Riri's enhancement massage.
"L… like this…?"
"J… just lift your right foot a little higher, big sister! …Yes, perfect…! And raise your arm just a bit so I can see your armpit clearly… ehehe…"
Following the genius trainer's instructions, Sonia lifted one foot lightly and struck a peculiar pose that exposed her smooth underarm.
