Hyuuga Sakikawa sat in his dimly lit office, the only light coming from the tablet in his hands. His face was a mask of concentration. He swiped through the data, his fingers flying across the screen.
On the screen was a video of Eiyuu's 100-meter sprint, along with a stream of data. Heart rate, stride, muscle extension, calorie consumption...
"Hmm." Sakikawa zoomed in on one of the data points, a new report appearing on the screen.
[Yorozuya Eiyuu - Performance Evaluation]
[The dual gene action of 'Phantom Dragon' and 'Bedrock Dragon' has resulted in a synergy that is not simply additive. The subject's stamina and explosive power have reached a V9 level. Oil tank is almost full.]
He muttered to himself, "The short-distance races are child's play for her now. Mid-distance is a bit of a stretch, but long-distance... she'll run out of gas halfway through."
He put down the tablet and stood up just as the door opened. "Trainer, what is it?" Eiyuu asked, her silver hair a bit messy. She looked exhausted, but her eyes were clear.
"Over here."
Sakikawa retrieved a small box from under his desk and took out a syringe filled with a deep blue liquid. It glowed with a faint, cold light.
Eiyuu's calf muscle tensed instinctively. She had developed a conditioned response to the sight of those things. "Every time you come to me, you bring a new kind of punishment," she muttered.
Sakikawa's face was grim. "This one's a bit special," he said. "The side effects are a bit more... abstract. Fear will become your new nutrient."
Eiyuu's legs began to tremble. Her heart pounded in her chest. A scene from a horror movie flashed through her mind. "Tr-Trainer... what... what are the side effects of this one?"
Sakikawa just looked at her, his expression unreadable. "You seem to be asking the right questions now."
Her stomach dropped. "Doesn't that just mean it's going to be worse?!"
He didn't answer. He just flicked the syringe. The blue liquid swirled. Eiyuu closed her eyes and braced herself.
The icy liquid shot into her veins. Her skin turned a deathly pale, and the blue of the serum was visible under her skin.
The next afternoon, at the training grounds.
Eiyuu was running. Her silver hair flew behind her, catching the afternoon sun. The effects of the "Dragon Heart" serum were becoming apparent. Her speed hadn't increased, but her stamina... it was on a whole new level.
Five kilometers. Ten kilometers.
Her speed didn't drop off at all. Her breathing was steady, her body light. The data on Sakikawa's tablet confirmed it.
"Her stamina distribution is almost perfect," he noted. "But..."
He looked up and saw that Eiyuu's running was technically flawless, but it lacked something. Her eyes... they had no fire in them. She was like a wild beast that had been declawed, a monster without a killer instinct.
The bell for the end of training rang. Eiyuu collapsed to the ground, panting. Sakikawa walked over to the vending machine, then tossed her a can of sports drink.
Later, in the cafeteria.
Eiyuu had become the center of attention. She sat at a corner table, a mountain of empty plates in front of her. The other horse girls whispered and stared. "Wow... that's Yorozuya Eiyuu. I heard she ate for three days straight." "Five kilometers... isn't she going to die?"
Eiyuu tried to ignore them, her head bowed as she shoveled food into her mouth. She was so hungry she could have eaten a horse. Her body was screaming for fuel.
"I raised a super-sized gourmet," a familiar, lazy voice said from behind her.
A new tray, piled high with food, was placed in front of her.
Sakikawa took the chopsticks and began to methodically arrange the food on her plate. "Trainer!" Eiyuu protested, embarrassed.
"So noisy," he said, not looking at her. "Hurry up and eat."
She looked at him, confused.
"I'm helping you with intake therapy. Don't you understand?" he grumbled. He looked at her plate, then at her face. "You're angry, aren't you?"
Eiyuu didn't answer, but her crimson eyes and the slight pout of her lips gave her away.
That night, she couldn't sleep. The aftereffects of the serum were a restless energy that hummed under her skin. She paced back and forth in her room, her body on fire.
"Tsk, annoying." A familiar voice came from outside her door. Eiyuu jumped.
"Turn around. Look at the wall."
She obeyed without question. The door opened and closed. She heard him put something down. "I'm leaving. Eat it while it's hot."
She turned around. A large thermos sat on her desk. She opened it, and the fragrant aroma of hot food filled the room. Inside was a pile of steaming meat skewers and several large onigiri.
"Slow down and eat," a voice said. She looked up. He was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed.
She sat down and began to eat, her movements slow and deliberate.
He watched her as she ate, a strange expression on his face. Her usual fierce, determined eyes, which were always burning with a violet light, were now soft and content, focused solely on the food in front of her. The sight was surprisingly... peaceful.
He found himself smiling faintly.
-------
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