"Do you perhaps have anywhere else you want to visit while you all are here?"
"Well… We don't really know anywhere around here. Maybe you can guide us around?"
"Uuuuhh…"
"I promise my assistant that I'll visit her exhibition. They're holding a haunted house, so let's go there."
"A haunted house? You're not scared, are you, big brother?"
"Equinox, what happened to the last ghost that haunted us?"
"Yeah… Quite the gruesome fate."
"Mhhm~~ Any complaints, or should we get going?"
The young man looks around the group and sees nothing but nods from the umas.
"Cool. Let's go."
"Ah!! That's trainer!!"
"My angel!!"
The group was about to move when the voice of an angel called for the young man. He quickly froze in place and looked around like a hungry lion that had a sniff of a slab of meat. The young man's eyes quickly locked onto a pink blob who was accompanied by a small, dark-brown-haired umamusume.
"Corrections, MY ANGELS!!"
"Whoa!! What happened to you, big brother?!"
"Ah! Meet my cute angels, Equinox!! The pink cutie is Haru Urara, and the dark brown patootie is Rice Shower."
"MY REPLACEMENTS!?!"
"I never said that…"
"Big brother!! I can assure you that you're under some kind of illusions!! These two can never replace me!!"
"I never said that you're getting replaced…"
"I'M A THOUSAND TIMES CUTER THAN THEM!!"
"What did you do to her, old hags?"
"Look at a mirror, you brat."
"Hahahahaha!! Hello!! I'm Haru Urara!! I'm trainer Igo's current trainee!! You must be trainer Igo's previous trainee!!"
"Kuh!!"
Equinox's ears fold back, and her tail is rigid. She falls back into a defensive posture as she feels a massive pressure radiating from the small pink umamusume. She might be taller, but she somehow feels like the pink blob is towering over her.
Kuh!! As expected of Central!! Everyone is wearing a mask!! I bet this innocent-looking umamusume is actually a part of the Yakuza!!
"Uumm… Hello… I'm Rice Shower. I'm big sis Riko's trainee."
Not for long, you're not.
"Since you both are here, let's go to the haunted house, shall we?"
"Okay!!"
Urara grabs Rice Shower's hand and then hugs her trainer's right arm, the arm that was hugged by Equinox just a moment ago. Equinox could only tug her tail between her legs and hide behind the big sisters when the pink blob cast a glance at her.
"What's wrong, dear Equinox?"
"Fear."
She is Big Brother's trainee, which means he has conquered her. As expected of him. I still have a lot to do to catch up to him, but I swear with my life on the line!! I'll be an umamusume who is worthy of standing beside him!!
~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oooh~~ Quite the group you have here, boss. And who are they?"
"The three hags are my older sisters, while the smaller one is my little cousin."
"Family, eeeh~~ You didn't tell me, boss."
"They didn't tell me either, so stop pouting. By the way, you look cute, Cafe. Nice cat cosplay."
"It should be scary, Trainer Igo. You're breaking my confidence."
"Sorry…"
The group reached the laboratory, which had been transformed into a haunted house. The young man knew that several umamusume were currently playing the ghosts as he could hear screams coming from inside.
"Who else is cosplaying as ghosts?"
"Pokke, Dantsu, Doto, Matikanefukukitaru, Super Creek, Still in Love, Sweep Tosho, Shinko, and several reanimated umamusumes that I created during my process in developing the cure for the pestilence."
"I see… what?"
"Not only that, but I have also deployed the hyperbolic space chamber, so the inside is much larger compared to how it looks outside."
"And you wonder why you keep running out of money…"
"It's all in the pursuit of science."
"Whatever. Cafe, what are you looking for?"
"My friend. She has gone missing."
"She's probably somewhere near. Don't worry about it. She'll return soon enough."
"Yeah…"
Talking about Cafe's hallucination, mine is also missing. Have I finally recovered from the boss's sweat drug?
"You can only enter in pairs. So split up."
"Haru Urara will go with Rice Shower!!"
"Ah!! Uuh! Okay!"
Haru Urara quickly broke off from the group while pulling Rice Shower into the laboratory and disappeared behind the veil of darkness.
"Since we're shotgunning it, then I'm with you, Igo!"
Arianda hugs the young man's right arm and pulls him into the veil of darkness, following the 2 small umas.
"Equinox, you're with me."
"Sure, big sis Kyree. We gotta hurry, or big sis Arianda will devour big brother."
The next pair is Equinox and the tomboy, Kyree. They enter the veil of darkness with full confidence.
"Shall we, dear McQueen?"
"Ah! Uh!! Of course!!"
McQueen couldn't believe herself. The chance of building a better relationship with one of her future sisters-in-law had just come straight into her lap. If she succeeds in improving her relationship with Brinda, the rest would be much easier.
As the last pair walks up to the door to the laboratory, McQueen silently whispers to Tachyon.
"Help me, and I'll transfer a hundred thousand."
"Leave it to me."
"You're as sly as ever."
"It's called being resourceful, Cafe. It's better if you learn it."
"Uuh…"
Cafe rolls her eyes at Tachyon's answer. Only then does she notice a black silhouette approaching her. It was her friend.
"Oh! You're back! Where have you been?"
The stand does a mime show to try to talk to her user. Sadly, Cafe couldn't understand and just thought her friend was having fun, much to the frustration of her stand.
That was one hell of a pressure. Feel like I was at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
"Kuh!"
Goddesses damn it!! My hallucination is back!!
I'm not your hallucination, you bastard!! It's about time you accept the reality of what I am!
A hallucination!! Now go away, just like before!!