Haru's Uma Musume session had officially begun.
Only, the version he was playing was clearly far more immersive than any electronic game—it was the real deal.
The rainbow-colored horse girl with pink hair still seemed a little unused to it.
Even though she had a solid grasp of racing knowledge, being on an actual racetrack left her somewhat stiff and unsure.
Thankfully, her rider wasn't some rookie, but a true trainer-knight with real chivalric spirit.
That knightly will was more than enough to guide this new steed through the many challenges that a race might present.
"Mew, let's go!"
With a casual flick of the reins in his hand, Haru set the psychic steed into motion, and she immediately dashed off toward the finish line with an intuitive responsiveness.
He had to admit—the reins felt amazing. Smooth like silk, supple yet firm.
Among all the mounts he'd ever ridden, the texture of these reins stood in a league of their own.
As expected of Mew—accomplishing things no one else could.
"You seem very interested in these, hmm?"
Mew's twin reins began to float of their own accord.
"If you're that curious… why not give them a try, nya~?"
Though her voice was sweet and inviting, she was grinning inwardly—everything was going according to plan.
No matter how strong the rider, stamina was always a limiting factor.
Based on their agreement, the further she ran, the fewer pieces of gear or accounts would be destroyed.
Hehe… if her Trainer spent enough focus on these reins or similar distractions, she might just clear his challenge without losing a single account.
She would win! This time, she was determined to preserve all her gear and accounts!
But in the next second, her expression froze—Haru had somehow pulled out a vial of green liquid.
"Mew, I'm not sure if you qualify as a proper cat… but I think it's only fair we test the effects of catnip."
"I've had enough of all the fluff and pageantry. Let's see what you're really made of."
With that, Haru unsheathed his sword and coated it with the contents of the vial—enchanting the weapon with what could only be called a "Catnip Buff."
Sure, it didn't sound nearly as intimidating as poison, fire, or frost enchantments, but—
For Mew, this was far more terrifying than any cursed scythe or cancel-spamming straight sword.
It was like a type matchup—Special Attack-type, and the weapon was absolutely super-effective.
Even though Mew was a pure Psychic-type, the catnip effect somehow managed to land a quadruple weakness strike.
"C-Catnip?!"
Before she could even react, the sword was glowing with a menacing aura—"Effective Against Felines."
"T-That's not right!"
To Mew, catnip wasn't just scary—it was like holy water to a demon, or a crucifix to a vampire.
In her eyes, that weapon was the real Frostmourne.
What began as a light-hearted experiment had turned into a clear and terrifying result:
Mew really was weak to catnip.
"Huh… so even mythical Pokémon can't overcome certain instincts."
"Could it be… are you technically classified as a feline?"
"Hm… no, the Pokémon world doesn't really have such categories. Mythical Pokémon are a class of their own."
"Mew, do you think I'm turning into a researcher too? Maybe I should thank you."
Haru had seen and done plenty in battle, but this was his first time trying something so bizarre.
And with Mew's over-the-top reaction, the experiment had clearly yielded satisfying results.
Even a theoretical master deserved some credit—and Mew was a mythical being who loved hands-on practice.
"How about we continue this 'research' some other time? Let's keep it simple today."
"Otherwise, I might actually die."
"Die? Come on, you're a mythical Pokémon. Don't sell yourself short."
"No, no, it's different this time."
Even though Haru was only waving the sword around normally, under the influence of catnip, Mew could already feel herself faltering.
If things kept going like this, she might lose the dark game before Haru did.
And the cost of losing would be the destruction of several valuable gaming accounts.
She couldn't let that happen!
No… she needed a plan. Fast. Otherwise—
Mew made her decision in mere seconds, just before Haru launched another strike.
Her solution? Melt the sword down on the spot.
She wasn't to be underestimated—this was her most refined intel play yet!
So what if the sword was enchanted? She'd melt it down! Let's see how Haru reacts to that!
Unfortunately, her confidence was misplaced.
She had overestimated her willpower… and severely underestimated catnip's damage multiplier.
She never should have gone near the sword.
Even the smell alone triggered a super-effective debuff—and now she had tried to absorb the whole thing?
This was not a rational move.
Would she win? Yeah, right.
"Catnip," after all, was no joke. The codename "Catbane" wasn't just for show—it had real stopping power against Mew.
Even as a legendary, she couldn't shrug it off.
And Haru quickly realized what had happened.
"Mew, how do you feel now? Still hanging in there?"
"Gyah! Not that! Anything but that—!"
To Mew, that enchantment was scarier than a hundred slasher villains combined.
"Per our agreement, I get to destroy one of your weapons now. Four more of these, and one of your accounts goes."
Haru smiled, still calmly counting her remaining chances.
"I… I won't lose!"
Despite the crushing setback, Mew's fighting spirit reignited.
No way she'd admit defeat so easily—not as a Pokémon researcher, not as the top-ranked gamer.
This battle was about her freedom… and her justice!
"Good. I like that fire in your eyes. Time to start the main event I prepared just for you."
"When I said we'd do horse racing, I wasn't joking. Are you ready?"
With a theatrical flourish, Haru pulled out… a two-stringed fiddle.
Not just any erhu—it was a masterfully crafted one, elegant and refined.
At that moment, Haru became the most aloof and enigmatic performer, preparing to play one epic piece:
"The Last Rider."