[Side Quest Completed—Declaration of Independence.]

Description: In front of at least ten Uma Musume, remove the Doctor's Outfit hood, raise both hands, and loudly proclaim: "I am incredibly handsome!"

Reward: [Doctor's Outfit's] extended by one month.

...

"Okay! Mission accomplished!" After committing his mischief, the irrational Mizuno swiftly pulled his hood back up and fled, leaving behind a group of stunned Uma Musume.

"Who… was that?" The same question simultaneously appeared in every Uma Musume's mind.

In that brief moment when they saw the mysterious young man's face, their gazes were utterly captivated, unable to look away.

Today, they had witnessed the most charming man in the entire world.

If anyone asked them to explain exactly what made him so attractive, these eyewitnesses could only stammer:

It wasn't simply about being handsome—he was more like… the warm sun in winter, or a caring, gentle Onii-sama who lived next door. There was no resisting him; rather, the closer one got, the more comfortable and safe they felt.

In his presence, all scenery faded away, even the revered statues of the Three Goddesses reduced to mere background decoration.

Endless thoughts blossomed in their minds—his identity, name, hobbies, whether he was single, even his home address—but every thought eventually coalesced into one overwhelming desire:

They had to have him! They wanted to hold him tight, tease him, jump him!

But by the time they recovered their senses, the mysterious man had already disappeared.

Yet his face had already rooted itself deeply in their hearts, becoming an indelible memory.

From then on, to glimpse him once more, some of these Uma Musume waited day and night near the statues, others hired private detectives, and still others trained desperately, hoping their efforts would convince the Three Goddesses to bestow him upon them.

Do you desire the mysterious young man? Go and seek him out! All your dreams lie there!

Thus began the Age of Exploration at Tracen Academy.

"Oh-ho? A mysterious man? Interesting! The great Gold Ship-sama will gladly accept this quest!"

...

Back to the present.

By now, the mysterious young man—Mizuno Sora—had run far, far away.

"I'm so bored! I wanna do bad things! I wanna do bad things!"

Irrational Mizuno stumbled unsteadily along the pathways of Tracen Academy, trying to decide what mischief to cause next.

He spotted a trash bin by the roadside.

"Hehehe! I'm gonna sabotage this trash bin!" Mizuno grinned wickedly.

He rushed forward, picked up every piece of litter nearby, and stuffed it all neatly into the bin, filling it completely.

"Run away, run away~!" Having committed his crime, Mizuno quickly escaped the scene.

A little later, an Uma Musume responsible for cleaning today returned with her tools. Looking at the now perfectly clean walkway, she tilted her head in confusion.

"Eh?"

Irrational Mizuno arrived at the academy's main classroom building next.

Normally, the rational Mizuno wouldn't dare enter here openly, but irrational Mizuno marched in boldly without hesitation.

Because this was freedom!

No one could restrain him—not even fear itself!

Inside a classroom, Mizuno spotted a bucket of water left on the floor.

"Hahaha, I'll waste all this water!" Mizuno laughed wickedly.

He dashed into the storage room, grabbed a mop, and swiftly cleaned the entire classroom floor to a spotless shine.

"Hehe~ Run away, run away~!" Once again, Mizuno made his lightning-fast escape.

A while later, the same cleaning Uma Musume, after confirming the area around the trash bin was spotless, returned to mop the classroom. Entering the room, she stared at the sparkling clean floor, her mind spinning in disbelief.

"Eh-eh-eh?!"

Irrational Mizuno's third stop was the cafeteria.

Just before lunchtime, Uma Musume were gradually coming in for their meals.

"Hehehe~ I'll pour some strange liquids into your stomachs!" Mizuno jumped onto a table, proudly pulling out his ultimate weapon.

Instantly, one cup after another of S-grade Honey Drink appeared before the dining Uma Musume.

"Woohoo—!" Mizuno once again bolted away at light speed.

"Huh? What's this?"

"Honey drink? When did it get here?"

"Ahhh~ It tastes amazing~!"

"Tama, I'm hungry…"

"Oguri Cap! Don't drink my portion too!"

...

The unfortunate Uma Musume whose cleaning duties had just been hijacked by Mizuno was Meisho Doto, a sweet, gentle sheep-like girl.

She had soft, fluffy hair, a gentle lamb-like smile, and a particularly impressive pair of assets beneath her sweater, so soft and comforting they made people long to rest their heads upon her lap.

Although not as extreme as Rice Shower, Meisho Doto was also quite unlucky.

Always finishing second in races, frequently bumping into things, often spilling drinks, and occasionally even having birds steal her tasty lunches.

Cleaning duties were especially exhausting for her—not because she was bad at cleaning, but because she usually messed things up just as she was nearly done.

Yet today, as if blessed by the Three Goddesses themselves, every single one of her tasks had been flawlessly completed by a mysterious someone, making Meisho Doto exclaim in wonder:

So lucky~

"Gah!"

At that very moment, a shadowy, gloomy woman floating above Meisho Doto spat out a mouthful of blood.

Little-known fact: in this world, someone constantly plagued by misfortune was inevitably possessed by an [Avatar of Misfortune].

Attached to Meisho Doto was Misfortune Goddess Avatar #514, a powerful avatar specially ordered by the Goddess herself to challenge Mizuno today.

At least… she was supposed to be powerful…

Luck's words proved correct:

The moment Mizuno consumed alcohol, his highly rational, intellectual self devolved into a pure-hearted idiot—his most vulnerable state!

Thus, the moment Mizuno became drunk was the perfect opportunity for Avatar #514 to attack!

Yet even drunk, Mizuno was a formidable opponent. Anticipating the Misfortune Goddess's attack (or at least, the Avatar convinced herself that he had), he'd stealthily performed good deeds around the academy, increasing its ambient luck and weakening her powers.

He was so mischievous… and she absolutely loved it.

"Gah!" Avatar #514 spat out another mouthful of blood, her eyes blazing fiercely with fighting spirit.

Just wait until she caught him! Mizuno wouldn't get off easy then!

At that moment, a hooded figure wandered casually in front of Meisho Doto.

"Do bad things~ Do bad things~" Irrational Mizuno cheerfully skipped down the path, wondering what mischief he'd cause next.

"Found you!" Avatar #514 shouted excitedly.

It's battle time!

But with her current depleted powers, the best she could manage might be causing Mizuno to sneeze—far from enough to defeat him, even drunk. She needed more power!

Avatar #514 raised her hands skyward, calling out dramatically:

"Fellow avatars scattered around the world, lend me your misfortune energy!"

Across the globe, other Misfortune Avatars heard #514's plea and raised their hands in support:

"You can do it, #514!"

"Go for it! Show him your strength!"

"This is how a true Avatar of Misfortune fights!"

"JOJO! This is my final Ripple! Please accept it!"

Their hands released sparks of purple energy, rising into the sky and forming a single powerful sphere.

Misfortune from around the world converged, channeling a massive surge of power into Avatar #514.

Her strength multiplied exponentially, finally achieving the next level:

[Misfortune Goddess—Beyond Heaven]

Shortened simply to [Misfortune Goddess(Beyond)]!

"Come! My most worthy rival! Our decisive battle begins now!"