In the dimly lit room, a gloomy-looking goddess sat on the cold floor, eyes reddened, clutching a bag of tissues as she stared intently at the television in front of her.
She was the Goddess of Misfortune herself—her name was literally Misfortune—and she was currently engrossed in watching her favorite anime.
"You were two moves too slow, Kujo Jotaro."
"The Joestar family derives strength from pride and courage in their bloodline, overcoming fate itself…"
"However, their bloodline is also their greatest weakness."
"Kujo Jotaro, your weakness is your daughter."
In the blink of an eye, the anime's protagonists were wiped out by the villain.
"Waaah—!" Misfortune immediately burst into tears.
"Uwaaah…" Misfortune sobbed like an abandoned child, rapidly depleting the tissues in her arms, completely immersed in the emotional climax.
Just then, with a loud click, the room's lights flicked on, and an unexpected guest barged in.
"Yo, Misfortune~ You're watching JOJO again? Why don't you take a break and read a book for once?"
Standing by the doorway was a goddess whose sweet appearance contrasted starkly with Misfortune's gloomy demeanor.
This goddess was named Luck.
"Get lost!" Upon seeing her mortal enemy disturb her precious anime-watching session, Misfortune immediately put on a scowl.
"I still haven't gotten even with you for last time, and now you dare show your face here? Aren't you afraid I'll obliterate you right now?"
Last time, one of her avatars had possessed Rice Shower, only to be humiliated when Luck's minion dispersed her with a lucky charm. Misfortune had vowed to exact revenge next time she saw Luck in person.
Yet despite Misfortune's threats, Luck showed no fear. Instead, she approached even closer, wrapping her arms around Misfortune from behind.
"You and I are entwined in coexistence, like light and shadow. Without luck, misfortune cannot exist—so you can't possibly destroy me."
"And besides, last time was an accident. I intended to join forces with you to prank my own host, but who knew he'd actually defeat you instead?"
"Damn you! You came specifically to mock me!" Misfortune snapped in fury.
"How could I? I'm genuinely worried about you~ Why would I mock you?" Luck giggled mischievously.
"You're clearly laughing at me! You haven't stopped laughing since you arrived!"
Misfortune puffed her cheeks angrily, but soon released a resigned sigh.
"You've changed, Luck. You weren't always ."
"Have I? I don't think so."
"The old you was gentle and kind—not cynical and sarcastic ."
Misfortune's words seemed to strike Luck's sore spot, igniting her suppressed frustration.
Luck let go of Misfortune, walking over to slump onto the sofa.
"People change, so why can't I?"
"I'm different from you; my situation is much tougher."
"Humans are greedy, never satisfied. Give them an inch and they'll demand a mile. Compared to good fortune, humans obsess far more over misfortune."
"I exhaust myself ensuring they live without war, with full stomachs, free to chase their dreams—but instead of appreciating their luck, they complain endlessly about trivial setbacks like tripping over a pebble."
"My effort and reward are completely out of balance. No matter how hard I try, it can't compare to your casual interventions after you finish watching anime."
"So..." Luck sighed dramatically. "I've given up~" She sprawled on the sofa like a salted fish, eyes vacant.
"Rather than working myself to the bone making people feel lucky, it's easier—and much more entertaining—to possess someone and watch the drama unfold."
"I see..." Misfortune finally understood Luck's drastic personality shift.
Indeed, the disparity between their effort and rewards was immense. If Misfortune herself were the Goddess of Luck, she'd likely have turned dark long ago instead of just giving up like Luck had.
Seeing her eternal rival completely lose motivation filled Misfortune with a tinge of regret—but also great delight.
Hehehe... Now I can freely dominate the world, plunging humans into eternal suffering!
But world domination could wait. After all, JOJO was too good. She'd finish rewatching it another few thousand times first.
"So, what do you want from me anyway?" Misfortune turned back to Luck on the sofa.
She didn't believe Luck would come just to mock her or surrender.
Luck sat upright, a sly grin spreading across her face. "What do you think of the person I'm possessing?"
"That guy..." Misfortune's mind conjured the image of Mizuno Sora.
Extraordinary determination, intelligent, always pulling off miracles in the nick of time...
"He's a respectable opponent. I want another match against him." Misfortune's eyes burned with excitement.
Luck clapped her hands gleefully. "Oh my, isn't that convenient!"
"You want a rematch, and I want amusement. How about we form an alliance?" The source of this content ɪs 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱
"Alliance? Why? If you're looking for fun, why not just take back his [Doctor's Outfit]?"
"That'd be boring." Luck shook her head.
"Watching him struggle on the brink of despair is far more entertaining. Too bad he survived our last few attempts. So this time, I want to give him something truly unforgettable."
Both goddesses knew exactly what the other had in mind. Joining hands, they activated their combined divine powers. The TV screen abruptly shifted from anime to displaying Mizuno Sora's past memories.
Luck and Misfortune, combined to form Memory.
When these two goddesses cooperated, they could access anyone's memories.
If we show that Uma Musume exactly how much Mizuno Sora has suffered for her sake, what would she feel?
"Oh, this part's perfect." Luck paused the playback at the memory where Mizuno Sora gave Rice Shower the lucky charm, battling Misfortune's avatar to protect her.
Misfortune immediately grimaced. "Why pick that one?"
Luck chuckled softly. "Because this scene displays his affection for Rice Shower perfectly. And since he's weak against younger sister types, when she tries to repay him later, he'll be totally helpless."
Misfortune pondered briefly, then nodded in agreement.
"You're right. You're smarter than me, so I trust you. This scene it is."
"Host, I've prepared a big surprise for you~!"