"You're here?"
Symboli Rudolf, currently mid-warmup, flicked her ears at the sound of approaching footsteps.
She cut her movements short and straightened up, turning to face the newcomer with the effortless poise expected of the Student Council President.
"I'm here!"
Barbatos greeted her with a confident smile.
The sheer momentum she had gathered from a string of recent victories began to surge around her like an invisible tide.
Facing the "Emperor," she knew she couldn't afford even a shred of arrogance.
Even though this mock race was a mile—a distance she specialized in—and she had just equipped two new items purchased that morning, she still didn't feel like a guaranteed winner.
Standing before her was the undisputed absolute of the Japanese racing world: Symboli Rudolf.
Rather than intimidation, the prospect of facing Rudolf again sparked a fire in her.
She wasn't the same girl she was last year. Now, having traded blows and shared victories with the likes of T.M. Opera O and Narita Brian, she truly had the capital to stand on equal footing with the Emperor.
At the mile distance, her record against other Legends stood at an impressive three wins and one loss.
If one were to rank them now, over mile and sprint distances, she could arguably call herself the strongest Uma Musume beneath the Emperor herself.
But as for who would actually cross the line first today? That was something they'd have to settle on the turf.
"Then let's warm up together," Rudolf said, her expression and tone remaining unruffled despite the palpable fighting spirit radiating from Barbatos. "Hana and the others are already getting things ready."
"Right."
Barbatos nodded. Even though she'd finished her morning practice earlier, a high-intensity mock race like this required her body to be perfectly primed.
Watching the two of them warm up in the distance, Hishi Amazon stood tall and composed at the finish line. She looked far more disciplined than she usually did when acting as a goalpost.
Without taking her eyes off the track, she nudged Narita Brian.
"Hey. How many lengths do you think Barbatos can stay within the President?"
Brian narrowed her eyes, absentmindedly chewing and swallowing the blade of grass she usually kept between her teeth.
"Five..." She paused. "No. Three. Maybe even less."
"You're actually rating her that high!?" Amazon looked surprised, though she quickly realized it made sense. Barbatos was, for lack of a better word, a monster.
Amazon used to think it would take Barbatos at least two years to even dream of competing on their level. Then came the Takarazuka Kinen, where she and Silence Suzuka managed to overcome Air Groove.
During summer camp, Barbatos had even left Amazon—a Legend—in her dust. By now, she truly earned the title of "Japan's Finest."
"I don't think that rating is high enough."
A mature, melodic voice chimed in. Maruzensky walked up with a knowing smile.
"Have you two considered the possibility that in this mock race... Barbatos might actually win?"
"!!?"
Amazon and Brian whipped their heads around, eyes wide with shock.
They had been debating how close Barbatos could get to Symboli Rudolf, but Maruzensky was suggesting she might actually topple the Emperor? To break the absolute law of the Uma Musume world?
It was almost unthinkable.
Every girl—Amazon and Brian included—harbored a competitive streak that made them want to challenge the Emperor. They had both tried. And they had both failed.
You can endure a year or two of defeat. You can grit your teeth through four or five.
But when over a decade of losses piles up, even if you still want to win, a seed is planted deep in your heart: the Emperor is invincible.
"Maruzen, are you being serious?" Brian asked, needing to be sure. Maruzensky was notorious for her playful teasing.
"I'm just putting it out there," Maruzensky said breezily. "But you never know, right?"
"Barbatos winning against the President... no way. It's impossible," Amazon muttered, shaking her head as if to steady her own conviction.
"Even now, the President is absolute." She knew Rudolf wasn't quite at the peak she reached during the Winter Dream Cup, but she was still an insurmountable wall.
Brian rested her chin on her hand, her thoughts churning. "Maybe... just maybe."
"Brian!?"
"To the outside world, we always look like we're in our prime," Brian said in a low voice.
"But we know the truth. We only hit our absolute peak when the Dream Cup comes around. After it ends, there's a downward trend. Right now, a few days before the Winter Dream Cup, we're actually at our lowest point before we ramp up to hit that peak on the day of the race."
She looked toward the track. "Our curves match the President's. But Barbatos? She's different. Her level at the mile... even at my peak, I couldn't say for sure I'd beat her."
Amazon opened her mouth to argue, but for the first time, she found she had no words.
--+--
Toujou Hana clutched her tablet, her eyes narrowing behind her glasses. "Why did you allow Nice Nature and the others to prepare for the Japan Cup?"
As a fellow trainer, she found the decision baffling. Minamizaka blinked, caught off guard by the sudden confrontation. "Because they wanted to enter."
"They don't understand, but surely you do?" Hana sighed.
"Nice Nature and her teammates are talented Uma Musume, but if they enter the Japan Cup now, the sheer scale of the competition will crush them. They'll feel nothing but despair."
She gestured toward the track. "Barbatos, Seiun Sky, Silence Suzuka, El Condor Pasa, King Halo, Grass Wonder, Special Week—they all possess talent that dwarfs their peers. It's a chasm."
"If you let Nice Nature enter next year's Satsuki Sho—assuming Spica's Tokai Teio doesn't run—I believe she has the strength to fight for the top three, maybe even the win. But the Japan Cup? With world-class kings from other countries involved? Even the top ten is a pipe dream."
Hana took a deep breath. "This will only shatter their confidence. It'll cast a shadow over the rest of their careers."
She paused, looking at him. "Perhaps I'm overstepping, but take this as a warning from a colleague."
"The gap... I know it's there. And they know it too," Minamizaka replied, thinking of Team Canopus huddled together, passionately discussing strategies for the Japan Cup.
"But they want to try. If I told them no, they'd be devastated."
Hana facepalmed. Sometimes Minamizaka was even more nonsensical than Okino.
"Fine. They're your students, after all. We should get going. It's time to referee for Barbatos and Rudolf."
"I think Barbatos can win this time," Minamizaka said plainly.
Hana glanced at him, her analytical mind already dismissing the idea. "Barbatos is strong, yes. But there is still a clear gap between her and Rudolf."
Minamizaka didn't argue. He had seen Barbatos win her debut race without a single day of formal training.
Seeing the way she pushed herself now, he truly believed she could produce a miracle—even if it was just a mock race.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.