Author's Note: I am not an editor or a professional writer. I will write this and edit it the best I can. I also do not own Uma Musume, which is owned by Cygames. Watch the animes and read the mangas, for they are pretty good. Finally, please enjoy.
Tyrant Rose POV
It was finally time for us to meet our possible new boss, and everyone had mixed emotions about it. Some were excited, others nervous, and a few weren't expecting much.
Two weeks ago, Ayana came to us saying the organization wanted to see our abilities firsthand through a tryout, which we were completely fine with. The next thing she said, however, made us a little nervous. They also wanted us to prove our creativity through a video performance.
Vic took a deep breath as discussion erupted among us, then quickly took control of the situation.
BlaD, Norn, GW, KiWi, ImP, Spice, and I were put in charge of creating the video performance, with Mama supervising. Meanwhile, Vic, Rain, Jo, Steel, Lily, Sweets, and Gray focused on preparing for the tryouts and handling negotiations.
We got to work immediately.
BlaD wrote the song.
GW handled choreography.
Norn took charge of clothing and makeup.
KiWi and Spice worked on the creative direction.
ImP and I handled composition.
Mama worked the cinematography.
At the same time, Vic and Gray began preparing contract demands, while Rain and Jo organized proper training preparation.
Weeks of hard work followed. Eventually the performance was recorded. We had to use a phone camera because of our lack of funds, but it was good enough.
The performance wasn't perfect.
We weren't perfectly synchronized the entire time. The suits were rentals. The makeup was basic. The choreography had to be simplified. The stage props and cinematography were also limited by our budget.
In short, we were clearly held back by our lack of funding, even though we had far more creative ideas we couldn't fully realize.
Still, when we looked at the final result, it honestly looked better than a lot of music videos we had watched online to gauge quality.
Now we were headed to the sports base of Dark Wear Fashion, carrying multiple copies of the performance video.
One copy was with Gray.
One with Vic.
One with Ayana.
And another hidden among ourselves, known only to the person holding it.
BlaD insisted on this system. She was paranoid about credit and work being stolen after everything she had seen in the music industry. Everyone else who had experience in that world agreed with her.
Some thought it was excessive.
I didn't.
In fact, BlaD and I even added a kill code into each copy. If the proper password wasn't entered—or if someone tried to bypass the security—the file would delete itself.
After that preparation, we finally set off for the sports base.
Dark Wear Fashion was run by a hidden owner, yet the company itself was extremely successful both locally and internationally. The owner had never appeared publicly or spoken to the media, choosing to remain completely private.
All of that information came from GW and Gray's research beforehand.
When we finally arrived, we were stunned.
The place looked like a gigantic fusion between a professional team headquarters and a massive western mansion. It was located miles deep into a forest, reached only by a long dirt road.
The building itself was enormous and luxurious.
The moment we stepped out of the vehicle, we were surrounded by a large group of maids and butlers welcoming us. At the same time, I noticed security personnel everywhere. Even the maids and butlers themselves appeared to be armed in subtle ways.
We all went on high alert immediately.
That was when Ayana stepped forward and said calmly,
"Hello. We're scheduled for a tryout with Lady Sakamoto. I am Hiraga Ayana, and these are the clients."
An older butler—who looked like the highest ranking among the staff—stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"Greetings Miss Hiraga and honored guests. We have been expecting you. Please, come inside."
The security and servants formed a path as the old butler guided us into the building.
Inside was even more extravagant.
Everything practically screamed wealth.
At the bottom of a grand staircase, the butler stopped and announced,
"Ladies, I present to you Lady Mina Sakamoto Du Vault."
A woman appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Greetings, my possible future athletes," she said calmly. "I welcome you to the sports base of Dark Wear Fashion."
She wore an elegant Gothic Lolita gown, along with expensive yet tasteful makeup and beautiful jewelry. Everything about her appearance was refined and carefully arranged.
But what caught my attention most was something else.
She looked like a dark-haired, red-eyed, extremely rich version of Tamamo Cross.
Every single one of us froze.
Yet she clearly didn't consider her appearance unusual at all. Instead, behind those calm red eyes I could see sharp intelligence.
She descended the staircase with perfect ladylike grace before stopping in front of us.
"Shall we get down to business, Lady Hiraga?"
That was when I noticed something important.
No horse ears.
No tail.
She was human.
And judging by the way she carried herself, she wasn't a transmigrator like us either. Just a natural lookalike.
Still, she was rich, connected, intelligent, and ambitious.
If we played our cards right…
This could work out perfectly for us.
Vic stepped forward and introduced herself.
"Hello Madam Sakamoto Du Vault. I am Victory Gate. It's a pleasure to meet you."
She smiled slightly.
"The pleasure is mine, Victory Gate. However, I insist that you all call me Miss Sakamoto."
It wasn't a request.
We all immediately understood that and agreed.
After Vic, everyone introduced themselves, each in their own eccentric way.
Soon afterward, the same butler guided us outside toward the training field.
When we arrived, we were stunned again.
The facility was massive.
There were running tracks designed for both short and long races across multiple terrains. Nearby stood a large board displaying a map that turned the entire facility and surrounding forest into a network of marathon routes.
The map also marked outdoor restrooms, training facilities, recovery areas, relaxation facilities, and much more.
This place had absolutely everything needed for professional training.
Yet Miss Sakamoto acted as if these were simply basic necessities.
At that moment, I knew one thing for certain.
We needed to succeed in these tryouts.
And judging by the looks on everyone else's faces, they were thinking the exact same thing.
So we showed her what we could do.
Some demonstrated their speed.
Others showed their adaptability.
Some showed stamina.
Others strength.
And a few showed their endurance.
Each of us displayed not only our abilities, but what made us individually unique.
By the end, I could clearly see that Miss Sakamoto was impressed.
Eventually the physical tryouts ended.
She stepped forward and addressed us.
"Good work, everyone. You are all very impressive. However, we are not finished yet."
She smiled slightly.
"Next, we will watch your musical performance video. Depending on the results, we will proceed accordingly."
She gestured toward the butler.
"My staff will now give you a tour of the facility. Afterward, you may shower in the locker rooms. Do not worry—your belongings have already been placed there."
The tour that followed was unbelievable.
There was an indoor pool, a weight room, a full gym, a sauna, a hot spring, an arcade, massage rooms, an infirmary, and far more than we expected.
At that point, we were already convinced.
We wanted to be part of this organization.
Soon we arrived at the locker room, where each of us had our own personal shower. They were equipped with advanced controls and settings I had never seen before.
After showering and getting dressed, we were led to a relaxation room filled with massage chairs, couches, and televisions.
We waited there until the butler returned and guided us to an indoor theater to watch our performance.
The theater was enormous.
Staff members filled the room, surrounding our potential new boss.
Once everyone was seated, the video began.
As it played, I felt my nerves creeping in.
The video quality wasn't amazing.
The outfits weren't great.
The props were limited.
The performance wasn't flawless.
Still, when I looked around the room, the audience was clearly enjoying it.
BlaD truly was a musical genius.
And GW's choreography still carried the entire performance.
When the video ended, applause filled the theater.
Miss Sakamoto then stood and asked to meet privately with the team leadership and Ayana.
The rest of us were escorted to a waiting room outside the negotiation office.
Eventually we were called in.
Ayana, Gray, and GW carefully reviewed the contracts while Mama and I closely observed Miss Sakamoto and her staff.
After everything was finalized, the team was called in and the details were explained.
Then we signed.
Just like that…
It was official.
We were now the racing team of Dark Wear Fashion.