"Second favorite! Number two, Rice Shower!"
"The holder of the Tenno Sho (Spring) crown, the strongest active long-distance Uma Musume! Can this black assassin reclaim her past glory?!"
Amid the commentator's spirited announcement, a petite Uma Musume stepped slowly from the tunnel. She wore an exquisite black gothic-style mini dress, the bow tied at her back swaying gently with each step like a small train.
Despite the overcast sky, her all-black racing uniform didn't seem dreary. Those amethyst eyes, accentuated by the blue roses on her hat brim, shone with an increasingly captivating brilliance.
After waving to the cheering crowd, Rice Shower turned her gaze to the track. Once again at Kyoto Racecourse, once again on the stage of the Tenno Sho (Spring), the familiarity of it all made her unconsciously overlap the present scene with memories of the past.
But before nostalgia could fully take hold, the roar of the crowd pulled her back to reality.
Her hand instinctively tightened around the decorative dagger at her waist. Everything is different now, she told herself.
In the past, she was the uncelebrated black assassin, the 'villainous' Uma Musume who shattered people's hopes. Cheers like today's were never given to her; even victory only earned her cold stares.
But now things had changed. She had proven herself, proven that Rice Shower was no longer an unwanted child. The crowd's cheers were the best evidence.
Rice Shower closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let her hand fall from the dagger. The unease stirred by old memories began to settle.
When she opened her eyes again, only determination remained in those amethyst depths.
Since everyone had given Rice Shower such passionate support, then Rice Shower would repay them with the most glorious victory!
The 3,200-meter Spring Tenno Sho was her best distance. Here at Kyoto Racecourse, Rice Shower would not lose!
Just as Rice Shower's resolve solidified from the crowd's energy, the commentator's voice boomed across the venue once more.
However, unlike the focused attention during Rice Shower's entrance, the introduction of this Uma Musume caused the lively Kyoto Racecourse to fall into a sudden, jarring silence, as if doused with cold water.
"The red blade that severed the Triple Crown trail has lain dormant all winter! After this long tempering, she finally returns to the racetrack! Another long-distance race—can the winner of the Kikuka Sho now seize the Tenno Sho (Spring) crown?!"
"Number three! Northern Dreams!"
In stark contrast to the commentator's fervent introduction, the reaction from the stands was bitterly cold. Even with her sharp hearing, Rice Shower could only catch a few scattered words of encouragement.
The stands under the gloomy sky merged into a massive, dark peak, swallowing all blessings meant for Dream Weaver, leaving only an indescribably oppressive silence on the track.
The Uma Musume clad in a black, red, and gold hussar-style racing uniform showed no special reaction. She silently bowed toward the dark mass of spectators, then turned and walked onto the turf, her back to them.
Her black hair seemed even deeper under the leaden sky. As Rice Shower met those eyes, dark as the night, she felt her own heart shackled by a strange, suffocating weight.
And this kind of pressure… Rice Shower knew it all too well.
This was the very treatment she herself had received after defeating the undefeated dual-crown winner Mihono Bourbon in the Kikuka Sho, shattering everyone's hope for an Undefeated Triple Crown.
But it was also different. Though Rice Shower had crushed that widespread desire for the Triple Crown, her subsequent efforts and performances on the track had eventually earned her some recognition. While still not mainstream popular, people had subtly come to acknowledge her ability.
That's why, even when facing the hugely popular Mejiro McQueen in a previous Tenno Sho (Spring), Rice Shower had still been the second favorite.
But today's Dream Weaver was different. She hadn't raced since the Kikuka Sho. Public memory of her was fading; months were enough for people to forget her stunning performance.
Instead of discussing her skill, people were more eager to talk about her avoidance of the Arima Kinen. Narita Brian, whom she had once defeated, was now stringing together impressive wins against senior Uma Musume, her edge only growing sharper.
In contrast, Dream Weaver, who had 'evaded' the challenge, was naturally looked down upon.
More and more people believed her Kikuka Sho victory was just a fluke. As Narita Brian's recent performances grew stronger, Dream Weaver's own victory seemed to shrink in significance, becoming more trivial and 'dishonest' in their eyes.
What she faced now was a far crueler disdain than Rice Shower had ever known.
The people gathered here weren't watching because they wanted to see her win. They were here to witness Narita Brian erase that past humiliation with an indisputable victory.
They came solely to witness Dream Weaver's defeat.
Narita Brian was the most dazzling Uma Musume of her generation, and her supporters would not allow their idol's past to retain such a stain.
And hadn't Narita Brian herself entered the race before entries closed? This only fueled her supporters' belief—their idol, the Uma Musume they adored, also sought to wipe away the blemish of that past defeat with a Tenno Sho (Spring) victory.
In this atmosphere, even if supporters like Seiun Sky existed, this silent, complicit majority would never let their voices reach the track.
As the living stain on Narita Brian's record, the antagonist in this story, Dream Weaver's entrance deserved only this repressive silence, and her end must be unquestionable failure.
Watching Dream Weaver stand there so utterly alone, Rice Shower couldn't help but press her lips together.
Her trainer had already briefed her on the list of contenders for the Tenno Sho (Spring).
He had, of course, mentioned Dream Weaver, but he'd focused solely on analyzing the strength she'd shown in the Kikuka Sho and how she might perform here. He never mentioned anything about what Dream Weaver had been through. It was, after all, unrelated to the race itself, and he didn't want such things affecting Rice Shower's performance.
That's why witnessing this scene firsthand struck Rice Shower with such acute sorrow. A black-clad Uma Musume being universally despised at the Tenno Sho (Spring)—it reminded her of her own past. No, this was even sadder.
Without a moment's hesitation, Rice Shower stepped forward, walking directly toward Dream Weaver.
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T/N: THATS MY DAUGHTER
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 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.