Dream Weaver wasn't frightened by those harsh words. She'd already steeled her resolve.
With a nod to Mr. C.B., she turned and strode without a backward glance toward her starting gate.
Behind her, the smile slowly faded from Mr. C.B.'s face.
Her eyes, fixed on Dream Weaver's resolute retreating figure, flickered with unreadable thoughts.
Outside the racetrack, the commentator was momentarily taken aback by the eagerness radiating from the gathered Uma Musume. But he quickly recovered, leaning toward his partner.
"Looks like we don't even need to call them to the post."
"Indeed! Every single runner is brimming with fighting spirit. It's clear they all believe the Japanese Derby is theirs for the taking!"
His partner smoothly took over, using the brief wait before the official start to keep the energy high.
"Five former Triple Crown winners, plus over a dozen Uma Musume trained at the finest European institutions… This has to be a Japanese Derby like no other, a race that may never be seen again!"
"Absolutely. A lineup this magnificent… you'd normally only see it in Europe's top-tier classics. Who'd have thought our Japanese Derby would become such a globally spotlighted stage?"
Here, the local-born commentator couldn't help but interject. "Matsushita, who do you think will seize the laurels of this Derby?"
The other commentator, named Matsushita, furrowed his brow, stroking his chin in thought.
"It's incredibly difficult to predict. With several Triple Crown winners in the mix, any one of them could emerge victorious in such a fierce contest. However…"
As Matsushita trailed off, his partner, as if hearing his silent thoughts, voiced the words he couldn't quite bring himself to say.
"Still… we're all hoping Dream Weaver can recreate that miracle from the Satsuki Sho."
"Kimura…"
Matsushita whipped his head around, staring at his partner in shock.
Even with Shinzan's presence, the European Racing Association still held sway over half of Japan's racing world. Commentators within it naturally felt pressure from across the sea.
As public figures, they had far more they couldn't say outright compared to ordinary folks. For instance—
Openly supporting an Uma Musume like Dream Weaver.
Commentator Matsushita was about to urge his partner to be quiet. But when he met the gaze of the man who had been by his side for most of his long career, he hesitated.
The Triple Crown.
He'd been studying this series of races since he first entered the commentary box, starting by learning from his seniors' styles, until finally taking the mic himself.
He'd lost count of how many Triple Crown races he'd witnessed.
Yet, whenever a local-born Uma Musume aimed for that crown, she was always, without fail, cut down by rivals from Europe.
The might of Europe was etched into the psyche of his entire generation.
Before Shinzan, not a single local Triple Crown winner had emerged from these races.
But as a commentator, Matsushita had a vague sense of why Shinzan had appeared.
A locally-born talent, whisked away to Europe for specialized training as a foal… even if she won the Triple Crown, the mark of Europe upon her was impossible to erase.
Shinzan won. Again and again.
Yet even as she defended her crown three times, becoming the one and only Triple Crown Sovereign, people still remembered that distinct European stamp on her.
But Dream Weaver was an exception.
The only one who refused Europe's invitation and still broke through the barriers. The miracle of the Satsuki Sho was still vivid in Matsushita's mind.
Now, looking into his partner's eyes, an uncontrollable impulse suddenly ignited within Commentator Matsushita.
All thoughts of rules, of the regulations the European racing world had laid down for commentators, vanished from his mind. A blazing fire in his chest seared his heart, forcing the words out.
"Yes. Even facing five Triple Crown-caliber rivals, even against over a dozen powerful European Uma Musume… I too hope Dream Weaver can claim the Japanese Derby crown."
He didn't shout it with lung-tearing intensity. He just said it, quietly.
"I want her to win, too. I think everyone here feels the same way."
Kimura, seeing the released expression on his partner's face, replied with a smile.
After they spoke, a roar like crashing mountains and tidal waves echoed through the entire Tokyo Racecourse. Just as Kimura said, everyone was yearning for that moment.
--+--
In the VIP room, Anthony shattered another glass. His face was dark as he glared toward the commentary booth.
"Who are those two commentators?! How dare they defy the Association's regulations! Do they not want their jobs anymore?!"
If the crowd's earlier cheers had merely made Anthony uneasy, now these two commentators blatantly breaking the rules made his blood boil.
When people feel fear, their first reaction is often anger and counterattack. Through everything unfolding at Tokyo Racecourse, Anthony was beginning to sense it—something had started to change, quietly shifting.
What infuriated him more was that Anthony clearly knew he lacked the power to turn it back.
Richard, standing beside him, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. He had sensed all of this much earlier than Anthony. He had already digested all the resentment and anger alone, which was why he could remain so calm now.
Only by thinking calmly could he devise a solution, figure out how to quell this rising storm.
"They're just two insignificant commentators. We'll have them dismissed afterward."
"As for these spectators…"
Richard glanced at the stands waving red flags, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He snorted before continuing.
"There's an old saying from the neighboring country: 'The first drumbeat fuels courage, the second weakens it, the third exhausts it.'"
"As long as Dream Weaver is defeated and Shinzan retires, this fire will quickly die down."
"Since they've placed such high hopes on Dream Weaver, when we personally crush that hope, they'll be even more docile than before!"
Anthony immediately nodded in praise, lavishing compliments on Richard for his composure under pressure, his general-like bearing, truly a brother he admired.
He slung an arm around Richard's shoulders, and together they looked down at the track.
By now, all the Uma Musume had entered the starting gates. The race was about to begin.
Both men fixed their eyes on the gate holding Dream Weaver, and spoke in unison.
""As long as we eliminate her, everything will return to normal!""
--+--
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.