Under a boundless clear sky, over the 1,800-meter track of Tokyo Racecourse, twelve Uma Musume gathered together, competing in the [Mainichi Okan]! Eager to prove their strength, who would fire the first shot in this prelude to the [Tenno Sho]?
Up on the massive observation deck, the commentator's voice rang with fervor, while below, the Uma Musume were warming up, waiting to enter the starting gates.
At the same time, the huge screens around the venue broadcast live footage from drones.
The camera shifted, capturing the serious expressions of the young girls one after another.
From Dyna Actress, ranked third in popularity, flexing her wrists and ankles, to Sirius Symboli, jogging lightly to warm up.
Finally, the lens settled on Oguri Cap, who was stretching her legs fully in a lying push-up position.
As always, she possessed a flexibility that was the envy of every Uma Musume.
In this race, they needed to watch out for the track's reigning queen, who led the pack, and avoid being caught in her pace.
They also had to surpass Dynamu Heroine, exceptionally skilled in mile races, in terms of speed.
But the biggest adversary in the entire race was undoubtedly Sirius Symboli, who was in excellent form.
Since this was her first race after returning to the country, Musaka Ginjirou couldn't be sure just how much her abilities had developed.
It was possible that training abroad had made her tougher than before.
Or perhaps, after returning home, she hadn't yet adjusted to the domestic environment and couldn't perform at her full potential.
But these were just speculations.
Musaka Ginjirou's mind raced with calculations.
Lately, he'd poured all his energy into Oguri Cap's training, with no time to observe Sirius Symboli's preparations, leaving him short on intel.
Now, he could only hope she wouldn't exceed his predictions by too much.
Otherwise, he'd have to leave everything to Oguri Cap's judgment on the track.
All this thinking while running was quite a strain on the body.
"Musa-san! Hey! Musa-san—!"
As a trainer, Musaka Ginjirou had done all he could; now, it was just a matter of waiting for the race results.
"Musa-san!!"
"Quiet! How many times do I have to tell you to call me Musaka!"
For a while now, a restless man had been pushing through the crowd toward him, all while shouting that name he didn't much care for.
Soon, a man in a wool shirt and a flat cap, with prominent cheekbones and sharp features, came up beside him.
"Quite a feat finding me in this crowd, Jo."
The newcomer was none other than Oguri Cap's local trainer, and also Musaka Ginjirou's nephew, Kitahara Jo.
Without a central trainer's license, when Oguri Cap transferred to the central circuit, Kitahara Jo couldn't follow.
He had to entrust her to his uncle, Musaka Ginjirou, an experienced central trainer, to guide in his stead.
"Hmph, you've got time to wander around. Looks like you're not taking the qualification exam seriously at all. With that attitude, you're still a long way from teaching in the central circuit."
Musaka Ginjirou grumbled discontentedly. The man laughed it off. "No, this time I came with Trainer Shibasaki. You know him, right? Shibasaki Koichi, Fujimasa March's trainer. He mentioned he might be instructing at Tracen Academy and asked if I wanted to tag along."
"I thought it was a good chance to see how the central trainers operate up close."
"Quite the convenient excuse to skip out."
"It's not an excuse, Roku-san. Knowing the gap between central trainers and me helps me understand what it takes. And if I can step into Tracen's training grounds, it feels like I'm one step closer to my dream."
Gazing at the track, where the Uma Musume stood under the watchful eyes of the massive crowd, that dun-colored figure captured all of Kitahara Jo's attention.
"Roku-san, has Oguri Cap been doing alright here?"
"I said, call me Musaka…" He scowled but answered anyway. "She's made quite a few friends. From what I see, she's doing fine."
"Is that so." The man looked on with relief at her figure as she warmed up.
"Don't you think that's something you should ask her directly, instead of me? Don't tell me you came back without any intention of seeing her."
"No, no, I just wanted to get a heads-up first." The man waved his hands dismissively. "After the race, I'll go find her."
Speaking of the race, Kitahara Jo suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right, Musa-san. I heard there was some big trouble here in the central circuit. Has it been resolved?"
He didn't need to specify; Musaka Ginjirou knew exactly what he was referring to.
"Nowhere near resolved…" Adjusting his hat, Musaka Ginjirou replied.
After watching her races, all the veteran trainers had gathered almost instinctively, discussing what training methods could possibly defeat her.
Though her participation didn't change the race outcomes, she could steal the glory rightfully belonging to the victors.
Whether it was Narita Brian or Hishi Amazon, after their races, they all reacted the same way: training more seriously and intensely than ever before.
None of them displayed the composure expected of winners.
Musaka Ginjirou had wondered: if one day Oguri Cap were to face her on the track, it would be a severe test, not just physically, but mentally as well.
Facing such a formidable opponent, how would Oguri Cap, still relatively new to the central circuit, fare?
Victory, or defeat.
And then, if she were to lose, could she, as the defeated, bear the champion's crown that belonged to the victor?
All of this was unknown.
But Musaka Ginjirou understood this:
A powerful rival is the best whetstone. For Oguri Cap, who had experienced dozens of races, competition itself was also the best training.
She would grow stronger through these confrontations.
The title 'Monster' wasn't given lightly.
"Jo." Musaka Ginjirou spoke calmly. "Do you think Oguri Cap would lose if she faced that one?"
The image of that lawless black figure, the talk of the entire circuit, surfaced in the man's mind.
The Derby Uma Musume who couldn't be recorded.
Leaning on the railing, Kitahara Jo watched Oguri Cap, who hadn't noticed him, warming up with focused determination. He already had his answer.
"Anywhere." The man replied. "Whether it's the local or central circuit, whether it's at Kasamatsu Racecourse or Tokyo Racecourse, I've always believed it."
"Oguri Cap is invincible."
The man stated with absolute certainty.
Hearing this, Musaka Ginjirou's grip on his cane finally loosened slightly.
A smile touched his wrinkled lips.
That was quite the potent reassurance.
It eased the tension that had gripped his spirit.
Because, from a while ago, Musaka Ginjirou had felt it—
A brutally savage beast was about to step onto the track.
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T/N: I was going to use the irl versions of the characters, like Legend Teio and Dyna Actress, but I changed them to the Cinderella Gray versions, Road Royal and Dynamu Heroine respectively, but for the names that I don't have new names for like Bold Northern ill keep it that way. I don't know if horse Long Live Free is referencing Running Free, but I'll just keep it like that.
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, 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.