Nakayama Racecourse.
Pre-Race Interview.
"Miss Barbatos, could you tell us about your..."
The reporters looked at the dark circles under Barbatos' eyes, clearly indicating a sleepless night, and couldn't help but feel puzzled.
"Well, you see," Barbatos forced herself to appear energetic in front of the camera.
The truth was, she hadn't slept well due to worrying about Seiun Sky's debut race. "I saw the list of opponents for this race on the official website and realized I'd be facing rivals I truly need to take seriously. So, I've been intensifying my training with my trainer's help these past few days."
"I also hope to live up to the expectations of all my supporters."
Beside her, her trainer Minamizaka, dressed in a formal suit, struggled to maintain a neutral expression, ensuring his face wouldn't give away Barbatos' little white lie.
Intensified training? He had naively believed that for the Winter Dream Cup, Barbatos would follow his planned running exercises. But in the end... she participated once and then went back to slacking off.
However, unlike before, this time Barbatos told him she had her own unique training method and not to worry about it.
Because of that, Minamizaka chose to trust her and didn't push for any specific running drills.
But as for this "intensified training" due to strong opponents in the rookie race? Minamizaka hadn't seen hide nor hair of it. She hadn't even stayed up particularly late streaming League of Legends last night.
As her trainer, he naturally kept an eye on her streaming activities, even going under a pseudonym to become a channel moderator.
Keeping tabs on his Uma Musume's condition was part of the job.
...So what in the world was Barbatos doing last night?
Minamizaka was utterly baffled.
"When you mention rivals you must take seriously, are you referring to Queen Berry?" a reporter asked.
The strongest contender in this rookie race was undoubtedly Queen Berry, who had previously lost to Special Week by only a narrow margin.
She boasted the second-highest popularity in this race, a full 5000 votes ahead of the third-place Uma Musume!
"...Yes, Queen Berry is an opponent worthy of great respect. But not just her—all the other Uma Musume in this race are remarkably strong. I'll have to give it my all," Barbatos replied after a slight pause, her sleep-deprived brain almost causing her to ask, 'Who's Queen Berry?'
To be honest, she hadn't really studied her opponents for this race, focusing instead on improving her own abilities. Thankfully, she managed to steer the conversation back on track.
This way, she wouldn't come off as disrespectful to the other participants, and it allowed her to maintain a low-key, humble image before winning her first G1 title.
Hearing this, the Uma Musume with the third-highest popularity felt slightly better.
But Queen Berry clenched her fists. She had initially appreciated Barbatos' first comment, but then Barbatos had the nerve to put her on the same level as the others?
'Just you wait until tomorrow's race,' she thought. 'I'll crush her!'
The star of our generation? She's just a rookie who's run one debut race, riding on hype from overseas fans and media buzz.
Once I defeat her tomorrow, my fanbase will skyrocket.
We'll see who the real star of this generation is!
--+--
"Hey, isn't that...?"
"Spe-chan's opponent from her debut race?"
Back at the Spica dorm, all the members were watching the pre-race interview, which felt as intense as one for a G1 race.
Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka recognized Queen Berry immediately. During her race against Special Week, Queen Berry had been ruthlessly pragmatic. Special Week only narrowly won thanks to secret training from her mother.
Of course, Queen Berry's tactics were within the rules, but they certainly left an impression.
"Hey, Spe, what are you up to?" Gold Ship noticed Special Week fiddling with her phone and peeked over. She saw Special Week typing a message on LINE.
"B-chan didn't get any special training from her mom, so I have to warn her to be careful," Special Week said earnestly.
If Queen Berry resorted to her usual tricks, like kicking mud in someone's face, it could really cause a setback.
Getting dirt in your eyes or face during a race might not make you fall, but it'd instinctively make anyone slow down.
So, out of friendship, she felt she had to warn Barbatos.
--+--
"And finally, the center of attention! The number one favorite, number 12, El Condor Pasa, steps onto the outer track!"
The stadium erupted with cheers. Unlike the overseas fans Barbatos had during her debut, these were El Condor Pasa's local Japanese supporters!
Whether it was her status as a Rigil member, her title as a star of the generation, her stunning debut performance, or her confident pre-race interviews—everything about El Condor Pasa attracted swarms of fans.
The other Uma Musume exchanged glances.
They all saw El Condor Pasa as the primary threat. Based on her debut race, she typically used a late-charging running style, saving her real speed for the final stretch.
Facing such an opponent, they could either mark her closely, even trying to block her sprint path, or try to build an early lead so large that even her late kick couldn't close the gap.
Even if that failed, setting a blistering pace might force El Condor Pasa to expend energy earlier than planned!
They were all from the same generation. Even if El Condor Pasa was strong, she couldn't be that far ahead.
They could do this!
The chance might be slim, but they had a chance to beat Rigil's star!
The starting gates flew open, and all the Uma Musume burst forth.
Those planning to set a fast pace to disrupt El Condor Pasa's rhythm pushed themselves to the limit, trying to build a lead.
But to their astonishment, a figure darted ahead like some monstrous bird—it was El Condor Pasa!
What?! Didn't she use a late-charging style?
Did she change tactics at the last minute?
If that's the case, then just keeping up with her might be enough to win!
They can do this!
The Uma Musume behind El Condor Pasa ran with all their might, trying to stay on her tail, but the gap between them only widened rapidly!
Toujou Hana stood with arms crossed, watching the race unfold from a high vantage point.
While setting the pace wasn't El Condor Pasa's specialty, it was more than enough to secure victory in a rookie race.
"El Condor Pasa crosses the finish line!"
"In second place, trailing by at least fifteen lengths!"
"This is a Rigil member for you! This is the star of our generation!"
--+--
T/N: Hmm... i might have been spoiled by other authors detailing every part of a race, but maybe its cause this is in the beginning with no main characters fighting that the races finish quick?
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, 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.