Private Training Ground.
King Halo, having just finished her training, wiped away her sweat with a towel and used the spare time to study footage of Air Groove's recent races.
Even for someone like her, who had already claimed victory in the Japanese Derby, the "Empress" Air Groove was an opponent that demanded serious attention.
Moreover, in the upcoming Takarazuka Kinen, Air Groove wouldn't be her only formidable rival.
Foes like Barbatos, Silence Suzuka, Mejiro Bright, and Matikanefukukitaru—all were Uma Musume of this generation or the slightly older one—were figures King Halo knew far more intimately.
Air Groove, a legend among the Uma Musume, was someone even a prideful soul like King Halo hadn't had the chance to face within her first two years since debut.
But after going through multiple races against Barbatos, she had found greater conviction in herself, and now she wanted to see just how wide the gap was between her current self and a legendary Uma Musume.
Or rather, she wanted to issue a challenge to a legend!
She also longed for a rematch with Barbatos.
Now that she had won the Japanese Derby, and Barbatos had secured two wins towards the Triple Tiara, surely she wouldn't feel as powerless as in their previous encounters.
The race playing on the screen was last year's Autumn Tenno Sho, Air Groove's most recent competition aside from the Winter Dream Cup.
In that race, Air Groove had effortlessly outpaced Silence Suzuka, who was still her teammate in Team Rigil back then.
That alone spoke volumes about Air Groove's formidable strength.
"If I want to win the Takarazuka Kinen now…"
King Halo pressed her lips together, leaving the rest unsaid.
Her royal pride forbade her from uttering words of defeat, even though just watching the Autumn Tenno Sho footage was enough to reveal Air Groove's might.
No, truth be told, she didn't need the Autumn Tenno Sho to judge.
Back during that race, she herself had just debuted and hadn't paid it much mind. But King Halo had witnessed the Winter Dream Cup with her own eyes.
Barbatos, who had defeated her, suffered a crushing loss. Barbatos, undefeated until then, hailed as the prodigy of her time, could only finish at the very bottom in the Winter Dream Cup, utterly defeated.
Even though she had grown so much since then, King Halo still felt a gap remained between herself and Air Groove.
Barbatos was likely in the same boat, yet she was still entering the Takarazuka Kinen.
She certainly wouldn't lose to Barbatos!
If she wanted a real shot at victory in the Takarazuka Kinen, her current training regimen simply wouldn't cut it.
At the very least, she needed to truly master her "Zone," to be able to activate it during the race!
Ordinary training couldn't force her to unleash her Zone.
From what she learned from elders at home who had unlocked and mastered theirs, it was during intense rivalry, when completely immersed in a race, that the Zone was easier to awaken.
After activating it multiple times, one could learn to control its release—this was a fundamental trait of legendary Uma Musume.
So...
In the distance, two Uma Musume—one with an exceptional aura, the other seemingly more unassuming—approached King Halo with serious expressions.
Both wore their "victory uniforms," meaning they were at least G1-level competitors.
As they drew near, one of them spoke up.
"The Japan Derby and the Takarazuka Kinen are so close together. Your body won't be able to handle it."
"B-chan has the same schedule, doesn't she?"
"And overcoming hardship is what defines a monarch! This decisive battle in the first half of the year—I must take part!"
King Halo declared stubbornly, "Ines, Fine Motion, I'll need your help from here on. Please train with me."
Among active Uma Musume, there were quite a few who could push her to her limits.
But Seiun Sky was likely training with Barbatos, Special Week was probably with Silence Suzuka, Grass Wonder would be training within Team Rigil, and El Condor Pasa had gone to France.
She got along well with Urara, and Urara was diligent, but she couldn't push King Halo to her absolute limit.
So, the only ones she could turn to were her retired friends, Ines Fujin and Fine Motion.
Though retired, it hadn't been long since they left the track, and they still possessed considerable strength, both being G1 champions.
"Well, if you've made up your mind, we'll give it our all too."
"Let's show everyone at the Takarazuka Kinen what a monarch's running form truly looks like!"
Fine Motion suggested, "After training, how about we hit that ramen shop from last time?"
"Halo, are you going for the 'King-Sized Bowl' again?"
King Halo's eyes lit up. "That bowl exists solely for monarchs! That's the one!"
Ines Fujin: "..."
Why did she feel a sense of foreboding even before the training had begun?
--+--
The Mejiro Residence.
Mejiro Dober stretched her body as she warmed up. "Feeling mostly recovered now."
Having retired, her physical condition and athletic abilities had declined.
Fortunately, her retirement wasn't too distant, and through recent training, she was gradually trending back towards her pre-retirement form.
Of course, even with ample time to train and recover, she could never return to her peak in-service condition. At best, she might regain seventy or eighty percent of her form just before retirement.
And even that state would likely only last for about one race before a sharp decline set in.
Every Uma Musume yearned to run; retirement was never a choice unless absolutely necessary.
Statistics showed that an Uma Musume's career typically lasted around three years.
In Mejiro Dober's case, she could probably manage one comeback race before her body would struggle to withstand the intensity of high-level competition.
As someone who frequently browsed the internet, she had come across various online comments.
Some said she was launching a revenge race for the Mejiro family after Mejiro Bright's loss to Barbatos in the Spring Tenno Sho.
In truth, she simply wanted to run one more exhilarating race after watching Bright compete.
Especially seeing that Barbatos had already won two legs of the Triple Tiara and was highly likely to achieve a clean sweep, she couldn't help but want to test herself against Barbatos.
In her own day, she too had aimed for the Triple Tiara, claiming victories in the Japanese Oaks and the Shuka Sho.
She was a bona fide dual-classic winner, with five G1 titles in her career. In her prime, she wouldn't have been inferior to most legendary Uma Musume!
"Dober-nee."
Mejiro Bright, who had been doing other exercises, came over to greet her.
Seeing Bright, Mejiro Dober smiled. "Take a short break. Let me go over some key points to watch for in middle-distance races."
It wasn't that Mejiro Bright had never run middle-distance races, but for this Takarazuka Kinen, there were many details to heed.
After all, Bright, who excelled at long distances, might not even hit her stride until after the Takarazuka race was over.
--+--
The Fortune-Telling Shop.
Matikanefukukitaru's hands hovered around her divination crystal. "The odds of sticking close to Suzuka's pace in this race…"
--+--
All the Uma Musume participating in the Takarazuka Kinen were making their final preparations.
Meanwhile, online, amidst the heated discussions about the "Yasuda Kinen," the popularity polls for the Takarazuka Kinen were gradually beginning to take shape.
--+--
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.