"I want to stand on that same stage with Barbatos and the others!"
There was a flicker of yearning in Nice Nature's eyes.
They had all debuted around the same time, yet Barbatos was already being hailed as the strongest Uma Musume of this generation.
Seiun Sky had secured two legs of the Triple Crown without a single loss, and El Condor Pasa was currently charging toward the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, aiming for the title of world number one...
Being young herself, she possessed that same competitive fire. She wanted to test her mettle against her friends in a real race.
But that was the Japan Cup! It wasn't like their private team practices, nor was it like a standard G-series race—it wasn't even like a typical G1.
It was an international showdown where one would face the kings and queens of the foreign circuits.
It was a true clash between the strongest of the strong.
Could she even enter? Having only won two G3 races so far, she didn't yet have the qualifications for the Japan Cup. But if she pushed herself in the second half of the year...
Just as Nice Nature was mapping out her race schedule for the coming months and preparing to discuss the Japan Cup with Minamizaka, a petite figure with blue twin-tails leaped up beside her.
"Hmph! How could a race like the Japan Cup go on without me?!"
Twin Turbo, who had been sitting on the sand, sprang up with enough bravado to fill the beach.
Her words were full of spirit, but as she stuck the landing, she stumbled and face-planted straight into the dirt.
"Ow, ow, ow...!"
"Urara wants to go too—"
Urara started to chime in, but her gaze was immediately pulled toward Twin Turbo's tragic cry.
El Condor Pasa, who couldn't see the source of the noise through the camera, finally caught sight of Twin Turbo sprawled on the ground and couldn't help but stifle a laugh.
Barbatos burst into laughter as well; it was such a classic Twin Turbo move. After a moment of amusement, she hurried over with the others to check on her.
Once they confirmed Twin Turbo was still conscious and cussing up a storm—clearly unharmed by the tumble—everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and the laughter grew even brighter.
"What are you all laughing about?"
A regal voice called out from the distance. Dressed in trendy clothes, the "Centurial Overlord," T.M Opera O, approached. Walking beside her in a similarly stylish outfit was Grass Wonder.
Grass Wonder wore a baseball cap pulled low, hiding her ears.
She looked fundamentally different from the gentle, smiling girl she was on a daily basis, and different still from the fierce competitor she became on the track.
It was that specific "off-duty" vibe—like El Condor Pasa when she was wrestling, Seiun Sky when she was fishing, or Barbatos when she was locked into a video game.
T.M. Opera O and Grass Wonder hadn't been there earlier because they were changing into their outfits for their rap performance.
This was the reason they had dubbed themselves the "Rap Group" during the Summer Dream Cup.
"We are the Rap Group, and we've been practicing for two and a half years..."
--+--
As the rap session wound down, everyone headed back to their respective cabins to rest. Even during the summer training camp, their well-regulated biological clocks as Uma Musume kept them disciplined.
The only time they'd ever break that discipline was when a race was approaching and they felt the need to "grind" like lives depended on it.
Although they weren't headed the same way, Minamizaka escorted Nice Nature, Ikuno Dictus, Matikanetannhauser, Urara, and Twin Turbo back to their cabin.
It was his duty as a trainer. It wasn't that he didn't trust them; he was simply being thorough.
Over at Team Spica, Okino—despite his usual unreliable demeanor—was doing the exact same thing.
Nice Nature trailed slightly behind the group. Looking at Minamizaka's back, she clenched her fists, her eyes filled with resolve. "Minamizaka, I want to run in the Japan Cup too!"
"Huh?"
Minamizaka didn't react for a second.
"I want to enter the Japan Cup with Barbatos and Sei-chan. I want to see what it's like to run alongside them in a real race," Nice Nature repeated.
Minamizaka stopped in his tracks and turned around, studying her intently.
If there was anyone in Team Canopus he understood best, it was Nice Nature. For some reason, he found himself interacting with her more than anyone else on the team.
Unlike Twin Turbo, who might shout about entering the Japan Cup and forget it a few days later, when Nice Nature said it, she meant it.
He thought it over seriously. "If you want to go for it, the second half of the year is going to be brutal."
Unlike other G1 races, the entry requirements for the Japan Cup were strict.
Barbatos and Seiun Sky were guaranteed spots based on their past records and fan popularity, but Nice Nature—with only two G3 wins—was a long way off.
It was a race held before the eyes of the entire world; a world-class G1.
Perhaps the Japan Cup wasn't always the top priority for every foreign champion, but in their eyes, it was undoubtedly Japan's highest-spec event—often ranked even above the Takarazuka Kinen or the Arima Kinen.
The domestic lineup already confirmed for the race was terrifying.
Even ignoring her teammates Barbatos and Seiun Sky, there were Spica's Silence Suzuka and Special Week, and Rigil's El Condor Pasa and Grass Wonder. These were the absolute elite of the current generation.
To put it bluntly, entering now might just shatter Nice Nature's confidence.
But Minamizaka didn't tell her she wasn't good enough. He chose to support her.
He spoke plainly about the hardships ahead—how she'd need to grind through several G-series races just to qualify—and immediately began mentally reconfiguring her training schedule.
"Minamizaka! I'm joining too!" Twin Turbo jumped in front of him, giving him a start.
Ikuno Dictus adjusted the glasses on the bridge of her nose. "In that case, I suppose I'll join as well."
Matikanetannhauser pumped herself up. "I'm in too!"
"Me too, me too!" Urara waved her hands enthusiastically.
"..."
Minamizaka rubbed his temples. He was starting to get a headache. Was his entire team planning to turn the Japan Cup into a civil war?
He took a deep breath to steady his nerves and warned them, "Alright then. But starting now, your training and race schedule is shifting to 'Hell Difficulty.'"
"If anyone's body can't handle it, you have to tell me immediately!"
Since they wanted to do it, he would give them everything he had.
--+--
Meanwhile, at Team Spica.
"Trainer-san, I want to run in the Japan Cup too! I want to take on Suzuka, Special Week, and everyone else!"
Tokai Teio knew how strong everyone was, but she was determined to become an undefeated Uma Musume just like the President.
After seeing El Condor Pasa challenge Barbatos and Suzuka earlier, she was itching for a fight.
"I'm in too!"
Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet spoke in perfect unison, neither willing to back down to the other.
Gold Ship watched all this play out, silently fiddling with a Rubik's cube. If Okino agreed, one more body wouldn't hurt. If Okino refused, one more body wouldn't change his mind anyway.
Besides, this was clearly the era of Barbatos and her peers—the stars were aligned for them. Gold Ship wasn't afraid, but why not wait for a quiet moment to truly shine alone?
If Okino said no, she'd have to find Matikanefukikitaru later and have her divine exactly when "Gold Ship's Era" was scheduled to arrive.
Okino, with a lollipop stick dangling from his mouth, scratched his head and hesitated. "Maybe... wait for the next one?"
He believed in his girls, and he knew they were strong, but he hated the idea of teammates tearing into each other for a single victory.
When two of them competed, he was already torn over who to root for; with the whole team, it would be a nightmare.
No matter who lost, he'd be the one feeling heartbroken.
Furthermore, if El Condor Pasa actually won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, this Japan Cup would likely become the most prestigious, high-stakes race in history.
--+--
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.