The United States.
Dressed in a blue jacket that shimmered like moonlight reflecting off a rippling lake, a handsome young man named Hiroyuki sat at his desk.
He was flipping through an American Uma Musume racing magazine. As the trainer for the strongest active team in the States, he kept a constant, sharp eye on any news regarding Uma Musume.
Today, his attention was held captive by a Japanese Uma Musume who had secured seven consecutive G1 victories.
[Targeting Japan's Greatest: 9 G1 Wins! Breaking the Chains, Aiming for Legend!]
"Hiroyuki, what are you looking at now?"
Fuma, a tall Uma Musume in blue casual wear, stood behind him with her arms crossed.
She leaned over his shoulder to get a look, her eyes scanning the photos and headlines on the page. "Ho—so this is Japan's number one?"
"She looks pretty weak. How did she manage a seven-race G1 winning streak?"
Fuma's voice wasn't quiet. Her teammates in the room shifted their gaze over at her words. "Seven consecutive G1 wins?!"
Titas, whose physique surpassed even Hishi Akebono's—with bulging muscles on her arms that made her look more like a bodybuilder than an Uma Musume—suddenly felt a spark of interest.
Having seven G1 titles wasn't unheard of in America, but a seven-race streak was an entirely different beast.
Still, it was only a mild curiosity. These were just Japanese G1s, after all; they couldn't be that big of a deal.
Titas asked inquisitively, "What was that Japanese girl's name again?"
"I think it's Barbatos," Taiga mused, the shortest of the three with her hair tied in twin tails. "I've seen her races in magazines before, but her name isn't as big as El Condor Pasa's."
"To put it simply, this Barbatos has only ever won in Japan," Fuma said with a dismissive shrug.
"I doubt she'd ever have the nerve to come overseas and race us. It seems only that El Condor Pasa has the guts to challenge the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe."
In her mouth, the "Arc" was no longer a symbol of the world's greatest race.
That was merely a delusion held by the Japanese racing world. In their eyes, becoming the best in the world wasn't something a single race like the Arc could decide.
"Fuma, don't underestimate the Uma Musume of other nations," Hiroyuki interrupted. "This Barbatos's strength is no simple matter.
"Her mastery of the Zone... I suspect it's not inferior to yours."
"Not inferior to mine?" Fuma blinked, then couldn't help but burst into a scoffing laugh. "Hiroyuki, you're way too good at joking."
Titas remained noncommittal. "Among the three of us, Fuma has the highest level of mastery over the Zone. How could some 'Barba-whatever' possibly catch up to her?"
"Doesn't Japan always love to hype things up? Like those 'once-in-a-millennium' girls," Taiga chimed in with a confident smirk. "Even a legendary Uma Musume from Japan wouldn't be a match for us."
Even though they had never truly traded strides with a Japanese racer, they possessed that unshakable confidence—the pride of being the strongest active team in America.
"We are a three-man squad!" Fuma declared proudly. "But... if that little bird El Condor Pasa actually manages to win the Arc, maybe we'll head over to the Japan Cup for a bit of fun."
"Don't be ridiculous. Winning the Arc? Impossible!"
"Oh, Fuma, don't forget—in the last race, even if you were being careless, Treve still passed you. You only took second place."
--+--
France.
The pink-haired Uma Musume, Treve, looked at the report concerning Barbatos.
"It seems a formidable opponent has appeared in Japan."
The black-haired Dancing Brave sat on the sofa, repeatedly watching a replay of a race.
It was the footage of the race she had lost to El Condor Pasa not long ago. Hearing her teammate's comment, she looked over. "You mean the Barbatos who defeated El Condor Pasa?"
"Yes. She is now the strongest active racer in Japan, having achieved seven consecutive G1 wins." Treve nodded in affirmation.
"Even if her growth rate isn't as explosive as El Condor Pasa's, her current strength should be roughly on par with her."
"I see..." Dancing Brave took a deep breath. "Will she participate in the Japan Cup? I'm planning to go this time."
Losing to El Condor Pasa had left her depressed for a while.
Although she desperately wanted to enter the Arc to reclaim her honor, as teammates—and with Montjeu already set for the Arc—neither of the two would be entering.
Montjeu's level was the highest among the three.
There was no need for a civil war at the Arc, and they wouldn't choose to send all three just to keep an eye on El Condor Pasa; winning that way would be meaningless.
Click.
The door to the team room opened, and Montjeu stepped in, wearing a form-fitting outfit.
"Then, after this Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, win or lose, let's go to the Japan Cup together."
Her movements were composed and elegant, her voice carrying an underlying, quiet confidence.
"I believe there will be some very fine opponents at the Japan Cup this time. Besides, it's been a while since we all raced together."
--+--
A few days later.
In Japan, at Tracen Academy, the cafeteria was packed. Members of Canopus, Spica, and Rigil were all present, their eyes glued to the large screen on the wall.
Special Week was shoveling food into her mouth.
This state had lasted for two days; she was currently converting her grief into an appetite.
Her failure to take the win at the Kikuka-sho, finishing second, meant she had come away empty-handed from the Triple Crown series.
She felt further and further away from becoming Japan's number one Uma Musume.
Leading up to the Kikuka-sho, everyone in Spica had been trying to help her, offering strategies and even a rare special training plan from Okino.
However, on the day of the race, Seiun Sky revealed a running style unlike anything she had shown before.
Initially, all the racers—Special Week included—thought Seiun Sky was just performing a standard lead.
It wasn't until the gap grew wider and wider that they realized the truth. It was a style that even Silence Suzuka, known as the strongest "Escape" runner, couldn't have pulled off.
Under the pressure of a "Great Escape" across three thousand meters, no one reacted in time. The race was effectively over the moment it began.
Even though Special Week had manifested the results of her special training, even though she had fully displayed her Zone for the first time, and even though she handled various running techniques with ease...
In the end, she could only manage to close the distance to within ten lengths. She had barely made it onto the winners' podium.
Normally, the gap wouldn't have been so staggering, but the moment Seiun Sky's gambit succeeded, Special Week's chance was gone.
Now, with Canopus boasting two Undefeated Triple Crown winners, the team's popularity was rivaling that of Japan's strongest team, Rigil.
Yet, they were all gathered here today not to review the Kikuka-sho, nor to see who was the strongest in Japan. They were here to witness the event that had the entire Japanese racing world holding its breath.
The race that symbolized the pinnacle of the world to the Japanese racing community—the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe!
--+--
T/N: It seems author couldn't be bothered to do research on american horses, cause the names he chose are all Ultraman names btw.
--+--
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.