Time flowed on.
In the blink of an eye, early November arrived, and both the Kikuka Sho and the Mile Championship came right on schedule.
And the results didn't surprise anyone.
At Kyoto Racecourse, right in front of the 300-meter Toyaru finish line—
When that elegant purple figure crossed the line with a soul-crushing gap, the entirety of Central erupted.
After "the Emperor," Symboli Rudolf…
Central Tracen Academy had produced its second undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume in history—Mejiro McQueen—right here, right now!
And then, a few days later, at the Mile Championship—
The silver storm swept across the track one last time.
With no suspense whatsoever, she finished with a massive six-length advantage, putting on the same overwhelming dominance as always as she completed her curtain call.
The Spring-and-Autumn Mile Queen—Fujimasa March!
With the birth of these two heavy, history-making titles, the old era's fall and the new era's coronation intertwined perfectly in that single moment.
…
Kyoto Racecourse, night.
A grand winner's stage was underway.
Colorful lights cut through the darkness, and the pounding music was deafening.
"OHHHHHHHHHHH—!!!"
"Live! Live! Live!"
"March—!!!"
The cheers of tens of millions of spectators were so loud it felt like they might blow the roof clean off. Banners and glowsticks glittered everywhere, everyone expressing—through sheer volume and motion—their reluctance to say goodbye to the eternal star of the old era.
At center stage, Fujimasa March stood in the middle position, wearing her victory outfit.
Microphone in hand, sweat flying as she moved, every single gesture triggered shrieks and frantic roars from the crowd below.
This was her final dance as an active Uma Musume—and the brightest smile she would leave behind on this green turf.
Up in the stands above the stage, Kuroha folded his arms and watched that radiant figure quietly, a faint, satisfied smile at the corner of his mouth.
"You worked hard, March," he said softly in his heart.
Bzzz—
Just then, the phone in his pocket vibrated.
Kuroha pulled it out.
The name flashing on-screen was—Nase Fumino.
Kuroha raised an eyebrow, glanced at March still singing her heart out onstage, then turned and walked deeper into a quieter corridor before tapping the answer button.
"Hello, Fumino?"
"…It's me, Kuroha," Fumino's voice came through the line.
The background was clearly noisy—he could make out Cantonese announcements and cheering—but her tone tried hard to stay steady. "You didn't get so busy celebrating for March that you forgot what day it is today, did you?"
"Of course not. I've been waiting for your message," Kuroha said, leaning against the wall with a light chuckle. "So? What's it looking like over at Sha Tin Racecourse?"
Sha Tin Racecourse was the venue for two international graded races: the Hong Kong Mile Final and the Hong Kong Mile.
And today wasn't just the day of Fujimasa March's Mile Championship.
It was also the day—far away in Hong Kong—of Oguri Cap's G2 Hong Kong Mile qualifying race.
By the clock, it should've just ended about now.
"Hmph. What do you think it's like?" Fumino snorted, though it was obvious she was in a pretty good mood. "First place. Three lengths ahead of second."
"And, while I was at it… Oguri kind of broke the track record at Sha Tin for that distance. Just a little."
Hearing her report—trying so hard to sound casual, yet unable to stop the humblebrag slipping into the details—Kuroha's smile only deepened.
"A record, huh… Sounds like your support work was flawless, Fumino. You kept Oguri in amazing condition."
"O-Of course!" The voice on the other end stumbled for a split second, then lifted higher, pride leaking through despite her attempt to hide it.
"You're the one who set the training and racing plan. If Oguri couldn't even win something at that level, wouldn't that just make me—your executor—look incompetent?"
"And… I only did what I was supposed to. Oguri herself ran brilliantly, that's all."
Hong Kong, Okada Racecourse.
Fumino stood near the competitors' tunnel, waiting for Oguri Cap to come back while speaking softly into her phone.
Beside her, Super Creek stood with her hands folded in front of her, watching her trainer with a puzzled look.
"Somehow… whenever Trainer Fumino is in front of Trainer Kuroha, she always turns into someone totally different…" Creek thought.
Meanwhile, Berno Light scratched her cheek.
Unlike the Mejiro, Gorgeous, and Symboli girls—born into prestigious Uma Musume families—Berno was the daughter of a business household, and she was far more sensitive to certain "mundane" things.
So even if she wasn't as delicate and perceptive as Creek, she understood better than anyone what was going on.
"Miss Nase has basically fallen already… tragic," Berno sighed helplessly, then lifted her big eyes and stared seriously up at the ceiling.
"Yep, yep, our Fumino is the best," Kuroha's voice came through the line—slow and amused—and the purple-haired beauty instantly stiffened from head to toe.
"…W-Who's 'our' anything?! Don't say stuff like that!" Fumino snapped, flustered, then cleared her throat hard, trying to claw back her old authority.
"Anyway! The qualifier is over. I'll re-check Oguri Cap's condition again."
"Yeah." Kuroha nodded even though she couldn't see him. "Winning's good, but we can't get careless. The main race is what matters…"
They talked a little longer, and then Fumino's voice lowered a notch.
"So… what about your side?" she asked.
"The races back home… they're all over, right?"
"Yeah." Kuroha turned, his gaze slipping through the corridor gap back toward the dazzling winner's stage in the distance.
Mejiro McQueen had been crowned king, and Fujimasa March had retired in glory.
As for Mejiro Ardan—by her own wishes, she wanted to do what Obey Your Master and the others had done back then: pick some graded race at random, finish cleanly, and step away.
By that math, Central's season only had one major event left this year—
The Arima Kinen at the end of next month.
Everything on Central's side was already settled.
"Tell Oguri she did great," Kuroha said softly into the phone, then added, "And also—get three rooms ready for me over there."
"…Huh?" Fumino froze. "You're coming?"
"What, not happy about it?" Kuroha teased.
"N-No! Who said I'm not happy?!" Fumino coughed twice, forcing a stern tone.
"Since Central's matters are all handled, you, as the head trainer, really should come over and do some work. You can't just dump the whole mess on me forever."
Kuroha laughed. "Alright, alright. I get it. I'll probably head over the day after tomorrow."
"The day after tomorrow…" Fumino paused. "I'll arrange it right away… And get here early. Don't miss your flight!"
The call ended.
Fumino held her phone, her eyes drifting as if she was thinking about something else entirely.
Super Creek waved a hand in front of her face. "Trainer, Oguri's back~"
Not far away, Oguri Cap walked in from the track and into the competitors' tunnel, and several Tōkō Uma Musume followed behind her.
Without exception, they all wore serious expressions as they stared at the famous shadow.
"This girl is absolutely going to be a major threat in the main race at the end of the month!"
"We have to talk to our trainer about how to deal with this dark horse!"
Each Uma Musume was turning over her own calculations.
Oguri Cap, meanwhile, seemed completely unaware. The moment she spotted Fumino and Super Creek, she waved and jogged over, smiling brightly.
"Fumino-nee, Creek, Berno…"
(End of Chapter)
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