In the end, Okino signed. He wanted to see what kind of race this girl, who called herself the strongest, could run.
'But, "Gold Ship"... why do I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before?' Okino, his mind still foggy from the hangover, couldn't quite recall the rumors.
After Okino signed his name, the smile on Gold Ship's face instantly turned dangerous. "Good, Trainer. Now, this great one will give you your first mission!"
"This great one"? Okino's head throbbed. Something was very wrong. This girl's aura was completely different from before! Seeing Gold Ship, who no longer had any trace of an elegant young lady's temperament, he began to panic. He desperately questioned himself, Wake up, my hungover brain! Where have I heard the name Gold Ship?
"Wh... what mission?"
"You know Mejiro McQueen, right? Don't tell me you don't. She's the highly-anticipated genius of the Mejiro family. She's about to have her debut race, isn't she? So, Trainer, you are to go find out the details of her debut race, and then sign this great one up so I can go and 'say hello'!"
"Hiss! What are you thinking?!" Okino sucked in a sharp breath.
Even if he hadn't been paying close attention, he'd heard his colleagues talk about her while drinking. This Mejiro McQueen, according to them, was a true genius—and an exceptionally good one at that. She always got excellent results in the academy's mock races.
Sensing Okino's doubt, Gold Ship's expression suddenly turned ferocious. Her aura was so tangible it felt like a carnivorous dinosaur was staring him down. He was startled by her aura, but at the same time, it shocked his hungover brain into clarity.
This girl is definitely not normal!
This level of aura was impossible for a rookie-level horse girl. If a rookie had this kind of aura, it could only mean one thing: she was a true monster with unparalleled talent. But why would a horse girl like that want a good-for-nothing like him as her trainer?
"Alright, I can look into it. But we need to think long-term about the debut race." Okino, pulling out a lollipop, tried to hold his last line of defense.
Gold Ship watched Okino tear off the wrapper, then simply reached out and snatched the lollipop from his hand. "Your opinion doesn't matter. Why do you think this great one chose you? You just need to do as I say!" She popped the stolen lollipop into her own mouth, then pulled her purple cloak from her school bag and swung it onto her shoulders. "As long as you're obedient, I'll allow you to admire me, the strongest horse girl, from up close. This is a supreme honor!"
Okino stared at the lollipop in Gold Ship's mouth and said resignedly, "Even if what you say is true, can you at least give me a chance to see your skills?"
"Isn't the debut race the best chance?"
"Does it have to be the same debut race as Mejiro McQueen?" Okino felt that with the aura Gold Ship had just shown, she could easily win any other debut race. But going up against the Mejiro family's genius... that was not a sure thing.
"I don't want to say it twice. Do as I say, Trainer!"
In the end, Okino was "convinced." The main reason was that his mentality hadn't fully recovered; he was still in his "slacker" state and was just curious about Gold Ship. Since she insisted, he'd let her. Besides, it didn't matter if she lost a debut race once or twice. The loss wouldn't be counted on her career record anyway.
It was then that Okino finally remembered where he'd heard of Gold Ship. She was the "Demon King" from that "Gold" family. This little Demon King's strength was indeed immense... you could even say it was "overpowered," to the point that not even her own family could control her.
She wasn't just a Demon King in personality; her skills were at a Demon King's level, too.
That was why Tracen Academy had "specially invited" her to enroll the moment she matured, even waiving the entrance exams.
'Looks like this debut race is really going to be something to see.' Okino began to look forward to it.
Afterward, Gold Ship and Trainer Okino completed the registration, formalizing their relationship. Okino also found out the time and place of Mejiro McQueen's debut race and signed Gold Ship up.
'The Mejiro family's genius and the Gold family's Demon King... who is stronger?'
Okino thought as he watched Gold Ship "train."
Although he had never seen Mejiro McQueen, he could say with certainty that this little Demon King's strength was on another level. Based on his observations, her physical stats were absolutely world-class. And even though the little Demon King wasn't serious about training at all, just jogging around, her handling of the track's details and her control over her running pace showed a terrifying intuition.
Okino even felt that the little Demon King could probably win a G1 Major Stakes race right now. And this was a judgment he made without even having seen her full strength. He was genuinely looking forward to this debut race, hoping the Mejiro genius could force this Demon King to get serious.
The day of the race arrived quickly. Mejiro McQueen, as a genius who had been at Tracen Academy for a while and had achieved outstanding results in multiple mock races, had already gathered a lot of attention before her debut.
For a debut race, the crowd was unusually large.
But the moment the list of participants was posted on the big screen, the venue suddenly grew quiet. Seeing Gold Ship's name on the public screen, many people felt like they were dreaming. Why was this Demon King in this debut race? Hadn't she just enrolled?
Accompanied by a set of heavy footsteps, Gold Ship, wearing her cloak, walked onto the high platform. A tyrannical smile spread across her delicate, beautiful face. She undid the cloak and threw it to the ground. She didn't put on a performance or make a grand declaration. She simply glanced at the camera.
That powerful aura alone put immense pressure on the crowd in the stadium and the audience watching on TV. This was the Demon King's debut, and it left a profound impression.
Tosen Jordan had also come to the venue.
She was truly curious about Gold Ship's current strength.
She looked at the track. Gold Ship and Mejiro McQueen were both on the field.
The young lady from the Mejiro family didn't seem to be paying any mind to Gold Ship's threat and was proceeding with her standard warm-up preparations.
Gold Ship, on the other hand, was doing nothing.
She just stood arrogantly in front of the gate like a spectator, craning her neck to look at the other runners.
Soon, all the runners were in place. The race countdown began. The countdown finished, and the gates opened—
Mejiro McQueen and the others shot out.
The commentator's voice came on: "And the race has begun!... All runners have left the gate, except for Gold Ship! What is she doing? Could she be too nervous for her first race?"
The commentator tried to snap Gold Ship back to attention, but she remained motionless.
As all the other runners entered the track, Gold Ship simply held her pose inside the gate, unmoving. She smiled as she watched the other runners, silently counting down in her head.
"...3, 2, 1!"
The countdown finished. Her eyes flashed with a blood-red luster. Several skills activated one after another. Only then did she use her starting skill and bolt from the gate. The terrifying start was like a bolt of lightning, incredibly fierce, as if it was stomping on the hearts of the crowd.
"BANG!"
Gold Ship charged out.
"Five seconds after the start, Gold Ship has finally left the gate! What incredible speed! Can she possibly catch up?"
Symboli Rudolf, who had secretly brought Tokai Teio to watch the race, was in complete shock. She had never expected to see the "Zone" in a debut race. How could a rookie possibly enter that realm?!
'What is this? So... heavy...'
Mejiro McQueen, running at the front, suddenly had an expression of pure pain. Her body felt as if it were being pressed down by something. She couldn't exert any strength. The turf, too, had become incredibly heavy, as if she were running through mud instead of on grass.
It wasn't just Mejiro McQueen; the other runners felt it too. Their forms completely fell apart, and their speeds began to drop drastically. Some of the runners with weaker mental fortitude simply lost speed and fell back.
"What's happening?! Runners are losing speed! Even the fan-favorite, Mejiro McQueen, is having problems! What on earth are the runners encountering?!"
Tosen Jordan watched this scene and thought to herself, 'It's starting.'
This was the Demon King's entrance ceremony. It was her nightmare. Runners whose minds weren't strong enough couldn't even continue to run under the influence of that special ability, just like her when she was young.
"Hahahaha!"
Gold Ship's laughter chased them from behind. Everyone could hear her heavy footsteps. The sound was so heavy, it felt like every step was stomping on their chests, so oppressive they could hardly breathe.
But then, Gold Ship suddenly slowed down. She could clearly overtake them whenever she wanted, but she deliberately chose not to. Instead, she began to humiliate them.
Mejiro McQueen, struggling at the front, gritted her teeth. "You... bastard!"
This... was a complete insult to a sacred race. The runners were all enraged by Gold Ship's actions. The chaotic pack temporarily reformed as the runners began to accelerate again. And Gold Ship... she remained in last place, her relaxed posture making it look as if she were out for a stroll. She was completely at ease.
...
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