Tokyo Racecourse was currently hosting this year's top competition—the Japan Derby.
In the front row of the spectator stands, a group of horse girls in casual home attire sat together in a line.
The gazes of those around them couldn't help but drift toward these horse girls repeatedly.
"This is your arrangement?"
"...Is there a problem?"
"You invite us to watch a race, and you can't even afford a VIP room?"
"VIP room? You might as well go home and watch TV."
In fact, VIP rooms meant watching the race on a big TV anyway—otherwise you couldn't see the race details clearly.
"Hmph~ Then why didn't you book all the seats around us too?"
"Is there something wrong with your brain?"
"You didn't book the venue because you don't have money, didn't you?"
"..."
The two arguing were, of course, Gold Ship and Tokai Teio. Today was the race to evaluate Tokai Teio's training results. As the instructor for this intensive training, Tokai Teio naturally needed to come watch this race. But she didn't want to come alone, so she had invited the others.
Through her connections, she had secured front-row seats that were even consecutive—the best possible position. Yet even so, Gold Ship was still picking fights, and Tokai Teio naturally wasn't going to indulge the Demon King.
So the two started arguing over this.
Beside them, Mejiro McQueen was quietly sipping ice water through a straw. She wore black slacks and a short-sleeved blouse today, with a sun hat on her head.
Though her racing outfit was primarily white, in her private life outside of school uniforms, she preferred wearing pure black clothes—they were more convenient and hassle-free.
On Mejiro McQueen's left sat Rice Shower, wearing a deep blue dress today. The cup in her hands was the same as McQueen's—ice water with ice cubes.
Not because she disliked other drinks—she just wanted the same thing as McQueen-neesan.
Next to Rice Shower sat a horse girl with black hair and red eyes. Like Tokai Teio, she had a white-dyed streak in her bangs. Currently, she was holding a cup of bubble tea with both hands, sitting in her seat looking bored, like a boy being dragged along on a family shopping trip, completely uninterested in the whole affair.
The two little ones entering from behind had been excitedly wanting to run to the railing—as front-row spectators, they could leave their seats and watch the race directly from the barrier. In fact, once the race started, the vast majority of spectators would choose to run to the front and watch standing up.
The two little ones had been unwilling to sit from the moment they entered, but the instant they passed that row of seats, their attention—like the other spectators around them—was drawn to those seated there.
Satono Diamond's first glance was captured by the older girl who looked exactly like Kitasan Black.
In contrast, Kitasan Black herself hadn't noticed this side. Her eyes lit up with delight as she spotted Mejiro McQueen, and without a second thought, she rushed over to stand before her.
"Um! Um—"
Mejiro McQueen looked at Kitasan Black before her and was immediately reminded of those two little ones from her own world.
She really wasn't used to this feeling of being a celebrity. Besides, how did the two little ones in this world even know her?
"McQueen-senpai, I'm your fan!"
Kitasan Black said this while pulling out a poster—last year's Kikka Sho poster. The person in the photo should have been the original Mejiro McQueen.
Or rather, it was the Mejiro McQueen whose body had been possessed by Mejiro McQueen's soul at that time.
The moment she saw this poster, Mejiro McQueen understood. So it was because of that race.
If her existence hadn't been exposed, Kitasan Black would be chasing after the original Mejiro McQueen for an autograph right now. But the problem was, she had already been exposed.
"Could you please give me an autograph? Please!"
Kitasan Black made a pleading gesture, her attitude sincere.
But facing such a star-chasing young girl, Mejiro McQueen only wanted to say one thing—she hadn't brought a pen.
She used to have the habit of carrying a pen when going out, but after being hounded by fans too much in that world, she had stopped bringing pens out.
"Here."
Tokai Teio considerately held out a fountain pen before Mejiro McQueen. As the perfect and cool ultimate horse girl, she always came prepared when going out—she had even practiced quick signature techniques.
You have too much free time?
Mejiro McQueen glanced at Tokai Teio.
Though she found this person somewhat meddlesome, she ultimately kept silent, wordlessly accepting the pen and poster before quickly signing her name.
"Thank you! I'll treasure this forever!"
Hearing Kitasan Black's words, Mejiro McQueen could only think it was too exaggerated. Being this extreme about idol worship—didn't this child know she was going a bit far?
After obtaining her precious treasure, Kitasan Black turned to look at Satono Diamond, who had been stunned by her actions and was standing there with her little mouth agape. "Little Diamond?"
"..."
Satono Diamond wanted to speak but hesitated, her face filled with disbelief. She hadn't expected Little Kita to have prepared in advance for this, and to so boldly ask McQueen-senpai for an autograph—and most critically, she had actually gotten one!
Damn, I'm so jealous!
She wanted one too.
But unlike Little Kita who couldn't read the room, she could tell McQueen-senpai didn't really like this kind of thing. That cool senpai really didn't like being chased around for autographs. But if she had brought a poster today, maybe she could have gotten an autograph following Little Kita's lead!
Seeing Satono Diamond's expression, Kitasan Black suddenly had an epiphany. She then pulled out another photo clipped from a newspaper—the headline shot reporters had taken from below the winner's podium that time. She returned to Mejiro McQueen and employed her cute charm offensive.
"Senpai, could you please sign one more for me?"
Mejiro McQueen didn't refuse.
She knew Kitasan Black was getting this for Satono Diamond.
Satono Diamond thought so too, looking at Little Kita with some emotion.
But the next second, Kitasan Black put both signed items away.
Mejiro McQueen: "?"
Satono Diamond: "?"
"Sorry for disturbing you, Senpai. Little Diamond, let's go."
"..."
Satono Diamond had something to say.
"Hm? Little Kita, weren't you just getting that autograph for Diamond?"
Sensing something might be wrong from McQueen's slightly widened eyes, Tokai Teio hurriedly spoke up.
Kitasan Black nodded. "Yes, but I'm planning to find a frame to put them in together later, so I'll hold onto them for now."
"Little Kita..." Satono Diamond's cheeks flushed slightly upon hearing this, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Mejiro McQueen's expression also returned to calm.
Tokai Teio noticed this and finally relaxed. If she hadn't intervened just now, knowing McQueen's personality, she might have directly grabbed Kitasan Black and started releasing her presence to apply pressure.
Then something that should have been a happy occasion would have turned into a hellscape.
"Hmph~ You little brat really have no manners. We're all sitting here together, yet you only asked McQueen for an autograph?"
Gold Ship looked displeased.
Come to think of it, she hadn't experienced this kind of treatment in her own world either.
Though she had many fans, when they saw her on the street, they would walk around her, afraid to meet her eyes.
While she thought that was fine—she couldn't be bothered with those weaklings anyway—things became different when compared.
Seeing McQueen getting chased for autographs even in this world, her psychology immediately became unbalanced.
"Senpai, with your caliber, surely you wouldn't stoop to bickering with a child."
A listless voice came from the horse girl sitting next to Rice Shower.
"Oh?"
Gold Ship, who had only intended to tease Kitasan Black, immediately perked up upon hearing this voice, her expression turning cold as she looked over.
"I thought you were going to keep playing dead, you waste."
"Calling someone a waste right off the bat is rather harsh, Senpai."
Though she said this, her languid tone sounded like she wasn't taking it to heart at all.
"Little Kita... Gold Ship-neesan, could you please not be mean to Little Kita?"
Rice Shower looked up at Gold Ship, the eye hidden by her bangs seeming to become partially visible.
"..."
Gold Ship hadn't expected Rice Shower to stand up for Kitasan Black, momentarily falling silent.
Why didn't she push back?
Because she had lost to Rice Shower in a one-on-one.
When Rice Shower had just cleared the stage and returned, Gold Ship had proposed having a race against The Overlord.
Rice Shower had naturally agreed—after all, Rice Shower would never refuse a family member's request.
The result of that race was Gold Ship's crushing defeat.
In that race, she had felt like she was facing McQueen.
Though the actual circumstances were completely different, the sense of powerlessness was indeed the same.
Unlike that second-rate Tokai Teio—at least that one had her Regression technique to avoid the effects of Fusion.
But vanilla Gold Ship was utterly helpless against Fusion.
Overload Mode was indeed powerful.
But no matter how powerful the burst, it was still an enhancement based on her original stats.
But Fusion not only ate skills—it also devoured one tier of attributes.
This interference ability was simply broken.
Add to that Rice Shower and The Overlord working together, able to use two Fusion skills.
She could only say, Rice Shower's current strength was above hers.
As for why Gold Ship looked down on Kitasan Black—it was because this one, having just been born, had said things like having no interest in being a horse girl.
Saying things like "Because of your influence, I already know the loneliness of the strong before I've even begun. Someone like me can no longer enjoy racing."
This made Gold Ship, who viewed racing as more important than her own life and had a severe racing addiction, very displeased.
But Kitasan Black was like cotton—no matter what she said before, Kitasan Black would just agree while not listening or arguing back.
So when she heard Kitasan Black speak up for the little Kitasan Black just now, she had gotten excited.
But the moment Rice Shower spoke, she couldn't respond. After all, Gold Ship's view was that might makes right, and between her and Rice Shower currently, Rice Shower was the stronger one.
"Hmph~ For Rice Shower's sake, I'll pretend you don't exist, you waste."
"I'm truly grateful, Senpai."
Kitasan Black responded with a smile.
She knew why Gold Ship looked down on her.
But she couldn't help it—everything she said was true.
If a person stood at the top of the world before they were even born, and had also obtained the memories and thoughts that matched that position, would that person still feel any passion for this world?
Kitasan Black didn't know what others would think, but she genuinely felt bored.
A life where you already know the answers from the start. Races where you already know the outcome.
Such victories, such successes, had already lost their meaning.
If possible, she would rather not have inherited her senpais' memories and instead started from zero like McQueen-senpai.
Then perhaps she would have felt differently.
But unfortunately, if she had been born that way, she wouldn't be the current her.
The little Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond belatedly reacted, staring at Kitasan Black's face in shock.
"L-Little Kita?"
"...Is... is that me?"
Kitasan Black turned to look at the two little ones with a smile.
"Well, you could think of it that way. Nice to meet you—I'm Kitasan Black."
Though she hadn't entered Story Mode yet and hadn't fully inherited the name Kitasan Black, even so, she was still Kitasan Black.
After all, unlike when McQueen-senpai first appeared, the newly born her was a completely new consciousness from the start—a consciousness born from this body.
Since that was the case, she was Kitasan Black.
Not some player, not her senpais—just Kitasan Black.
A horse girl who had lost the glory of being a horse girl from the very beginning. A failure destined from the start.
Thinking this, her smile became somewhat bitter.
She could feel the beauty in her senpais' memories, but she couldn't empathize with them.
Because her reason clearly told her she could never experience those emotions.
After all, she was a new being pieced together from her senpais' soul fragments.
But her senpais' souls weren't essentially horse girls—they were that player. That corporate drone who didn't even care about his own life, cold and self-deprecating to the extreme.
So could she, pieced together from these soul fragments, inherit the beautiful aspects of being a horse girl?
Perhaps it might have been possible originally, like her senpais—when their souls and spirits were still weak, they would be influenced by the horse girl bodies.
But she was different.
By the time she was born, her senpais' spirits and souls had already grown too strong.
So her essence was actually different...
...
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