I retrained my skills again and ran my debut with the team Rigil. Everything clicked this time. Skills triggered perfectly, pacing was flawless, and I crossed the finish line first. Fans cheered. The system flashed notifications. My stats felt tighter, sharper, more refined than ever.
The best part was that I just got enough fan votes after winning a maiden race to debut and, 2 G2 races to qualify for the G1 in my first year. The first crown. The Takurazu Kinen. I could hardly believe it. I was finally here, ready to take on the real thing.
And then I found out.
I am banned from G1s in Japan.
For a moment, I froze.
I had completely forgotten that rule existed. Foreign Uma Musume are not allowed to compete in Japanese G1s during this time period. Of course, it was a dumb restriction. Of course, it would ruin my plans if I just stayed here.
I stared at the panel, then at the track, then back at the empty stands. My chest tightened. My undefeated streak, my months of training, all these careful skill triggers… none of it mattered if I could not race in the G1s.
I clenched my fists.
…Uh… guess I will go abroad.
I am not going to stay here and be suppressed into a wasted, undefeated G2 Uma like the original anime Marzenskii. Retiring without ever fulfilling my potential is not going to happen to me.
No matter what it takes, I will find the races, I will trigger the skills, I will dominate the tracks, and I will make sure the world remembers my name.
The G1s in Japan may be closed to me, but the rest of the world is open.
And I am not about to let a rule stop me.
This is just the beginning.