At Shuchiin Academy's sports festival, the horse racing event's short-distance race track was bustling with excitement as the announcer delivered an extraordinarily passionate live commentary.
"It's Dio! It's Dio! Still leading is Dio!"
"First to enter the final lap is Diego Brando! With 400 meters left to the finish line, Silver Bullet beneath him is shaking off the second-place horse by three lengths... four lengths..."
In the stands, Takanashi Rikka and the others cupped their hands like megaphones, frantically waving and cheering: "Dio, go for it—!!!"
"By the way, us cheering for Dio on the West Team as East Team members... doesn't that count as treason?" Kitagawa Marin somehow found the situation oddly amusing.
"The East Team is already doomed." Hayasaka Ai shook her head lightly, counting on her fingers before glancing sideways at the distant Shinomiya Kaguya—the only one still cheering for the East Team. "Me, Hori-san, Takanashi-san, Marin-chan, Fujiwara-san, and all four from Kessoku Band are East Team, yet we're all rooting for the West."
Poor Kaguya-sama was struggling alone, running around for the East Team, while her entire group was full of traitors aiding the enemy.
"Little ones, louder! Cheer for your future big bro Diego Brando!" Ryūju Momo, missing for several chapters, appeared in the spectator seats. She was the only other West Team member alongside Diego.
"Got it!"
"Dio big bro is so cool!!!"
The Dragon Ball group's members waved their support sticks excitedly, eyes fixed on the golden figure accelerating relentlessly on the track.
On the field, Diego seemed to hear the cheers, gave a casual wave, then pressed his body lower to reduce wind resistance. Silver Bullet climbed another gear in speed and charged across the finish line.
"Across the line—!!! He crosses in absolute dominance—!!!"
"'Emperor Dio' completely dominates the short-distance event with a massive lead!!! Seizing a crucial point for the West Team and tying the score once again!!!"
"After a short halftime break, we move into overtime!!!"
After this race, almost the entire Shuchiin student body had been captivated by Diego Brando, turning into his fan club.
...
After crossing the line, Diego dismounted and left the track, only to be immediately swarmed by frenzied fans the moment he reached the passageway.
"Aaaahhh, Brando-sama, you looked so cool on horseback! Could you sign an autograph?!" Fan girl 1 held out a pen with both hands and bowed deeply to Diego.
Fresh off taking first place, Diego was in a great mood. He took the pen and agreed readily: "Sure, where do you want it?"
"Right here!" Fan girl 1's eyes sparkled as she pulled her shirt taut over her chest.
?
Diego's expression froze.
"Get lost, you sly fox." Fan girl 2 shoved fan girl 1 aside and happily linked arms with Diego. "Brando-kun, a new milk tea shop just opened outside school—let's go together!"
Weird, wasn't my reputation supposed to be terrible? What's with this situation... Diego's mind was still stuck back at the start of the school year.
"Hey! You two, stop defiling our sacred Dio big bro! Horse racing is a true man's sport!" The male fans outnumbered the girls; they pushed aside the ones bothering Diego and inexplicably flexed their muscles. "Dio big bro is about to discuss the mysteries of horse racing with us. If you wanna play romance games, go find someone else!"
"Huh? Are you guys brain-dead? Anyone can see Brando-kun would rather be alone with girls, right?"
"Shut up, stinky woman! Dio big bro's profound thoughts aren't something you can fathom!"
The two sides started arguing, and Diego's face grew darker by the second.
...My sexual orientation is normal, you idiots!
"Exactly, stop touching him casually, you vixens! Dio has important overtime strategy talks with the West Team next." Just as the crisis peaked, Ryūju Momo led the Dragon Ball group to rescue Diego, escorting him all the way to the rest area. "Dio, let's go!"
A few minutes after Diego left, Inui Sajuna arrived late and spun around in disbelief in the passageway.
"I finally spotted him at the sports festival, where's Diego?!" Inui Sajuna, who had passed through Diego's entire world, shouted in collapse, "wryyyyyy—!"
Haha, here's one who couldn't even find the track.
...
In the rest area...
"Here, catch."
Ryūju Momo tossed a bottle of mineral water to Diego and casually sat beside him, legs spread wide in a rather unladylike powerhouse pose.
Gulp gulp gulp...
Diego poked a small hole in the bottle bottom and chugged it down.
"Phew—saved. Thanks, Mojo Jojo."
"My name is Ryūju Momo..." Ryūju Momo's anger meter instantly maxed out as she glared at Diego. "Your habit of never remembering names is seriously asshole-level!"
"Relax, relax~" Diego waved it off carelessly.
"Haa—" Ryūju Momo let out a long breath. She had a basic grasp of Diego's personality by now and quickly calmed down.
Then she waved the lottery results in front of Diego and explained in detail:
"Right now, East and West Teams are tied, so we're going into overtime. The drawn event is a medium-to-long-distance turf race. For the final one, you going or me?"
"But per the rules, horses that already raced can't participate in this overtime round. If you decide to go, your 'Silver Bullet' has to sit this one out—you'd need to pick another horse from the stable."
"Fate really loves messing with people, putting us on the same team. Honestly, I was kinda looking forward to competing against you."
"Thanks to you, Gold Ship has accepted me these past few days. Gold Ship is perfectly eligible for overtime, and coincidentally, she's in an especially great mood today."
Mentioning Gold Ship, Ryūju Momo's face lit up with uncontainable joy, her usually cool voice softening noticeably.
"Hm... You go ahead. Let me see if you've improved at all these days." Diego stretched his arms and sneered. "This great one has already stolen enough spotlight. Now I just wanna sip some coffee and chill."
With that, Diego headed for the stands, leaving Ryūju Momo with a solid view of his back.
Dio truly is the greatest man...
Ryūju Momo gazed after him dreamily, eyes glued to his figure, a slut-like smile spreading across her face.
"...What am I even thinking? Time to prep and get out there..."
Realizing she was practically drooling, Ryūju Momo slapped her own cheeks twice to snap out of her fantasy.
...
Over in the stands, Kessoku Band's four members happened to be performing rock music during halftime, pumping up the students' enthusiasm for the sports festival.
Snap...
A crisp sound of disposable chopsticks separating.
As the West Team's ace, Diego carried a bowl of takoyaki and swaggered over to sit next to Takanashi Rikka in the East Team section, mumbling through a mouthful:
"Munch munch... So? This is the band I, Dio, personally trained."
"Ah, Dio-kun! Why are you over on the East Team side?" Seeing Diego approach, Kitagawa Marin waved excitedly without thinking. "It sounds amazing! Especially the contrast of cheerful little Kita singing gloomy, world-weary lyrics with a smile—it's just perfect!"
"Right~? I knew this idea would blow up when I thought of it!" Diego looked like he'd found a kindred spirit, beaming with excitement.
Fujiwara Chika leaned in curiously. "But Diego-kun, aren't you joining the overtime? With you on West Team, they'd definitely win, right?"
"Huh? Why should Dio-sama have to bust his ass for the West Team's victory? How much does a West Team win even matter?" Diego frowned. "I'm undisputed No.1 in the horse racing event. Once the goal's achieved, whether West lives or dies has nothing to do with me."
"Eh—!! Is that how it is?"
"What else would you think?"
Meanwhile, in another corner of the East Team area, Shinomiya Kaguya looked grim as she discussed overtime with Hayasaka Ai.
"Hayasaka, are there really no more available riders?"
The East Team's original overtime rider had been rushed to the hospital from food poisoning. Horse racing required both talent and resources, leaving them suddenly short-handed.
Hayasaka Ai shook her head, laying out the data for Shinomiya Kaguya with a summary of the unfortunate outcome: "None left. People who can gain a horse's trust are rare to begin with. All East Team horses have already raced. If we insist on competing, we'd have to call in outside help."
"Outside help?"
Shinomiya Kaguya lightly bit her thumb, eyes dark and uncertain as her mind raced.
The only one still eligible now was Diego Brando. Should she beg him?
But the whole reason I resolved to lead East Team to victory was to beat him...
Shinomiya Kaguya faced her greatest dilemma yet.
Hayasaka Ai sighed. As maid and mistress, she easily read Kaguya's thoughts, so she shook her head, turned, and approached Diego.
"Diego-kun! Could you come over here for a sec? There's something important we need to ask you!" Gyaru-mode Hayasaka Ai made a dazzling entrance, face full of smiles. "Pretty please~ Pretty please~"
?
What is the maid lady up to?
Diego suddenly found his takoyaki tasteless. He stood and followed her to a blind spot where they faced each other.
Diego spoke first: "Maid lady, what are you doing?"
"No choice—my school persona is average grades, super part-time-working normal gyaru. I have to keep up the act in front of crowds." Hayasaka Ai reverted to her usual cool demeanor, linking arms with Diego and whining cutely. "Dio, listen—ojou-sama's being selfish again. Where am I supposed to find an overtime rider? After thinking it over, the only option left is my all-powerful boyfriend~"
"Is this your request?"
Hayasaka Ai nodded.
"Then I'll ride for East Team. I still owe you for that bottle of water anyway." Diego agreed readily with a light chuckle. "Perfect timing—I wanna see how the West Team reacts to East winning the championship. Oh, and I can give Mojo Jojo some pointers along the way."
"Hand over the East Team armband. I'm heading to the stable to pick a horse."
Diego ripped off his West Team armband, put on the East one, and defected. With his hyper-efficient style, he headed straight for the stable without pause.
So who the hell is Mojo Jojo? Do we even have someone like that at school?
Hayasaka Ai was a bit confused. Even after memorizing the entire student roster, she couldn't figure out who that was.
...
At the stable, Hayakawa Tazuna accompanied Diego, constantly introducing the horses.
The first horse that caught his eye was Matikane Tannhäuser, a cherry blossom pureblood racehorse who looked adorably airheaded, like a natural ditz.
"No need to introduce—I can tell myself." Diego declined Hayakawa Tazuna's enthusiasm and secretly used the Language of Spirits to read Matikane Tannhäuser's words—or rather, the song she was singing.
"Mambo, mambo~! Festival mambo~♪, heyo mambo, festival mambo~♪, cool and breezy, swaying along, festival mambo~♪"
This kid feels kinda dumb, but so cute!
This is exactly what Dio wants!
Just as Diego prepared to choose Matikane Tannhäuser, she felt an extreme affinity from Diego's presence and nuzzled her head over—only to accidentally get elbowed in the face when he turned, causing a nosebleed.
"wryyyyy—!!! My beloved horse!!!"
The horse lover Diego let out a piercing scream and tearfully had to choose another.
The second was a gray horse named Oguri Cap. Born with a congenital defect—right foreleg splayed outward and deformed, unable to stand—sired by a second-rate racehorse with unpromising bloodline. Yet through her low center-of-gravity running style and indomitable will, she rose to fame and claimed numerous victories.
Oguri Cap's story piqued Diego's strong interest, but after the Language of Spirits translation, he gave up on choosing her.
"So hungry—when's dinner already—?"
Seeing a child this starved still forced to run, the horse lover issued a strong condemnation. After filling Oguri Cap's feed trough with hay, he turned to the next target.
(Thanks, yellow-haired person.)
Oguri Cap happily began eating.
The third...
Tokai Teio...
The name drew Diego in—after all, "Emperor" suited him perfectly!
"Are you planning to choose Tokai Teio? I wouldn't recommend her for the race. Though her injuries have healed, it's been a year since her third fracture, and she hasn't raced since."
Diego narrowed his eyes, studying Tokai Teio's gaze. That look was all too familiar—he'd seen it in himself countless times.
It wasn't despair; it was a ravenous hunger for victory!
"It's her!"
Diego never worried about rejection. His experiences in the coliseum and racetrack had raised his affinity with animals to unprecedented heights.
As expected, the moment Tokai Teio left her stall, she charged straight to Diego, signaling him to mount.
Roar, already itching to claim victory, huh.
Tokai Teio carried Diego, striding with imperial steps onto the overtime track.
"Dio?" Ryūju Momo stared in surprise at his armband, incredulous. "For real—you're riding for East Team?"
"Of course. Didn't you want to go head-to-head with me? Gold Ship's fighting spirit looks solid too. Ready to show your real skills?"
A dramatic twist unfolded as Dio pulled another stunt, igniting the entire audience.
"Hey hey hey, can West Team sub in for East in overtime?"
"Let me check... the rules don't prohibit it..."
"East Team really played a bad move. No way Dio from West would go all-out for East."
Watching Diego poised on the track, Shinomiya Kaguya's gaze gradually unfocused as something dawned on her.
Why is Diego Brando helping me?
Could it be...
No no no, he's just making sure West wins easily. But thanks to him, East at least avoids a no-show.
"Race start!"
At the announcer's command, the horses surged forward in unison.
Currently leading was Silence Suzuka, out front.
Diego's Tokai Teio held second, closely tailing Silence Suzuka, while Ryūju Momo's Gold Ship followed leisurely at the rear.
"No rush to pass. Victory is ours." Diego whispered soothingly into Tokai Teio's ear, calming her urge to overtake.
To protect Tokai Teio's legs, he chose the most comfortable style for the horse: 'Wind Shield Drafting Run'.
Wind Shield Drafting Run: Follow in the slipstream dead zone behind the lead horse to reduce wind resistance fatigue, preserve stamina, and gradually overtake others.
Without precise horse control, it risks collisions and accidents—making it a highly dangerous tactic!
Diego's original plan was to pick a mid-pack horse as a shield, but Tokai Teio's impatience forced a change: using the leading Silence Suzuka as the shield instead.
Soon reaching the final lap, the smug Silence Suzuka maintaining her lead was suddenly overtaken by the hidden Gold Ship from the back.
Diego also guided Tokai Teio past Silence Suzuka, falling in behind Gold Ship.
"Gold Ship, Gold Ship overtakes!! Will the final champion be born right here?!"
In the stands, Ishikawa Toru raised a flag.
"Ishikawa, you think Dio big bro still has a shot?"
"Even so, Teio's fractured three times. Second place would already be amazing. If Teio wins, I'll shave my head bald."
"Yeah..."
On the track, all horses entered the sprint phase.
"Dio, you're strong as expected. My riding skill can't match yours, but choosing an injured horse is your downfall." Ryūju Momo's voice carried from ahead.
"...Downfall? The real match is just starting." Diego grinned ferociously. "Gold Ship earning first before the final turn as a closer is praiseworthy, but that's it."
"Tokai Teio's coming up! Eh?! Tokai Teio's coming up?!"
The announcer's habitual line slipped out before he realized and was stunned by Tokai Teio's acceleration.
"No problem—your legs still have plenty left! Breathing steady, fighting spirit sky-high!" Diego pressed lower again, encouraging Tokai Teio once more. "It sucks when no one thinks you'll win, right? Feels frustrating, doesn't it? You wanna win so bad, don't you?"
As if responding to Diego, Tokai Teio surged forward, closing the gap with Gold Ship to half a length.
"What?! How are you side by side with me?!" Ryūju Momo broke into a cold sweat at Diego beside her.
No way... am I about to lose to an injured horse...
"Mojo Jojo, this is lesson one in horsemanship from me—listen well: Everything has its habits." Diego's voice roared through the wind into Ryūju Momo's ears. "Especially horses—they feel pressure even more intensely than humans and each has their own personality."
"For example, some horses always flick their tail before sprinting, others try to drift outward when pressured, some toss their heads, some rotate their ears when a disliked horse closes in, some lower their bodies on purpose, some change their gait..."
"If you spot your opponent's mount's quirks during the race and attack those weaknesses, you can overtake effortlessly."
"Take your Gold Ship—she drifts slightly right every 8 breaths. Naturally, that slows her when her body shifts."
"5, 6, 7, 8—drift right!"
Sure enough, right after Diego spoke, Gold Ship's body edged slightly right.
At the same time, Diego gripped the reins, pressed low to cut Tokai Teio's wind resistance, and whispered: "One more sprint. Show them—the winners will definitely be us!"
Boom!
Tokai Teio accelerated again, this time breaking through like shattering the sound barrier. In the final instant before the line, she overtook Gold Ship by half a length.
"Tokai Teio overtakes? Tokai Teio—it's Tokai Teio!"
"First across the line is Tokai Teio! Taking victory with a half-length lead over Gold Ship!"
"The final winner is East Team—!!"
Today's verdict: The doctor in charge of student checkups suffered a crushing defeat!
(Betting his entire medical career and pride, he still couldn't land a needle in Diego's arm for a blood test, sinking into despair)