After racing against that black figure, Fujiwara Chiya came to understand the gap between himself and someone of absolute strength.
Actually, was that person really running?
Wasn't she floating?
No matter how Fujiwara Chiya thought about it, he could not bring himself to believe she was alive.
A ghost, a soul, or perhaps some other kind of existence.
A god?
No, that should be impossible. Although this world did indeed have gods other than the Three Goddesses, the other party was unmistakably an uma musume. In that case, she had to be under the Three Goddesses' domain.
As far as Fujiwara Chiya knew, the only creature in this world capable of reaching that kind of speed was a cheetah. Anything faster than that belonged in the sky.
That said, cheetahs were sprinters. In terms of stamina, uma musume would leave them several streets behind.
Uma musume… leopard girl?
Fujiwara Chiya shook his head and stopped letting his thoughts wander.
"Bad omen!"
A strange cry suddenly came from beside him. Fujiwara Chiya looked over and saw the girl who performed those weird rituals. Ah, no, the fortune-teller who had declared that he was doomed by romantic misfortune.
Matikane Fukukitaru.
Her yellow, starry eyes stared straight at him.
"Trainer-san, where did you go yesterday? Don't tell me you went to a haunted house!"
"I didn't."
"There's so much bad luck clinging to you! It's practically like you ran into something evil!"
Ran into something evil?
I might actually have run into something evil last night.
"Let me exorcise it for you, Trainer-san. Otherwise, something unfortunate might happen, you know."
"No, I've already had enough of these gods and ghosts…"
"Uwah!"
A girl carrying a water bucket happened to pass by Fujiwara Chiya. At that exact moment, the bucket's handle suddenly snapped, and the water inside splashed all over him.
"I'm so sorry, Trainer-san! I'll wipe it off right away!"
"…Fukukitaru, maybe you should exorcise me after all."
"Ooh, leave it to me!"
It seemed what he had encountered last night really was a ghost or a spirit after all. After Matikane Fukukitaru scattered a heap of flower petals over him, then tapped him several times with a strange stick, Fujiwara Chiya felt his shoulders become inexplicably lighter. The stiffness in his body also vanished.
"It actually worked."
"Hmph, naturally. Shiraoki-sama is a god who brings good fortune."
Matikane Fukukitaru puffed out her chest proudly.
"Chiya, are you here?"
Hayakawa Tazuna walked into the room and saw Fujiwara Chiya sitting cross-legged on the floor, flower petals piled on his head and shoulders. Beside him stood Matikane Fukukitaru, holding a strange staff. The floor was also covered in yellow talismans.
"Um… are you two performing a ritual?"
"I'm exorcising Trainer-san. Although I can't remove the greatest calamity attached to him."
"Hah…"
"What is it, Tazuna-san?"
"The Director is looking for you. It's about the race. She wants you to come to her office."
Leaving Matikane Fukukitaru alone in the office to play around, Fujiwara Chiya headed to the Director's office. Akikawa Yayoi waved her fan lightly.
"First, allow me to congratulate your team, Chiya. The results you have achieved during this period have been truly impressive."
"Thank you."
"And now, for the matter I called you here to discuss."
Akikawa Yayoi's expression turned serious.
"The next race will be the L'Arc selection race. If your team wins that race, then this year, you will be the one to challenge the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe."
Fujiwara Chiya understood this, of course. He also felt the pressure keenly. After all, he had only been a trainer for barely two years, and yet now he was about to shoulder an unprecedented responsibility.
"Central has challenged the Arc three times in total, but without exception, all attempts ended in failure. The first was Speed Symboli, an uma musume who achieved consecutive victories in the Arima Kinen, yet she failed to place. The second was Mejiro Musashi, who had also conquered the Tenno Sho. Her final result was eighteenth. And the most recent uma musume to challenge the Arc was Sirius Symboli. She was even our Derby uma musume, and her final result was fourteenth."
In other words, the difficulty of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was obvious.
Difficult.
Extremely difficult.
Unbelievably difficult.
Harder than any race in Japan.
It was not only because the participating uma musume were all exceptionally high-level. It was also because the track there was in terrible condition. Years upon years of racing had left the ground uneven and full of pits. If an uma musume was careless for even a moment, she could slip. And in a race like that, even the slightest mistake could completely destroy one's chance of victory.
Unless, of course, the runner was an exceptionally gifted athlete.
Naturally, Akikawa Yayoi had not called him here merely to explain how difficult the Arc was. There was something else she needed to tell him.
"The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe will be held on October first. The final leg of the Triple Crown will also be held around that time. Chiya, do you understand what I mean?"
Fujiwara Chiya lowered his head.
Yes.
As long as they participated in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, it meant they would have to give up the final leg of the Triple Crown. The fact that Akikawa Yayoi had deliberately chosen this timing to bring it up was naturally because the Triple Crown races were about to begin. Whether it was the Classic Triple Crown or the Triple Tiara, the situation was the same.
If they did not participate in the Arc, they could still take a gamble on the Triple Crown.
But once they chose to enter the Arc, it meant there was a very real possibility that they would lose everything.
This was a gamble with very low odds.
If he succeeded, Fujiwara Chiya would become the first trainer in Japanese history to win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. His name would be carved into history.
If he failed, he might fall all the way back to rock bottom.
Aside from that, there was another important question.
Who would race?
Which uma musume would choose to give up the final crown and step onto an overseas battlefield instead?
"Have you thought all of this through, Chiya?"
Akikawa Yayoi looked at the man, who remained silent with his head lowered.
There were some things that could not be avoided. Since he was a trainer, he had to face them.
"I have."
After thinking for a long while, Fujiwara Chiya answered.
"I want Shirayuki to participate. She will give up the final crown and enter the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe."
"Is that Shirayuki's own wish?"
"Yes."
"This is quite the high-stakes gamble, Chiya. To think you would use your younger sister for such an attempt."
"She isn't my younger sister… Besides, I've already fallen to rock bottom once. Falling again would not be that big of a deal."
From the very beginning, Fujiwara Chiya had decided that he would challenge the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Even now, he was working toward that goal.
If, back then, he had only wanted to become a senior trainer, then now Fujiwara Chiya also wanted to see what the so-called highest race in the world was truly like. He was unbearably curious about that kind of racetrack.
In any case, no matter how strong they were, those people couldn't possibly be stronger than her, right?
Fujiwara Chiya recalled the unstoppable black figure from last night.
"Very well. Then it is decided."
Akikawa Yayoi nodded.
"In the next selection race, if your team wins, Fujiwara Shirayuki will be chosen as the runner for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. When that time comes, Mei will take all of you to Europe."
"Yes."
"If there is anything you need, tell me without hesitation. You are now one of Central's key trainers to be developed, Chiya."
"In that case, there is something I would like to ask of you, Director."
"What is it?"
Fujiwara Chiya thought for a moment before speaking.
"I would like to find a quiet training location. Ideally, somewhere where one can calm down alone."