May 11th, XXXX (Tokyo, Japan)
"Hmmm hmmm hmmm~," echoed throughout the tunnel, a lone Uma cheerfully walking back and forth as she waited for her turn. The Uma paced back and forth, her chestnut hair bobbing along as she hummed her previous Winning Live. Her blue eyes stared ahead, replaying the conversation she had with her trainer just before this race.
May 10th, XXXX
"Your performance in the Satsuki Sho has put a target on your back; everyone will be gunning for you in this race." Vincent had his back turned as he wrote on the whiteboard in front of him. "Azuma Hunter and Green Grass won't be in this race, but there's someone else you'll need to watch out for. Bamboo Atlas." He circled a name briefly on the list of others she would be racing against.
"Bamboo Atlas?" Maruzensky questioned, her head tilted to the side as she looked on curiously. Vincent had pinned pictures of all the runners on his board, and she looked curiously at the image of Bamboo Atlas. It depicted an Uma slightly shorter than herself, with short black hair and a teal/white ribbon on her right ear. She was not dressed in her G1 racing silks, but instead holding her arm up after winning a G2 race.
"Bamboo Atlas. An Umamusume who could not run in the Satsuki Sho due to recovering from an injury. She is running against you in both the NHK Mile and Tokyo Yushun. She's known for a monstrous late kick, having won her last two races while in tenth or lower." Vincent frowned as he looked at the board with crossed arms, before turning to look at Maruzensky with a smile. "Nothing you can't handle, hm?"
"Un!" Maruzensky nodded, pumping up her arms in excitement. "So we'll just do our usual. Is there anything I should watch out for?"
"As long as you build a big enough lead, you don't need to worry about Bamboo Atlas. Although, like I said, you're being marked in this race. It won't be like before, where Green Grass is trying to prevent you from taking the lead. I want you to go all out at the start, so no one can catch you." Vincent made a line showing how he wanted Maruzensky to run it, pointing towards an illustration of the gate. "You're once again on the outside at gate 14. Which is perfect for you." He grinned, something that was matched by his daughter and trainee.
Maruzensky's eyes blazed, excited for yet another race she could run in. "I got it. You can count on me!" Maruzensky smiled as she walked up and hugged her father, with him patting her back in response. "Win number seven?"
"Win number seven." Vincent agreed as they briefly high-fived before leaving. A final resting period, before the big day.
BACK WITH MARUZENSKY
"Our favorite for the NHK Mile! An undefeated Umamusume with six staggering wins! She dominated the Satsuki Sho! Can anyone stop her!? In Gate fourteen, MARUZENSKYYYYYYY!!" Maruzensky smiled as she exited the tunnel. Yoji Funayama, another commentator for the G1 circuit, announced her arrival. Maruzensky hummed as she gazed around, waving cheerfully to the people in the stands. Today was a different feeling, with her first win in the Classics bringing with it a huge fan following.
A little girl called out from near the front, waving a hand-made doll of Maruzensky as she called out to her. "Maruzenskyyy~" She waved excitedly, her blue and teal hair shaking at her exuberance, with similarly colored ears twitching on top of her head. Maruzensky blinked briefly, her eyes zoning in on the little girl, before a wide smile appeared on her face as she walked towards the crowd.
"Ah? Maruzensky is heading towards the crowd instead of the starting gate!" Yoji called out as Maruzensky came to a stop before the little girl and her parents. The parents and little girl looked briefly shocked before the little girl smiled, exposing her sharp teeth as she grinned at Maruzensky. She began frantically waving the doll towards her, which Maruzensky would briefly grab and look at.
It wasn't high quality by any means, and looked like something you could buy for under 1,500 yen. Still, she loved it. As her fingers rubbed the doll's arms and body, she could tell the love that was put into making it. She smiled before passing it back to the little girl, while leaning forward to rub the girl's head affectionately.
"You did a wonderful job making this. What's your name?" Maruzensky looked fondly at the little girl.
"Twin Turbo! I'm going to be the fastest Umamusume!" The little girl hiked a thumb towards herself, grinning as she waved her doll around. Twin Turbo's parents smiled indulgently at her, their love for their daughter shining through. Turbo looked towards her mother. "Mama says I need to wait, my body is very fr-fr- uh." She looked uncertain as she looked towards her mother, the woman looking like she was having trouble holding back her laughter.
"Fragile, honey. Your legs are still very fragile, but they'll get better as you get older. I promise." Turbo's mother fondly patted her head before looking at Maruzensky. "Thank you for indulging my daughter. I look forward to your win today." The woman grinned, her own sharp teeth showing as she showed her confidence in Maruzensky.
The mentioned Uma blinked her eyes briefly before her smile turned slightly challenging. "Of course, please look forward to it!" Maruzensky looked once more at the family, stopping to pat Turbo one last time, before walking away with a wave.
Her antics weren't well-liked by her peers, it would seem, as all of them had been giving a mixture of glares and warning looks.
"Maruzensky seems empowered after interacting with a young fan! What a tremendous aura!" Yoji stated, his eyes shining as he looked on. He wasn't wrong, as Maruzensky somehow seemed even more fired up than before, as she hopped several times with a bright smile. Her eyes traveled between her glaring competitors before landing on her potential biggest obstacle in this race, Bamboo Atlas.
Bamboo Atlas was dressed in her G1 racing silks this time, with a black and gold embroidered coat wrapped around a modified schoolgirl outfit. A white blouse, black skirt, and black/white striped gloves and boots completed her outfit. Her golden eyes burrowed into Maruzensky, narrowed in challenge. She gave a challenging grin that was matched by Maruzensky before turning and entering the starting gate. The number 2 is clearly shown on the outside.
All the other runners entered the starting gate, their gazes looking back towards Maruzensky, who was staring upward, her eyes closed. With a hum after patting her cheeks once, Maruzensky strolled into the starting gate, her eyes looking forward.
"All runners have entered the gate! The race will begin soon! Who will win the NHK Mile?! Will the favorite, Maruzensky, continue her unprecedented dominance!? Or will today mark a new chapter for the Umamusume running!?" Yoji was excellently stirring the crowd up, their cheers deafening. Afterward, a brief silence took place, the anticipation palpable. Many different Umamusume glanced over to gate fourteen, determination present on their features. For them, today would not be another Satsuki Sho. They would not, could not, let it be that way.
"The 1600m, NHK Mile… Start!" Yoji called out as the warning lights turned on, and the gates sprang open. Every racer intended to get a good position; they planned to quickly block Maruzensky's runaway charge. Unfortunately, they were not fast enough.
"Maruzensky! Maruzensky has charged through! She's taken the lead!" Maruzensky's charge burst past her opponents in a blur of red and brown, their eyes wide in disbelief at the sheer speed displayed. "Two lengths! Three lengths! Maruzensky is setting a blistering pace!" Yoji excitedly called, his eyes burning as he looked on. The rest of the runners had been thrown off, with some attempting to match the blistering pace set, the strain on their faces evident. Only one runner kept her calm, Bamboo Atlas.
Atlas could only look in slight disbelief, experiencing a runaway like this was different in person compared to the footage she had watched. Her eyes narrowed in determination as she settled in around fourteenth place. She and around three others had not fallen into Maruzensky's tempo and were conserving their stamina. Still, they didn't have much time.
"We've passed the halfway point! Maruzensky leads by five lengths! The main pack is faltering! The pace is too high!" Yoji's voice thundered out. "We're approaching the final corner! Maruzensky is all alone with a lead of six lengths! Bamboo Atlas is making her move! The back of the pack moves forward! This is it!"
Maruzensky glanced backward, seeing the group begin to surge as she rounded the corner. Her smile widened, and a light sheen of sweat fell as she continued to run. Her eyes blazed with challenge. "Come get me, Atlas." She said aloud, as she began her own spurt.
"Maruzensky has begun her spurt! Four hundred meters remain! Maruzensky's lead is eight lengths now!" Yoji leaned forward, his eyes widening as he looked back. "Bamboo Atlas! Bamboo Atlas is gaining! She's charging forward, can she catch her!?" Maruzensky blinked as she surged forward. A glance back had her widening her eyes briefly. Atlas had already charged into second!
"She's so damn fast." Atlas gritted her teeth as she charged forward. Her late kick was considered among the best of her generation. She was gaining on Maruzensky, but she could tell… it wouldn't be enough.
"Less than two hundred meters! Maruzensky leads by five lengths over Bamboo Atlas! Can she not close the distance!?" Yoji's commentary exploded out, the crowd reaching a fever pitch with the race's conclusion. "One hundred meters! Maruzensky's lead remains! Bamboo Atlas can't do it! Maruzensky! Maruzensky wins! Maruzensky wins!!!!! So strong!!"
A light tinge of red appeared in the surroundings, with Maruzensky's domain making a brief appearance. Her smile was blinding as she waved to the crowd, her eyes immediately zoning in on the blue bundle of joy. Twin Turbo jumped up and down as she met Maruzensky's gaze, waving her doll towards her. Maruzensky felt her eyes moisten; the happiness she felt in that moment… was even better than winning the Satsuki Sho. It was… so much fun.
"Hehe!" Maruzensky waved both her arms to the crowd, laughter pouring out unrestrained. Her competitors poured in one after another, their expressions despondent as they looked on, feeling a sense of defeat. Only one Uma felt differently, her hands on her knees as she panted, with her gaze locked onto Maruzensky. She stood after, marching towards the winner, her gaze determined.
"Maruzensky." A light voice called out behind her, startling the winner of the race. Maruzensky turned around, her gaze questioning as the slightly shorter Uma met her gaze determinedly. After a moment of staring, Atlas held out her right hand, a small smile on her lips. Maruzensky blinked, surprised. With a smile, she grabbed Atlas's hand, a sense of brief camaraderie and challenge echoing out. "Good race. I'll catch you in the Derby." Atlas gave a brief two-finger salute before walking back towards the tunnel.
After briefly rubbing her eyes with her sleeve, Maruzensky nodded, after Atlas had already started walking away. "I'm looking forward to it," Maruzensky said lightly. Atlas's ears briefly twitched, showing she heard, but she kept her stride, entering the tunnel quietly. Maruzensky turned her gaze around, and the rest of her competitors followed Atlas' example and moved on, only a few meeting her gaze and giving small smiles.
Maruzensky's gaze traveled upward, past the crowd, into the private seating area. She knew a certain group was seated there, and one individual in particular caused a cascade of mixed feelings for her. How different would things have been… if she missed this opportunity? Would she still feel the joy she has now? She doesn't know, but she knows what she felt at this moment.
With a hand clasped over her heart, Maruzensky bowed, her smile radiantly shining with the gratitude she felt in this moment. "Thank you. Truly." She whispered.
IN THE PRIVATE VIEWING BOOTH
"Woooooooooow!" A childish voice shouted out in excitement. Many eyes in the private viewing drifted over, seeing a small gray gray-haired Uma with a red/blue ribbon, cheering loudly. Her mother, Green Chateau, was sitting with Tamamo on her lap this time. She smiled, the joy her daughter felt watching the race feeding into her own. "She won again! How many is that now, Mama?" Tamamo Cross looked upward at her mother, her head tilting as she asked.
"Seven. Seven in a row, Tama." Green hugged her daughter close, an easy smile on her face as she watched Maruzensky celebrate. She is incredible, and seeing it in person made the experience that much better.
"Incredible. What do you think, Oguri?" White Narubi smiled at her friend while seated in the same booth. She looked down at her daughter, whose gaze was on the track as she snacked on some onigiri they had brought earlier. Her daughter looked up and was prepared to speak before Narubi placed a finger to her lips, her eyes stern. Oguri had a habit of speaking with her mouth full, like she had just tried to do.
"Mmph." Oguri let out, looking up at her mother with her cheeks bulging. She continued to chew before gulping, her eyes shining as she looked up. "Maru was super fast." She nodded along, reaching for another onigiri as she did so. Her eyes, however, were locked onto a different Umamusume who was walking off the track. Something about the Uma who came in second stuck out to her; her running style appealed to the young Uma.
"Oi, Ogurin! You ate my rice balls again! Save some for me!" Tamamo angrily held a fist out at Oguri. She ate far less than her friend, but that didn't give her the excuse to eat her portion as well!
"Sh-ory." Oguri let out, her cheeks bulging again as she held the other half of her onigiri to Tamamo. Her hand was shaking, as if it were a monumental effort to hold the food towards her friend.
Tamamo's expression immediately brightened while snatching and nibbling on the rice ball, her ears flicking in happiness. Oguri, however, smiled lightly, while a cloud of depression hung over her head. Both mothers, who were still holding their daughters, giggled as they watched the byplay.
Seated nearby, Riku grinned as he leaned forward, one hand on his cheek as he watched the byplay. Getting to see these two interact and grow up together was a good feeling. Knowing also that they could live comfortably, and get to see things like these… he wondered how things would play out when Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap joined the racing scene. A brief frown appeared over Riku's features as something occurred to him. Would Oguri still race in the local scene? Both mothers had decided to stay in Kasamatsu, and from what he had heard, they were rooming together now in Narubi's home. Perhaps both would start in the local racing scene, perhaps they'd both skip it. Only time will tell.
As he turned forward again, his eyes fixed on Maruzensky, who was smiling brightly. That was all the confirmation he needed to know he had made a difference so far. The most important race of Maruzensky's career still waited ahead, the Tokyo Yushun, but… he could tell by the smile she wore, how free she looked at this moment.
The Tokyo Yushun. The Japanese Derby. Among the Triple Crown races, it undoubtedly held the most prestige. It was a race Maruzensky had always wanted to run, to his knowledge. It's funny that in the original timeline for Umamusume and in his old world, Maruzensky was never allowed to run in that race, and fate decided to take things personally. Maruzensky's son, Sakura Chiyono O, and many grandchildren were all winners of the Derby, as if the vengeful spirit of Maruzensky was determined to win that race.
As he stood in preparation for the award ceremony and winning live, Riku could only imagine, "Just what kind of performance will you show us next, Maruzensky? I can't wait to see."
CHAPTER END