"Hoh? A rival, you say? Now that's a familiar word—but I don't think just anyone is worthy of that title."
Before Dream Weaver could even gather her thoughts, Orfevre—like a volcano ready to erupt—narrowed her eyes and fixed her gaze on T.M. Opera O beside her.
"The Legend of the Conqueror was never a one-woman show. The spotlight on stage demands two to share its brilliance. Can't wrap your head around that?"
T.M. Opera O flashed a wild, arrogant grin, lifting her chin defiantly as she stared back at Orfevre.
The intense aura crackling between them seemed to transform the entire training room into a battlefield—a true realm of clashing spirits.
"Hmph. 'Conqueror'? I never thought I'd see a pretender bold enough to call herself that in my presence!"
Orfevre let out a cold snort, looking down at Opera O as she unleashed her overwhelming, domineering presence.
"No matter how well an actor mimics a king on stage, she can never become the real thing."
"Hanging on to that just makes you a laughingstock."
"Don't you think so, oh 'Golden Tyrant'... or should I say, Anfortas?"
Faced with Orfevre's blazing, sun-like intensity, Opera O merely responded with a scornful smile and a mocking tone.
Anfortas, the Grail King from Perceval, was, in Opera O's eyes, a weak-willed monarch who chose to run from his duties—a coward whose avoidance nearly led to the ruin of his knights.
To Opera O, Orfevre—who kept emphasizing her own superiority and royal status with that archaic "we"—was no different: a king with a timid heart.
"Are you... mocking me?"
Though Orfevre didn't fully grasp the allusion in Opera O's words, the sheer arrogance of that opening was more than enough to ignite her fury.
A storm of rage blazed in her gemlike eyes. A fierce golden light erupted around her like violent thunder, and for a moment, the training room glowed as if a new sun had risen within its walls.
Her pupils contracted sharply. The wrath surrounding Orfevre manifested as a radiant, burning light—a dazzling solar flare that reflected off the white walls, filling the space with an almost unbearable brilliance.
Not to be outdone, Opera O's violet-gold eyes flashed with a trace of crimson. A surge of purple-gold energy crackled like lightning at her feet, sharp and unstoppable, as if aiming to tear that blazing sun apart.
The two would-be rulers clashed without backing down, unleashing their power freely. Such a dramatic standoff naturally drew the attention of every other Uma Musume in the room. Even Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, who had been scuffling moments earlier, stopped and turned to watch in unison.
Still, this wasn't the first time these two had faced off.
Earlier that day, when Opera O had gone to Dream Weaver's classroom hoping to further bond with the rival she'd chosen for herself, she noticed a tall, blonde Uma Musume watching Dream Weaver from a distance.
Opera O knew exactly how captivating her rival could be on the track. Though Dream Weaver hadn't yet revealed the razor-sharp, dangerous allure she'd displayed during the Satsuki Sho, she had already clinched a victory in a G3 stakes race. It was only natural that she'd attract attention.
But the only one who should stand by Dream Weaver's side was Opera O herself—the one and only Conqueror!
Confident, Opera O was just about to step forward and throw an arm around Dream Weaver's shoulder when the blonde Uma Musume suddenly appeared right in front of her, staring silently.
At first, Opera O paid it no mind. But throughout the day, every time she tried to approach Dream Weaver, Orfevre would show up in the exact same spot, silently blocking her path.
Even the most magnanimous of rulers would find that hard to tolerate.
For Orfevre, the frustration was just as real. After experiencing a strange and vivid dream, she had followed her instincts and sought out Dream Weaver on campus. But every time she worked up the nerve to approach this rival from her dreams, a certain orange-haired Uma Musume would inevitably step between them.
To make matters worse, not only was Opera O blocking Orfevre's path to the truth, but she also had the nerve to call herself "Conqueror" right in front of her—adding more fuel to the anger already simmering inside Orfevre over her confusing dream.
So it went: Orfevre and Opera O spent the entire day tailing Dream Weaver, trying to one-up each other. It wasn't until they realized Gold Ship had kidnapped Dream Weaver right from under their noses that they finally set their conflict aside—if only temporarily—and kicked open the training room door together, fury in their eyes.
But that truce was fragile. The moment they confirmed Dream Weaver was safe, the balance between them shattered, and they were right back to their standoff.
Just as tensions were reaching a breaking point, Dream Weaver—who'd been momentarily overwhelmed by the flood of names—finally collected herself.
Seated with her back to the two rivals locked in confrontation, she began to think quickly.
Generations of Uma Musume come and go. There's never only one who can truly claim to reign supreme. Out of pride and mutual respect for each other's strength, they usually acknowledge one another—so long as they don't meet face-to-face, peace can be maintained.
But today, for some reason, the Conqueror of the Century's End and the Golden Tyrant had crossed paths.
Dream Weaver's mind raced. She remembered Orfevre shouting at Gold Ship right after kicking the door down. Did Orfevre come because she discovered Gold Ship had done something to disgrace the Gold family name?
But how did Opera O get involved? Was she there when Gold Ship decided to pull off this kidnapping?
Maybe one came because Gold Ship was causing trouble again, and the other because she'd witnessed the kidnapping—so they both stormed in to intervene.
Then, after making sure Dream Weaver was safe, their proud, kingly natures instantly recognized each other as natural rivals, and the argument just... happened?
Dream Weaver had found a plausible explanation, but it didn't really help.
No matter how the argument started, she knew she had to do something—mediate, persuade, anything.
But what standing did she have to advise either of them? Breaking up a fight was tricky enough. One wrong move, one hint of bias, and the conflict could easily escalate.
Just as Dream Weaver was desperately searching for the right words in her mind, the grey-haired Uma Musume standing in front of her tilted her head as if struck by a clever idea. In one swift motion, she pulled Dream Weaver to her feet.
Slipping past the others while Opera O and Orfevre were still locked in their confrontation, she whisked Dream Weaver away and out of the room.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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