With the sound of the starting gate, the twelve racers burst forward simultaneously, and the roar of the crowd, mingling with the spray of dirt and turf, swept across the entire training field.
"Oguri Cap-senpai—!!"
"You can do it!"
"Oguri!!!"
The shouts of students and spectators blended together. The home-field advantage made these students even more unrestrained than they would be at a racetrack. Holding up banners, waving glow sticks, and gripping megaphones, they cheered for their upperclassmen without holding back.
The scene was pure chaos.
"I'll go tell them to tone it down."
Also seated in the commentary booth and getting a headache from the noise, Air Groove requested instructions from Symboli Rudolf.
"No need, it's fine this way," Rudolf shook her head.
"Won't it disturb the other spectators?"
"Look closely, Air Groove. Look at these spectators," Rudolf gestured towards the stands with her chin. "Do you really think anyone here minds the noise?"
Everyone was slightly rising from their seats, leaning forward, shouting cheers towards the track.
Their delighted expressions made their feelings plain as day.
'Look! She's one of ours, running on the track of Central Tracen! Look how amazing she is!'
Satisfaction, pride, and the sense of honor from setting foot in the central racing grounds made this crowd more excited than they'd ever been watching any previous race.
"Performers and the audience have a symbiotic relationship. Their voices become potent medicine, helping the Uma Musume push forward and surpass their limits."
Rudolf looked at the student council vice-president beside her.
"Air Groove, how many races this vibrant do we get to experience in our lives?"
This atmosphere, where the spectators are Uma Musume and the Uma Musume are the spectators.
The entire venue fused into one entity, inseparable.
This was the true stage!
Passionate, fervent, burning with spirit—flawless.
She never wanted to see that kind of stagnant, dead-water stadium again.
Understanding Rudolf's meaning, Air Groove nodded.
"But President Rudolf, we should at least tell those students to lower their signs. They're blocking the view for the spectators behind them."
"...Mm, please see to it."
--+--
In stark contrast to the noisy outside, within a dim room, the crisp sound of keyboard clacking echoed incessantly. As the race on the training field began, the previously noisy school building finally fell completely silent at this moment.
Sitting at her computer desk, Air Shakur crossed her legs, shaking one rapidly.
"What the hell is all this…"
She scanned through the pieces of information she had painstakingly decrypted, feeling a distinct sense of being played.
It was just too absurd.
The time mentioned in the information was the latter half of the 18th century. The location wasn't specified. The content was a record of a conversation between several individuals. The entire decrypted text revolved around this dialogue.
Looking at the structured entries, Air Shakur gradually listed out the names mentioned within.
Eclipse, Bellario, Tortoise, Herod…
As more and more names were translated, Air Shakur felt dizzy.
Every single one of them was a legend written on the first page of the Uma Musume history textbooks—the founders of the sport itself.
This information was a record of a conversation between these first-generation Uma Musume.
The content was too complex. Air Shakur didn't have time to translate it sentence by sentence. She picked the part with the densest dialogue to get the gist.
The one called Eclipse had decided to go to distant lands overseas, to spread the culture of the Uma Musume to the entire world.
And she had a reason for doing this.
As eras changed, the bloodline of the Three Goddesses inherited by the Uma Musume would grow increasingly thin. If left unchecked, the day would eventually come when the goddesses' blood would disappear completely.
When that time came, the Uma Musume would no longer be able to receive the blessings of the deities.
The method to prevent the bloodline from fading was to run incessantly, to push the body to its limits, to fully awaken the potential within.
One could say that running is the innate nature of the Uma Musume, and it is also the bond that connects them to the Three Goddesses.
So they continuously, endlessly, strive to run faster, trying to fully ignite that divine blood within themselves.
Within this, competition is the best shortcut to stimulate the Uma Musume.
'We hope all Uma Musume can embrace glory and run upon this earth.'
The record stopped abruptly there. Clearly, the holder of this record hadn't included all the information.
Just as Air Shakur considered hacking into the other party's computer to check for further clues, she found they had already set up defensive measures targeted specifically against her. Breaking in again would be extremely difficult.
She estimated it would take days, at the very least.
Leaning back in her chair, Air Shakur picked up the decrypted materials, scratching her head repeatedly.
"What is all this…" she muttered again.
This stuff about everyone having the bloodline of the Three Goddesses, about it disappearing if they don't run… what kind of nonsensical, completely illogical drivel was this?
The whole text gave her a bizarre feeling.
It was like saying the house she lived in was built from magical elements, the water she drank was a lifeform with no fixed shape, and her own body was formed from condensed divine blood.
It shattered the scientific, rational worldview Air Shakur cherished.
Moreover, she had never seen this content in any textbook. None of the course materials mentioned a time when the legendary Uma Musume all gathered together.
Typing rapidly, Air Shakur repeatedly reviewed her decryption method.
After double-checking and confirming there were no mistakes, she let out an irritated sigh.
"Dammit…"
The fact that it was 'correct' was the most frustrating part.
Stuffing the documents into a bag, Air Shakur prepared to burn these meaningless papers.
She didn't want to waste any more time on them.
But every time she raised her arm to throw them away, it fell back down heavily.
"Why? Why can't I just discard them? Getting further involved is a complete waste of energy!"
Air Shakur scolded her own uncontrollable hands.
She could absolutely use this time to create more rational running plans, observe the people at the league matches, analyze their data, and devise more suitable training regimens for herself.
She could use this time to improve her own abilities, not spend it on this worthless stuff.
"Why are you stopping me…" Air Shakur questioned herself.
'The faster an Uma Musume runs, the closer she draws to the Three Goddesses. When an Uma Musume's speed breaks the limits, she can step into the realm of the gods…'
"Rubbish! Nonsense! No logic at all! Total bullshit!"
After venting her frustration in the empty classroom, Air Shakur finally calmed down. Looking at the bag now nearly crumpled to shreds in her grip, she silently loosened her hold.
It's not fair for me to be the only one suffering. She'd make the culprit behind this whole mess taste the same agony she was feeling!
That's right. Just thinking about that face made her blood boil.
"Agnes Tachyon, you... just you wait!"
Cursing vehemently, Air Shakur dialed Agnes Tachyon's number.
"…"
Dammit! No answer!
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.