Whether it was Silence Suzuka with her astonishing records, Narita Brian who faced no rivals in the Triple Crown, or the accomplished Green Grass.
Compared to these names, Admire Vega seemed somewhat lacking.
She didn't have particularly dazzling achievements.
At some point, a saying began circulating among the Uma Musume—a kind of unspoken rule, unchallenged for so long that people came to see it as an ironclad truth, something you could judge at a glance and know their whole career.
The first was: Grey coats can't run fast.
Long-time fans with years of watching experience knew this well. Up to the present day of the [Twinkle Series], being a Grey seemed like a curse on an Uma Musume.
Without exception, they rarely won races.
It was as if their hair color destined them, no matter how hard they tried, to fade into the crowd, unable to deliver truly outstanding results.
So people didn't hold high expectations for Grey Uma Musume.
That rule was completely shattered with the emergence of Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross.
These two fighters, battling and winning their way up, climbed through sheer effort to heights that made everyone look up in awe.
Beyond their own strength, breaking free from fate's bindings and overturning people's beliefs was another reason spectators found them so thrilling.
Apart from that rule, there was another saying that remained unbroken to this day.
That was: Twin sisters cannot become outstanding Uma Musume.
This phrase also spread widely among the crowds.
Some Uma Musume weren't only children; they had sisters.
Among them, whether older or younger, once they became Uma Musume, none achieved particularly ideal results.
A look through past race records would show this wasn't baseless.
Those who left their mark in Uma Musume history were all only children.
People believed twins competed for nutrients in the womb, leading to innate physical abilities lower than other babies at birth.
And innate ability was crucial for an Uma Musume—it determined bone and muscle growth, and the timing of their Maturation.
Starting behind others meant unless they put in several times the effort, catching up would be extremely difficult.
Trying to compete in the [Twinkle Series] against those blessed with effort, strength, and talent was nearly impossible.
So twins were like a taboo on the track—their birth meant being cut off from racing.
'Don't expect much from them,' 'Just trying hard is enough'—such thoughts had become common consensus among fans.
Even if they lost, people would shrug it off with, 'What can you do? She's a twin,' when facing the competitor.
As if they were born without the right to win.
And at Tracen Academy, there was one such twin Uma Musume.
Admire Vega.
Even though her sister had sadly passed away in their mother's embrace, she still came into this world as a twin.
It seemed destined from birth that she couldn't become a proper Uma Musume.
Yet, in this atmosphere of low expectations, driven by an obsession for her sister, Admire Vega stepped onto the track.
In her debut race, not comfortable under everyone's gaze, she veered and obstructed an opponent, resulting in a foul that dropped her from first to fourth place.
Even so, she showed considerable strength in that debut, outpacing many rivals.
The curse, it seemed, was beginning to loosen its grip on her.
Then in the next stakes race, the [Erica Sho], Admire Vega lived up to hopes and won.
You could say Admire Vega was constantly shouldering the curse, then breaking through it.
Amid the surrounding cheers, some might just be hyping the atmosphere, responding to Gold Ship's rallying.
But some were genuinely rooting for her.
At the edge of the training field, a gray-haired girl with a bob cut—who'd fought for her spot—watched Admire Vega running on the track.
"Running on the track for someone you love."
At this moment, Admire Vega wasn't stepping onto this field to atone, nor just to share the joy of victory with her sister.
She was doing it for herself, pursuing her own happiness.
"How wonderful…"
Curren Chan kept her eyes fixed on her, then brought her hands together in front of her mouth, took a deep breath.
"Go for it, Vega—!!"
--+--
She was faster than expected!
Balancing pressure from behind while focusing on Silence Suzuka.
Two forces of will pressed down on Narita Brian, making nervous sweat bead on her forehead constantly.
So this was what it felt like to think while running?
More exhausting than imagined…
Originally, racing against Green Grass shouldn't have required such complex thoughts; even with Admire Vega joining midway, it shouldn't have been this passive.
But Silence Suzuka's appearance changed the entire race dynamic.
As an Uma Musume known for her Great Escape, Narita Brian had to constantly monitor her movements, turning what should have been Brian's race to control upside down.
Of course, blaming the race situation on an opponent was petty—Narita Brian didn't think it was Silence Suzuka's fault.
She just hadn't figured out how to break through yet.
Letting instinct run wild, running free.
That method wasn't suitable for the early stages of a race.
You could say, before reaching the critical moment that decides victory, it was all about stamina conservation for the Uma Musume—whoever conserved the most would have the advantage in the final stretch.
Tactical Uma Musume would use strategies during this time to drain others' stamina, boosting their own chances.
But Narita Brian wasn't that type.
For her, before the pushing phase, it was just about staying with the pack.
But the current situation left no room for her old approach.
Silence Suzuka was faster than expected. If Brian waited until the designated 2000-meter mark to push, closing the gap the two had opened might be too hard.
Guess I have to start early…
Air—Narita Brian gulped it down like a beast tearing into prey, filling her body with energy.
Her foot slammed heavily onto the ground. With a sharp crack, her fierce form closed in right behind Silence Suzuka.
A two-length gap vanished instantly.
"Whoa??!! Narita Brian is accelerating, Narita Brian is accelerating here! Could it be that she doesn't want to let Silence Suzuka get away, choosing to stick close behind?"
"That's just like you, Shadow Monster! Even here in the commentator's seat, I can feel that pounding heartbeat—see that, Cafe? Narita Brian's form!"
While commentating, Gold Ship didn't forget to acknowledge the frowning Manhattan Cafe beside her, holding the mic to her mouth.
"Mhm…"
"She sees it! She sees Narita Brian's effort! OK, one point for Narita Brian, yep!?"
"Wait, Green Grass—even after that acceleration, Green Grass is still right behind Narita Brian. Can she just not shake her off?"
As if locked in by chains, the moment Narita Brian accelerated, Green Grass moved too, the two maintaining nearly the same distance.
She can keep up with my acceleration!
Hearing the unchanged footfalls behind her, Narita Brian frowned tightly.
How is she doing this?
--+--
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.