Hours later, after another soul-shattering ride on the jeep and a thankfully pleasant fly on the jet, we finally made it back to Secretariat's mansion. Not much happened after that—we just walked back home, and since the [Santa Anita Handicap] was only a few days away, Secretariat only gave me some light training before she told me to rest for the rest of the day.
Which was why I was laying on my bed, staring emptily at the ceiling. Even now I'd failed to find a hobby that could stick with me for longer than a couple weeks, which left me with little to do whenever I had an abundance of time. Normally I'd be quite peeved at it, but not today. Perhaps it was the BBQ and the motherload of cholesterol I'd consumed, or maybe it was the meeting with a young Taiki Shuttle. But whatever it was, I didn't really feel the need to do anything right now.
So the only thing I could do was just ponder.
The [Santa Anita Handicap]; it's a 2000 meter race, run across a Dirt track and exclusive only for Senior runners. Held in Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California—it's considered one of the most important races during the Winter-Spring seasons, mostly because the prize money for winning it was quite big for a race this early on during the year.
Other than just offering quite the penny, it was also one of the first G1 races held in the year, which made it a suitable event for two umamusume who'd dominated during their Classic years to clash once more. This was apparently common enough that it'd become the race's slogan.
So I did some research to see if there was anyone I had to look out for. But aside from the current favorite to win, an umamusume called Nasr el Arab, most of the other runners weren't too special. I mean, most American umamusume were generally stronger than those in Japan, but even then they didn't pose too much of a threat.
But I did find someone interesting during it. While I was looking through some other races during March, I found a strikingly familiar name, set to run in the upcoming [San Felipe Stakes].
No.7, Sunday Silence.
When I first saw that name, I nearly dropped the clipboard I'd been holding. To say that I was shocked to find that Sunday Silence existed in this world would be a severe understatement.
An umamusume version of Silence Sunday might not have appeared in the games or anime, but anyone with a mild interest in the lore would know who Sunday Silence was. Known as the 'Sire of Sires' in Japan, he was an American-bred horse that sired many legends. A list that included legends like: Agnes Tachyon, Manhattan Cafe, Silence Suzuka, Special Week—and many more.
His effect on the Japanese horse racing scene was so massive that he basically altered the sport itself.
But confusion also followed that shock, because while a version of Sunday Silence technically didn't exist in the original umamusume, there was a being that was implied to be Sunday Silence.
Specifically, the 'ghost friend' of Manhattan Cafe.
Which was confusing, to put it mildly. If Sunday Silence actually existed as an umamusume, who would Manhattan Cafe's invisible friend be? Or would she not have one at all?
And it seemed that my System agreed with me as well, considering it created an entire Mission because of it.
[Mission: An Odd Dissonance?
The Hero has noticed a strange discrepancy regarding an umamusume named Sunday Silence. Though the world continued on as normal, dark clouds churned in the Heavens, as if a terrible Fate awaits.
Task: Discover the connection between Sunday Silence and Manhattan Cafe.
Reward: {Chase Me}, +200 SP
Failure: Fate Tolls its Bell]
I frowned deeply as I swiped the panel away, sighing slightly as I sunk deep into thought. The Mission itself didn't surprise me much; my System rarely gave out Missions in the first place. The fact that it'd picked up on my confusion regarding Sunday Silence wasn't strange either, since that was how most of my Missions began anyway.
No. It was the fact that there was a consequence for Failure that truly shook me. And more than that, the words were…unsettling. 'Fate Tolls its Bell' might sound vague, but it wasn't hard to infer what that really meant.
And it's-, I don't know. I knew that my System was literally called the Umamusume Hero System and all, and that my racing persona borrowed inspirations from classic fantasy Heroes, but I never expected to actually play Hero in real life! How the hell was I supposed to stop this 'terrible fate' the Mission was talking about!?
I grit my teeth as I ran a hand through my hair. Even now, after days of occasionally pondering about it, I hadn't yet come to a conclusion as to what to do. It certainly didn't help that I'd be returning to Japan in early April since I was planning on running in the [Spring Tenno Sho], meaning that I had a strict time limit-!
"Star?"
I blinked, and only then realized that Oguri had entered our shared bedroom without me noticing. "Ah, Oguri?"
She frowned slightly. "What's wrong?"
I opened my mouth for a moment to tell her that nothing was wrong, before I closed my mouth. Oguri might not be the brightest, but that didn't mean she wasn't perceptive. She could easily pick out my lies, and she'd only gotten better at doing so the longer we've stayed together.
Eventually, I just sighed as I patted the space next to me. Her ears perked up for a moment, but perhaps sensing the dour mood, her expression returned to normal as she laid next to me.
"It's…how do I say this…" I began, a wary frown on my lips. "I-, uh, okay. Hypothetically, if I wanted to-, uh, save someone from a danger I didn't know about, how would I get to doing that?" I sighed tiredly as I gripped my hair. "Like, I know nothing about them or their life, yet I know that if I don't do anything, something bad will happen to them."
I smiled wryly as I turned to her. "Sorry, this probably sounds-" The rest of my words were stuck in my throat as I saw her expression. Oguri didn't show a trace of disbelief, and her eyes bored into mine with a stark clarity.
"So you know nothing about them?" She asked back.
"Uh, no." I said genuinely, considering I didn't actually know what Sunday Silence was like in this world. "Practically nothing."
She nodded. "Is she an uma?"
"Yes…?"
Oguri nodded once more, looking like she'd come to some great conclusion. Then, she rolled closer and poked my cheek. "Then run with her." She said, smiling slightly.
I paused, and then my eyes sharpened as I began considering the possibility of that scenario. Running against her in a race would be impossible, considering Sunday Silence's [San Felipe Stakes] was exclusive to Classic runners.
On the other hand, if I remembered right, Sunday Silence was a student in the Kentucky Tracen Academy. I could easily get Secretariat's help to make a visit there, maybe under the excuse that I was scouting possible Tracens I could attend for my next year racing in America. And while I was there, I could 'accidentally' bump into Sunday Silence.
Yeah, that'd definitely work. All I needed to do was to convince Secretariat, but that wasn't really all that hard. That woman liked travelling to all sorts of places.
Meanwhile, laying next to me, Oguri smiled gently as she saw the doubt in my expression finally clear, and she bore witness to that familiar burning determination. Though she then yawned, as she brought herself a little closer to me, her hands unconsciously hugging my arm.
I blushed slightly, but I then smiled. "Ah, sorry. You're probably a little tired, huh?" Oguri just mumbled as she pressed her face into my sleeve, and I chuckled as I patted her head. "Yeah, not surprising. That Texas BBQ was pretty filling after all."
"You're going to sleep too?" Oguri asked softly.
I shrugged. "Don't see why not." I smiled. "Not much else to do but rest. My race's coming up, after all."
Oguri hummed. "You're going…to win." She whispered, her ears drooping further as she grew drowsy.
And once Oguri fell asleep, I smiled softly as I patted her head. "Yeah." I said, shifting slightly to make ourselves a little more comfortable. "I will."
"So watch me, Oguri."
…
「Alright, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Santa Anita Park!」
「On this very day, we now hold the prestigious [Santa Anita Handicap]!」
The crowd cheered alongside a symphony of trumpets—the sudden loud sound causing the nearby birds to panic and fly away in droves.
Hearing the passionate crowd, the announcer—who sat by a table set up not too far away from the track—grinned as he began introducing all the runners.
「Our favorite for today! An incredible runner who'd shown a wonderful victory in last year's G1 [Oak Tree Invitational]. The powerful but playful jokester-!」
「No.3, Nasr el Arab!」
Nasr el Arab walked onto the track, her G1 outfit showcasing the rippling muscles in her arms and legs. The muscular umamusume grinned with excitement as she stepped onto the track, and the crowd cheered her on as she waved at them.
With the favorite called on, the announcer continued on with the other runners participating in the race. They didn't garner as much excitement as Nasr did when she stepped onto the track, but the crowd cheered them on regardless.
And then, a familiar name was spoken.
「Now, time for a complete surprise!」
「Having joined at quite literally the last minute! A runner who came from Japan, having achieved 3rd place in last year's world-shaking [Japan Cup]!」
「The sixth favorite—No.9, Blossom Star!」
An umamusume stepped onto the track, garbed in white cloths that resembled a Hero's garb. A golden star hung from her left ear, glimmering beneath the sunlight. Her bright blue eyes glowed with eerie intensity, seeming to leave behind a thin contrail as she walked.
Whispers immediately broke out amongst the crowd. Naturally, most of them knew about last year's [Japan Cup] and the amazing scene that'd occurred. It was where all of humanity was first shown the incredible sight of an umamusume's Domain, and in that race, they'd seen three!
And for this addition to have taken 3rd place during it--
「Blossom Star, huh?」Nasr whispered, before she grinned sharply.「She's definitely no punk.」She narrowed her eyes.「Seems like this race ain't gonna be easy.」
I just smiled serenely, pretending not to notice the commotion around me as I walked towards my designated gate. And once I was inside, I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath, waiting for that fateful moment.
I could feel the interested gazes turning towards me, but I gave them no mind. I didn't need the distraction.
After all, the one I loved was watching me from the audience.
And there was no way I could deliver something less than my absolute best.
「Alright, folks. It's 'bout time for the race to begin!」
.
.
.
AN: It's going to be a busy week, so I apologize if there's only one chapter a day. As usual, it'll pass soon, and I'll make sure to mention when things become a little calmer.