"Now! Tokyo Racecourse Turf, 2000 meters! The weather is clear!"
"The [Tenno Sho Autumn] finally begins!"
Excited cheers rang across the entire stadium, sounding alongside the opening trumpets. Hundreds of thousands of people filled every corner of the stadium, with more people watching from just behind the railing of the track and from the large screens outside the stadium.
Without a doubt, this year's [Autumn Tenno Sho] had pulled in the biggest crowd the race had ever seen since its conception. Experts estimated a physical crowd of nearly half a million, and that was without considering how many more were watching from their own homes.
It would be a record that stood for years to come.
"There are 9 runners! A lineup of legends we've all grown to love!"
Soft laughter echoed through the speakers. "Indeed, Akasaka-san. It's amazing to think that we were lucky enough to bear witness to such a legendary generation."
"Absolutely, Sakai-san!" The soft rustling of papers—the next page of the script came. "With such an astounding lineup, it's hard to choose between them all. Who stands out particularly to you, Sakai-san?"
"Let's see…"
Fujii Sensuke quickly snapped a few pictures of the starting gates. All of today's runners had already entered their gates, and it wouldn't be long before the [Autumn Tenno Sho] would finally begin.
He paused for a moment as he registered the announcers' words, and he couldn't help but smirk. "Talk about a last minute change." He muttered to himself.
And it was a last-minute change. His connection to the Director gave him a few more privileges than most, and so he knew that a few people were freaking out once they realized that Oguri Cap and Blossom Star wouldn't be participating today. The predictable flow they'd based their script on had suddenly become useless, and a few people definitely had to pull some overtime.
"Hmm, that's a difficult question. Every runner today has their chance to take their stand at the podium." The male announcer laughed softly. "Why, the top 4 of today's race had been determined by a hair's breadth, weren't they? It seems everyone is as vexed as we are."
"Yeah, sounds about right." Sensuke smiled.
Honestly, it was a good thing that neither Oguri or Star were running in this year's [Autumn Tenno Sho]. Not just because it gave them time to prepare for the [Japan Cup] or whatever, but because it made the race exciting.
No one knew who would win. No one knew who could triumph over who.
Today's medal could belong to anyone.
"Mm! I totally agree! It's going to be amazing to watch!"
"My~, what a great lineup~!"
Symboli Rudolf smiled wryly. "Please don't lean too much, Maruzensky-san." She then glanced at the track. "And it isn't as if this is abnormal, is it?"
Maruzensky hummed. "It's just amazing, isn't it? After all, I don't think your [Autumn Tenno Sho] managed to pull in this many people, did it?" She giggled. "At this point, today might as well be the [Arima Kinen]~"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves now." Rudolf said, though she knew that Maruzensky was right. All those records she'd set while she was still the Emperor—she once believed that they would be records that stood for years, decades maybe. And yet now she had the pleasure of watching the next generation tear that apart one by one.
Eclipse first, the rest nowhere. Such was the motto of Tracen Central.
And even she wasn't immune to the blinding glare of the next generation's light.
"So what about you?" Rudolf asked. "What do you think?"
"Hmm~" Maruzensky seemed to give it some thought for a few seconds, before she shrugged. "Who knows~?"
Rudolf sighed. "Maruzensky–"
But before she could finish her words, an arm suddenly slung around her shoulder and pulled her down. And it took Rudolf far too long to realize that she was apparently being held in a head-lock. Not that it was actually doing anything to her—her captor was being far too gentle to do any harm.
Rudolf sighed fondly. "Please let me go, C.B."
Mr. C.B. grinned as she playfully ruffled Rudolf's hair. "Nope. I can feel your brain getting overheated from all the thinkin' you're doing." She gave Rudolf's forehead a flick. "Stop it. Turn off that brain already. Just have fun not knowin' who's gonna win. You're gonna get grey hairs early if you keep thinking so much."
Maruzensky giggled. "Well, she already has that white lock in her hair, doesn't she~?"
C.B. playfully gasped as she pulled Rudolf up. "We gotta get you to China, Rudo! I think I heard they got some therapy to help with this!"
"You two…" Rudolf whispered, though she couldn't quite stop herself from smiling.
"Now, Fuchu—Tokyo! Under the gazes of over 500,000 spectators…!"
"The 9 umamusume who have colored this era with their grandeur–"
"Have all entered their gates!"
At the very top of the stadium—a place normally reserved for staff, a brown-haired umamusume leaned against the railing, a small smile on her lips as she watched the crowd roar with excitement. Her umamusume ears twitched slightly from all the noise, but she'd long been used to such booming cheers.
Then, her ears perked up as she heard someone approaching her, and her smile grew as she turned towards them. "So you're here, Oguri."
Oguri Cap smiled faintly, holding a cup of instant noodles in each hand. "Where you go, I go." She glanced down at the track for a moment, before she smiled. "Here. Have some, Star." She said as she offered one of those cup noodles to her.
Blossom Star grinned as she happily took the offered snack. "Curry-flavored, huh? That's different."
Oguri's drooped slightly. "Original-flavor is sold out."
"Shame." She gave Oguri a soft pat on the head. "We'll get some when we're going back."
"Nn!"
Star smile turned a little wry as Oguri began eating her cup of instant noodles. Though it's likely more correct to say that she was 'drinking' it. She didn't even bother to chew the noodles as she slurped it all up.
She rolled her eyes before she began eating her own cup of instant noodles.
There wasn't really any real reason as to why she was here. Director Akikawa had provided Team Kitahara with the best seat in the stadium, but she didn't really feel like sitting. So, using the skills she'd developed over the past couple years, she easily slipped past all the guards and made her way to this secluded spot on the top of the stadium. As for how Oguri got here-
She didn't know, nor did she want to know. Oguri seemed to be able to appear anywhere she wanted, regardless of how impossible it may be. I couldn't help but feel like she was giving physics the middle finger at times as she seemed to outright teleport from one area to the other.
Well, Oguri's inexplicable abilities aside–
It was about time for the race to begin.
Star smiled as she leaned forward, and unknowingly, her eyes glowed an eerie blue as she gazed down at the Turf below. "Good luck, everyone."
"And now…"
The world went quiet. Conversations dwindled to soft whispers. A quiet tension simmered in the air; everyone waited for that moment when the gates would slam open. Thousands of people clasped their hands together, praying that their favored runner would take the win.
And then,
BANG!
"The [Autumn Tenno Sho] has started!"
.
.
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AN: Apologies for late upload. As I mentioned a few chapters back, things have been getting busy recently. Had to push this back a little bit. As usual, today's 2 chapters will be coming out as normal.