"Miss Toujou, thank you for having me this time."
In the spectator stands, Minamizaka and Toujou Hana were seated on one side of Rigil's exclusive viewing area.
The view from here was among the clearest, offering a full panorama of the racetrack, especially the final stretch.
"Not a problem. Since Symboli Rudolf and the others aren't coming, the seats would have been empty anyway."
Toujou Hana crossed her arms, maintaining her usual aloof demeanor—a persona she kept up everywhere except around Okino.
Her gaze drifted towards Barbatos and the others seated not far away.
Once, after Special Week's debut victory, Okino had asked her if she regretted not recruiting Special Week for Rigil. Her response had been that Special Week was a gem, but still uncut, needing time to reveal her true quality.
If it were Barbatos instead of Special Week, would she still have been so composed back then?
Down on the track below, the participating Uma Musume were beginning to enter, and El Condor Pasa stepped into the starting gate.
Seeing El Condor Pasa, the corner of Toujou Hana's lips lifted almost imperceptibly. Recruiting only the top performer had been Rigil's standard from the very beginning.
Since El Condor Pasa had won first place in the team entry test and joined Rigil, she believed El Condor Pasa would live up to her own words—aiming for the world, striving to become the number one Uma Musume globally.
Whether it was Special Week or Barbatos, neither was a matter she needed to dwell on.
Besides, Barbatos hadn't even taken Rigil's entry test; she'd had the option to go to Canopus from the start.
She took a soft breath. "Whether it's Barbatos or Seiun Sky, it seems Canopus is on the rise now. Congratulations."
Toujou Hana offered her sincere congratulations.
She and Minamizaka weren't particularly close, but as fellow trainers, they'd crossed paths and exchanged words now and then.
She held a rather favorable impression of Minamizaka.
While one needed to be strict with the Uma Musume under their charge, there was no need for such formality with colleagues.
Minamizaka gave a light laugh and scratched his head, appearing somewhat boyish compared to Toujou Hana.
They were around the same age, but compared to Toujou Hana, the trainer of Japan's strongest team, Minamizaka still lacked a bit of experience and exposure. "Thank you."
"From now on, we'll be rivals."
"Huh?"
Minamizaka was taken aback for a moment before he processed her meaning. Sooner or later, Barbatos and Seiun Sky would face off against Rigil's El Condor Pasa and Grass Wonder.
Even if they were all classmates and on good terms, on the racetrack, even teammates became opponents.
And judging by what they'd shown so far, these few wouldn't just be opponents—they were likely to become archrivals!
His expression instantly turned serious, becoming solemn.
"We at Canopus will absolutely not lose to Rigil!"
He didn't just refer to Barbatos or Seiun Sky individually but used "Canopus" as a whole.
Twin Turbo and the others were about to debut too, and he believed they wouldn't lose to Rigil either.
Having faith in the Uma Musume under his care was something he considered essential.
If a trainer didn't even believe in his own Uma Musume, how could he expect others to place their hopes in them?
Hmm, if Twin Turbo were here, she'd probably draft a letter of challenge.
Maybe Canopus would even hold a strategy meeting on how to defeat Rigil and become Japan's strongest team.
"Then we at Rigil will be waiting to see," Toujou Hana replied with the confidence and composure of the challenged.
--+--
At the same time.
On the other side of the spectator stands.
King Halo, Grass Wonder, Maruzensky, Barbatos, and Seiun Sky were seated together.
Having one legendary Uma Musume sitting among four from the same generation felt slightly out of place.
But Maruzensky was inwardly thrilled.
She'd been hearing lately that some people said she seemed very mature, almost like an auntie.
So, she figured she should spend more time among the younger generation, see what they usually talked about, and if there was anything she could learn from them.
That way, she could show everyone that she, Maruzensky, was still young.
Where exactly did she seem mature!
"It's about to start. Do you think El Condor Pasa can win?"
"During the relay marathon, El Condor Pasa already pushed Inari One to activate her Zone. This is just the Daily Hai; there's no way she'd have any problems."
Barbatos was busy stacking "flags" for El Condor Pasa.
Well, on the surface, that's how it seemed.
But truthfully, she wasn't even worried about jinxing anything anymore—her words were meant at face value.
She was confident El Condor Pasa could win this race.
Aside from El Condor Pasa, she didn't recognize any of the other participants. Even if they'd be rivals in the future, right now, if she wasn't cheering for El Condor Pasa, who else could she cheer for?
"There's no way El Condor Pasa could lose. She's the Uma Musume who once defeated me," King Halo stated with absolute certainty.
Just like the tidal wave of cheers outside, none of the spectators were here to see who would win—they were here to witness the birth of another "Prodigy of the Era."
It was like when someone wins the Satsuki Sho and the Japanese Derby, most people watching the Kikuka Sho are there to witness the birth of a Triple Crown winner.
Of course, even so, the outcome of sports is unpredictable—race results are never certain.
Unless the participant is the "Emperor" herself, Symboli Rudolf!
Even two-crown Uma Musume who've won the Satsuki Sho and the Japanese Derby have been caught in the Kikuka Sho, ultimately missing the Triple Crown.
This suddenly made Maruzensky a bit puzzled.
"Oh? If you're all so sure El Condor Pasa can win, why did you come to watch?"
King Halo: "..."
She had come because Barbatos invited her.
"Of course, to cheer for El Condor Pasa," Barbatos replied frankly.
It wouldn't do to say, while sitting in Rigil's seats, that she was here to scout potential rivals for the Oka Sho. Studying a rival team's members from their own stands felt a bit awkward.
Back when she ran in the Keio Hai, even though she hadn't unlocked a few skills, she had gone all out against Tacit Accord.
Now, she should be able to gauge El Condor Pasa's current level.
Down on the track.
El Condor Pasa was positioned toward the rear, like an eagle preparing to swoop down on its prey.
No one was specifically marking her, but everyone was watching her movements. As the top favorite, El Condor Pasa was undoubtedly the race's biggest contender.
Not everyone was like Tacit Accord. Not every Uma Musume could unconsciously burn their lifespan to activate a Zone.
The race commentator's voice spread through the broadcast.
"El Condor Pasa crosses the finish line!"
"She wins the Daily Cup Junior Crown by three lengths!"
"Another 'Prodigy of the Era' is born! The Phantom Bird lives up to her name!"
Barbatos: "..."
Why does it feel like El Condor Pasa won without even trying? Guess there are tiers even among G2 races, huh?
--+--
T/N: Damn the entire race was skipped. Its easier for me, but man does it feel lazy asf
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, 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.