Even if the victor wasn't a domestic horse girl, this unprecedentedly spectacular race still earned thunderous applause.
Obey Your Master slowed down after crossing the finish line, her tight racing suit drenched in sweat.
Behind her, Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap followed by half a body's length.
Blue-and-gold lightning and grey-white gale winds surged behind her, yet Obey Your Master paid them no mind.
She tilted her head slightly, eyes fixed on the giant display screen.
Lines of names and times scrolled across, but her gaze locked only onto the very top.
[1st – Obey Your Master]
Snow-white letters.
And beside them: a gap of fifteen lengths over the runner-up.
The girl—
Even though she had known all along during the race,
it wasn't until she truly saw that shining "1" that the emotions long pressed deep within her heart
surged out like a roaring flood.
Slowly, she raised her hands.
I've proven myself.
A G1—secured.
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe qualification—secured.
I defeated Japan's reigning king.
From today onward, the whole world will remember my name!
The next second, Obey Your Master clenched her fists tight.
Her heart thundered so hard it shook her chest—
and the deafening cheers of Tokyo Racecourse all belonged to her alone,
her victory, hers only!
Behind her,
Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap could barely control their exhausted bodies.
They looked like two fish out of water, gasping heavily.
The immense strain seared through their entire beings,
every breath filled with burning pain that spread through their lungs.
But neither cared.
At this moment, the agony of their flesh
was nothing compared to the icy emptiness in their hearts,
a void shaped like "defeat."
Tamamo Cross slowly closed her eyes, sweat sliding down her pale face, mixing with dirt.
World's number one…
She whispered silently in her heart.
On the other side,
Oguri Cap forced open her eyes, her blurred vision barely making out the scoreboard:
[2nd – Tamamo Cross]
[3rd – Oguri Cap]
1.5 lengths difference.
The white-haired girl recalled everything she had done in the race—
the overly rigid early strategy,
the pointless stamina spent in the opening,
the easily predicted moves her rivals read like a book.
Each mistake stacked one upon another.
At last, she closed her eyes.
And on her sweat-stained face… a faint smile of relief emerged.
——
By the finish line, in the audience stands.
Kuroha silently watched, a small smile tugging her lips,
as she looked at Obey Your Master basking in the cheers of victory.
Suddenly, a voice chimed from her system:
[Race complete. Settlement: 1200 Pts]
"…?"
Kuroha's forehead sprouted a question mark.
Wait, even if Obey Your Master is only a temporary horse girl in my team,
her win still adds points to me?!
She opened her system, combed through the mechanics again—
and then she understood.
Normally, temporary horse girls disappear from her roster once they return to their own trainers.
That had been the case with Sakura Chiyono O and Mejiro Ardan.
But Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen were different—
they had no trainers when they joined,
so they remained on her panel as temporary entries.
Obey Your Master was the same.
Her trainer hadn't given her any guidance or instructions since last month.
In effect, she had been free, drifting like Teio and McQueen.
So the system still counted her as part of Kuroha's team.
That meant—
this Japan Cup victory was also her victory.
After realizing this, Kuroha muttered,
"Well, that's an unexpected bonus."
——
On the track, Obey Your Master's emotions quickly settled.
She soon spotted Kuroha and the others and hurried over.
"Trainer!"
She waved cheerfully.
Kuroha blinked, then smiled and patted her back.
They embraced for a few seconds, then parted.
Obey Your Master immediately hooked her arms around Inari One and Fujimasa March,
laughing brightly:
"I did it!"
At 183 cm tall, she nearly crushed them both flat against her.
Inari One rolled her eyes sideways.
"Alright, alright, I get it!"
Fujimasa March sighed helplessly, though her lips curled into a smile.
Beside them, Tokai Teio looked up at the giant screen, her eyes burning with fighting spirit.
Sakura Chiyono O chuckled, rubbing the younger girl's head.
"What's wrong? Want to run a G1? Should I set you up for the Arima Kinen?"
Tokai Teio puffed up her cheeks like a little drum.
"No! I'm not running the Arima Kinen yet!"
"If I do it with Oguri Cap, it'll be after New Year."
She was very self-aware.
——
After the celebration, Kuroha stepped away and answered a phone call.
"Hello, are you Obey Your Master's trainer?"
The voice on the other end spoke in accented English, steady and deep.
"Yes," Kuroha replied cautiously.
"I watched the Japan Cup broadcast. Obey Your Master won.
Now it's time I honored my promise."
He spoke without fanfare, calm and decisive.
"The transfer request has already been submitted to Tokyo's Central Tracen Academy.
Once you return, you should see the approval.
Sign the paperwork properly when it arrives."
Kuroha's eyes widened.
The Japan Cup had ended less than an hour ago, yet this old man had already handled everything.
After a long silence, Kuroha finally spoke with genuine gratitude.
"…Thank you."
"Haha, think nothing of it.
In this world, you young ones are the true strength.
I'm just an old man nearing retirement."
The elder chuckled warmly.
Then he suddenly asked,
"By the way—how's Kentarou?"
Kuroha blinked, then quickly remembered.
"You mean Momotarou? He's coaching at Oi now, one of the best among his peers.
Even back when he apprenticed under you, he was already outstanding."
The elder laughed.
"Seems he's still sharp after going home."
The two reminisced a while longer, both clearly pleased.
Just as the call was about to end, the elder's tone turned mischievous:
"So, when are you bringing your team to my country to compete?"
He was a central trainer in his homeland,
a man with multiple G1-winning horse girls under his belt.
He didn't believe Kuroha would stay hidden in a corner forever.
In a southern European villa, the old man leaned back in his chair.
The voice that answered him was steady, confident:
"…Don't worry. It won't be long."
"Haha! Good!
When the time comes, call me.
This old man may be retiring, but I still have connections.
Don't you forget it."
They shared one last laugh before hanging up.
The old trainer set the phone aside and slowly walked to the window.
Outside, several horse girls trained diligently under the warm sun.
His mind replayed the final stretch of the Japan Cup.
Even against Europe's "current strongest" Tamamo Cross,
who broke through her own limits and ran beyond reason,
Obey Your Master still overtook her and widened the gap.
"A horse girl that seemed so ordinary…
But that trainer…"
The elder smiled faintly.
"Promising, indeed."
——
For Kuroha, however, things would be different.
Fujimasa March, Inari One, and the others had little chance of international competition.
With their limited time left before True Blooming,
their focus would remain on domestic G1 titles.
If one day they truly challenged abroad,
the only ones fit for it in her current team
were Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen.
But neither of those two had such ambitions.
Kuroha pictured another small, fiery silhouette in her mind.
She chuckled softly, pocketing her phone.
"First, let's savor the victory of today's champion."
(End of Chapter)
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