Chapter 60: The Hopeful Stakes: Teio’s Run

A white shadow streaked across the turf.

No other horse girl could keep up—she was truly the “Emperor” upon the grass.

"Tokai Teio is unstoppable! She’s completely in the lead! The others don’t stand a chance—this one’s decided!"

Her overwhelming performance left me speechless. I could only stand there, frozen in awe. Maybe… maybe I’d helped create a monster.

As Tokai Teio crossed the finish line in first place, that uneasy thought drifted through my mind.

To explain how it all began, I’d have to rewind time—back to the day Teio came to my room.

"Hey, hey, Lux! You’re coming to see my race, right? You are, right?!"

She was hammering the controller buttons, mercilessly pummeling my in-game avatar while talking.

Her next race was the Hopeful Stakes. Honestly, I’d had too much free time lately, so going to watch wasn’t a problem. But saying that outright wouldn’t have been any fun.

"If you win this match, I’ll go watch. You said it yourself before, didn’t you? That today you’re finally going to beat me."

"Mmgh..."

"Oh? What’s this? Don’t tell me the great, unbeatable genius Tokai Teio is nervous?"

"I’m not! I’m totally confident! You better brace yourself, Lux—I’m winning today!"

The game I’d pulled out was a strategy one.

I usually do better with games that require thinking. They also rely a bit on luck—which might explain why Teio’s never beaten me. I seem to be unusually lucky—never even close to losing. Meanwhile, Teio’s luck is… well, absolutely abysmal. Yeah, I can kind of see why she struggles.

Still, no matter what I said, I was planning to go see her race anyway.

"Ugh, my luck’s pretty bad today..."

"Heheh! Yes! I’m on a roll! This time I’m totally gonna beat you!"

"Ngh… we’ll see about that. Do or die—this is my comeback move!"

"Ah—"

"Ah—"

We both shouted at the same time.

An ominous effect flashed across my screen. My desperate last-ditch plan had failed.

"Wow, Lux, your luck’s seriously awful today..."

Teio, who’d been brimming with confidence just moments ago, was now trying to comfort me out of pity.

Did I… just lose straight through without a single win? Every choice I made turned out to be the worst possible one, and the game made sure to rub salt in the wound.

Maybe this was fate’s way of saying, “You’d better go see Teio’s race.”

"Haa… well, I was planning to go anyway, so that’s fine. So, you’ve already got your strategy figured out for the Hopeful, right?"

"Of course! You’ll see! I even got the okay from Takion!"

"Then I’ll be looking forward to it."

"Fufun! I’ll show you what it means to be invincible!"

And so, that’s how I ended up here—at Nakayama Racecourse, where the Hopeful Stakes were being held.

Even though it’s a junior-level race, the crowd is massive.

"The weather isn’t looking too kind today. The track condition is slightly heavy. How might that affect the race?"

"Well, given this is a junior-level race, many of the girls still haven’t fully developed their running form or bodies. So we can expect quite a few to slow down due to lack of strength."

"And since it’s their first GⅠ, the atmosphere alone might overwhelm some of them!"

"Exactly. For those reasons, we may be in for a very unpredictable race."

That much, I understood perfectly. Back when I was in the junior class myself, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t climb the Nakayama slope without losing speed.

Hmm… I wonder what Teio’s plan is.

Then again, there are only a handful of horse girls who could ever hope to block Tokai Teio’s path. She might not even need a plan.

"Here’s today’s top favorite! After an overwhelming debut win, it’s Tokai Teio—the horse girl who boldly declared she’s going for the Triple Crown, full of confidence!"

"Normally, people would laugh at a statement like that, but with her, you can’t help but think… maybe she really could do it. She might just take the Triple Crown undefeated!"

"Her blue and white racing outfit really suits her! It’s said she designed it herself as an homage to her idol, Symboli Rudolf!"

The green turf made her colors stand out brilliantly.

"Teio’s been oddly fixated on me lately. I wonder if she’s copying my style again… nah, maybe not…? Ugh, who knows!"

I held my head, unable to predict what kind of run she’d show today.

If she was imitating Symboli Rudolf, she’d calculate everything perfectly and win by the narrowest of margins—deliberately, as if by design.

If she was copying me, she’d hold back until the very end, then unleash a furious final surge.

Either way, her strategy would be to save her energy and strike at the finish line.

Still, that was assuming she was modeling herself after Rudolf or me.

"Oh my, you seem deep in thought, don’t you, little guinea pig?"

"Ah, of course you’d be here, Takion. So, what instructions did you give her this time?"

"That’s for you to find out! I think you’ll be quite surprised!"

"With Teio? Nothing she does surprises me anymore..."

I held an umbrella over Agnes Tachyon. A few drops had already begun to fall from the sky—it wouldn’t be long before it started raining in earnest.

Why doesn’t Takion ever bring an umbrella...?

"Still, I’m glad you’re here! I completely forgot mine and was wondering what to do!"

"Uhh… Takion-san, are you really going to be able to live like this from now on?"

"No problem at all! As long as I stay here at the academy, I won’t have to worry about a thing. Holding a trainer’s position guarantees me a decent living, you see!"

"If you’re satisfied with that, then I suppose it’s fine..."

Out on the turf, Teio was—unsurprisingly—showing off her steps again.

That step… the strain on the ankles must be insane. I’ve used a variation of it myself, so I know exactly how brutal it is. Doing that repeatedly during a race? No wonder her body broke down after just two GⅠs. It burns through stamina, too—it’s not the kind of technique you can use often.

At best, it’s something to pull out at the very end—during the final sprint.

But still… I couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling.

"Look sharp now, Lux! Witness the culmination of our research!"

Teio burst from the gate.

Her position—up front, among the leading pack. So, she’s planning to mimic Rudolf’s running style, huh?

Hmm. Not a bad strategy, but… I can’t help feeling a little disappointed when my prediction turns out right. I was expecting Teio to do something far more outrageous.

"Oh my, such dissatisfaction! Does it really bother you that Teio’s running safely and sensibly?"

"It’s not that, exactly. But after seeing her last race, I guess I was hoping for something… more."

"Then I suggest you keep your eyes on her. Don’t blink."

That sounded suspiciously loaded. Still, I did as Takion said and kept my gaze fixed on the race.

Midway through, as they reached the third corner, the front runners began to lose steam. As expected, the slightly heavy turf was proving too much for these junior-class horse girls.

But amidst the fading pack, there was one who still held her stride—Tokai Teio.

She sat just behind the top two, saving her legs in third position. And her eyes—they looked hollow, almost… unnaturally calm. As if filled with pure intellect.

"Wait… that’s—"

"Oh? You noticed from this distance? Remarkable, truly remarkable! You really are the perfect research subject! Think of it as a kind of pseudo-domain—just like you, she’s reproducing others’ techniques and turning them into her own. Splendid, isn’t it?"

‘U＝ma².’
Agnes Tachyon’s unique skill—her personal formula for racing in the Uma Musume app world.

Its effect: restoring stamina and increasing speed during the final corner.

"Tokai Teio is surging forward! Only one length behind the lead! Oh—she’s stepping! Teio just broke into that step again!"

"That’s the ‘Teio Step’ she showed us in her last race! And it looks even sharper this time! To have this much stamina left at this stage is already incredible—but to accelerate on top of that? Astonishing!"

Then came the finishing blow—another Teio Step. But not the same as before. This one was refined, perfected—minimizing ankle strain through flawless body control.

You’ve got to be kidding me… She’s already perfected it!?
And the goal’s still a way off!

"The result of my theory combined with Teio’s running style—that’s what you’re seeing right now."

I stood frozen, unable to even speak.

She’s… she’s a monster. Tokai Teio is an absolute monster.

"Watching her run, it became clear that Teio’s main issue was distance compatibility. To put it simply, no matter how hard she tried, her stamina capped out around mid-range—2500 meters, give or take. But that means she can’t possibly complete the Classic Triple Crown."

"The Kikka Sho is three thousand meters… in Kyoto."

"Precisely. For the Autumn Senior Triple Crown, the longest is only 2500 meters—but knowing Teio, she’d never settle for that route. A solution was necessary."

Still! Who comes up with that kind of solution!?

"I’d actually completed the theory for this technique a while back, but hadn’t tested it. Since it was just sitting there, I tried drilling it into Teio… and well, I didn’t expect it to fit her this perfectly."

While every other horse girl faltered, Teio showed no signs of fatigue. She slipped past the leading group in one smooth motion—and then began to pull away.

Two lengths. Three lengths…
And she’s still widening the gap!?

"Tokai Teio is unstoppable! Tokai Teio is dominant! Is this the future Triple Crown champion before our eyes?!"

"This is… incredible, isn’t it…"

Even the commentator was at a loss for words.

I felt the same. I knew Tokai Teio was strong—but not this strong.

Teio crossed the finish line in first place without faltering once.

Truly, an Emperor in her own right—sovereign of the turf, an absolute powerhouse.

Well, of course she is. The daughter of that “Emperor,” undefeated in two crowns, and the “Phantom Triple Crown Horse” who once conquered future champions of the Kikuka Sho. Combine the techniques of horses like that, and you get this kind of monster.

"Tokai Teio raises a single finger! Is she declaring her intent to remain undefeated from here on out?"

If anyone could stop Tokai Teio’s relentless charge…

A single image flashed through my mind—another horse girl, one who hid one eye like I do.

Maybe she could be the one to bring down this unstoppable duo.

"Ah, that was a satisfying experiment indeed! Oh? You look deep in thought. Don’t tell me you want my theory for yourself? Hmm, I don’t mind, as long as you pay the proper price—but with your distance aptitude, I doubt you could put it into practice."

"I know that much. That’s not what I was thinking about…"

"Hmm…"

The lack of a rival—that was one of the biggest uncertainties in Teio’s growth. What kind of effect would that have on her? No one could say.

Still, there was no point overthinking it. If she could claim the Triple Crown even without a rival to challenge her, that would be fine too.

"Teio’s next race will be the Yayoi Sho. Once she finishes her final adjustments there, she’ll charge headlong into the Classic Triple Crown."

Tokai Teio—
The rise of a new Emperor.

From this point on, I knew I wouldn’t be able to take my eyes off her.

[Hopeful Stakes] Astounding Performance — Tokai Teio Dominates with Overwhelming Power

December ○×, 19:34 — 231 views

Tokai Teio celebrates her victory

The Hopeful Stakes, held this December at Nakayama, was claimed by the overwhelming favorite—Tokai Teio. Already the subject of fan excitement for her commanding strength in her previous race, Teio surpassed all expectations with a performance that dazzled spectators.

From the very start, Teio maintained an excellent position within the pack. Then, approaching the final corner, she suddenly accelerated—leaving the other horse girls trailing far behind as she stormed past the finish line.

In the post-race interview, Tokai Teio confidently declared her aim to capture the Triple Crown. Rather than gasps of surprise, the venue was filled with voices of agreement—a rare scene that spoke volumes about her dominance.

If she succeeds in claiming all three crowns undefeated, she will stand shoulder to shoulder with the legendary Symboli Rudolf—a feat that would mark a historic new chapter in racing history.

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