Chapter 183: Super Success Meeting 2

"…What… did you just… say…?"

It had been about four months since the last one—our entire team gathered together for a strategy meeting.

Faced with the words that had just been spoken, the voice I managed to squeeze out came out dry and hoarse.

…What did Ayumu just say?

Did he really say… that I wouldn’t be allowed to run… in the race…!?

The Tenno Sho (Autumn). The Japan Cup.

Both are G1 races—rare opportunities to compete against Japan’s finest runners… and in the case of the Japan Cup, against elite competitors gathered from all over the world.

And he’s telling me… to pass on them?

Is he seriously saying I should withdraw from those races!?

"No, it’s not something to be that surprised about. Actually, you’ve noticed it yourself, haven’t you?"

"Ghk—! N-Noticed what!?"

"You really said ‘ghk,’ huh? That’s a pretty textbook reaction… I’m talking about the fact that your legs aren’t performing."

"Ugh…"

The questioning dulled my resistance slightly.

When Ayumu put it that way… it became difficult to keep denying it. At this point, it was getting harder and harder to brush it off as my imagination.

Yes.

Right now, Hoshino Wilm is experiencing a minor slump.

…Well, maybe “understanding” isn’t the right word. It’s more like a vague feeling.

Anyway, the moment I first thought something might be off was after returning to Japan—during some solo training and the light run earlier.

But it wasn’t the usual kind of slump that comes from a string of bad days.

How should I put it… it was more subtle. Harder to pin down.

It’s not like my legs refuse to stretch out at all. It’s not like my stamina suddenly disappears.

But when I run… I feel a faint sense of discomfort.

If I had to compare it to something…

It’s kind of like when you drink cold water after exercising and feel that sharp little zing in your teeth—that brief jolt of pain.

You can’t tell whether it’s just the cold water, temporary sensitivity… or something you really don’t want to think about.

So you laugh it off and say, "Nah, it’s probably nothing. Just temporary."

In other words, you avert your eyes from the realistic risk.

…For the record, that example comes from my previous life. And in that case, it turned out to just be a cavity. So if your teeth hurt, everyone, please go see a dentist.

Anyway, bad habits are called bad habits because they’re so hard to fix.

There’s that saying, "A fool never learns until he dies." But if you’re a reincarnator like me, apparently you carry that mindset over even after death.

Just like this time.

I tried to brush off the strange mismatch in my body by telling myself, "Maybe it’s just because I’m running on Japanese turf again after so long."

But…

If Ayumu—whose observational skills rival those of a medical specialist—said so, then there was no hiding it anymore.

Apparently, I’m in a somewhat dangerous state right now.

Beside me, after I finally gave up trying to explain it away, one woman widened her eyes in shock.

Our team’s assistant trainer, Masa.

"Wait—you're in a slump!? After that!?"

"What do you mean ‘after that’? Masa, that run just now clearly wasn’t Hoshino Wilm’s true level."

"But it was just a light jog! Anyone would think she just wasn’t going all out!"

"Not going all out and being unable to perform at full capacity are completely different things. She was unconsciously protecting her left leg, which tilted her form. Her breathing was too deep and out of sync with her pace. Compared to how she ran before, Wilm’s movement was pretty messy. Honestly, it was sad to watch."

"…?"

With a question mark practically floating over her head, Masa said, "H-Hold on a second," and pulled up the video of my run from earlier along with footage from the Takarazuka Kinen on the computer.

She arranged the windows side by side to compare them.

Bourbon-chan and I leaned in behind her to watch.

I didn’t have any awareness of my form tilting or my breathing being strange, so I figured I should check too…

…But wait.

Is something actually different?

Of course, you can’t directly compare a full sprint in the Takarazuka Kinen with the relaxed run from earlier…

Even looking now, the earlier run didn’t seem that collapsed.

To an outside observer, it looked like my usual posture.

That’s what I thought as I tilted my head.

Meanwhile, Masa’s eyes suddenly widened.

"I-It is off…!! Just a little, but it’s there! You can barely tell from the video, though!!"

"You’d notice if you’d been watching Wilm long enough."

"That’s creepy!!!!!"

"That’s mean."

…Amazing that someone who isn’t even the runner could tell.

Well, when you think about it, that makes sense.

We racing Uma Musume are specialists in running. There’s probably no one who understands running and its sensations better than we do.

In the same way, trainers are specialists in watching runners.

They probably understand our unconscious movements and subtle habits better than we do.

It’s simply a difference in specialization.

…Though if I were more theory-oriented like Nature, maybe I’d understand myself better. But I’m more of an intuition-based person.

On top of that, the Horino siblings—my main and assistant trainers—come from one of the most prestigious trainer families in Japan.

According to Ayumu, after winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, their achievements alone now place them among the top trainers you could count on one hand.

Judging from their behavior, they must have studied and trained intensely long before becoming trainers.

So the subtle differences we can’t perceive are probably obvious to them.

Still… when it comes to someone you like, you naturally want to understand them better. You want to see the same world they see.

Maybe someday I’ll learn to grasp those things too.

…Though that might be asking a bit much.

"Now then, back to the topic. Wilm is currently in a temporary slump."

"What’s causing it…? I feel like my motivation and stamina are fine…"

Tilting my head, I asked.

Ayumu leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"First of all, I want to make one thing clear: this situation is not strange.

Your slump isn’t your fault. Nor is it my fault. It’s something that was bound to happen.

If you drop a glass marble from a great height onto concrete, it will shatter. That’s simply how things work.

Although it might be rare for it to appear this clearly. That’s probably due to your unique traits. There’s no need to blame yourself."

…That’s probably meant as mental care so I don’t beat myself up over it.

It’s a little hard to follow, but still.

Ayumu really has started thinking about things like that. In the past, he was blunt and never worried about people’s feelings.

Looks like he’s been changing a lot too.

Still… something that was bound to happen?

What does he mean?

"To begin with, Wilm. Why were you overseas for nearly three months?

Or to put it more simply—why did you need to run in the Prix Foy before the Arc? And why did you need to go there more than a month before that race?"

"Well, to get used to the environment over there, both physically and mentally."

The environment between Japan and Europe is completely different.

The air is different. The food and drinks are different. The buildings, architecture, beds, dishes, desks—even the baths.

…Though to be fair, Ayumu brute-forced half of those differences with money and made them match Japan.

But the biggest issue was the feel of the ground we run on—the concrete and the turf.

For racing Uma Musume—for athletes—that difference can be fatal.

That’s why we went there early and gradually made it our new baseline.

"…Ah. So that’s what you mean."

"You really catch on fast. I love that about you."

"Ehh? Really? Hehe."

"Hey, can we skip the overly sweet skit and actually explain it?"

Masa sounded completely fed up beside us.

Ayumu kept his serious expression and continued.

"For the past three months, we acclimated Wilm’s mind and body to the French environment.

Which means that right now, Wilm is ‘customized to run in France.’

In other words… she’s no longer suited to running in Japan.

An unconscious mismatch in sensory perception. Or a mismatch in environmental suitability.

To put it simply: she’s grown too accustomed to European turf and hasn’t fully remembered how to run on Japanese turf again.

That’s the true nature of her current slump."

Yes.

Through my adaptability—and my “anime reincarnation” ability—I adapted to the French environment.

To the point that even the extremely cautious Ayumu smiled and said:

"Her running style compatibility is A. On par with other G1 Uma Musume. Equal to the locals."

Which means that right now, I’m tuned to France—its air, atmosphere, and especially its turf.

And if that’s the case, it’s only natural that I wouldn’t immediately adapt back to Japan.

"For most Uma Musume, three months wouldn’t be enough to cause something like this.

But Wilm pushed her enhanced thinking ability to the limit and perfectly adapted to that environment.

Because of that, she’s unconsciously aligned herself with it.

Her body remembers how to run on Japanese turf, but her mind has drifted away from it. That’s why this can be called a sensory mismatch."

My accelerated thinking ability—“Anime Reincarnation”—can compress a single second into hundreds of seconds of subjective time.

In that state, I constantly thought about how to run better in that environment… and then spent the next hundreds of seconds correcting my form accordingly.

That’s how I raised my compatibility to A in just over a month.

But maybe forcing things so abruptly wasn’t such a good idea.

The side effect is that now I’ve become incompatible with Japan’s environment.

Normally, both body and mind gradually adapt.

But I forced only my mind to adapt to France.

As a result, my movements are out of sync.

It’s like using a cheat code in a game that wasn’t designed for it—bugs are bound to appear.

"…A mismatch in sensory compatibility."

Muttering that to myself, I heard Ayumu nod.

"Exactly. Right now, your turf compatibility is D… well, maybe not that bad. Let’s say C."

"Then someone like me… can’t win, right?"

"You can win."

…Wait, I can?

"No matter what condition you’re in, the ‘Racing Uma Musume Hoshino Wilm’ that you and I built together losing is impossible.

If we did lose, I’d be willing to be buried under a tree."

Hearing that, I felt my lips naturally curl upward.

Somehow… that makes me happy.

Ayumu believes in the strongest version of me—the one we built together—more than anything.

He doesn’t have that kind of confidence in himself.

If anything, he’s painfully self-deprecating.

But when it comes to our training—and the strength I display as its result—he trusts it from the bottom of his heart.

And that… yeah.

It makes my chest feel warm.

All soft and squishy inside.

But at the same time…

Ayumu is also the most cautious person when it comes to an Uma Musume’s physical condition.

"However, while losing is impossible… it would still be dangerous.

Running at full power in an unfamiliar environment could cause an accident.

That’s an outcome I absolutely cannot accept.

So we’ll spend the next two months readjusting you to Japan’s environment. That’s the best course of action."

Ah!

There’s a contradiction in that logic!!

"That’s wrong!"

BREAK!

"W-Whoa! What the heck!? Don’t shout all of a sudden!"

"Ayumu, that reasoning doesn’t make sense! I adapted to France—a completely unfamiliar environment—in just one month, right?

So if that’s the case, I should be able to readapt to Japan, an environment I’ve already experienced, in less than a month!"

I puffed out my chest with a smug look.

Checkmate!

Well, I’d heard there would be a lot of downtime overseas, so I brought along a handheld console and played games here and there…

And yeah.

That series really is a masterpiece.

The third game gets mixed reviews for various reasons, but I actually like it a lot. Honestly, it might even be my favorite in the series.

Though whenever the staff makes something vaguely similar, I feel both happy and like yelling in my head, "It’s already over!!!"

I still wonder if that final defense academy setting is supposed to be connected to the same universe.

…Though of course, none of that inner monologue was reaching anyone.

An ex-otaku dropping references nobody understands is about the lamest thing imaginable. I know that myself.

Even so, I couldn’t help indulging in that little moment of self-satisfaction—because for once, I’d spotted a gap in Ayumu’s logic.

This guy’s arguments are always so perfectly logical and airtight that there’s usually no room to push back.

Well, of course. As someone who’s never seriously trained as a coach, there’s no way I could beat a battle-hardened expert like Ayumu in a debate.

But still… we’re partners.

Someday, I’d like to exchange opinions with him as an equal.

For someone as inexperienced and untalented as me, it’s an absurdly presumptuous dream.

But if the chance to make it happen has finally come around, then surely a little recklessness can be forgiven.

Besides, it’s Ayumu we’re talking about. He’ll probably counter me with that cool, composed expression of his anyway.

Look—he’s about to respond right now…

Respond…

…He’s not responding!

He’s just sitting there in silence with a slightly frustrated look!

Wait, seriously—did I actually win that argument!?

"…Well, yes. You’re right. There’s nothing incorrect about what you said."

"Huh!? Then even if we skip the Tenno Sho, I can easily run in the Japan Cup, right!?"

"Well… yes, technically."

Ayumu said it awkwardly—almost guiltily—as he looked away.

That’s incredibly rare. For someone like him, who’s basically the walking embodiment of fair and logical arguments, to act like this…

"Is there some reason? For leaving a two-month buffer like that?"

The one who asked was Masa.

Maybe it was because she’s his sister and sensed something, or maybe it was simply consideration for her brother.

Even if it wasn’t the former, knowing Masa, she would’ve asked for the latter reason anyway.

Faced with the question, Ayumu frowned, averted his eyes, and muttered quietly.

"…The official reason is that there’s a risk of overconfidence.

Just like Will said, the environment in France was completely unfamiliar to her. Because of that, she naturally approached it cautiously.

But Japan is familiar territory for Will. Which means she might start thinking things like, ‘I’ll get used to it quickly,’ or ‘Pushing myself a little won’t be a problem.’"

"Hold on—your argument is already full of openings from the start! If you say ‘official reason’ first, everything you say after that just sounds like a pretext!"

"It is a pretext…"

Th-That’s rare! Ridiculously rare!!

Ayumu—Ayumu—being cornered in an argument and actually looking guilty!!

I might never see this again in my life! I should take a picture.

"Wait, what? Your phone? Why are you taking a photo?"

"So what’s the real reason?"

"You’re just going to ignore that? …Well, fine."

Scratching the side of his head awkwardly, Ayumu spoke again.

He looked… oddly embarrassed.

"…Because I was frustrated."

"Huh? About what?"

"…About last year. Your Arima Kinen."

At that unexpected topic, my eyes widened.

…Though perhaps for Ayumu, it wasn’t unexpected at all.

"I wasn’t able to be involved with Racing Uma Musume Hoshino Wilm back then. And in the end, you lost."

At the end of last year, Ayumu had been caught up in something that was difficult to categorize as either an accident or an incident, and he had fallen into a coma.

That wasn’t something he should regret or blame himself for.

Even he must understand that.

The tone of his voice didn’t carry self-mockery or reproach—it simply held the quiet bitterness of frustration.

Which means what he’s saying is…

Ah.

I see.

So for this past year, deep down…

He’s been frustrated the whole time.

Standing before the perfect opportunity—and not even being able to challenge it.

"…There hasn’t been a single time this past year when I didn’t think about it.

That supreme stage where the finest runners gather… If you and I had truly been able to run together as one, perhaps we could have overturned that three-centimeter gap.

I wanted you to win, Will. No… more than that.

I wanted us to win that race together.

Even now, that feeling hasn’t changed. To be honest, I even dreamed about it on the flight home."

Closing his eyes, he clenched both fists on the table as he spoke.

The emotion he carried was similar to what he once felt—but also different.

It wasn’t "I’m sorry for holding you back."

It was—

I’m frustrated that we couldn’t run our best together. It was such a waste. I want another chance.

For someone like Ayumu, it was an extremely rare confession of personal feelings.

As he lightly held his head in his hands, the rest of us silently waited for him to continue.

"…I understand.

What I’m doing right now is trying to change your future not through logic, but through my personal feelings.

And I also understand that it conflicts with your desire—to race more, to face more rivals.

I know that this year’s Arima Kinen will be completely different from last year’s.

That even if we win this year, it won’t erase last year’s defeat or turn back time.

And I know that as a trainer… this isn’t something to be proud of.

But even so…"

At that moment, he opened his eyes and looked straight at me.

Those eyes…

They were burning.

Not the same fire that we racing Uma Musume carry.

It was a different flame.

You could call it professional pride. A desire for transcendence. Ambition.

The sparkling determination of a trainer striving to reach greater heights together with his athlete.

Eyes fixed firmly on the future.

When someone looks at you like that…

There’s really only one answer I can give.

"Ayumu."

"……"

"I agree with that!!"

Agreement.

That’s all there was to it.

Because I’m his Uma Musume.

The partner who runs through the Twinkle Series together with him.

Just as he always tries to fulfill my wishes…

Fulfilling the regrets and desires he carries—that’s the duty of the beloved horse under his care.

When I raised my voice again, Ayumu blinked in surprise for a moment.

Then…

He showed a broad, radiant smile.

Something I had almost never seen before.

---

And so… while I can’t deny I might have been skillfully persuaded there…

In any case.

For the next two months, I’ll be withdrawing from races to focus on rest and rehabilitation.

Well, "rest" is mostly just a name.

It’s not like I’ll be lounging around doing nothing.

If anything, it’s more like rebuilding—preparing myself for the next target: the Arima Kinen.

Still, it’s a little lonely.

For the time being, Hoshino Wilm will be saying goodbye to racing.

Which means the priority topic in this strategy meeting obviously isn’t my race preparation.

"Alright then. Next, let’s talk about Mihono Bourbon’s Kikuka Sho."

That’s right.

The final goal of my adorable junior.

October 25th. The Kikuka Sho.

One of the five G1 races I won last year.

And…

The final destination of Bourbon-chan’s dream of the Triple Crown.

The last piece that completes her dream.

And at the same time, the greatest obstacle standing in its way.

Whether she can overcome this race or not—

For Bourbon-chan, it’s everything.

For me in the past, it would’ve been like the absolute necessity of continuing to win races without losing.

Something you naturally strive for.

Something you’re expected to achieve.

Something you absolutely cannot lose, even by accident.

Because of that, I thought she would throw every last ounce of her being into this race, leaving no room for anything else.

…At least, that’s what I believed.

Up until the moment we went to France.

When I turned my gaze toward Bourbon-chan sitting on the sofa, our eyes met.

Bourbon-chan’s pale blue eyes—clear and pure.

They were mostly directed at Ayumu, her master, but every so often they flicked toward me as well.

Perhaps she didn’t want to leave too strong an impression on me, because she quickly looked away again…

But ever since we gathered for this strategy meeting, it was obvious that Bourbon-chan had been conscious of me.

Well, I’m a fairly well-known figure now. You naturally become a bit sensitive to people’s gazes after that.

And even if our eyes only met for a single instant…

Sometimes, just that brief exchange is enough to understand something.

More specifically… yes.

The heat directed toward “Hoshino Wilm”—something that definitely hadn’t existed two months ago.

To Bourbon-chan, I had been nothing more than a senior Uma Musume.

A predecessor who had already achieved what she aimed for… and someone who had helped mediate her relationship with Ayumu—though phrasing it that way makes it sound weirdly like an NTR plot, so please don’t think about it like that.

To put it bluntly, while she recognized me as an Uma Musume, she hadn’t fully grasped me as a racing Uma Musume.

Of course, in reality we’re both racing Uma Musume who train together frequently.

She understood, at least logically, that I was someone who ran races too.

…But that understanding lacked any real, tangible image.

It’s like a girl who hasn’t even enrolled at Tracen Academy yet vaguely thinking, “Someday I’ll debut in the Twinkle Series and maybe win the Triple Crown.”

She doesn’t yet grasp—through her own experience—how difficult and intense that truly is.

In other words, she hadn’t yet developed the ability—the measuring stick—to accurately gauge the distance between herself and her opponent or goal.

So to her, I was simply a “great predecessor she might run alongside someday.”

Even when she said she wanted to beat me, those words didn’t come with a clear vision of how she might actually accomplish that.

Or perhaps, even now, that part hasn’t completely changed.

Looking at the data Ayumu produced—and from my own sense of things—the gap between Bourbon-chan and me is still… well, enormous.

My peak condition is nearing its final stage, and as Ayumu’s strongest beloved runner, I must seem impossibly far away to someone like her, who’s only in her second year of full development.

In a way… and it feels strange to say this myself…

I’m like a star in the heavens.

So distant that it wouldn’t be strange for her to feel admiration too far removed from understanding—or even fear at the thought of challenging me.

And yet…

Now.

She has learned the joy of competing against others as a racing Uma Musume.

And she’s even begun to look at me as prey—licking her lips at the challenge.

…Heh.

Watching a junior grow really is a wonderful thing.

At the start of this year, Souri Cross-chan had grown depressed after realizing the gap between herself and Bourbon-chan…

But Bourbon-chan now understands the gap between herself and me—and despite that enormous distance, she’s determined to close it. To surpass me.

That feeling will surely make her faster… stronger.

And at the same time…

It means one more formidable rival for me.

And that future…

Ah, it’s irresistible.

Seriously, just how much fun is this world planning to give me?

While I kept a cool expression on the outside but grinned inwardly, Ayumu shot me a look that clearly said:

"Will, we’re talking about Mihono Bourbon right now. Don’t get carried away."

I’m supposed to be good at wearing a mask, but lately Ayumu has been seeing straight through it.

The longer and deeper our partnership becomes, the more frightening that fact is.

At this rate, I won’t be able to hide anything from him anymore.

Which means…

Maybe it’s about time.

It makes my heart pound, and part of me wonders if it’s really okay… but still.

If I’m going to confess that, there’s no one else it should be said to except Ayumu.

…Well, putting that aside for now.

Just like he said, I should focus on Bourbon-chan’s strategy meeting.

Ayumu turned his gaze away from me and began laying out information across the desk as usual.

The current state of the Kyoto Racecourse… turf damage, photographs of the track from various positions, slope gradients—details that seem a bit complicated for someone like me, who relies more on intuition.

But for Bourbon-chan, who’s just as theory-oriented as Ayumu, this must be irresistible data. She examined each piece with a quiet yet burning focus.

"The Kikuka Sho. Kyoto Racecourse. Turf course, right-handed outer loop. 3000 meters.

Among G1 races, it’s quite a long distance, requiring strong lung capacity and stamina.

The course’s biggest feature is the Yodo Hill, which rises more than four meters and must be passed twice.

For front-running Uma Musume who fail to conserve stamina for the final stretch, losing speed there effectively means defeat.

In other words, Mihono Bourbon—this will be a race where you can’t rely on your usual strengths and will be forced outside your natural aptitude… though there’s probably no need to say that now."

Ayumu’s words weren’t so much asking for understanding as confirming what everyone already knew.

Which made sense.

From the very beginning, he and Bourbon-chan had been focused solely on this race.

The Satsuki Sho at 2000 meters—she was expected to win it easily.

The Japan Derby at 2400 meters—she was expected to win that as well.

But the Kikuka Sho, where the distance suddenly extends much further…

That was the only race where Mihono Bourbon under Ayumu Horino could possibly lose.

Ayumu had been saying that repeatedly ever since the moment he signed his contract with Bourbon-chan last year.

…When you think about it, declaring victory as “expected” in two G1 races that decide Japan’s best sounds incredibly confident.

But actually, Ayumu isn’t confident in himself at all.

If he believes in anything—if he evaluates anything—it’s Bourbon-chan’s potential.

Her talent must be extraordinary for him to say she could naturally win races that determine the strongest in Japan.

However, the Kikuka Sho is the exception.

The 3000-meter distance is harsh for Bourbon-chan.

…And at the same time, there are natural stayers whose exceptional aptitude for long distances can close the gap in talent between them.

"Now then. You’ve already seen this data several times, Mihono Bourbon.

With your intellect, you’ve probably memorized every word and number.

Which means what matters now are the unknown variables.

In other words… the data of other Uma Musume who are still growing."

Ayumu gathered the stack of papers he had laid out and organized them before pulling out a new set of documents.

Let’s see… about twenty runners this time?

Probably because we’d been on an overseas tour, so the number is a bit smaller.

Normally, thirty to forty files would come out.

Though races usually have eighteen runners anyway, so carefully selected data on twenty competitors is more than enough.

Bourbon-chan picked up the files one by one, flipping through them as she inspected their contents.

Masa and I made sure not to interrupt and casually skimmed through some of the others.

"Oh—Machikane Tannhauser-chan. And Dessert Baby-chan, Fruit Parfait-chan… ah, Souri Cross-chan is here too. As expected, there are a lot of familiar names."

To put it bluntly, the Kikuka Sho is something like a redemption round for the Classic Road.

Compared to the Satsuki Sho at 2000 meters and the Japan Derby at 2400 meters, the 3000-meter Kikuka Sho demands extremely high endurance in addition to top speed.

In other words, the nature of the competition is different.

It’s not a perfect comparison, but think of it like sprinting versus long-distance running.

Because of that, even girls who couldn’t win the Satsuki Sho or the Japan Derby can still have a chance if they’re suited to long distances.

Many aim for this race hoping to win at least one Classic title, even if they missed the other two.

And among them…

There was the name of a junior who had run alongside Bourbon-chan thanks to her connection with me—and who had sworn she would surpass Bourbon-chan in the Kikuka Sho.

In the photograph attached to the file was a self-proclaimed “ordinary background mob” Uma Musume with semi-long pink hair streaming behind her as she ran with a desperate expression.

Souri Cross.

A girl who once analyzed herself with resignation, saying she only had enough talent to win G3 races and struggled even at the G2 level.

And yet now, she had been marked by Ayumu as a runner in the Kikuka Sho.

Someone who could potentially become an obstacle in a race where Bourbon-chan was running.

In other words, he was evaluating her as a G1-class Uma Musume worthy of competing in this race.

And in truth, her recent results have been remarkable.

Since May, she has won four consecutive races, including graded stakes.

Most impressive of all was September’s G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai, where she won by three lengths.

I actually watched the broadcast from France.

…Yeah.

After sprinting past the finish line with everything she had—so exhausted she nearly collapsed—she wore an incredibly good expression.

As you can tell from the fact that she convincingly won a G2 prep race for the Kikuka Sho—and that Ayumu has listed her as someone to watch—

No matter what she thinks of herself, Souri Cross is no longer some “irrelevant weakling.”

She’s now a major rival that Ayumu and Bourbon-chan must overcome.

A girl who once spoke of her dream to become like Hoshino Wilm someday.

Who grew frustrated with her own inadequacy when faced with harsh reality—but swallowed that frustration and fought onward.

Who understood the gap between herself and Bourbon-chan, and still swore to keep running forward.

For Mihono Bourbon, the Kikuka Sho is a decisive battle.

And at the same time, it’s a decisive battle for Souri Cross as well.

No—surely not just for them.

For all eighteen Uma Musume running in this race, it will be a match that shapes their future.

And among them…

Only one can win.

And surely, that would not change for her either—the small and adorable girl I hadn’t seen for nearly two months, yet who was both terrifying and resilient…

"...Hm?"

After skimming through most of the documents, I tilted my head in confusion when I couldn’t find the data for one particular Uma Musume.

Someone who should have been there… wasn’t.

An Uma Musume who wasn’t even listed as a potential threat—in other words, she wouldn’t be running in this race…?

…No, impossible.

Something like that simply couldn’t happen. It felt almost fated that it couldn’t.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought so.

Bourbon-chan lifted her gaze from the papers and asked Ayumu directly.

"Rice Shower-san’s data is missing. What happened?"

That’s right.

Among the files Ayumu had laid out, there was nothing about Rice-chan.

The earnest, adorable junior who admired me.

Or perhaps the “Black Assassin” from the anime of my previous life—the one who defeated the previously undefeated Bourbon-chan at the Kikuka Sho.

Or maybe… the small hero who keeps running in order to bring happiness to someone.

There was no way she wouldn’t run in this Kikuka Sho.

After all… even just two days ago, when we were messaging on LANE, she hadn’t mentioned anything like that at all.

When we tilted our heads in confusion, Ayumu shook his head apologetically.

"…Sorry. I don’t have any data on Rice Shower."

"Don’t have any?"

Isn’t today full of unusual things?

Ayumu, the ultimate data geek, not gathering data on another Uma Musume—something like that almost never…

…No. Not “almost never.”

It’s impossible.

"Rather than ‘don’t have it’… wouldn’t it be more accurate to say you couldn’t get it?"

"That would be correct."

Ayumu nodded as if I had taken the words right out of his mouth.

Then he showed an expression that was both exasperated and impressed at the same time.

"My eyes can see through an Uma Musume’s abilities. As long as I can see them, that is."

"You’re not going to say that you couldn’t see Rice-chan because you were on that overseas expedition, right? Your ability works through videos and photos too. That’s why you already have data on twenty runners."

"That’s right."

In that case… there was only one possible explanation.

It was a bit hard to believe, but as Holmes once said, “When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

…and more importantly—

Rice-chan’s trainer is also Nature’s trainer.

If it’s that girl’s trainer… pulling off some outrageous scheme wouldn’t be surprising at all.

While I came to that realization internally, half exasperated by the boldness of such a plan, Bourbon-chan murmured the answer aloud beside me.

"…Master’s overwhelming advantage lies in his precise observational ability. He can analyze an Uma Musume’s potential with a single glance. To completely neutralize that… the only option would be to hide oneself entirely. Therefore… Rice-san withdrew from the Kyoto Shimbun Hai, which she was scheduled to run…? And perhaps the reason we haven’t seen her recently is also…"

But Ayumu shook his head.

It was a denial—and at the same time, a partial affirmation.

"No… that’s not the only thing she—her trainer—is being thorough about. If you look into it, you’ll see that Rice Shower has completely cut off all media exposure since we left for France. It’s not just that she’s turned down entertainment-related jobs. She even declined interviews about the Kikuka Sho, and there hasn’t been a single photo of her posted on social media. …When I went looking for her yesterday, I was surprised. Rice Shower’s entire team has left Tracen Academy under the pretense of going on a long-term training camp."

Hearing that, Bourbon-chan blinked in surprise.

Well… of course she would. It was an incredibly drastic move.

In a sense, you could even call it a desperate gamble.

The job of a racing Uma Musume isn’t just to run.

Like idols, attracting fans is also an important part of our work.

That’s why one of the race entry conditions is the complicated and mysterious metric known as “number of supporting fans.”

If media exposure drops, the public forgets about that Uma Musume.

And if the public forgets you and your fans drift away, you won’t even be able to enter races anymore.

To avoid that, we have to keep appearing in the public eye regularly.

…and yet, Nature and Rice-chan have abandoned that.

It’s a decision that could affect the rest of their lives.

Just like when someone takes time off due to injury—even a temporary loss of influence causes fans to leave.

It might seem a bit heartless, but we’re entertainers too. If we abandon our work, it’s only natural there would be consequences.

Even so—

They accepted the risk of making future race entries more difficult… all to create a single opportunity this time.

To seal off Ayumu’s observational advantage.

To prevent anyone from learning Rice Shower’s weaknesses and how to counter her.

Because if they could do that… perhaps, just perhaps—

Rice Shower could defeat Mihono Bourbon and win the Kikuka Sho.

Honestly, what a bold move… or rather, what should I call it.

"That’s terrifying… As expected, Nature’s group is the most terrifying of all."

If my strongest rival is Tokai Teio, then my most frightening rival is Nice Nature.

The schemes she stakes on the outcome of a race—or even her entire racing career—go far beyond anything I could have imagined.

Yes… I’ll admit it.

If we fought one-on-one without trainers, I could probably defeat Tokai Teio.

But… I probably couldn’t beat Nice Nature.

Her desperate strategies would tear away my defenses and drive a wedge straight into me.

…However.

I—we—are not fighting alone.

"Even so, it’s not a major problem."

Just as I cover his shortcomings, he covers mine.

And in the same way, the parts Bourbon-chan lacks… her Master will make up for them.

"When it comes to reading the schemes of that guy and Nice Nature, I have no intention of losing. …Besides, even though I’ve handed out all this data, the truth is we don’t actually need to worry about Rice Shower at all. I wasn’t lying when I said it before. Mihono Bourbon’s battle… is ultimately a battle against herself."

The one who said that showed no trace of panic or confusion on his face.

Calm and composed as he dealt with everything—

He was our reliable trainer.