She was strong enough to seem like a monster.
That was the shared understanding in everyone's hearts, because Equinox had not shown the slightest trace of timidity despite receiving treatment far beyond what an ordinary debut-race runner would ever get.
To put it in the simplest, most fitting terms...
Equinox could stand before a crowd like this—a crowd lined up to welcome her before the race, something normally reserved for legendary Umamusume—and show not a shred of fear. Someone like that was either absurdly strong, or genuinely pitifully dense.
But even if it were the latter, that still wouldn't stop Equinox from unleashing terrifying strength on the track, would it?!
So no matter how you looked at it, Equinox was far too strong to feel like a freshly debuting Umamusume...
Everyone present had reached that clear conclusion. And in a place none of them knew about, Gotham Song—rarely dressed so thoroughly that she had herself wrapped up tight from head to toe—had already slipped out of the hotel from behind the crowd, then jogged the long way around into the racecourse.
She herself was quite surprised by Equinox's performance too. After all, an Umamusume who could face something like this in her debut race without looking nervous at all really gave off a faint sense of the unheard-of. But that, in turn, only gave Gotham Song even more confidence.
My girl isn't nervous at all. Good. As long as you can bring out your full strength, little Equinox, then no one here will be your opponent. There really isn't that much suspense in this race...
In Gotham Song's eyes, the only real suspense in this race was whether the pre-race welcome from the crowd might throw Equinox off her usual level.
In other words, for Equinox, the true decisive factor lay outside the track.
As for the other Umamusume on the track itself, that wasn't much of a problem for her instead.
As her Trainer, Gotham Song had naturally analyzed the entire field for this race.
And then she arrived at a conclusion that left her both amused and helpless.
Most of the other Umamusume had little to no race experience and barely any data to analyze, but!
Just judging by their paper stats alone, not a single one of them should have been able to enter Equinox's leading range.
And those were the unknown first-timers, who at least had that small advantage. This debut race even included two Umamusume making their second attempt at a debut.
And judging from the information shown in those two girls' previous debut races...
Forget causing trouble for Equinox!
If Equinox failed to beat them by a wide margin, that would count as her underperforming.
You had to know that the matching for debut races was one of the rare areas where races were specially arranged to some degree.
More specifically, Umamusume making their second or third debut attempt would be assigned to comparatively weaker races whenever possible, so that more Umamusume could debut earlier and late bloomers could be given a chance.
In other words, in theory, those two second-timers were supposed to be the top dogs in this race.
But unfortunately, you happened to run into Equinox...
There was really no need to face an opponent you simply could not defeat... right?
Beneath her mask, Gotham Song curled her lips into a smile, then took her seat and watched as one Umamusume after another entered the presentation procedure.
...
Fine weather at Tokyo Racecourse. Sixteen hundred meters. Left-handed. One big bend. A course with no slopes...
The first to appear were the Umamusume participating in their debut race for the first time. Because this was their first debut race, and because none of them came from famous stables or anything else that might bring extra popularity, the poor girls' fan support consisted only of family and friends.
Which meant that, outside the top three, the popularity ranking was basically determined by whose family had more people.
The only exception was the fourth-most-popular runner in this race, who apparently had a somewhat well-known older sister on the regional circuit.
In any case, her fans had actually broken into three digits, successfully winning her fourth place in popularity for this race.
As for second and third place ahead of her, there was naturally no suspense at all: they were the two Umamusume attempting their debut for the second time.
In truth, their performances in their previous debut races had not been bad. One of them—the number-two favorite—had actually failed to debut only because she finished second. So because the two of them had already shown their faces on the track once, they had more extra support than the younger girls behind them.
And who was the overwhelming number-one favorite?
Without question—and even receiving the treatment of a crowd-lined welcome in her debut race—it was Equinox!
The total number of popularity votes she received in this debut race was astonishing, downright absurd: a full four thousand!
She had practically swallowed up almost all the popularity votes by herself. Truly terrifying.
Still, no one doubted whether that level of popularity was abnormal. Or rather, there was a shared understanding in everyone's hearts.
Wouldn't it have been stranger if Equinox had failed to get that kind of support?
And so, under the gaze of all, and even under the eager stares of every other opponent, the appearance sequence for the second-most-popular runner finally came to an end as well.
What a long wait...
That was what almost everyone was thinking. Even the commentators were thinking the same thing.
But sadly, in a sense, the commentators were the ones suffering most under this whole situation, because...
The spectators could let their thoughts run wild however they liked, but the commentators had far too much they were not allowed to say. All they could do was take deep breaths, adjust their gloomy moods as best they could, and do the job they were supposed to do.
Still... still, getting to commentate a race for Miss Song's charge, haaah... I'm so happy. Since that's the case, then I absolutely have to go all out!
The commentators—both veteran Gotham Song fans—looked at each other, and with complete certainty saw the blazing fire in each other's eyes.
In every possible sense, they were completely fired up!!!
"AND NOW COMES THE MOST EAGERLY ANTICIPATED MOMENT OF THIS RACE—THE MOMENT EVERYONE HAS BEEN WAITING FOR, WHEN THE INDISPUTABLE NUMBER-ONE FAVORITE OF THIS RACE, THE MYSTERIOUS CHARGE OF OUR MISS SONG, WILL APPEAR BEFORE THE PUBLIC FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, STEPPING ONTO THE STAGE UNDER ALL EYES FOR THE FIRST TIME!"
"YES, IT REALLY IS A MOMENT YOU CAN'T HELP LOOKING FORWARD TO. TO BE HONEST, WHEN MISS SONG ANNOUNCED THAT SHE WAS GOING TO BECOME A TRAINER, AND AT THE SAME TIME ANNOUNCED THAT SHE ALREADY HAD A CHARGE, I WAS VERY JEALOUS. AFTER ALL, MY OWN TRAINER BACK THEN WASN'T NEARLY AS AUTHORITATIVE AS MISS SONG."
The Umamusume commentator picked up where her partner left off, even slipping in a small joke. Then after a brief pause, the other commentator finally took over and moved the program into the entry sequence.
"THEN LET'S NOT KEEP EVERYONE WAITING ANY LONGER. THE ONE ABOUT TO ENTER, THE ONE ABOUT TO SHOW HERSELF BEFORE US, IS THE ONE WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR... MISS EQUINOX!"
"THE UNQUESTIONED NUMBER-ONE FAVORITE OF THIS RACE, THE TOP CONTENDER FOR VICTORY, THE ONE WHOSE RUN THE ENTIRE WORLD IS WAITING TO SEE—THE UTTERLY UNIQUE MISS EQUINOX, DESTINED FOR WORLDWIDE FAME EVEN AT THE DEBUT-RACE STAGE!"
The entire racecourse roared, as though dead things had suddenly come alive just to cheer for the new king of the track.
Even Gotham Song could clearly feel the ground trembling without end!
What intense popularity. So this was what it felt like to witness a scene like this from the stands?
It was... a little too overwhelming.
This was her first time seeing a scene like this from this angle, so Gotham Song was somewhat unaccustomed to it. Still, more than anything else, her attention was on what the commentators had just said.
A race the whole world was destined to watch... So then, Equinox, just how much resolve can you show?
This was only a debut race, after all. Unlike procedures for things like the Japan Cup or the Triple Tiara, Equinox's appearance did not involve emerging from the far side of the stands, crossing all the way through them, and ascending the presentation stage. It was much simpler—she just came up from the contestant tunnel onto the presentation stage.
But even so, before Equinox had even stepped onstage, the audience had already erupted into even fiercer cheers. Some of the especially fervent fans were even waving obviously homemade banners, becoming an especially striking splash of scenery.
That, too, was one of the quirks of the Umamusume world. Normally, after a girl debuted, the race officials would sell cheering goods around the course before the race began, but for a debut race, that was obviously impossible.
Even so, the stands at debut races were almost always full of giant, eye-catching support goods hastily made by family and close friends.
Still, for those to be made not by family or friends, but by fans, Equinox might actually have been the first Umamusume ever to receive treatment like that.
Naturally, Gotham Song was delighted to see it. Her own Umamusume becoming famous was something she should be happy about too.
The banners waved, but Equinox's steps never paused. Under the gaze of everyone in the racecourse, Equinox stepped onto the presentation stage, swept her eyes across the entire crowd, then raised a hand and held up one finger.
One. First race. First victory. First appearance. And the beginning none of them would ever forget.
That kid Equinox was unexpectedly rather wild too, wasn't she?
Gotham Song smiled faintly, and the commentators clearly seemed just as surprised.
Because Equinox did not look like a rookie just starting out.
She looked more like a monarch ascending the coronation platform to declare the arrival of her era.
...
"WHAT AN IMPOSSIBLE PRESENCE TO LOOK AWAY FROM—SUCH OVERWHELMING FORCE. JUST WATCHING HER, SHE ALREADY CARRIES WHAT CAN ONLY BE CALLED DIGNITY. EQUINOX... PERHAPS THIS RACE WILL BECOME THE MOST UNFORGETTABLE DEBUT RACE OF THE YEAR. EVERYONE, I HAVE A VERY STRONG FEELING THAT WHAT WE'RE WATCHING RIGHT NOW WILL BE EXACTLY THAT."
"THAT HIGH A RATING, HUH? STILL, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHERE THIS RACE GOES AS WELL. ALL RIGHT, EQUINOX HAS COMPLETED HER PRESENTATION, SO AFTER A SHORT WAIT THE RACE WILL BEGIN... OH? EQUINOX ISN'T AFRAID OF THE STARTING GATES AT ALL EITHER? COULD THIS BE YET ANOTHER THING THAT MAKES EVERYONE IN ETERNAL BEAT DIFFERENT FROM THE REST?!"
Equinox stepped down from the presentation stage and, without the slightest pause, walked straight into the gate. Even the staff member assigned to that side stood there in disbelief.
They were supposed to deal with Umamusume who were afraid to enter the gates. If necessary, they had to shove those girls in.
But now...
Who am I? What am I doing here?
Miss Equinox, please, at least pretend a little!!
Still, that was only a small accident. Nothing on the track lingered over it for long. After a brief lapse into total silence, the staff began helping the other Umamusume into their gates.
It probably took around ten-odd minutes.
Once all the Umamusume had entered the gates, this race—the one the entire world could be said to be waiting for—was finally about to begin...
As for the race itself, though, Gotham Song seemed rather uninterested. She simply stared at Equinox's gate position, then curled her lips into a smile.
Sixteen hundred meters. One huge bend. Gate five...
Not too close to the inside, but still fairly near it. For other running styles, that might only count as a very good draw. Just that much.
For this style of running...
"THE RED GATE LIGHTS ARE ALREADY LIT. THIS HIGHLY ANTICIPATED DEBUT RACE IS FINALLY ABOUT TO BEGIN ON KYOTO'S FINE TURF. AHH, I REALLY CAN'T HELP BEING CURIOUS—IT ALMOST MAKES ME WANT TO JUMP A FEW MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE AND SEE THE RESULT ALREADY."
The second red light...
"YES, I'M CURIOUS TOO. ABOVE ALL, I'M CURIOUS WHAT KIND OF RUNNING STYLE MISS EQUINOX WILL CHOOSE IN THIS RACE. BUT... IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I THINK I CAN GUESS. AFTER ALL, SHE IS THAT UMAMUSUME'S CHARGE, ISN'T SHE?"
By all logic, there could only be one answer...
The green light.
It lit up!
"THE RACE BEGINS—EH, EHHH?! ISN'T THAT TERRIFYING?! MISS EQUINOX HAS ALREADY COMPLETED HER BREAK FROM THE GATE AND SEIZED THE VERY FRONT POSITION?! SO IT REALLY IS THE RUNAWAY STYLE!!!"
"YES INDEED, WHAT TERRIFYING SPEED AND GATE BREAK. AS EXPECTED OF MISS SONG'S CHARGE—I TRULY CAN SEE A FEW TRACES OF HER BRILLIANCE IN MISS EQUINOX... MISS EQUINOX HAS ALREADY COMPLETED HER BREAK AND HER SPEED IS BIZARRELY FAST; SHE'S ALREADY SURGED TO THE FRONT OF THE COURSE! SHE'S EVEN COMPLETELY PULLED AWAY FROM THE PACK BEHIND HER! THIS IS TRULY ASTONISHING!"
"AND THE ONE LEADING THE GROUP BEHIND EQUINOX IS..."
Who that was hardly mattered anymore. The moment Equinox's Runaway went unimpeded, this race had already ended at the instant it began. What remained was merely the process of acting out the result...
Watching the track, Gotham Song came to that conclusion.
After all, gate five... was the golden draw for a Runaway.
---
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