Standing on the racetrack, Dream Weaver naturally had no idea about King Halo's muttered soliloquy. All she did was sprint forward, not slowing in the slightest even as she charged through the curve.
Setting foot on the Tokyo Racecourse once again, Dream Weaver didn't choose to run from behind—instead, she went all out with a front-running strategy. One reason for this was that purple skill known as Tokyo Swift.
Even if it wasn't fully activated, Dream Weaver could feel her speed increasing somewhat. With a boost like that, why not go all the way with a Great Escape?
Besides, debut races only required one lap around the Tokyo Racecourse. At 1200 meters, Dream Weaver's stamina was more than enough to carry her to the finish—not to mention the grit that would grant her a second wind when exhaustion set in.
The second reason was that, unlike that initial mission, she didn't have unlimited chances to memorize every opponent's position. Her Great Chasing style wasn't polished enough yet—too risky. If something went wrong, it'd be a disaster.
But what Dream Weaver hadn't anticipated was this: even without a full grasp of every Uma Musume's position, the experience she'd gained racing through the rain had been etched into her very bones. Even after nearly a decade, it remained vivid.
When to lean into the curve, when to make her move—every detail about this track came flooding back the moment she returned, as if the gods themselves were whispering in her ear.
Why had she urged Narita Top Road before the race not to worry about failing to live up to others' expectations?
Because, to Dream Weaver, the outcome was never in doubt.
The winner of this debut race could only be her.
With flecks of turf flying in her wake, Dream Weaver blew through the curve. Many of the other Uma Musume were still midway through the turn; all they could do was lower their heads and push with everything they had—for second place.
"Whoosh!"
The final 600-meter straight at the Tokyo Racecourse didn't stand a chance against Dream Weaver's sprint. As the wind roared past her, a line of crimson characters slowly materialized on the giant screen overlooking the track:
First Place — Dream Weaver.
After coming to a stop, Dream Weaver untied the red ribbon from her hair, letting her dark locks stream freely in the air.
She tied the ribbon around her wrist and raised her hand, waving to the crowd.
The sight of that flowing red streak was more than the audience could take—they erupted into cheers.
"Woooooooooooh!"
"You're amazing, Dream! I'm gonna support you forever, ya hear!"
The crowd's roar swept through the massive Tokyo Racecourse like a tidal wave, their passion burning brighter than the sun in that moment.
Amid the frenzy, King Halo quietly bowed her head. She wasn't sure how to describe what she was feeling.
As Dream Weaver's older sister, she ought to congratulate her on such an impressive achievement—and truth be told, King Halo was genuinely happy for her.
Even if this was just a debut race, King Halo could see how much potential her little sister had. With a performance like this, she might even have a shot at winning this year's Triple Crown classics!
But at the same time, a sense of frustration welled up inside her. She herself hadn't won a single G1 race yet—what if Dream Weaver, who'd never beaten her before, claimed a title first?
What would that make her, always going on about being a top-class Uma Musume?
Deep down, in a place even she wasn't aware of, a flicker of fear took root. She'd always seen herself as the elite older sister, Dream Weaver's mentor—what kind of look would her little sister give her if she were surpassed?
Would she see a boastful, self-satisfied older sister? Or worse, would Dream Weaver not even spare her a second glance? As the one left behind, maybe she'd be cast aside entirely.
King Halo's fists clenched unconsciously.
Beside her, one of her little retinue members—in the middle of cheering for Dream Weaver—noticed something was off and asked with concern, "King, are you okay?"
Hearing her friend's question, King Halo lifted her head and replied in her trademark proud tone, "As expected of my little sister! She's sure to become a top-tier Uma Musume someday!"
By the time her face was back in view, it had returned to its usual expression.
Pointing at Dream Weaver waving her red ribbon on the track, King Halo turned to her friends and said, "Could you all do the usual thing for me?"
The group exchanged glances, then replied in unison, "You got it!"
Out on the field, Dream Weaver was waving her ribbon when suddenly she spotted that all-too-familiar scene unfolding in the crowd.
"What is our little sister's name?"
"Little Dream!"
"Stronger than anyone?"
"The winner!"
"And her future?"
"A shining, star Uma Musume~!"
"That's right, when we talk about a top-class little sister, that is—"
"Dream Weaver!"
"Ohohohohohoho!"
Watching the conspicuous spectacle of King Halo and her squad in the stands, Dream Weaver felt her eyebrow twitch violently. She forced a smile and kept waving to the crowd, her face gradually flushing red with embarrassment.
She could've sworn the crowd's perception of her had shifted. Earlier, their gazes were full of admiration—but after King Halo's performance, it felt more like, 'Wow, they really are sisters, huh.'
Waving all the while, Dream Weaver gritted her teeth and thought inwardly, 'If you want to indulge your chuuni antics, fine—but did you have to drag me into it?!'
"Power Rangers."
As if to twist the knife, just when Dream Weaver was so embarrassed she wanted to crawl into a hole, Narita Top Road—seemingly to get back at her for the tomato remark—sidled up and whispered the phrase right into her ear.
The warm breath and the girl's voice made Dream Weaver's horse ears twitch involuntarily. Startled, she instinctively took a step back.
Covering her ears, Dream Weaver glared back, equal parts flustered and annoyed. "Since when is that your character?!"
Seeing she'd successfully gotten a rise out of Dream Weaver, Narita Top Road puffed out her chest triumphantly, as if to say, 'Hehe, had to pay you back.'
But underneath it all, Narita Top Road was secretly relieved as she took in Dream Weaver's flustered expression.
'Thank goodness. I was starting to think that conversation earlier was all an act.'
'Seems like she only switches into that mode during races. If she couldn't switch back... now that would be scary.'
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 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.