It was that time of day, the signal for the race was about to commence.
A small crowd had gathered by the stands. It was not grand or overwhelming.
But just enough.
After all, this was not a public race.
Most spectators were not permitted to attend.
Yet, among those present were not only parents.
But Trainers from the Academy itself.
Their eyes were sharp.
They're here to observe and evaluate.
Most importantly... scouting.
As stated within the rules, any candidate personally scouted by a Trainer of Tracen Academy would be granted immediate acceptance.
No further evaluation required.
And because of that, every runner on the field carried more than just their ambition to win.
But rather, they carried a chance to prove.
A shortcut to their dream.
Whether it was to win or lose.
As long as they could promote themselves, even for a moment.
Then a place within the Academy, a chance to be scouted… and the URA stage.
Could already be theirs...
...
...
Meanwhile—
On the other side.
That little pink critter had already gathered her kit.
And she was now gathered inside the locker room that was packed with candidates.
Each was preparing for the Entrance Exam.
A race of a lifetime.
One that could determine their future.
One that would begin the story of what lies ahead.
However...
Urara remained completely unfazed. Bouncing around as if it were just another race she participated.
As she casually wandered around the room, peeking from one corner to another.
Looking for a familiar face.
Specifically...
Mary Jane.
In the meantime, around her, the atmosphere was entirely different.
Unlike her jolly behavior, it was shrouded in tension and anxiety.
Some stretched themselves solemnly.
Some controlled their breathing, their eyes shut tight.
Some muttered words of encouragement under their breath.
Others studied strategies or hammered the horseshoes beneath their footwear.
The room itself felt suffocating.
As if a cage filled with anxious, competitive gladiators.
Each was preparing as if their life was on the line.
After all...
Tracen Academy was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
A single mistake could easily strip them of any chance of being part of such a prestigious academy.
For that, no one would ever want to let such an opportunity slip.
And no one would ever want to go home empty-handed.
Perhaps... All except Urara.
As unworried as ever.
She then continued her carefree stroll, glancing around the locker room with her usual bounce and bright grin.
She walked and walked.
Until—
She stopped.
There, over by the next corner.
Mary Jane.
Standing quietly by her locker.
Urara's face lit up instantly.
"Mary-chan!" she murmured.
She then tiptoed forward, trying to sneak up on her from behind—
Ready to surprise her.
In the meantime, Mary remained there, still and unaware.
As her mind had drifted elsewhere.
With that, Urara seized the chance to continue creeping forward.
Step by step.
Closer and closer.
Until—
"Mary-chan!"
She leapt forward with a cheerful shout.
In that instant—
Mary reacted.
Her body jerked as she moved before her mind could catch up.
With a swift motion, she grabbed Urara by her wrist.
And flipped her clean over her shoulder.
Just like before.
Just like back at their old school.
And—
*Thud!*
Urara slammed onto the floor in front of her.
And immediately—
All eyes in the locker room turned toward them.
Murmuring.
"What just happened?!"
"Did that girl just—?!"
Meanwhile—
Mary was stunned as her eyes began to blink.
Once.
Twice.
Until her focus slowly returned—
It then locked onto the figure sprawled on the ground. Groaning.
"U… Urara...?" she murmured, still hazy.
Until—
"URARA?!"
She finally snapped and quickly rushed forward, reaching toward her.
Shen then pulled Urara back onto her feet.
Her hands moved in a hurry, brushing off dust, checking her shoulders, her arms, her back...
Her eyes scanned every inch of her.
"Are you alright?!" she asked, worrying she might have inflicted a bruise on her.
But Urara simply puffed out her chest and chuckled.
"Hehe…! Don't worry, Mary-chan! Urara is perfectly fine!"
Still—
Mary didn't stop.
She checked again.
And again.
Until—
There was truly nothing.
Only then did she let out a small sigh.
"…Please don't do that again, Urara," she said, looking at her.
"I could have hurt you… Causing you to be unable to race."
But Urara just grinned even wider.
"Don't worry, Mary-chan! I'm super sturdy! Like a wall!"
She struck a proud pose.
"After all! I've taken way more damage than this! Like when I was forced to eat a pickle! That thing almost poisoned my tummy! But I came out victorious!"
"…Pickle?" Mary fluttered, utterly confused.
"Anyway!" Urara suddenly chimed in.
"I can't wait for us to run together, Mary-chan!"
"It's finally here, isn't it?!" she added, already bouncing in place.
Unlike Urara—
Mary was taken aback slightly.
And she wasn't as excited.
If anything…
She was more afraid than anything else.
Especially her current condition with her leg.
With that, her gaze lowered.
"…Y—yes…" she forced a reply faintly.
And Urara continued.
"Then! Our promise still stands, right?!" she continued eagerly.
"Our promise! If I outrun you, we'll finally be friends!"
"…Be friends…?" Mary repeated softly, her thoughts still drifting elsewhere.
Then she snapped back.
"R—right…!"
"On—only if you can!" she added, forcing a confident tone.
Trying to play along.
Trying to stay composed.
But no matter how much she tried—
Her body was beginning to betray her.
Her body was trembling.
And her sweat began to fall.
Color slowly drained from her face.
It was likely her reliance on the painkillers finally took a toll.
And only then—
Urara noticed.
Her head tilted, confused by Mary's appearance.
"Mary-chan…? What's wrong?" she asked.
And Mary instantly flinched.
Quickly forced a smile onto her face, replying,
"Wha—? I— I'm fine!"
"I— I'm always fine, Urara! Don't worry about me!"
She straightened herself, trying to regain control.
"You should worry about yourself," she added, pointing at Urara dramatically, "when I'm about to paint your face wit— with mud!"
"Not if I do it first!" Urara shot back immediately, grinning with determination.
Mary then gave a small nod, trying to cut their conversation short.
So that Urara won't realize something was wrong with her.
"Th— then… s-see you on the field, Urara…" she slurred.
"I—I needed sometimes to warm up alone, i—if you don't mind..."
"Alright! See you then, Mary-chan!"
With that, Urara turned, humming as she skipped back toward her locker.
But just before she left—
She stopped.
Turned back one last time.
And smiled brightly.
"Remember, Mary-chan! When I outrun you, let us continue where we left off last time!"
"Because we never finished our hangout from last time, remember?!"
Mary blinked—
Slightly taken aback.
"I…" she stuttered.
But before she could respond—
Urara continued, her voice brimming with excitement.
"And I can't wait for it! I really can't!"
"I can't wait for us to hang out again! Because…"
She beamed.
"…it was genuinely fun being with you, Mary-chan!"
"So this time—this time I will definitely, definitely outrun you!" she added, eyes glistening.
"And nothing's going to stop me this time!"
"Nothing's going to stop the great Urara from beating you, Mary-chan!"
"Urara…" Mary whispered, her gaze drifting toward her.
"And when I do…" Urara added, smiling brightly, "I promise… I'll make sure you feel the same way too, Mary-chan!"
"You'll want to hang out with me!"
"Laugh with me!"
"Eat lots of tasty snacks with me!"
"And do even more fun things together!"
"Because… I made a promise," Urara continued.
"I made a promise to myself. To others. And to you, Mary-chan!"
"That I'll always keep smiling when I run! And make you, and the whole world, smilier every time I win!"
"So wait for me, Mary-chan!" she added brightly.
"Wait for me to bring you so much fun that you'll forget everything else!"
"…Everything else?" Mary repeated softly.
Urara nodded eagerly.
"Yes! Everything else!"
"And that's all I wanted to say!" she chirped.
"See you on the field, Mary-chan!"
"And I can't wait!"
With a wave—
She dashed off.
Leaving Mary behind, standing there, wordless.
Only until Urara had completely disappeared did Mary finally move.
Slowly...
She turned back to her locker.
Reached inside.
And pulled out the small bottle.
The painkillers.
And she stared at it.
"Make me 'smilier'…?" she muttered under her breath.
"…Is that even a word…?"
Then, her grip tightened slightly.
"But… Urara…" her voice slightly lowered.
"…I promised Father… that I will become perfection."
"That... I will become the greatest Umamusume in the world."
"Become the undefeated, perfect specimen…"
But her voice faltered, trembling.
"However… I…" she stuttered.
"I… I don't want to…"
"To…"
Her thoughts began to blur.
And it began to spin faster and faster.
Until—
"Just promise me that you'll stay obedient. No more of that hanging out or wasting time, alright?"
A voice intruded on her mind.
"You can do all that once you've become successful. Once you've become perfect."
It was her father's voice.
"Then, you can go out as much as you want, make as many friends as you want, spend as much time as you want with anyone, hell, I don't care."
It was the voice from that day before, from that day after she hung out with Urara...
"And all you gotta do is RACE, WIN, REPEAT!"
The very voice she couldn't forget.
"Become the unbeatable, the unfathomable, the perfection—"
The very command she couldn't disobey.
"The one and only—Conqueror of the tracks!"
The very word she must... complied.
With that—
Mary's eyes snapped open, and her breathing hitched.
And the bottle was still in her hand, tightening.
"I… I…" she panted, staring at the bottle in her hand.
"I must… obey."
Her fingers twisted the cap open.
"I must… win."
A few pills dropped into her palm.
"I must be… perfection."
She didn't hesitate and swallowed them clean.
"I... I...!"
Then, a silence followed.
After a moment of settling herself.
Her trembling finally eased.
Her breathing was reverting.
And the cold sweat finally lessened.
There, Mary stood upright by her locker, stretching herself while straightening her posture.
Putting the bottle back into her locker and tugging it behind her truffle bag.
With a resurged vigor, her gaze sharpened, her muscles stiffened, and her mind cleared once more.
With that, she gently closed her locker and turned.
"I… I'm sorry, Urara," she murmured, looking at the other candidates.
"But your ideals… they won't become reality. No matter how hard you try."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"The truth will soon show itself to the world."
"That you are… nothing compared to me."
"To others… as well."
She paused.
As she started walking away.
"And I'm sorry to break it to you, Urara," she continued.
"Today, nothing will stop me from claiming my place as perfection."
"Not you, Urara…"
"…not anyone."
"Because today is the day..."
"The day I will show father what I truly am..."
"The day I'm... converting what he needed me to be."
"The day I become what I have always directed myself forward to..."
"The day I finally become..."
"...The PERFECT..."
"...Umamusume!"