"An unprecedented 170,000 spectators at the racetrack…"
Pushed along by the crowd, reporter Fujii finally squeezed his way to the front, listening to the grand music symbolizing the commencement of the [Tenno Sho].
It really had been the right move to hype up the race beforehand. Once the number of people coming to watch live swelled, the Central Association wouldn't dare pull anything too outrageous.
Especially considering, among these 170,000 spectators, how many truly understood the intricacies of the race?
Issuing the warning letter wasn't just a formal declaration of opposition against Central; it also drew in curious onlookers who would scrutinize the black Uma Musume's actions with a critical eye.
If she wasn't as despicable as Central made her out to be, their lies would naturally be exposed, and then the court of public opinion would swiftly change direction.
Not only that, shortly after the warning letter was released, the media scrambled to report news about Narita Brian and Sirius Symboli, pushing the race's popularity to unprecedented heights.
Unexpected, but also highly advantageous for the Ghost.
The more people who came to the venue, the more would learn the truth.
Only when everyone stepped out from behind their screens and saw her with their own eyes would they realize how much personal bias was hidden within the media's voices and words.
Right now, Central was hoisting itself with its own petard.
The flames they themselves had fanned were slowly creeping back to burn them.
But…
Reporter Fujii glanced around, frowning as he saw the signs telling the black Uma Musume to get out of the racetrack.
The overall sentiment still leaned towards Central. Those who saw her as a plague upon the track, a disruptor of order, held sway.
Only a small portion of the audience felt that an Uma Musume entering the racetrack was her inherent right, needing no one's permission, and that the black Uma Musume had done nothing wrong.
Setting aside right and wrong, what Reporter Fujii truly wanted to see was just how far that Uma Musume's abilities could reach.
Racing was just a means to prove oneself. And when rules originally meant to benefit the competition turned into shackles, he wouldn't hesitate to stand on the side of abolishing them.
At his core, he was just a spectator who wanted to see the Uma Musume settle things through their running. He'd become a reporter purely out of interest.
Of course, Central must have anticipated this situation. As for what methods they'd devised to counter the black Uma Musume, Reporter Fujii had no idea.
He could only hope they wouldn't ruin this stage too badly.
Sighing inwardly, Fujii Senosuke took out his camera and started taking photos of the spectator stands, mentally composing the news article for this race.
"Hmm…?"
Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes.
Right in the center of his camera's viewfinder, a large number of staff were gathered near the starting gate.
What was this about?
Based on past experience, these electric starting gates only required one person to operate. Why were so many staff members deployed now?
Ah, that's right. Rumor had it that for this Autumn Tenno Sho, all staff had been transferred from various racecourses. None belonged to the Tokyo Racecourse itself.
This was extremely unusual for past competitions. The Tokyo Racecourse had no internal staff of its own?
Don't tell me they thought there was a mole among their own people…
And looking at their posture, the staff standing by the gate like guardian deities, staring unblinkingly at the entrance…
These people definitely weren't just there to operate the gate.
Oh no, no, no…
An idea was already forming in Fujii Senosuke's mind.
Were they planning to stand there and wait for the Black Ghost to appear?!
Looking closer, all of them wore hats, and the backs of their clothes bulged unnaturally.
Uma Musume! They were all Uma Musume disguised as ordinary staff!
It seemed this group was prepared to take forceful measures, to completely subdue the Black Ghost.
This was bad. Terribly bad…
Based on current knowledge, the Black Ghost had two methods of appearance.
The first was on metal sheets, as Fujii Senosuke had witnessed himself.
The second was at the starting line of the racetrack.
The proud Ghost, even if she started slower than others, wouldn't choose to join mid-race. So her starting point must be the same as the others, or even further back.
If Central had discovered these two points, her chances of appearing again were slim.
Damn it, he should have realized this sooner!
He'd given the warning in advance; of course they would prepare countermeasures.
At such close range, how could they possibly miss her!
Whether they discovered her secret or interfered with her the moment she appeared, it would be a severe disruption for the Ghost.
What should he do now? Warn her in advance?
But could that person find the Ghost in such a short time? There wasn't much time before the race started.
After a few seconds of frantic thought, Reporter Fujii resolutely dialed the number.
--+--
"Cafe, your phone is ringing."
Up in the higher stands, Agnes Tachyon reminded Manhattan Cafe beside her.
Who would call at a time like this…
Hearing the reminder, Manhattan Cafe took out her phone and looked at the incoming number.
"Someone I don't know…"
She had never seen this number before.
"Maybe a telemarketer?"
"Not sure."
Pressing the speakerphone button, an unfamiliar man's voice came through.
"Hello, may I speak to Miss Silence?"
Miss Silence?
Hearing this name, Manhattan Cafe's ears twitched slightly.
She remembered 'Friend' introducing herself as 'Sunday Silence.' Could this 'Silence' be referring to 'Friend'?
Hesitantly, Manhattan Cafe replied, "Yes, speaking…"
"Hello, this is Fujii Senosuke, we met last time. Miss Silence, can you contact the Ghost Uma Musume right now?"
The Ghost Uma Musume!? Manhattan Cafe's heart skipped a beat.
Who was this 'Fujii Senosuke'? How did he know about such a thing!
Beside her, Agnes Tachyon narrowed her eyes, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Um… may I ask what this is about?" Suppressing the questions in her heart, Manhattan Cafe continued.
The person on the other end rapidly described the situation he had witnessed.
"If no measures are taken, the Black Ghost likely won't be able to complete the race."
If that happened, the original warning letter would make the Black Ghost a complete laughingstock.
And Central wasn't afraid of their forceful interference being exposed to the public.
Public opinion was already in their favor. Moreover, expelling those who illegally entered the racetrack was their responsibility.
The act itself wasn't wrong; it was justified. Even if reported, they had nothing to fear.
But the Black Ghost's problem would be huge.
Once she failed to fulfill her own bold declaration, everything about her would become a joke in the racing world!
They needed to find a solution, fast.
Hearing this, Manhattan Cafe slowly clenched the mirror she always carried in her pocket.
--+--
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.