In the days following Oguri Cap's victory at the [Kikuka Sho], a flame had been lit all across Japan.
Because, for the first time in years, a new umamusume had taken the Undefeated Triple Crown. And not only that, but she'd done so with overwhelming strength, consistently winning her races by 5 lengths or more. It was practically a recreation of Symboli Rudolf's domineering victories just years ago!
For the first time, people truly began seeing Oguri Cap as the second coming of the Emperor. There were even some heated debates on whether Oguri or Rudolf would win if they ever raced together.
Yet, Oguri Cap didn't care. To her, all the excitement was just noise. All the new fame she'd gotten was no different than the chatter of cicadas in the height of summer. The only thing that irked her was the sudden popularity of her plushy, and she became especially jealous when she realized I had a couple plushies of her in my room.
But again, aside from that, Oguri was essentially unbothered at her new achievement. Because there was something else that was far more important.
"Tamamo Cross crosses the finish line first!"
"A complete victory of over 7 Lengths! The White Lightning has once again struck!"
The audience, still strung with excitement from the [Kikuka Sho], celebrated loudly at Tamamo Cross' victory. Tamamo looked at the audience, and seeing their cheers, gave them a toothy grin and a peace sign.
I smiled slightly as I kept quiet, my eyes calculating.
Tamamo Cross was one of the shortest umamusume in the main cast, and her body seemed quite petite. But it wasn't hard to see her perfectly sculpted calves, and her broad shoulders perfectly complimented the incredible muscles on her arms. She might be small, but she was by no means weak.
Humming, I glanced at Oguri who sat next to me. "So, what do you think?"
"Strong." Oguri said, her eyes wide. "Really strong."
"Told ya, she is. Right now, she's probably the strongest senior we have." I smirked at her. "And we're going to face her during the [Japan Cup]."
She nodded, entirely unafraid. And why should she be? She'd shown her dominating strength by attaining the Undefeated Triple Crown, and she hadn't even reached her apex. Her [Domain] remained elusive, but I was confident she would unlock it sooner or later.
The Oguri from the manga may have lost the [Japan Cup], but that fate was no longer concrete.
Her Undefeated Triple Crown aside, Oguri hadn't participated in the [Autumn Tenno Sho], which meant that her first true meeting with Tamamo Cross would only happen during the [Japan Cup]. Tamamo Cross would be entirely unaccustomed to directly facing Oguri's strength, all while Oguri's strength continued to rise.
Of course, I would also be there as well. The [Japan Cup] would be an all-round battle royal.
I could only eagerly wait for that fateful race to come.
…
Tamamo Cross clicked her tongue as she finished drying her hair. "She was t'ere."
Komiyama Masami blinked as she looked up from her clipboard. "Huh? Who was?"
Tamamo scoffed as she sat down. "Who else butta' Grey Beast herse'f?" She smirked slightly, remembering the stunned look her fellow grey-haired umamusume sported after she crossed the finish line.
Her trainer went wide eyed. "Eeh~? Oguri Cap was watching?"
A nerve bulged on her forehead. "Oi, quiet down, would'cha?" Her trainer mumbled a quick apology while she messaged her aching ears. "But ya. Her girlfriend was there too. Saw them getting all chummy and stuff."
Masami blushed at the mention, though she quickly realized who she was talking about. "Ah, so even Blossom Star was there…" She paused, before her jaw fell slightly. "Wait, don't tell me all of Team Kitahara went to watch us!?"
"Ya, so?"
Masami screamed again as she held her head in horror. "Aah! I didn't get the chance to meet Musaka-senpai…!"
"So loud!"
"Sorry~!"
Tamamo sighed, though she then frowned. She knew full well that Oguri and Star were there to scout her out. She'd heard of their plan to run in the [Japan Cup]; a confrontation between them would be inevitable.
And sure, they were juniors, but she knew that basically meant sack'all. Blossom Star had already shown how far ahead she was compared to others, and Oguri Cap's Undefeated Triple Crown spoke for itself. Right now, those two were her greatest competitors, and it staggered her a little to realize that they were still her juniors.
Especially that Blossom Star. She didn't like to admit it, but her Great Escape was scary. The fact she could maintain that constant speed for over 2400 meters was crazy enough, but to still have the stamina to accelerate in the final straight?
Bloody hell. Made her wonder if Star was actually a robot the first time she saw that.
Heck, maybe she was. The smiles Star first gave always looked a little wrong to her—like some alien that didn't quite know what smiling actually meant. Sure, it'd gotten a lot better since then, but she couldn't shake the feeling of wrongness. Being around her made her feel all the heebie jeebies.
…ah, heck. That was a little mean, actually.
"By da' way, have ya gotten data on her?" Tamamo then asked.
Masami's playful smile turned into a serious frown. "I have, yeah." She cast a worried glance at the data she'd written on her clipboard. "It's scary, Tamamo. I've seen her run over 4000 meters and still keep going. And her top speed can match yours if she's given the time. It's-" She sighed. "The new generation's already here."
Tamamo sighed too, suddenly feeling way older. "Ya, ye'r right."
And that wasn't something she could deny anymore. Embarrassing as it was, she was getting older. She ain't at her peak anymore, and if she went any longer, she'd begin feeling the decline every umamusume felt after their Blooming period was over. It wasn't too bad yet, but the effects would only intensify with time.
Even if she didn't want to, it was clear that this year would probably be the final year of her career.
"It's been fun, trainer."
Masami smiled back. "Don't speak like everything's over just yet, Tamamo." She grinned as she ruffled her hair. "We still got the [Japan Cup] and the [Arima Kinen] to finish, right?"
"Stop rufflin' ma hair!" She protested, but she huffed when her trainer only chuckled. "But-, yeah, ye'r right." She smirked. "Ma time's not over yet!"
Masami giggled, smiling fondly. Training Tamamo had been…rough. She was flighty and energetic, and it wasn't rare for her to have to change schedules to deal with Tamamo's impulsiveness.
But she wouldn't trade it for anything else. The two years she'd spent together with her trainee—short as they were, it was an experience she would hold dearly for the rest of her life. It was like an unforgettable firework, in a way. A short explosion that forever left an imprint in her heart.
Heh, Tamamo would probably hit her head if she heard all the sappy things she was thinking.
"Anyway, why don't we have some takoyaki?" Masami winked. "It'll be my treat."
Tamamo's eyes shone at the mention of her favorite food. "Takoyaki? Ha, ya know what that means, right?" She smirked. "No takebacks right, trainer?"
She giggled. "Think of it as a little gift for winning the [Autumn Tenno Sho]."
Tamamo grinned. "If ya say so!"
And so, with that jovial atmosphere, the two finally left the locker room and headed out of the Tokyo Racecourse.