"Oguri Cap is too stuffed to compete in tomorrow's race?"
In the student council room.
Air Groove fell into a long silence, her mind utterly unsettled. Even if it wasn't an official race, dropping out because you ate too much? That had to be a first in history.
Truly unprecedented, and likely to remain unmatched.
And from what she knew, just who could possibly push Oguri Cap to such a state?
Even Taiki Shuttle, the biggest eater in Rigil, couldn't hold a candle to Oguri Cap's appetite.
"It was Special Week," Symboli Rudolf explained, sensing Air Groove's bewilderment. "Oguri Cap, Special Week, and Taiki Shuttle all entered that eating contest."
"Special Week came in second, only two bowls behind Oguri Cap. She finished 1,509 bowls of beef noodles."
Hearing that staggering number, Air Groove's words caught in her throat. It wasn't that she didn't want to speak, but even an empress like her felt an overwhelming urge to voice the absurdity of it all.
She even kind of wanted to find a recording of that eating contest to see it for herself.
A single bowl of beef noodles—no matter how small—was a full meal for a Uma Musume with a modest appetite.
That meant Oguri Cap and Special Week had devoured in one sitting what could feed a light eater for a year and a half.
If a Uma Musume's power was proportional to her appetite, then Special Week must surely be second only to Oguri Cap.
She, a revered empress, had seen every manner of storm and wave. But this? This was new. Struggling to steady her emotions, she asked, "President, are you planning to cancel tomorrow's relay marathon?"
Knowing Symboli Rudolf, if Oguri Cap couldn't compete, the relay would likely be called off outright, with a formal apology issued to the public to handle the fallout.
Symboli Rudolf, seated with her arms crossed, offered a rare smile. "The relay will proceed as scheduled."
"However, Tamamo Cross will replace Oguri Cap as the final runner of the Heisei Trio. I will also post an apology and explanation on Tracen's official website."
Air Groove wanted to object, but in the end, she just sighed.
Due to the Heisei Trio's relay marathon tomorrow, countless people had already booked time off to come watch the race at Tracen Academy's cultural festival.
Many of the younger fans were especially drawn by the legendary Oguri Cap.
A last-minute substitution like this, the day before the race—Air Groove could only imagine the pressure President Rudolf would have to shoulder.
The only silver lining was that even without Oguri Cap, Barbatos and El Condor Pasa could still steady the crowd and keep the spectators from disappointment.
But still...
"Is Tamamo Cross physically up for it?"
"If it's just one race, it shouldn't be a problem."
--+--
At a restaurant somewhere.
A group of college students were gathered for a meal. One young couple was looking at their phone, reading the latest update from Tracen Academy.
"'Oguri Cap temporarily unable to compete in relay due to unforeseen circumstances. Third leg to be run by Tamamo Cross?'"
The young man read the message aloud, too surprised to keep it to himself.
They were the same couple from under the Ferris wheel. Once they'd learned Barbatos was running in the cultural festival relay, they'd immediately made plans to go to Tracen Academy to watch.
Their friends, who'd watched Barbatos' race with them before, were coming too. They planned to leave for Kyoto after dinner tonight.
They were eager to witness a peak showdown: Barbatos versus a legendary Uma Musume.
But now, suddenly, Oguri Cap was out? A last-minute substitution? It felt a little disorienting.
Their friends nearby were also taken aback by the news.
But they didn't mind much. They weren't going to see Oguri Cap anyway. They were relatively new to Uma Musume racing, having been completely blown away when dragged to watch Barbatos' debut, instantly becoming fans.
This trip to Tracen was purely to see Barbatos run.
"Isn't it a good thing that Oguri Cap isn't racing? You were the one saying Barbatos might lose if she was running."
"Yeah, this way, Barbatos is guaranteed to win, right?"
In their eyes, Barbatos—who'd once crossed the finish line dozens of lengths ahead of the second-place Uma Musume—was practically invincible. Didn't everyone online say Barbatos was 'legendary from her debut'?
If her opponent wasn't a legendary Uma Musume, then who could possibly stand against her?
The young couple nodded in agreement. Their initial surprise at Oguri Cap's withdrawal was fading. This might actually be a good thing. Besides, Barbatos would eventually face Oguri Cap in the Winter Dream Cup anyway.
This would just give Barbatos more time to grow stronger!
One of their friends, curious, asked, "So, who is this Tamamo Cross anyway? Is she... any good?"
They'd seen all the hype online about how amazing Oguri Cap was. Whoever was taking her place probably wasn't slouch either.
The young couple exchanged a look, then shook their heads.
"We haven't really heard of her either. She must be from the Heisei era too."
"But since the 'Heisei Trio' refers to Oguri Cap, Super Creek, and Inari One, Tamamo Cross probably isn't on their level."
It sounded logical.
One of their group thought for a moment, then pulled out his phone, intending to look up Tamamo Cross.
If they didn't know how good she was, then watching the race as Barbatos fans would feel like something was missing, even if she won.
Just as he was about to open the search app, his phone rang.
The caller ID showed "Grandpa."
Figuring it was just close friends around, he didn't step away, answering right there.
"Grandpa."
"Your voice sounds a bit choked up... is everything okay?"
"Nothing's wrong?"
"Yeah, I'm not in class right now."
"The Shinkansen to Kyoto? Sure, I'll look it up and book a ticket for you in a bit."
"You're going to Kyoto for something? I'm heading to Kyoto with my friends tonight too."
"A race at Tracen Academy?"
He hung up and put his phone down, his face full of astonishment. He never expected his grandfather, who rarely went out, would want to go to Kyoto, and to Tracen Academy of all places.
His friends looked at him with concern. "Did something happen?"
He replied, somewhat dazed, "My grandpa... he says he's going to Kyoto to watch Tamamo Cross race."
Suddenly remembering his original intention, he quickly picked up his phone and started searching for the name.
Reading the information that appeared on his screen, his hand began to tremble slightly.
"Barbatos... might lose..."
--+--
United States.
A starry-eyed Uma Musume booked a flight ticket to Kyoto, Japan on her phone.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 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.