The Winter Dream Cup.
As all the Uma Musume crossed the finish line, the Japanese audience on-site burst into applause.
For the Japanese spectators present, especially those familiar with Uma Musume, it was an unquestionable certainty that the Emperor would win the Winter Dream Cup.
So even with Barbatos participating, even with Barbatos's immense popularity, their belief never wavered, even among those who were fans of other racers or even of Barbatos herself.
It was as natural as wearing more clothes when the weather turns cold.
Moreover, this year's Winter Dream Cup was even more thrilling than previous years. The strength Barbatos displayed was greater than before, and Oguri Cap even momentarily showed the potential to defeat the Emperor.
It was an absolutely spectacular race, so they naturally didn't hold back their applause, offering it to every Uma Musume on the track!
However, the Chinese fans in the audience, who had initially cheered in unison and had become fans through their exposure to Barbatos, found this outcome hard to accept.
In their hearts, the Undefeated Uma Musume, the ever-victorious Barbatos, had actually fallen here.
Not only did she not win first place, she didn't even beat any of the other legendary Uma Musume besides the Emperor, finishing dead last.
Meanwhile, on the live stream of the Dream Cup.
Most of Barbatos's fans fell into silence, unable to accept the fact of her crushing defeat to varying degrees.
It was like those past days online, stubbornly arguing with others via keyboard that Barbatos could win against the Emperor, only to realize in the end that they were the ones who were wrong.
The barrage comments seemed to have been purged all at once.
--+--
In a certain room, a middle-aged man with a stubbled beard sat amidst a nest of empty liquor bottles, staring blankly at the result displayed on the live stream, unable to process it for a long time.
"Last place?"
"Last place? Hah, all that hype and she only managed last place?"
He repeated the words dully, itching to punch the computer screen right in front of him.
"What damn 'Wind God'?"
"She lost just like that? And here I bet a ton of money on her!"
As a sports competition, neither the Japanese authorities nor official institutions in other countries would establish Uma Musume race betting.
But such things inevitably spring up in the shadows, catering to those who want to gamble. Barbatos's odds in this race were so high that a win could've set someone up for life.
How could anyone not be tempted?
"Damn it."
Filled with pent-up resentment, the man typed with unprecedented speed, pouring his heartfelt thoughts into the live stream's comment box.
"What a worthless Barbatos, a trash who can only come in last in a Dream Cup!"
After sending that line, he kept typing, believing his comment would resonate with other disappointed fans.
They could all trash Barbatos together; that might make him feel a little better.
But just as he pressed Enter, ready to post something even more resonant, he found his comment couldn't be sent. His account showed too many user reports, was under review, and was temporarily banned from posting.
"Shit!"
"What the hell is this?"
Seeing the barrage on the live stream, the middle-aged man instantly cursed.
"'Trash who can only come last in a Dream Cup?' LOL, if you're so good, you go run it!"
"Oh, so besides Symboli Rudolf, every Japanese Uma Musume suddenly became trash?"
"Another betting addict crawled out of the woodwork. What, are you on the rooftop now?"
"Barbatos did amazingly well to even achieve this in the Dream Cup. Could El Condor Pasa or Silence Suzuka have done better?"
"Seriously, don't tell me someone actually doesn't understand the weight of a Legendary Uma Musume."
"The weight of a Legendary? Pfft. Coming off the fourth turn, I thought Barbatos was gonna win! That's the weight of a true prodigy!"
"Barbatos is better suited to short/mile distances than the Dream Cup's middle distance. She clearly just ran out of steam at the end."
"Debuting in September and running like this against Legends by late December? Could even Oguri Cap, could even the Emperor, have managed that at her stage?"
"I can't even imagine what next year's Dream Cup will be like. I can't imagine what result Barbatos, with a Dream Cup under her belt, will achieve next year!"
"Hey, hey, I admit Barbatos is strong, but don't just randomly diss my Oguri Cap."
"Did anyone else get a text message?"
"If my Cap could have run the Dream Cup in her first year too, she might have done even better than Barbatos!"
"I'm looking forward to next year's Winter Dream Cup even more. I wish I could just skip to next December."
"Don't rush, let me rush first. I'm the King of Impatience! I wanna see next year's Dream Cup so bad!"
"Me too +1!"
"Got the text +1."
Whether they were Barbatos's fans or not, everyone held expectations for next year's Winter Dream Cup, believing it would be even more spectacular.
Some even began to look further ahead. "If Barbatos, who just debuted in September, is this strong already, could she beat the Emperor outright in next year's Dream Cup?"
That sentence triggered a chain reaction.
"Can Barbatos's fans use their brains a little?"
"Beating the Emperor is a long way off. Try winning against other Legendary Uma Musume first."
"This time, Barbatos didn't beat a single Legendary Uma Musume. Well, it's still pretty impressive, though."
One Uma Musume racing enthusiast after another fired back. While they acknowledged the strength Barbatos had shown and believed she would be even stronger next year, capable of competing with the Legends, when it came to their own favorites, they had to push back.
Even so, the live stream's barrage remained quite harmonious. No one chose to deny Barbatos's power and prowess.
Crash!
The middle-aged man punched straight through his computer monitor.
He was utterly livid. He had bet a full 200,000 yen on Barbatos to win. According to the odds, if she had won, he could have just lazed around for life without another day of work.
And that was money he'd borrowed from his friend... Damn that Barbatos, only managing last place! And she still had so many fans defending her!
Fuming, he got up from his nest, shoved aside a pile of empty bottles, and forcefully pushed open his room door.
From now on...
He'd have to go out and work to earn the money back!
--+--
Barbatos, who had pushed through sheer willpower, finally couldn't hold on the moment she crossed the finish line. Her body pitched forward, about to collapse.
Her stamina was completely drained. The final 300-plus meters had been run entirely on grit.
Pain radiated from her body, but a different emotion overwhelmed it now—a thick, bitter frustration, the taste of defeat for the first time since she'd crossed over.
Building momentum with an undefeated record, aiming to defeat a Legendary Uma Musume at the Winter Dream Cup.
'I'm the same type of racer as Amazon-senpai. I'm going to beat her at the Winter Dream Cup.'
If possible, she had wanted to win the Winter Dream Cup itself.
But in the end, not only did she not win the Winter Dream Cup, she didn't even beat a single Legendary. She lost the Winter Dream Cup in last place.
I wanted... I really wanted to win... I really, truly wanted to win this race!
If she had realized sooner that using skills cost stamina, would there have been a chance? If she had held onto her minor skills, could she have beaten one or two others?
In past races, activating two or three active skills was usually enough to win, and the stamina drain was barely noticeable.
But in this race, with numerous skills activated in succession, plus the stamina consumption of [Mimicry · White Lightning]—equivalent to a true Zone—her stamina had been nearly squeezed dry.
If only my stamina had been a bit better...
No... there are no 'if onlys' in this world...
"Next year... next year's Winter Dream Cup, I'll win it back!"
"Losing like this... I'm definitely going to get torn apart by the fans. Who knows how many will turn from fans to haters... Let them curse all they want..."
"I let down their cheers..."
"I'm so... so frustrated. I can't stand losing like this!"
As Barbatos's body pitched forward, the moment she relaxed completely after crossing the line was the moment she hit her limit.
"Are you alright?"
A green racing uniform appeared before Barbatos, catching her before she could fall.
The other Legendary Uma Musume who had noticed Barbatos's state after she crossed the line, ready to step in and help, paused their steps for a moment, then continued walking over.
"Activating your Zone at the 1000-meter mark was reckless."
Symboli Rudolf steadied the faltering Barbatos as she spoke.
Even for her, even for the other Legendary Uma Musume, activating a Zone from that position was something they'd rarely dare. That level of consumption made losing speed on the final stretch inevitable.
But if Barbatos hadn't activated her Zone then, given her speed at the time, she likely would have been left behind, losing any chance to catch up.
The Dream Cup wasn't like other races. You couldn't just close a large gap once it opened.
By the time Barbatos reached the final straight, another racer might have already crossed the finish line.
Here, Symboli Rudolf didn't adopt the commanding presence of the Student Council President. Instead, she stood as Barbatos's opponent, speaking from that perspective.
"You ran well."
"Next year, let's have a proper rematch."
Amazon, standing nearby, chimed in, "That final kick after the fourth corner really gave me a scare. I thought you were gonna pull off an upset and beat Rudolf. Next year, you gotta run alongside me if you get the chance."
"Achieving this level just four months after debut? You're even more of a monster than Oguri Cap."
Maruzensky praised.
Oguri Cap, who was about to speak, let out a low grumble. She hadn't won the Dream Cup this time, and she was feeling a bit hungry.
A shame she didn't win; otherwise, Inari One would have treated her to an all-you-can-eat.
"Thank you..."
Supported by Symboli Rudolf, Barbatos managed, with some difficulty, to stand steadily on her own. Fatigue and mild physical pain welled up.
Suppressing the frustration and bitterness of defeat, she couldn't let herself cry pathetically in front of her opponents.
Biting her lip, she forced a somewhat strained smile. "Next year, I won't lose again!"
"Don't joke around. The one winning the Winter Dream Cup next year will definitely be me."
Amazon laughed heartily beside her, brimming with confidence.
Narita Brian, arms crossed, couldn't help but deliver a pointed remark. "Just don't start crying next year if you lose to Barbatos."
"What did you say?! If I lose, you'll definitely lose right along with me!"
Amazon and Narita Brian launched into one of their classic generational rival spats.
Air Groove sighed helplessly at the two, then turned to Barbatos. "For us, winning a race isn't everything. Everyone knows not to get cocky with success."
"But remember, losing a race doesn't mean losing your spirit."
"That's right."
Symboli Rudolf concurred. "Do you remember when I asked you in the Student Council room if you wanted to withdraw from the Winter Dream Cup? Remember your answer then?"
'Losing a race doesn't mean losing your spirit'—that 'spirit' likely meant the fighting spirit, the drive to keep chasing.
Barbatos understood. Air Groove-senpai was worried she might be crushed, that she might never recover. An undefeated racer suffering such a crushing defeat was more prone to that than an ordinary one.
"I want to test myself. I want to see just how big the gap is between me and a Legendary Uma Musume."
That was what she had told Symboli Rudolf in the Student Council room back then.
Symboli Rudolf nodded with a slight smile. "Now that you know the gap, I'll look forward to our next match."
Now that she knew the gap, she had a direction for her efforts. She would charge towards the Legendary Uma Musume, chase them, and surpass them!
Listening to her seniors' words, Barbatos slowly began to climb out of the mire of frustration and bitterness, the mire named 'defeat.'
In an incredibly short time, she pulled herself out, with a clear direction and goal for her fight.
She spoke again, solemnly. "Thank you."
Then she looked towards the spectator stands, at the Japanese fans who had come to cheer for her, and at the Chinese friends who had traveled far to support her.
She bowed towards them.
Thank you for your support. I let you down this time. But next time, next time I will win!
No matter what kind of criticism erupts online, no matter how you curse me, I'm prepared to bear it all. And then, I'll strive to win the races to come.
Right at that moment.
A voice, hoarse with emotion, rang out from the stands.
"Next time!"
Following that shout, scattered, overlapping voices rose from various parts of the spectator area.
"Next time!" "Next time!" "Next time!"
The voices gradually unified, becoming a continuous, unbroken chant that moved the rest of the audience, infecting them with its sentiment until everyone present joined in unison, "Next time!"
Win for us next time!
There were no complaints, no insults.
Only those two words: "Next time."
Barbatos froze, momentarily unable to react.
Then, her vision blurred. The tears she had been holding back after the loss began to well up, clouding her eyes, stinging her nose, a mist gathering in her gaze.
It's so good to have you all. Next time... next time, I will definitely win it back!
--+--
T/N: 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.