Tracen Academy.
Two days remained until the Oka Sho.
Minamino Haruna and her fellow journalists had arrived early at Tracen Academy's training grounds, right on time for their scheduled meeting with Canopus's trainer, Minamizaka.
Haruna was still dressed in her professional attire, but the youthful naivety she carried during her first interview with Barbatos at Tracen was gone.
She no longer looked like a university student at all, appearing far more mature.
Her interactions with the other reporters were now effortless, a stark contrast to how she began.
However.
Upon reaching the training field and spotting Minamizaka, Seiun Sky, and Barbatos herself sprinting across the track, that poised demeanor and mature air shifted slightly.
A hint of her old youthful spirit surfaced, and she couldn't help but murmur a heartfelt sentiment under her breath.
"It's so good to see Barbatos running again."
Barbatos had risen like a comet in her debut race, a true fairy-tale story, her popularity rocketing to the top among Japanese Uma Musume. But the injuries that followed were brutally real.
No one knew how many more races Barbatos had left in her.
During the Winter Dream Cup, even Haruna had faced reality, knowing Barbatos stood little chance against the legends. Yet, witnessing Barbatos's devastating defeat firsthand…
The fairy tale shattered against the hard wall of reality.
After that, her work approach gradually became more seasoned, shedding the last vestiges of that student-like innocence.
But now, seeing Barbatos running on the track once more, she felt that as long as Barbatos could still run, that was enough.
Similarly, the other reporters murmured their own quiet appreciations.
But they didn't forget their jobs. Several veteran photographers set up their cameras, focusing on Minamizaka and Seiun Sky while ensuring the training track behind them was perfectly framed, guaranteeing that Barbatos' mid-stride would be captured in every final photo or video clip.
"Mr. Minamizaka, does Barbatos feel any pressure facing El Condor Pasa in this Oka Sho?"
"After a four-month competitive hiatus, can Barbatos adapt to the high intensity of a G1 race like the Oka Sho?"
"Barbatos's running speed seems noticeably slower than before. Does this mean she's still in rehabilitation? Was four months too rushed for her injury recovery?"
"Has Barbatos fully returned to her peak condition?"
"For this match against El Condor Pasa, has Barbatos considered any specific strategies?"
Question after question rained down on Minamizaka like rapid gunfire, awaiting his response.
The Oka Sho, the clash between two prodigies of the era, was arguably the biggest focal point in Japanese Uma Musume racing.
Even with other Uma Musume participating, in everyone's eyes, they seemed reduced to mere background players.
It was as if the championship was destined to be decided solely between Barbatos and El Condor Pasa.
And perhaps that was inevitable.
Even if Barbatos hadn't fully returned to her peak, the level she displayed in the Winter Dream Cup was still two or three tiers above every other Uma Musume besides El Condor Pasa.
That was the gap between genius and the ordinary. That was why they were called the prodigies of their time.
Facing this barrage, Minamizaka smiled and responded to each query in turn.
Even if within Canopus he often seemed to play a low-key role, the resident straight man offering dry commentary, in his duty as a trainer, he was undoubtedly among the most dedicated and responsible.
"For the Oka Sho, Barbatos will give it her all."
"As for who will win between her and El Condor Pasa… no one can know until the very end. But I believe Barbatos will certainly win the Oka Sho."
"…"
"…"
"As for her recovery condition…"
Minamizaka was about to continue when Barbatos, having just finished a slow lap, came to a stop right behind him.
"Of course I'm fully recovered," she chimed in.
"If I wasn't, Minamizaka wouldn't let me enter the Oka Sho."
Barbatos helped answer, even though she had already completed several slow laps before the press arrived. Despite the weights on her shoes, barely any sweat showed on her forehead.
For her, weighted slow runs were routine. A few laps weren't a burden, just a warm-up.
Seeing Barbatos stop to speak, the reporters' eyes lit up.
"Miss Barbatos, what are your thoughts on your opponent, El Condor Pasa?"
"Do you believe you can defeat El Condor Pasa in the Oka Sho?"
They had already gotten an answer of sorts from Minamizaka, but that was his answer—realistic yet somewhat bland.
They were curious how Barbatos herself, one of the era's prodigies, viewed this upcoming race.
"El Condor Pasa is a strong opponent. The pressure for this race might only be second to the Winter Dream Cup."
"But the champion of this race will be me."
Her tone wasn't brimming with overconfidence, making the statement sound almost matter-of-fact. Yet, it carried a peculiar magnetism, as if her victory was an inevitable conclusion.
It didn't sound like a subjective opinion, but a declarative sentence stating an outcome—simply narrating the fact that she would win.
The reporters were quite satisfied with this. This was precisely the kind of answer they wanted to see.
Having gotten their satisfactory soundbite, the journalists soon departed for their next scheduled appointment at Team Rigil's location, to conduct a pre-race interview with the other contender, El Condor Pasa.
After the crowd dispersed, one person remained.
It was Minamino Haruna.
Due to past events, she had formed a bit of a rapport with Canopus, arguably becoming the journalist closest to the team. After all, she was the one who had broken the news of Barbatos's injury.
Staying behind, she hesitated for a moment, some of the maturity forged in the newsroom fading away.
"How is Barbatos's… condition?" she asked.
Although a reporter had asked about injuries earlier, she wasn't referring to that previous one.
She meant the underlying condition, the one that suggested Barbatos might only be able to run a few more races before she couldn't run at all.
As soon as the question left her lips, she felt it was too abrupt and quickly added, "I definitely won't publish anything about this."
It was simply the concern of a fan, worried about the state of an Uma Musume she admired.
Hearing this, Minamizaka's eyes dimmed slightly as he glanced at Barbatos.
Because even he wasn't entirely sure about Barbatos's physical condition. No one knew if she was just pushing through the pain. He didn't notice that Seiun Sky, who had been assisting with the interview beside him, had turned her head away.
In Haruna's eyes, it seemed Seiun Sky also couldn't bear to face the possibility of her partner being unable to run.
The one being questioned, Barbatos, simply smiled.
"I'm not feeling any issues from that condition right now. Who knows? Maybe I can keep running forever?"
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T/N: New hi3 fic!
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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.