Inside Tokyo Racecourse, millions of fans were swept up in a whirlwind of shock and frenzy.
Meanwhile, the committee members had already gathered in the briefing room, where the atmosphere was oppressively heavy.
Barbatos had claimed victory in the Japan Cup, demonstrating a level of power that utterly crushed world-class Uma Musume.
In any other era, they would be trumpeting this achievement from the rooftops; it was a feat worthy of a nationwide celebration in the Japanese racing world.
The Japan Cup is only a 2,400-meter sprint.
In the span of that middle-distance course, Barbatos had let the others take a 300-meter head start, caught them, and then left them in the dust by nearly ten lengths.
A legendary feat like that was enough to make the entire world tremble.
But!
Almost every Japanese Uma Musume in the race, Barbatos included, had flagrantly broken the rules.
They had slowed down—some even stopping entirely—to rescue a fallen competitor.
If they followed standard procedure, only Spica's Silence Suzuka and Special Week would be cleared to continue their careers.
The others would face lengthy suspensions, or perhaps even lifetime bans.
Even Barbatos's monumental victory would be stripped away, as she had technically disqualified herself the moment she broke protocol.
The elderly officials sat stiffly, nursing massive headaches.
They were men of order and rigor; they couldn't simply overlook a violation, especially not at the Japan Cup with the eyes of the world watching. Strictness was a necessity.
Yet, if they actually swung the hammer...
Barbatos was arguably the greatest Uma Musume on the planet, sitting in a tier of her own far above any domestic or overseas rival.
Even a temporary ban could cause such a talent to fade into obscurity, robbing Japan of its hard-earned glory.
Furthermore, the other participants weren't just filler; they were the cream of the crop, the geniuses sitting right behind Barbatos.
If the committee banned the lot of them, the next year or two of Japanese racing would become a barren wasteland of talent.
"Regarding this matter..."
As the elders sat in grim silence, Chairman Ikari spoke from the head of the table. "This committee will offer its full support to our national representatives."
"Barbatos's results in the Japan Cup will stand. However, she and the others who slowed down will serve a one-month suspension as a formal penalty."
"Seiun Sky's situation is more severe. She is sentenced to a one-year suspension."
Ikari's voice was cold as he handed down the judgments. The elders exchanged looks, realizing the young Chairman was shielding the girls.
Normally, slowing down in an international race—or even a standard Open-tier race—merited a year-long ban. A stunt like Seiun Sky's usually ended a career permanently.
No one dared to argue. Deep down, this was exactly what they wanted.
These girls were the "Golden Generation," the most brilliant constellation of stars in modern racing history.
Still, worries lingered. The Japan Cup wasn't just a local hobby; it involved international interests.
If they botched the optics, Japan's reputation on the world stage would tank, and overseas runners might never return.
Suddenly, a secretary knocked and hurried in.
"We just received word from the French Racing Committee. They've officially recognized Barbatos's victory. They've also requested leniency for those who broke the rules, stating this is the explicit wish of Montjeu, Treve, and Dancing Brave."
Barbatos's speed had transcended the rulebook. Even if they re-ran the race a hundred times, Montjeu knew she had no prayer of winning.
The crown belonged to Barbatos, undisputed.
While Montjeu was technically second—and would inherit the trophy if Barbatos were disqualified—that wasn't how she wanted it. She wanted to win fair and square, not by a technicality.
"Additionally, the American Committee just called. They acknowledge the results as well."
The room exhaled in unison.
It was a testament to Barbatos's sheer, undeniable dominance.
If she hadn't been so overwhelmingly superior, this meeting would have dragged on for days.
But since the audience wasn't blind, stripping the title would have sparked a PR nightmare. Better to just tip their hats to the winner.
The Chairman went silent for a long moment, seemingly weighing a massive decision.
"Effective immediately, I am moving to abolish the penalties for 'illegal assistance' during race accidents."
The room erupted. The elders protested, citing rules that had stood since the Showa era.
You couldn't just scrap them in the Reiwa era on a whim.
The secretary watched the chaos and sighed. She knew the Chairman was forceful, but changing the system would take months of bureaucratic bickering.
She thought of Oguri Cap—the "Phantom Derby" runner.
Tens of thousands had petitioned for her to run the Japan Derby, but because of rigid registration rules, she never got her chance, leaving a permanent scar on the hearts of the older generation.
It had taken until the era of T.M. Opera O, the "Conqueror of the Century's End," for those rules to finally bend.
Three hours after the Japan Cup concluded, the official results were posted: Barbatos was the winner.
Outside the infirmary, Barbatos rubbed her nose.
"And here I thought I'd be disqualified. Guess I'd better go get ready for the Winner's Stage."
Beside her, Seiun Sky had finished her check-up.
Thanks to Barbatos's Astral Infusion, she was largely unscathed. As for Silence Suzuka, with the quick rescue and the use of Heal, the doctors predicted she'd be back in training after just a month of rest.
Though delayed, the fans waited with bated breath.
When Barbatos finally stepped onto the center stage between Montjeu and Taiga, the roar of the crowd was deafening.
--+--
In the stands, the usually stoic Trainer Kuronuma was still reeling.
To the layman, it was a great race; to a professional, Barbatos's closing sprint was terrifying. He knew the overseas champions weren't weak—it was just that Barbatos was a monster.
"Bourbon, from now on, our training will pivot entirely toward the 'Runner' style."
Mihono Bourbon was a true genius, a natural-born front-runner.
Kuronuma had planned to diversify her tactics, but now? Now, they would double down.
With Barbatos in the world, the only way to feel even a modicum of safety was to stay ahead. He needed to see if Bourbon had the potential for a "Great Escape" like Silence Suzuka.
"Understood, Master," Bourbon replied, her response as clinical as ever.
Elsewhere, Rice Shower watched the stage with shimmering eyes. She had never seen people look so happy. Deep down, she made a promise: she would become a girl like Barbatos.
She would charge from the back, breaking through all obstacles to bring happiness to everyone through a miracle comeback.
--+--
The day after the Japan Cup.
Inside the Canopus team room, Minamizaka's face was grim as he broke the news.
"Barbatos is suspended for two weeks for slowing down. Seiun Sky is suspended for one year for her rescue attempt."
The room exploded. Twin Turbo started swinging her arms, shouting about going to find the committee and give them a piece of her mind—even though she had no idea where their office actually was.
Barbatos glanced at Seiun Sky, feeling a headache coming on.
She'd tried to be clever by banking on the "safety in numbers" of so many geniuses and her own overwhelming value. Had that not been enough?
Seeing her confusion, Minamizaka continued, "After the race, Symboli Rudolf went to the committee personally to negotiate."
"The original plan was a month for the runners and a year for Seiun Sky."
"Even if the President hadn't gone, we probably would've only gotten two weeks anyway," Barbatos huffed. "If we don't run in the Arima Kinen, the fans will be demanding refunds."
She didn't care about her own suspension—the committee loved money too much to bench her for long. But Seiun Sky was different.
In the committee's eyes, despite being an Undefeated Triple Crown winner, she didn't have the same "box office" draw as Barbatos or El Condor Pasa. Losing her wouldn't hurt the TV ratings.
Seiun Sky yawned and stretched, flopping lazily onto a table. "I'm actually fine with it~" she chirped.
"Training is exhausting. A year off sounds like a nice, relaxing vacation."
Her tone was airy, but Barbatos—being her partner—could hear the slight tremor beneath the surface.
Barbatos turned to Minamizaka. "Is this suspension worldwide, or just in Japan?"
--+--
Late December. As the Arima Kinen was set to begin at Nakayama Racecourse...
Barbatos and Seiun Sky arrived at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, escorted by their Canopus teammates.
If Seiun Sky couldn't race in Japan, then they'd just go race overseas together.
To hell with the Arima Kinen.
Barbatos knew she couldn't entirely blame the committee.
Rules were rules; "illegal rescue" used to be a lifetime ban, so a year was technically a compromise. But it still left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Was an Uma Musume's life worth less than a trophy? Was it wrong to save a classmate?
If the rumors of reform were true, she decided she would give the committee a little push to speed things up.
She waved goodbye to the Canopus crew and headed through security with her suitcase.
"Yo, B-chan!"
"You sure took your sweet time."
The voices of El Condor Pasa and King Halo made Barbatos and Seiun Sky freeze. They turned to see the two of them, along with Silence Suzuka, who was leaning on a crutch but looking mostly recovered.
"You guys?" Barbatos asked, her heart racing. "Aren't you supposed to be at the Arima Kinen?"
El Condor Pasa shrugged. "You aren't there, are you? Besides, I wanted to see how I stack up in the States."
King Halo put a hand on her hip. "It wouldn't be very 'kingly' of me to rack up G1 wins at home while the real competition is away."
Silence Suzuka leaned on her crutch. The ordeal had brought them all closer. "I was planning on going to America anyway."
"Yeah, Special Week wanted to come too," El Condor added, "but she's obsessed with becoming the 'Number One Uma Musume in Japan,' so she couldn't leave her post."
"Wait," Barbatos blinked, looking at her friends. "No offense to the others, but if Spe-chan only has to worry about Grass Wonder, isn't she just smurfing at this point?"
"Oh, right," El Condor Pasa remembered. "Grass was actually going to come with us, but something came up at the last minute."
She wanted Barbatos and Sky to know that Grass Wonder had intended to stand with them, even if she couldn't make the flight. After all, having this many stars leave at once was the only way to force the committee's hand.
Barbatos stood stunned for a second, then a smirk played on her lips. She could already imagine the "home-wrecking" drama back in Japan.
She wondered if Special Week could handle Grass Wonder's "affection," or if she'd just try to have her cake and eat it too.
--+--
That evening, as Barbatos and the others touched down in America...
The Arima Kinen at Nakayama came to a close.
Special Week had put on a masterclass, dominating the field—only to be sniped at the very last second by Grass Wonder, who stole the win by a nose.
It was a thrilling duel, but the mood in the stands was... different.
As fans clutching Barbatos and El Condor Pasa merchandise streamed out of the gates, reporters moved in for interviews. They quickly realized the fans weren't cheering.
"Is this some kind of joke?!"
"Over two hundred thousand of us bought tickets! Do you think we're stupid?!"
"This is garbage! Give us our money back!!"
"Refund! Refund!!"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! 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.