3:00 p.m., Chukyo Racecourse, open-air 1800m turf.
Stardust Mirage and thirteen other Uma Musume had entered, loosening up on the course.
In thirty minutes, their debuts would begin—the start of their careers.
Crouched on the grass, she slowly stretched her limbs while studying the training system in her head.
There wasn't much to operate; she couldn't simulate drills to raise stats, nor whale for broken abilities. All it offered was purchasing skills and turning her physique into data.
The datafication didn't increase raw numbers, but it stabilized her form. As for skills, the list generously included everything available in her old server.
All that remained was to spend the 573 PT to buy the right kit for this race.
"I should build around the unique, right…" She eyed the installed unique: Miracle Runner of the Holy Night.
"With my stats, if I want a stable trigger, I need at least four blue skills. So now I'll pick…"
[Straight Recovery]: Slight stamina recovery on straights.
[Go with the Grade]: Slightly less likely to tire on uphills (minor stamina recovery).
She spent 360 PT for the two recoveries.
"Then from the rest… passives are safer, right?" With the remaining 213 PT she bought:
[Non-Standard Distance o]: Slightly better at non-standard distances.
[Counterclockwise o]: Slightly better on left-handed tracks.
"Do you know Tokai Teio?" asked a short-haired, reddish-brown runner nearby.
They'd met at the venue; Stardust Mirage knew her from memory too—Fine Motion.
"Not really. We just met this morning on a shopping street."
Still marching in place, Stardust Mirage answered casually.
"Ah! The news at noon said Teio nabbed a purse-snatcher in the act," Fine Motion said, enlightened.
"Already on the news?"
Stardust Mirage laughed and shook her head.
A superstar genius: even a small move made news. She'd been right there too, yet no one noticed. Fine Motion's reaction said it all—she hadn't been in the report.
She looked around.
Springy, slightly damp turf; blue, boundless sky; stands swelling into a roar; runners limbering up across the infield.
Taking it all in, feeling the tension ratchet up in the air, she closed her eyes a moment; the white-tipped red ears atop her head quivered.
What was this feeling? Her body was calling to her, as if it had its own will—pushing her to join, to fight, to seize victory.
"Fine Motion, who do you think wins today?"
"Eh?!" The blunt question even froze Fine Motion's warm-up.
"Wh-whatever the case, I'll run for first!" Flustered by her own hesitation, she declared it twice.
"Then you'll have to beat Tokai Teio."
Remembering the morning, Stardust Mirage's right hand clenched. That feeling—running all-out only to be passed—was hard to accept, even if her aim was just prize money.
What would happen when the race began?
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
"Groove, what about Fine Motion?" Rudolf asked at the window.
"You mean—can she threaten Teio?"
As always, Groove stood like a shadow at the Emperor's side.
She looked toward Fine Motion, who was chatting with a short-haired runner, recalled training logs, and said:
"On data, she's still a step behind. If she finds a breakthrough here, she could threaten Teio."
"A breakthrough…" Rudolf tasted the word, eyes sliding slightly as she pondered.
"Are you watching the one next to her?" Groove pointed at the other girl. "The name in the file is… Stardust Mirage. Thoughts?"
"The dossier says she's untrained, registered to a local school—little info. Cases like that rarely show much. Not every local is named Oguri Cap, right?"
"Oguri Cap?" Rudolf would never forget. She'd stormed the Council room, demanding Rudolf maneuver her into the Japanese Derby.
She'd lost in the end, but the petition helped spur the JRA to revise Derby entry criteria. Next year would be the first under the new rules.
With the name on her mind, Rudolf peered again at the short-haired runner beside Fine Motion. Plain at a glance, but… something about her felt like Oguri Cap.
"I don't think she's simple," Rudolf frowned. "But that look—she hasn't much will to win."
"Not simple?" Groove focused on Stardust Mirage, but couldn't see it.
"From her footwork and leg stretches—she shouldn't be weak," Rudolf explained. "Every step is accurate. That's not common. And her footwork feels… familiar."
"As expected of the Emperor," Groove murmured at her keen eye. Then, slyly, "Could she be the rival you want? The one to threaten—or even take—Teio's first?"
"I've done what I can for Teio before her debut," Rudolf said, eyes on the entrants filing into the gates. The smallest frame among them was still waving to the crowd as she walked.
She fought the urge to rush down and hug her, and instead offered a silent prayer: "May Teio bring it home."
"Agreed. All we can do now is wish her well," Groove said.
"Eh?" Rudolf turned, puzzled by Groove's flat tone. "I said: may Teio 'horse' it home."
"…"
Air Groove went black inside. She'd… told one of those inexplicable deadpan jokes—again!
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