Real world.
Mejiro McQueen returned to her computer.
She hadn't expected the system's [Events] to work like that.
She still had no clue that, to the Uma Musume world's inhabitants, it was just a dream—she thought she'd actually dashed into the Uma Musume world for a real race.
"The Uma Musume in the real world are that weak, huh? Looks like I seriously underestimated myself before."
She could tell the original Mejiro McQueen's stats were roughly on par with hers.
Her win boiled down to one thing: real-world Uma Musume were basically stat-stuffed blanks.
At least, she hadn't sensed any skill activations from the others in that race.
The original Mejiro McQueen probably never saw her final stretch coming, so no time to trigger skills. From the anime canon, she hadn't awakened ZONE, but likely had a skill or two—maybe even gold-tier.
"Man, races are only fun when you win."
Mejiro McQueen swung her legs idly, sipping the rest of her instant coffee.
That match had vaporized the bitterness from her simulation training loss.
After all, thrills like that were rare in sims.
That damn matchmaking!
It started fair—opponents a notch below—but by year two, they spiked, forcing her to push harder until she wrecked her body.
Self-inflicted, sure.
She'd aimed to stress herself into unlocking ZONE; she was dead certain she had the talent. But some unmet condition left her nearly dead without cracking it.
A benchmark would've helped.
She'd never witnessed real ZONE—sim Uma Musume were stat monsters, but pure numbers.
Soulless robots couldn't touch ZONE's door.
It demanded fierce selfhood and that burning will to win.
Talent, resolve, timing—align them, and ZONE opens.
Mejiro McQueen figured she just missed the timing.
"Whatever—screw it. Next up: [Story] time."
With a confirming click, her consciousness cut out.
In the haze, Mejiro McQueen felt... reborn.
She glimpsed child-Mejiro McQueen—no, that was her.
Burdened with upholding family glory, Mejiro McQueen had strived from youth, demanding first in all things.
A proud, ruthless monster!
As years passed, her foggy mind sharpened.
On Tracen Academy enrollment day, she finally "woke" from the "dream."
"I see—this is [Story], huh? Making me the true Mejiro McQueen of this world... but not the original. A new world line, templated on my character card. This world's me (Mejiro McQueen) is undoubtedly different."
Mejiro McQueen knew it crystal clear: she was the real deal now, but worlds apart from the canon 'Mejiro McQueen'!
Their paths diverged from childhood.
That 'Mejiro McQueen' was comic relief.
But this one's victory-hungry monster—looks aside, zero overlap.
The system's power blew her mind, meddling in worlds to spawn fresh timelines with such ease.
...
Mejiro family had long prepped her Tracen enrollment.
Today: matriculate. Tomorrow: debut race.
Her call—no adjustment needed.
A mere newbie debut? She'd crush it, heralding Mejiro McQueen's arrival!
Day two at school.
Newbie debut: Mejiro McQueen wins by fifteen lengths over second!
The jaw-dropping feat hit headlines fast—she was already Mejiro clan's rising star, under racing's spotlight.
By school arrival, trainers swarmed with offers.
Mejiro McQueen eyed the unremarkable trainer before her, glancing at his team name.
'Sirius?'
Mild surprise, nothing more.
This squad was the player-created one from the game's main story—a third world line, absent from manga or anime.
And if memory served, this trainer was no slouch.
In the anime timeline, from season two, Uma Musume couldn't shake real-horse fates.
But this game guy? He rewrote destinies. God-tier on that alone!
Still, just game plot.
Sirius was Tracen's nobody crew now; the trainer? Easy on the eyes, but otherwise average. No way a real player lurked behind, right?
"I'll think it over."
Mejiro McQueen didn't outright reject.
She'd iced prior invites on the spot—but Sirius was different.
If this trainer could truly unearth Uma Musume potential, even if story mode capped her card stats, she'd pry some real gems from him. Then, post-mode, pump upgrades in training.
"Got it."
Trainer P seemed humbly insecure.
Normal—he had zilch to show.
Sirius's roster? One name: Oguri Cap.
But Oguri Cap's pre-Tracen record was already terrifying—Symboli Rudolf herself poached her for Central Tracen. Now? She was slumping from homesickness, no standout times. Far from the invincible Uma Musume in Mejiro McQueen's memory.
She watched the trainer depart.
'Wonder if this timeline's Oguri Cap unlocked ZONE—no flashy effects in the manga.'
Joining Sirius meant racing Oguri Cap.
ZONE debuted in her manga line.
Sure, Symboli Rudolf invented it, but Mejiro McQueen bet Oguri's was stronger.
Rudolf was eternal background in every plot—no real power flex.
Emperor of Japan? Sure—but her first overseas foray? Crushing defeat. For ZONE's creator? Embarrassing.
She probably held back on ZONE then.
But a loss was a loss!
Mejiro McQueen pocketed the Sirius application and headed to class.
Tracen's lessons? Laughable next to sim training.
But nothing else to do.
Her strength had rebounded to card levels anyway.
Story mode rebooted her life, but pegged power to the starting card—no busting limits here.
That said, it didn't block skill learning.
Skills were knowledge, at core.
Just... nowhere near sim efficiency.
No full skill tomes in reality.
Skills meant books—tons of books—then personal epiphany.
In sims? Straight skill-book grabs.
But story mode's perk: Uma Musume world immersion.
Clear it for rewards? Like unlocking new characters?
Mejiro McQueen eyed the [Characters] list's locked Uma Musume—she was curious what lurked there.
Her routine? Dead simple.
Classes: attend. Occasional track jogs for form. Mostly? Library dives.
Then: races.
No schedule caps in reality, so she mirrored her game's Triple Crown path.
Post-debut: Hopeful Stakes.
No-brainer—early escape, late burst. Same playbook, total domination.
Her "trash" game stats? First-class here.
She gauged it from other Uma Musume's drills.
Solid stats plus skill steamroll? She couldn't fathom losing.
Next up: Satsuki Sho.
Meanwhile, late-enrollee Tokai Teio had just nabbed her debut win, entered a GII, and geared for Satsuki Sho—the undefeated Triple Crown dream's first stride!