Is this her true strength? The Emperor looked at Zero, who was applauding with everyone else beside her.
While ensuring her own training, she could also manage the training of a team Uma Musume; although the other party's talent was also sufficiently high, the Emperor could also see that if Zero hadn't been able to adjust Special Week's training plan according to her situation, it would have been extremely difficult to complete the special training before this race.
Zero and Trainer Okino studied the data of each opponent for some time, combining their debut race performance with their training intensity. The two almost accurately predicted the state, tactics, and countermeasures of every participant in this race.
However, the final conclusion was: not worth fearing.
Watching Special Week happily waving her hand, Zero also felt like her own child had grown up.
From the other party's run, Zero also understood her encouragement; since her junior had performed so well, she, as a senior, couldn't lose face.
She turned her head and met the eyes of the Emperor, who was also looking at her.
"I'm going back first," the Emperor suddenly said.
"Oh? Special training? Isn't it too late?" Zero immediately retorted with a challenge.
"Hmph, then you can try," the Emperor didn't say much more, simply leaving the observation room.
The tension between these two has been growing thicker this month... This was the thought of the other Student Council members.
Strictly speaking, Zero's provocations towards the Emperor had risen sharply this month, almost to the point of playing the erhu behind her while she was working.
No one knew where she learned it, but everyone had the good fortune to hear a song she played on the erhu to mock Rudolph when she made a mistake; the sharp sound produced with each stroke, like a mocking melody, left no one present able to keep a straight face. (The Song of the Lunatic (Erhu Version))
At that time, Miss Emperor was furious on the spot after hearing it, reverting to her irritable state from her racing days, and directly picked up the water dispenser and threw it.
No one knew when these two would get along a little better.
The entire racecourse was incredibly quiet, quiet to the point of [a certain classic rhetorical device].
It wasn't because something had happened, but because everyone was very excited, so excited that after reaching the extreme, they were all waiting for that moment to arrive.
The commentators were still the classic two, currently engaging in casual conversation while trying to liven up the atmosphere.
But it was obvious that both of them were a bit distracted, as they were also staring at the clock, eagerly anticipating that moment.
The time stopped at nine o'clock.
"Well then, Miss Hosoe, the time has come, hasn't it?"
"Yes, I'm sure everyone here has been waiting for a long time."
"So, this is Akasaka Misato."
"This is Hosoe Junko."
""Please take care of us.""
"The year-end Arima Kinen, clear weather, but clearly, what the audience is looking forward to is not this old-fashioned rhetoric. Please watch the big screen."
The big screen began playing a pre-recorded PV.
The figure of each Uma Musume participating in this race appeared on the screen, accompanied by her most classic race.
Most of the Uma Musume participating in this race were familiar to Zero; in a sense, she was being backstabbed by a group of close friends.
"Super Sports Car" Maruzensky, "Pureblood Triple Crown" Representative Chiaki, "Monster with Blinders" Narita Brian, "Empress" Air Groove, "Heroine" Hishi Amazon, "Jet Black Meteor" Fuji Kiseki, "White Lightning" Tamamo Cross, "The Three Greats" Oguri Cap, Super Creek, Inari One... Also, Mejiro Dober, who, after resolving her inner turmoil, displayed her true strength in races Zero didn't participate in; Sakura Laurel, who, after being declared "unable to run," miraculously returned to the track; Gold Ship, whose performance was always erratic but whose strength was absolutely guaranteed; and Katsuragi Ace, an old friend of the Emperor and others, who also had moments of glory.
Finally, Zero and the Emperor appeared.
When their images appeared on the screen, the audience's enthusiasm reached its peak, with cheers rising and falling.
As the PV on the screen ended, the curtain on the presentation stage was completely drawn, and all participating Uma Musume simultaneously walked onto the stage.
The other Uma Musume surrounded the two like stars around the moon, while the Emperor and Zero walked forward, looking straight ahead.
Incidentally, due to Zero's height, Zero and the Emperor walked on the raised path in the middle.
However, this did not hinder the sense of pressure and majesty emanating from the two of them.
This time, there was no classic jacket-tossing segment; everyone walked on directly in their racing outfits.
And among them, the most eye-catching was naturally Zero, dressed in a brand-new racing outfit.
The "Inverse Blasting Gale" represented not only facing strong winds head-on but, more importantly, transforming that strong wind into one's own power, embodying the meaning of becoming a gale oneself and reversing the wind's direction.
Arima Kinen, Nakayama Racecourse, turf 2500m long-distance right-handed inner track.
For other participants, if they couldn't reach certain unspoken agreements, it would only be a scenario of competing for second place.
2500m was too short for Zero, so short that she could accelerate all the way to the end, and without considering her Late Charge, she couldn't even reach her maximum speed.
But it was precisely because of this that it appeared even more terrifying; Zero could perform even more terrifying accelerations.
However, there were few weaklings here, especially those Uma Musume who were crowned with the title of "second."
Of course, this doesn't mean that Uma Musume without the "second" title were weak; they also had sufficient strength, it's just that those with the "second" title generally had opened their domains, making them seem slightly inferior in this race.
Air Groove also seemed to have successfully developed her own domain recently.
Although domains seemed to be common, it was only because these few were indeed very rare geniuses, and these geniuses happened to gather together; when viewed across the entire Uma Musume population, Uma Musume who had opened their domains were indeed extremely rare.
During the commentator's introductions, everyone descended the stage one by one and walked towards the gates, but they hadn't entered yet, instead chatting with each other in front of the gates.
However, everyone was well aware of Zero's demeanor during races, so they wisely didn't disturb her, instead chatting amongst themselves.
"Senior Katsuragi, I didn't expect you to come as well." Even Air Groove hadn't expected Katsuragi Ace to participate in this Arima Kinen.
"Well, after all, CB-chan and Luna-chan invited me~" Katsuragi Ace was an Uma Musume with a very wifely aura, and at this moment, she didn't hesitate to reveal the nicknames of her two old friends.
I feel like I've learned something incredible... Air Groove subtly wiped away a cold sweat.
Meanwhile, others were also chatting on the other side.
Zero and the Emperor stood in different places, closing their eyes to rest, with an empty space around each of them.
The two didn't speak, but before entering the gates, their gazes met.
Let's have a run without regrets. This was the Emperor's intention.
She also understood that even her current self was definitely no match for the current Zero; it was evident in the Japan Cup race.
That race was far from Zero's peak; others might not know, but she could feel the extremely suppressed feeling within the domain Zero released.
It wasn't due to the oppressive feeling of the other's domain, but because she could feel Zero deliberately suppressing herself.
The strength she displayed already far surpassed all Uma Musume she knew, and she was still growing, as if she had no upper limit.
It was precisely because of this that this race would be their gift to her; they would fight her without reservation.
After everyone had entered the gates, silence fell once again.
The race began; with the sound of the gates opening, there were no delays, and everyone burst out of the gates at an extremely fast speed.
Then... [Escape Uma Musume Restraint]
[Leading Uma Musume Restraint]
[Mid-pack Uma Musume Restraint]
[Chasing Uma Musume Restraint]
[Pin Down Rear]
[Escape Ban]
[Formation]
[Mindless Skill]
The reason why Uma Musume from classic years would suffer a beating when they first came to adult-grade races was precisely this.
Everyone had several interference skills, and then they would slap them on, and experiencing it for the first time would instantly throw one into disarray.
In this race, Zero still chose the great Escape strategy, and it was precisely because of this that she faced a lot of targeting; even Maruzensky slapped a few on her.
However... in reality, few truly interfered with her.
At the same time, facing the uphill slope in the initial stage... [More Than Enough]
[ Uma Musume - Iron Will ]
[ Climb the Peak ]
[ First Move, Certain Victory ]
[ Leader's Pride ]
[ Sixth Sense ]
[ Laying the Foundation ]
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