While Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond were talking, they had already arrived at the outdoor track used for Horse Girl training.
The two had initially thought that today, the day of the opening ceremony, there wouldn't be many people here, only to realize their judgment was wrong.
The area around the track was already packed with dense crowds, the number of people even exceeding that of the opening ceremony venue.
The duel between Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen, the two most famous and strongest Horse Girl from the previous year, had a far greater impact than imagined.
Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen, dressed in red and white athletic wear, were in the middle of the track doing warm-up exercises. Only after they finished preparing did they realize how many people had gathered around them.
"Gold Ship..."
Mejiro McQueen's eye twitched as she looked at the many people around, including many unfamiliar faces, then she turned with a smile and growled softly at the tall Gold Ship beside her.
She had originally scheduled a match with Teio on the day of the opening ceremony, but unexpectedly, Gold Ship, who was passing by on her "Little Gold Ship (balance bike)", happened to see it.
Gold Ship readily promised not to tell anyone, and then, in a flash, the track was surrounded by a dense crowd of students.
"Never mind, never mind."
Tokai Teio, stretching in a forward bend, said with a smile to Mejiro McQueen. Her chest was already touching the grass, her extremely flexible body drawing continuous gasps of admiration from many of the Horse Girl spectators.
"McQueen, are you worried about losing to me and being embarrassed if others see it?"
"How could that be? You loser, don't forget who lost to me in the Arima Kinen at the end of last year?"
"That's your specialty distance, McQueen, so losing was unavoidable. If anything, you ruined my undefeated title, and I haven't settled the score with you yet."
Tokai Teio had also finished stretching and arrived at the starting line.
"The Arima Kinen is only a 2500-meter long-distance track, but your last Classic Triple Crown Race, the Kikka Sho, was a 3000-meter race. You clearly won the Kikka Sho, so why do you think losing to me in the Arima Kinen was because you weren't good at it?"
"Before the Arima Kinen, I had only run one long-distance race! Unlike you, McQueen, who has always participated in long-distance races?" Tokai Teio retorted, somewhat unconvinced.
"The Autumn Tenno Sho is a middle distance, and I still won, didn't I?" Mejiro McQueen smiled.
"Alright, in that case, if you lose today, McQueen, don't make excuses again about not being good at middle-distance tracks."
"Gladly."
Tokai Teio was about to retort again when she suddenly spotted the figure of "Emperor" Symboli Rudolf among the onlookers, and happily waved in that direction.
Everyone's attention was focused on Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen. Upon noticing Tokai Teio's greeting, everyone followed her gaze and saw the President, Symboli Rudolf, standing there in her classic crossed-arms pose.
"Wow! It's the President!"
Kitasan Black also noticed the President, pointing at Symboli Rudolf excitedly.
"That must be Maruzensky next to her, right? The undefeated Horse Girl!"
Satono Diamond, on the other hand, noticed another figure with long brown hair next to Symboli Rudolf.
"Quick, quick, it's about to start."
Kitasan Black nudged Satono Diamond next to her as a reminder.
Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen both stood at the starting line, taking their ready-to-run stances.
Mejiro McQueen pulled out a coin, flicked it with her finger, and sent it spinning into the air.
The moment the coin landed with a dull thud on the grass, Mejiro McQueen and Tokai Teio shot off like arrows from a bow.
The surrounding group of newly enrolled Horse Girl gasped in unison, their eyes shining.
Although Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen hadn't entered the starting gate, the start of these two Horse Girl, who many newcomers considered to be top-tier in strength, was still a very pleasing sight.
Tracen Academy's track largely replicated the Tokyo Racecourse track, with distances varying depending on the starting position.
Today, Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen were competing in a 2000-meter middle-distance turf race.
"Rudolf, who do you think will win between them?"
Maruzensky quietly asked Symboli Rudolf beside her.
"I think Teio has a slightly higher chance of winning..."
Symboli Rudolf's eyes followed Tokai Teio, who was in the rear position, as she moved, and she replied.
"Teio lost to McQueen in the Arima Kinen, you know," Maruzensky reminded with a smile.
"In long-distance races, Teio indeed cannot contend with McQueen. But this is a 2000-meter middle-distance race, the same length as the Satsuki Sho..."
Symboli Rudolf said, turning to look at the playful Maruzensky.
"And only the fastest Uma Musume can win the Satsuki Sho, the first Classic Triple Crown."
"Rudolf really favors Teio, doesn't she?" Maruzensky teased.
"Just stating facts. After all, Teio has already won the Japanese Derby, which only the luckiest Horse Girl can win, and the Kikka Sho, which only the strongest Horse Girl can win."
"Well-reasoned and convincing."
"What, Maruzensky, you don't think Teio will win?"
"That's right." Maruzensky smiled, "After all, Mejiro McQueen defeated Rice Shower."
"And Rice Shower is an Horse Girl 'on our side,' but McQueen is not."
Maruzensky was referring to Mejiro McQueen's three consecutive victories in the Spring Tenno Sho. In this world, Mejiro McQueen was not defeated by Rice Shower in that race but defeated her instead.
"Speaking of which, I also found that matter very incredible," Symboli Rudolf said, "Rice Shower, who broke through herself in the final stage of the race, entered the 'Presence,' and burst out with incredible speed, instantly narrowing the gap between them, still lost to McQueen by a neck..."
"Don't forget, that McQueen was running at her own pace from start to finish, almost unaffected by Rice Shower's powerful and terrifying Presence at the time," Maruzensky chuckled again, "This situation is rare, a victory through pure hard power against an Horse Girl 'on this side.'"
"Although Teio won the Triple Crown, she is clearly not an Horse Girl 'on this side.' So, Rudolf, do you think Mejiro McQueen will lose to Tokai Teio in a pure test of hard power?"
"Indeed, without mastering a domain, few Horse Girl can defeat McQueen as she is now." Rudolph also chuckled softly, turning her gaze to Maruzensky.
"But don't forget, Teio, like McQueen, is an Horse Girl trained by that person."