"President… do you think Oguri Cap can win?"
In the VIP seats at Tokyo Racecourse, Maruzensky and Symboli Rudolf were there as well. As the iconic representatives of Central Tracen, an occasion as important as the Japan Derby was not something they would miss.
"Heh. Whether she wins or not isn't something I get to decide," Rudolf replied.
"But…"
Her gaze shifted slightly—landing on a certain man sitting in the VIP stands as well—and the corner of her mouth lifted.
"I hope she wins."
"Really?" Maruzensky didn't seem surprised.
In her eyes, Oguri Cap truly did have enormous potential, so it was only natural their president would feel that way.
"As for me… I might be a bit more optimistic about Chiyono O," Maruzensky said.
"You're that confident in your own junior~?" Rudolf sounded a little taken aback. "I thought you'd say Yaeno Muteki had the better odds."
"Well… Yaeno Muteki, who won the Satsuki Sho, is definitely amazing, no doubt~"
Maruzensky leaned her elbow on the VIP railing, watching Sakura Chiyono O's energetic figure on the track, smiling with quiet satisfaction.
"But I believe Chiyono O will deliver a standout result in this race."
Rudolf simply smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
She knew exactly what kind of relationship Sakura Chiyono O had with her close friend.
To Chiyono O, Maruzensky—the senior she admired—might very well be the reason she stood on that stage and ran at all.
Back then, Maruzensky couldn't compete in the Japan Derby because of the rules.
And now, the junior inheriting her will stood on that very track…
Rudolf thought that was pretty nice. If she ever had a junior who admired her and took the stage one day, she'd probably be smiling the same way.
Just imagining it felt kind of great.
—
"Why isn't Oguri out there yet…? This is making me anxious."
Norn Ace watched one horse girl after another enter the stage, her irritation growing.
There were twenty-four competitors in this race. Each one had to come out and present herself, so the whole thing was taking longer than expected…
"In the local circuit, you don't have to wait this long," Fujimasa March said, sighing.
"Hey, hey. Good food is never too late," Suluo chuckled from between them. "Whether Oguri comes out early or late, we'd still be waiting the same amount of time."
"I know, but waiting still feels awful," Norn Ace pouted.
"Oh! There she is!"
Fujimasa March's expression changed. She pointed toward the track.
Suluo and Norn Ace followed her finger—and sure enough, a familiar figure appeared at the entrance tunnel.
"And next up—she fought her way from the countryside to Central, and has yet to taste defeat!"
"A true dark horse!"
"Let us welcome… the gray-haired monster—"
"O—GU—RI—CAAAAAAP!"
The commentator screamed her name like he was shredding his own throat.
All eyes in Tokyo Racecourse locked onto Oguri Cap.
But Oguri Cap looked toward the VIP stands instead, searching carefully for someone.
Very quickly, she found him.
Norn Ace was waving her handkerchief wildly, face full of excitement. Fujimasa March—who often battled her—had her hands cupped like a megaphone, shouting something her way, though the distance made it impossible to hear.
And most importantly, between them, Suluo was smiling and waving at her.
Oguri Cap smiled—deeply satisfied.
"…Watch closely, Suluo."
"I'll bring the victory back to you."
Turning around, she walked toward the track.
—
"What a huge reaction," Mejiro Ardan said, covering her mouth as she laughed softly at how energized the stadium became the moment Oguri appeared.
"This is what it feels like to be the most popular… I'm so jealous!" Sakura Chiyono O looked genuinely envious.
Just then, Yaeno Muteki strode over to Oguri Cap.
Stopping in front of her, Yaeno's gaze sharpened as she spoke.
"Oguri Cap. This time, I will defeat you."
Her eyes held no hesitation.
She meant it.
But when it came to seriousness… Oguri Cap wouldn't lose, either.
"I'm sorry," Oguri replied calmly, her expression unchanged. "I have no reason to lose this race."
"Hmph. Then we'll settle it in the race!" Yaeno Muteki snapped.
"Don't think I'll lose to you as easily as last time."
Leaving those words behind, Yaeno turned and walked away.
Oguri Cap stared at her retreating back—her body trembling faintly.
Was her instinct responding to the challenge…?
It didn't matter.
If she was going to win, beating her was only a matter of time.
—
"Let me see what you've really got, Oguri Cap."
In a corner of the general stands, a smaller gray-haired girl watched the track with a bright smile.
It was Tamamo Cross.
Since Oguri Cap had chosen to run the Japan Derby, there was no way Tamamo would miss watching it.
To be honest, she still hadn't fully acknowledged Oguri's strength.
And she didn't believe Oguri yet had the power to walk alongside Suluo.
She admitted Oguri was interesting.
But "interesting" was all it was—for now. If Oguri wanted to truly help Suluo, this level wasn't enough.
"So…"
"Prove it to me. Prove it to Suluo."
"Show us how far you can go!"
"Oguri Cap!"
—
The impatient, nerve-wracking preparation time passed quickly.
On the track, the horse girls finished their warm-ups.
Right then, the commentator's voice rang out at exactly the right moment.
"All horse girls, please enter the gates—!"
"The race is about to begin!"
Under the guidance of the track staff, each competitor moved into her assigned stall.
As if the entire venue sensed the start was imminent, the previously noisy crowd quieted in an instant.
"Ready—"
"GO!"
BANG!
The gate snapped open with a sound like a gunshot. The iron doors flew wide, and the competitors—who'd been waiting inside—shot out the instant the path cleared!
The Japan Derby—
had begun!
....
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