Her entrance instantly dropped the atmosphere to freezing point, and hushed whispers filled the arena.
"Is that her? Is she Little Cocon?"
"It must be. Her name's on the notice board. She's so cold... it's unsettling."
The scrutinizing gazes, tinged with fear and curiosity, created a heavy, oppressive mood.
Kousei and the others sensed the shift in the arena's atmosphere, their brows furrowing in concern.
The protagonist of this commotion, her face as frosty as ice, seemed utterly indifferent to the uproar she had caused.
Suddenly, Little Cocon's gaze swept upward, silencing the crowd instantly. The anticipation for the competition was completely drowned out by this overwhelming show of authority.
"Has Little Cocon always been this extreme?"
Kousei and Bitter Glasse had met Little Cocon before. Though she carried herself with a certain aloofness, she never seemed truly cold; she leaned more toward the pampered side.
This deliberate show of pressure against the audience was completely out of character for her.
Just a Way silently observed this completely different Little Cocon—an Umamusume who had chosen to present herself with an intense gaze.
For the sake of her ideals, is she forcing herself to act this way?
"Ah, Just a Way?"
Kousei noticed an unfamiliar expression on Just a Way's face. Beneath her faintly smiling mask, a distinct sadness flickered through her eyes.
Kousei reached out to touch her, but flames instantly erupted from her fingertip. Startled, Kousei instinctively withdrew her hand, and the flames vanished as quickly as they had appeared.
"A hallucination?"
She felt it—that familiar tremor.
Turning back, she stood upon the brilliant flames, the bloodline factor within her stirring.
"Mother?!"
Why now? Kousei hadn't sensed her mother's presence since the Japan Cup. Why appear at this precise moment?
Kousei couldn't discern her mother's expression clearly, but she faintly sensed a smile.
In the next instant, the figure vanished with the wind, disappearing without a trace, leaving no lingering signs of her presence.
"What the hell was that?"
If this keeps up, I might actually be seeing things.
This sudden turn of events distracted Kousei, who failed to notice the varying expressions of Just a Way and Little, each concealing their own thoughts.
"Little! Wow! So pretty!"
Unfortunately, there was one Umamusume present who was completely oblivious to the icy tension.
"Little! I'm Urara! We've met before, right?!"
No one had expected Urara to seize the moment while the staff were momentarily stunned, slipping past the barricade to reach Little Cocon's side.
"Look, look! It's Urara's Personal Racing Outfit! Isn't it amazing?!"
Beaming brightly, she danced around, eagerly showing off her outfit to Little Cocon. Little Cocon couldn't hide her surprise, and even the audience murmured, "Does this girl have any sense of the atmosphere?"
"Is that Little's Personal Racing Outfit? It's so beautiful!"
Little Cocon's Personal Racing Outfit resembled a Western-style dress—the kind that immediately catches the eye with its beauty.
"Hmm..." Little Cocon turned her face away, seemingly uncomfortable with such direct compliments.
"Urara's first time racing here! Urara will do her best!"
To say something like that to your opponent? You're so bold!
"Yeah, let's both give it our all."
Now that Urara had gone this far, Little Cocon couldn't bear to keep ignoring her.
"Hmm? I feel like the atmosphere has warmed up a bit," someone murmured softly.
Unnoticed, the oppressive tension that had gripped the venue had dissipated like smoke.
A strange sensation.
"Let's run happily together!"
"Happily?" Little Cocon glared sideways at Urara. "Why are you even here? Just to have fun?"
"Mm-hmm! It's my first time racing in a Central event, even if it's just the Seishun Cup."
"Just the Seishun Cup?"
Urara remained completely oblivious to Little Cocon's changing mood.
"Just as I thought—you completely misunderstand the significance of the Seishun Cup. You have no idea what victory or defeat truly means. You're just here for fun, and I could never understand someone like you."
Urara was slightly taken aback. A cold hostility flickered in Little Cocon's small, round eyes, tinged with a thin layer of anger.
"Choose the track. I'm going to crush you completely and make you face reality."
With that, Little Cocon turned her back, as if dismissing Urara entirely.
The crowd watched Urara anxiously, only to see her tilt her head and suddenly smile.
"Alright!" she exclaimed, raising her right hand with boundless energy. "Let's settle this!"
Dirt Track, 1700 meters, Clockwise, Cloudy Weather.
Amidst the crowd's apprehension, Urara and Little Cocon stepped into the starting gate together.
Perhaps it was Little Cocon's abrasive behavior that had soured the audience's impression, or perhaps her aloofness made it impossible for them to empathize with her. Whatever the reason, Urara had surprisingly gained a significant lead in popularity over Little Cocon.
After all, to most viewers, both Urara and Little Cocon were unfamiliar Umamusume, making it impossible to gauge their true strength. However, Urara's choice of the rare dirt track implied she possessed exceptional dirt track adaptability, offering them a long-awaited opportunity to witness a dirt track race.
Inside the gate, Little Cocon's expression tightened. "A dirt track? This is going to be tricky. My dirt track adaptability is barely adequate, and aside from the adaptability test, I've never run on dirt before. The odds are stacked against me. I never imagined Urara had such a trick up her sleeve."
"As expected of a competitor on the same team as Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen—this is no ordinary opponent."
Even before the race began, Little Cocon was already visualizing the course in her mind. Seeing Urara's beaming smile, she grew even more vigilant. She's smiling? Is she completely confident? I've never heard of Urara's accomplishments, but this composure definitely radiates the aura of a true champion. Judging by the track, she's a blistering-fast miler. I need to stay sharp, or this race will be over in an instant.
The thought doubled Little Cocon's pressure. She was confident she could beat anyone on a grass track, but the pressure from the dirt track was immense, especially when facing such a "hidden powerhouse."
"Urara! Go for it! Urara! Go for it!"
The cheering crowd interrupted Little Cocon's thoughts, their voices piercing her ears.
"Don't worry! I'll win! I'll fulfill the Trainer's dream!"
Clenching her fists, her gaze toward the horizon hardened with determination.
"Little Cocon, get ready to start."
The Seishun Cup, Round 3, officially began.