After returning to Tracen with Nice Nature, Kagura parted ways with her at the stairwell of the dorm building. Nice Nature still looked a little reluctant when they separated, but going out with Kagura today had already left her deeply satisfied. Besides, she figured that if she went to Kagura's room, she would just end up disturbing Kagura's roommate, so in the end, Nature chose to return to her own dorm and rest.
Once Kagura returned to her room, she took an early bath, lay down on her bed, and passed the time on her phone. Thinking about it, this was the first proper Christmas Eve she had spent since coming to this world. Today, Mejiro Ardan had gone home for a checkup and was not at school, while Rudolf would not be back until the night after tomorrow at the earliest. Kagura had brought a whole pile of things back to the dorm, but there was no one there to spend the night with her. The only one in the room was Eclipse, a ghost accompanying her through what Kagura personally considered her first Christmas Eve properly spent.
"Eclipse-san, did you stay up all night…? Playing games while the phone is plugged in isn't safe, you know…"
Kagura had played games with Eclipse for the whole evening, but since there was nothing else she needed to do, she had still gone to bed early according to her usual habits. When she woke up the next morning, she found that her phone was still on and even still being operated. At that point, she knew Eclipse had, in the truest sense, played all night long.
——Ehehe~ I got a little carried away. I grinded out the events on several games, both main and alt accounts, all in one night! So satisfying, so satisfying~
"Why do you even need an alt account when you play games, Eclipse-san?"
Seeing the line of text appear on her phone screen, Kagura asked, not quite understanding.
——On the main account, you plan properly and play properly. On the alt, you pull for whoever you like! I can't just spend your money recklessly, can I? You earned all of that through hard work and racing!
Eclipse replied very quickly. From the look of it, she had barely needed to think before giving that answer.
"Ah… I didn't expect you to think about that kind of thing too, Eclipse-san…"
A little touched, Kagura nodded in sudden understanding. She seemed to have finally realized why that close friend of hers had always liked making alt accounts when playing games too.
...
After washing up, eating breakfast in the Cafeteria, and changing into sportswear, Kagura prepared to go for a walk in the park as usual to help digest her food, then run a couple laps while she was at it. Although she did not have any races to run for the time being, she had no intention of letting her training slack too much. Even if there were no races in the short term, preparing for next year's races could never hurt.
According to Trainer Tojo, if Kagura wanted to go on an expedition to Europe next year, the first step would be adapting to Europe's turf. When mentioning this, Trainer Tojo had also brought up something else Kagura had not known before: Japan had not been without Umamusume who had attempted overseas expeditions in the past. The head of the Symboli Family, Symboli Speed, had been the first Umamusume to attempt that step outward.
At the same time, Speed was also, to date, the only Japanese Umamusume who had truly fought in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the highest honor among turf races. Unfortunately, Speed had adapted poorly to the local track environment, and there had also been a difference in strength involved. In the end, Speed's expedition could be described as a disastrous defeat. At the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, she had suffered what could be called the greatest failure of her career.
"Kagura, if you truly decide to challenge the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe next year, then you will be the third Arc Umamusume to step beyond Japan's borders."
"Your two great seniors, Symboli Speed and Mejiro Musashi, both suffered crushing defeats at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. You need to think carefully about whether you should spend the precious time of your classic year on a race you don't even know you can win."
When she mentioned the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Trainer Tojo did not seem to want Kagura to participate in this top-class turf event next year. Kagura felt that Trainer Tojo was probably thinking of taking the safer route, keeping her in Japan to follow the Classic Triple Crown path. After all, Kagura had already displayed an overwhelming advantage over her peers. Having broken course records several times already, she could practically be considered the predetermined Triple Crown Umamusume of next year.
Trainer Tojo was not the only one who thought so. Public opinion online was generally of the same view. Whether it was Kagura's own fans or ordinary passersby, almost all of them shared one opinion—the age of darkness had arrived. Kagura's shadow would swallow every opponent of her generation. The Umamusume entering their classic year alongside her next year were destined to come away empty-handed. It seemed everyone had already decided that Kagura would sweep through the domestic circuit just like Rudolf.
Thinking about it now, Kagura understood why Speed had cared so much about the fact that she had received Galileo's invitation. After all, Speed had once suffered such a crushing defeat on that stage. Now that her long-cherished wish for the Japan Cup had been fulfilled, her gaze would undoubtedly turn once more toward the place where she had once stumbled.
Japanese Umamusume can't handle the Arc… It seems that's already become a kind of common sense, hasn't it?
On the way to the park outside Tracen, Kagura thought to herself while scrolling through online topics related to her.
Incidentally, because of Kagura's terrifying performances in her two G1 races at the end of this year, she had been chosen as this year's Best Newcomer Umamusume without the slightest suspense. Director Akikawa had transferred the prize money for that award to Kagura's card not long ago. It was just that the trophies and other prize items were still being made, so they had not been delivered to her yet.
"It's not hard to understand. The ground here is different from Europe's. And during your race at Nakayama Racecourse this year, I could feel that the track surface had gotten even worse than last year. My suggestion is to drag the track maintenance staff and racecourse management here straight to the gallows. If things keep going on like this, how could this place ever raise children capable of fighting in Europe?"
Eclipse, visible only to Kagura, manifested beside her. She seemed to be complaining, a few traces of displeasure and helplessness on her face.
"Isn't there a saying from your old home that puts it nicely? The general meaning should be… what kind of land gives birth to what kind of people? I'm not saying that wrong, am I? Children born on land like this will only become more and more adapted to this land. If these people still don't think about changing things, then by the time it matters, they'll be completely finished!"
Although Eclipse's words were not pleasant to hear, Kagura felt that many of her opinions and views were quite good. While Kagura herself did not mind track conditions that much, she also did not deny Eclipse's criticism of Japanese tracks.
"The park really is quiet today… I didn't see anyone out for morning exercises on the way either. It's so different from usual."
"Ah, yes. They're probably all staying home for Christmas, right?"
The person and the ghost chatted like that as they unknowingly arrived at the park not far from the school. There were not many people in the park this morning. Even the old men who usually spawned here every day for morning exercises were nowhere to be seen. But for Kagura, that was just as well. Compared to noisy places, she still preferred a quiet environment.
When she reached her usual favorite starting point, Kagura had just stretched out a hand, preparing to limber up with a warm-up routine, when she suddenly felt a chill rising from behind her. Eclipse, who had come along to train with her, also seemed to notice something. Both of their gazes immediately turned toward a tree behind Kagura and to her right.
"That's…"
Kagura saw a young black-haired, golden-eyed Umamusume. She was also wearing sportswear, and was sneaking her head out from behind that tree to peek at them.
Kagura, feeling that the girl looked inexplicably familiar, froze for a moment. Then she remembered. This was the protagonist of the ghost story she had once heard about in the park—the legendary ghost Umamusume. Kagura had not seen this little one in a long time, so when they met, her first reaction had been to fail to remember her.
"Ah… Hello, kiddo. Long time no see."
"You… and your friend, did you come to train together today?"
Realizing that her position had already been exposed, the black Umamusume no longer hid. She walked over and looked at Kagura, then looked in the direction where Eclipse was. It was clear that this little Umamusume had not precisely locked onto Eclipse's exact location. Although the general direction she pointed in was correct, she was not pointing at Eclipse herself at all.
"More or less. Why?"
"My 'friend' says… she wants me to ask you, if you two came here to train together today, could you bring me along? And her too?"
As the young Umamusume's words fell, as though responding to her, Kagura saw a black-haired Umamusume in a black trench coat appear behind the young Umamusume. Her figure clearly looked as though she had undergone honkaku, and she was watching Kagura with great interest.
Beside Kagura, Eclipse also fully manifested, likewise watching the opponent, who was brimming with fighting spirit, with great interest.
"Oh? So what you mean is, you want to have… a friendly match?"
---
T/N: sunday silence vs eclipse?? ooooooh
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