"...An identity, you ask? I have no identity."
The hands of time turn backwards.
Early morning on race day, Sunday Serenity wore a troubled expression.
Entering the [Japan Derby] required identification documents, along with the name of one's trainer.
Forget the issue of a trainer for a moment—the mere problem of documentation was giving her a massive headache.
She was a dead person, so where was she supposed to get information for a living one?
Submitting a death certificate and asking if a corpse was eligible to compete might have had better odds.
Not only that, as a highly anticipated event, the [Japan Derby] required advance registration for classic-level races, with materials sent to the central committee for review. If you missed the registration deadline, by the rules, there was no way to participate.
That included any other classic-level races as well.
Sunday Silence hadn't told her any of this until this very morning.
In other words, from the very start, she had never been qualified to compete.
But then again, thinking about it, it made sense.
"Looking at it as a formal race, of course it would require all sorts of procedures. It's not some back-alley contest where you just grab someone off the street and start running."
For a major event involving so many clubs, organizations, and even schools, it would be strange if there weren't a lot of formalities.
Judging by the rule that every participating Uma Musume must have a trainer, the race clearly didn't allow non-professional Uma Musume to enter.
All participants had to be trained under a centrally certified trainer, undergoing systematic training, before they were permitted to compete.
Sunday Serenity could understand why. The viewer numbers alone proved the point—besides the tens of thousands of spectators on-site, there were countless more watching the live broadcast from their screens.
If the field were filled with Uma Musume who just ran casually in their spare time, had no real desire for victory, and were simply there to make up the numbers and experience being watched, the quality of the race would be unimaginable.
The vast Tokyo Racecourse was steadily filling with spectators.
The look in Sunday Serenity's eyes shifted.
"In that case, why did you still have me come here to compete?"
She asked.
Faced with her confusion, Sunday Silence merely smiled.
Her smile was casual, natural.
"I wanted to break your preconceptions," she said.
"Participating in a race doesn't require any procedures. It doesn't require any reason."
If you want to go, then you go.
Just like how everyone assumed the winner of this race would undoubtedly be Narita Brian.
Just like how there should be eighteen contestants for the eighteen horse numbers.
Sunday Silence patted Sunday Serenity on the shoulder.
"Even if you can't see them, the stars are still shining in the sky."
She pointed towards the glass panes outside the racecourse, reflecting the world outside.
Look, the starting gate is already open for you.
--+--
"A brilliantly sunny day at the Tokyo Racecourse! The eagerly awaited 2400 meters, the Japan Derby! Eighteen Uma Musume have gathered here to battle for a place in the history books!
Will they achieve the result they hope for!?
First up, our number one favorite, Narita Brian! Winner of the Satsuki Sho, she displayed overwhelming power during the race, and now she aims for the Derby in peak condition never seen before! She is undoubtedly the most anticipated competitor in this race!"
The announcer's voice boomed across the venue, reaching every spectator's ears. All eyes uniformly focused on the black-haired Uma Musume positioned in the outermost gate.
She was already wearing her racing silk, the uniform of honor each Uma Musume wears only for the highest Grade I events.
The light-gray jacket's lapels interlaced like the fangs of a beast. Her straight, powerful right leg was sheathed in black tights, tightened with a strap, exuding a sense of terrifying strength.
Although she'd unfortunately drawn an outside post, given Narita Brian's ability, no one considered it a real obstacle to her victory.
Yet, just as everyone was intently watching the competitors, near the support rail of the starting gate, on that metal plate inscribed with text, a black figure was etched into the scene.
"And now! All competitors have entered the starting gates and are ready! The moment everyone has been waiting for is finally here, the race is about to begin!"
Eyes like blazing gold were fixed dead ahead on the track.
Narita Brian's heart suddenly began to pound violently.
The feeling was like encountering a predator of her own kind. They stared each other down, waiting for the chance to go for the throat.
Very close. Right next to her.
Where? Where was she?!
As the starting gates flew open, from the corner of her eye, Narita Brian saw a black figure that didn't belong to any registered competitor appear on the track like a ghost.
'Groooaar—!'
From within that presence, Narita Brian heard a roar akin to some ancient beast.
That pitch-black figure, which seemed to blot out the very sunlight, firmly captured the gaze of everyone present.
"Wh-wha-wha-what is this?!"
The announcer's voice was flustered, lost.
"There's an unidentified competitor on the track! What in the world is going on—!?"
The stands erupted in an uproar.
Right up until the gates closed, they had never seen a Uma Musume in a black cape enter the track. They hadn't even seen her before the gates opened.
It was as if she had materialized out of thin air on the course, appearing before all the other Uma Musume.
Even the Number 18 competitor in the outermost gate was completely baffled as to why a black Uma Musume had suddenly appeared beside her.
In that moment, everyone's thoughts were strikingly unified.
Someone had broken into the [Japan Derby]!
--+--
Ring-ring, ring-ring—!
In the office, the telephone rang incessantly.
A golden-haired woman who had just put down the receiver and hadn't even caught her breath yet furrowed her brows, wondering why today was so frantic.
Picking up the handset again, she heard the voice of a man, tense and panicked.
"Chairman! Central Committee Chairman! Something terrible has happened!"
Even through the receiver, she could almost see the man sweating buckets on the other end.
"Please, try to calm down," the woman said. "If I recall, you are the person in charge of Tokyo Racecourse? What seems to be the problem?"
"Yes," he replied hurriedly. "Are you... are you watching the [Japan Derby] right now?"
"Not yet. Is there a problem with the race?"
She frowned slightly. Judging by his tone, something serious must have happened.
Even among the highest-level races, the [Japan Derby] held a uniquely noble status. The hard rule of it being a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity made the Derby a lifelong honor for countless Uma Musume.
Furthermore, not every Uma Musume was even qualified to participate.
Only those elites among elites, who had aimed for the pinnacle since birth, constantly refining their skills, constantly pushing upwards—only those glorious horses who had seized victory in numerous difficult races—could take part in the [Japan Derby].
That's why the central committee dared not be negligent. Every competitor's details were carefully verified; there was no room for falsification.
The starting gates, the turf—everything was meticulously inspected before the race. During the event, numerous security guards would be stationed in the competitors' waiting rooms and along the corridors.
All to ensure the smooth progression of this crucial race that would impact these Uma Musume's lives.
And today, the person in charge of Tokyo Racecourse had brought her momentous news.
The supremely prestigious [Japan Derby] had an unauthorized participant.
This was an event significant enough to send shockwaves through the entire world of Uma Musume racing.
Hearing his report, the Central Committee Chairman could no longer remain seated. She stood up immediately and said to the chief administrator beside her:
"Quickly, prepare a car for me! To Tokyo Racecourse, at once!"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.