Hanging up the phone, Fujii Senosuke hurried to the small park where he'd last met the other party.
The Uma Musume who had information about the "Black Phantom" said there was something she needed to tell him.
What in the world could it be?
Maybe she wanted to treat him as a representative of the media, curse him out, and vent her anger. Or maybe she wanted to clear her name in front of him—declare that she hadn't used any drugs or broken any rules—and beg him to convey the truth to the public.
The first scenario wasn't so bad. As part of the company, he couldn't deny he also bore the label of "fabricator."
Getting an earful was only to be expected.
But as for the latter—frankly, Reporter Fujii was powerless. Even if he could write the story, the company would block it from being published.
The reason was simple.
Such inconsistent statements wouldn't just slap the Central Association in the face—they'd deliver a heavy blow to the media company's reputation as well.
Enough to saddle them with the stigma of "publishing unverified statements without authorization," causing their credibility in the public eye to plummet.
For the sake of clearing the name of one person of questionable status, harming the entire company's credibility—however you looked at it, that just wasn't realistic.
Ah… either way, this wouldn't end well for him.
But Reporter Fujii was still incredibly excited to meet her.
The tip she'd sent over was a rare treasure amid the endless, day-in, day-out flood of information garbage.
As a reporter, how could he possibly let such a golden opportunity slip away?
Though these days, the term "reporter" felt more like an insult…
About ten minutes later, Fujii Senosuke saw a young woman approaching, dressed in a black short-sleeved shirt, her hair in a ponytail, and wearing a familiar pair of sunglasses.
"Hello, Reporter Fujii."
She greeted him.
"Hello, hello."
Now that he thought about it, last time they'd met, hadn't she neglected to give her name?
Or maybe his attention had been completely fixed on Sirius Symboli, and her name had just slipped his mind…
"You're the student from Tracen Academy I met last time, right? My apologies, work's been busy, my memory's a bit hazy. What should I call you?"
"Silence."
"Miss Silence, then. Nice to meet you." Reporter Fujii nodded. "That ghostly miss… is the message she has for me very long?"
"It's short, but there are some things I need to ask you."
"I see. In that case, if you don't mind, how about that café over there?"
This time of day, the sun was glaringly bright outdoors—really not a good place for a conversation.
"I don't mind."
The girl agreed, and the two went to the familiar café.
After ordering a few random items from the menu just for appearances, they got down to business.
"Reporter Fujii, do you know how many G1 major stakes races there are currently?"
Hearing that kind of question, Fujii Senosuke was taken aback. After a moment's thought, he answered truthfully, "I believe there are about twenty-three G1-level races held each year."
"Roughly one or two each month on average, but the busiest is December. Normally there are about four or five G1 races."
"And up to now, has any Uma Musume participated in every single G1 race?"
"No." He was quite certain of that.
"Looking at the entire history, no Uma Musume has ever had the capability to take part in every G1 race."
Never mind the fundamental differences between turf and dirt racing—the race distances alone ranged from 1,200 meters to 3,000 meters.
Every Uma Musume had her own specialty: some excelled in speed for short distances, others needed immense stamina for long distances.
Differences in training and innate physique made it clear that as Uma Musume, they couldn't perform at their full potential in races outside their strengths.
For an Uma Musume suited to long distances, if she ran a short race, it'd be over before she could even build up speed.
How could anyone expect a good placing under those conditions?
No one would be foolish enough to enter a race they were bound to lose.
What's more—
"Some G1 races are held consecutively, morning session or afternoon session."
One race right after another.
The intensity of running races back-to-back would be too much for any Uma Musume to handle, so the option of winning two G1 races in quick succession simply didn't exist.
Therefore, for an Uma Musume, some races simply had to be passed up.
Listening to Reporter Fujii's explanation, the girl nodded thoughtfully.
Then Reporter Fujii added, "Actually, the number of G1 races truly worth paying attention to is far fewer than it sounds."
"Among G1 races, only eight carry the highest prestige, the greatest honor, and have been passed down to this day."
People called them the "Eight Great Races."
They were: [the Oka Sho], [the Satsuki Sho], [the Japanese Oaks], [the Japanese Derby], [the Kikuka Sho], the Spring [Tenno Sho], the Autumn [Tenno Sho], and [the Arima Kinen].
For Uma Musume, these eight races held extraordinary significance in their lives.
If someone could win multiple among them, it would likely cause a shockwave in the Uma Musume world no less dramatic than the birth of the "Emperor."
"However, even the 'Emperor' couldn't win all eight of these races."
"Why?"
"Because of entry restrictions. The 'Emperor,' who chose the Classic Triple Crown, couldn't enter the others."
But whether it was the Classic Triple Crown, the Spring Triple Crown, or the Autumn Triple Crown, for an Uma Musume, any of those were already honors enough to secure a place in history.
After all that talking, Reporter Fujii's throat was dry. He took a sip of the drink that had been served to moisten it.
Actually, before the [Twinkle Series] came along, the Eight Great Races were the top-tier events among Uma Musume.
Even after more and more G1 races emerged, the Eight Great Races remained firmly in the first rank—unshakable.
Currently, the "Eight Great Races" were fully managed by the Uma Musume Racing Association—the URA, what people called "Central."
Hearing this, the girl smiled faintly. "I'm… a little interested now…"
"Hm?"
"What you said about the Eight Great Races."
If, say, there were an Uma Musume who could win all eight of the Great Races—
What would that look like?
"Ahaha, as if! By the rules, it's impossible for any Uma Musume to win all eight races."
"Do the rules… really matter?"
Just as Reporter Fujii was inwardly scoffing at the girl's unrealistic notion, she spoke up.
Those few simple words made Fujii Senosuke's heart lurch.
Do the rules… really matter?
He felt as if struck by lightning. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his breathing grew ragged.
What did she mean by that…?
Hey, wait a second—her asking about G1 races, could it be that she was planning to—
"A long, long time ago, there was an Uma Musume," the girl began suddenly.
"In pursuit of the ultimate speed, she ran endlessly over the grass."
"Day after day, year after year, she grew faster and faster."
"But that Uma Musume didn't grow conceited because of it. Instead, she felt an unprecedented disappointment."
Why?
The girl asked.
Yes, why?
Fujii Senosuke had no answer.
But she didn't continue the story.
Pulling an envelope from her pocket, she handed it to him.
"The ghost's identity can't be revealed. So, Mr. Reporter, please deliver this to Central for her."
Tell them: from a gorgeous yet empty world of mystery, the Black Phantom shall be born, and she will seize the glory that belongs to the victors.
From this arena, all light shall vanish.
Thus, eternal night shall fall—
With those words, the girl rose from her seat and left.
Staring at the letter in his hand, Fujii Senosuke swallowed hard.
His hand trembled uncontrollably, as if he were holding a priceless treasure capable of overturning history itself!
He opened the letter and read its contents. His face, stiff with extreme tension, broke into an exaggerated, wild grin.
"Heh… haha… hahaha! AHAHAHA—!!!"
Under the astonished gazes of the other customers, he laughed like a madman.
Yes! Yes, this is it!!
This is the news I've been waiting to see!
--+--
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.