It was quiet as Oguri Cap slowly walked through the tunnel.
She didn't think of much as she walked forward. This might be her first race in Central, and her first graded race, but in truth it didn't feel any different. All that mattered to her was the fact that she would soon race. She had the chance to run, and that was more than enough.
But then,
"Yo, Oguri." A familiar voice suddenly called out, and Oguri turned to find Blossom Star approaching her, an easy smile on her lips.
She nodded. "Star."
Neither umamusume seemed to care that it wasn't technically allowed for a non-participant to be here before a race, nor did Oguri question how exactly Star kept finding ways of entering without getting caught.
"Ready for the race?" Star asked.
She nodded again. "I feel fine."
"Just 'fine'?" I smirked. "Not scared that you'll be going up against Blacky Yell? She's one of the most promising umamusume of our year, you know?"
She tilted her head. "Should I?"
She snorted. "Nah, you don't need to stress about it." She gave her a pat on the head. "Just race, Oguri. Everything will be fine."
"Mm." She smiled slightly, enjoying the warmth of Star's hand, and her ears drooped slightly when Star's hand left.
It's…nice. She'd noticed that, once Star got comfortable, she was quite touchy. She liked patting Oguri and Belno, and her tail would always swing whenever she was hugged. Star was playful and daring and a little melancholic at times, but more than anything, she was warm. Like the warmth she'd feel after a good meal, or whenever her mom called her during the weekends.
"Alright then," Star smiled as she gave her a gentle push forward. "Go on now. Conquer this race" She grinned. "Let it be the first step to our world domination."
Oguri nodded. "I will." And without looking back, she stepped forward into the light.
…
"Now let's begin the G3 [Pegasus Stakes]!"
"I'm Akasaka, joined here by commentator Igawa to provide live commentary. Please look forward to it!"
Belno was anxiously gripping onto the railing when someone blew into her ear, causing her to shriek. "S-Star-san!?" She screamed. "W-When did you come back?"
"Just now." The girl easily said as she leaned onto the railing. "Did I miss anything?"
Kitahara idly shook his hand. "Nah, they're just starting the parade." He then gestured to Musaka. "Roppei-san gave Oguri some advice as well, but it honestly just sounds like nonsense."
"It's Musaka, you fool!" He shouted, before glaring at Kitahara. "And the fact that you didn't understand just shows how behind you are!"
"You-! What the hell does 'run fluffily' even mean, you old codger!?"
Blossom Star just laughed as the two's bickering attracted odd looks from the crowd.
"Here comes the top favorite!"
"Currently on a four-win streak, and with an overwhelming victory in the [Violet Stakes] by over three lengths-!"
"Blacky Yell!"
As the crowd around them roared in excitement, Mejiro Ardan gently smiled as she watched Blacky Yell grin and wave to the audience. "She's in top shape, today." She commented as she drank from her tea cup.
"She's the favorite, as expected." Dicta Striker idly said, before sighing loudly. "Why are we here, again? Can't we just watch this on the television from the dorm?" She then gave an exasperated stare at Ardan. "Also, do you just carry that damn tea cup with you everywhere?"
Ardan giggled at the accusation, while Super Creek smiled. "Well, it's not just Blacky Yell today." She then glanced to her right. "And of course, it was Yaeno-san who invited us today."
Yaeno Muteki hummed. "Today will be different." She said simply.
"And now the second favorite; known as 'The Beast' of Kasamatsu-"
"Oguri Cap!"
Dicta Striker snorted when Oguri bluntly threw her jacket onto the floor, before smiling fiercely. "There she is." She whispered, not disagreeing with Muteki's claim. She knew Blacky Yell was strong, but she'd also personally watched Oguri Race. This race could easily go either way.
"So that's her…" Sensuke Fujii whispered as he snapped a picture using his camera. "Still, the Pegasus Stakes, huh? She could've gone for another one, really."
Though he supposed it wasn't that much of a stretch, and another member of Team Kitahara was already going for the [Kyodo News Hai]. Maybe Oguri Cap was taking on the Pegasus Stakes as an opening to the other Central Races. Well, either that, or it was because of Blacky Yell.
"Preparations are complete as each umamusume is entering their gate!"
Down on the race track, Oguri watched with wide eyes as the track stretched into the distance. The turf below her was firm, and short grasses swayed gently as the winds blew by, carrying with it the scent of spring.
Her hands began trembling, and Blacky Yell grinned mockingly. "What's wrong, weak rat? You're trembling in front of-"
Before she could say anything else however, Oguri suddenly bent forward and wildly shook her head, causing her hair to flail everywhere. The action drew a few laughs from the audience, but none saw the way Oguri's eyes gleamed as a fierce smile crept across her lips.
The smell of the turf, the gentle winds, the way the track held against her foot instead of immediately sinking-
Her blood was boiling as she grinned.
This was Central!
"All runners have entered their gates! The race is about to begin!"
The crowd fell silent in anticipation. All the runners prepared to run forward. Shoes crunched into the turf as the seconds stretched on.
Then-
Bang!
The gates slammed open, and all the runners shot forward. No.3, Sugar Steel was the first to take the lead, but Blacky Yell was quickly advancing towards the front, a feral grin on her face as the other runners distanced themselves away from the charging Blacky Yell in fear.
"Blacky Yell is positioned second, and she-"
"No, she's first! She's overtaken Sugar Lead just as we're entering the third corner!"
"She's going to get her fifth win in a row!"
Yaeno Muteki frowned. "She won't." Over the past two weeks, she'd come to realize just how frightening Oguri Cap was. In the few test races she ran with her, she had never attained victory. In fact, whenever Team Kitahara would race together, Oguri Cap would almost always take the victory.
Dicta Striker was grinning, her focus having remained solely on Oguri. "Yeah, she won't." She said as she leaned back. "Not saying Blacky Yell isn't good, but Oguri hasn't even gotten started."
And what she said was true. In fact, as the runners were mid-way through the third corner, Oguri was nearly last, having sped down to allow her to attempt the advice Musaka had given her before the race.
"Run fluffily." He'd said, and she understood now. Normally she'd attempt to accelerate from the inside, hugging the railing to run the fastest. But this was Central, and the runners ahead left her no space to use the tactic she'd always used back in Kasamatsu.
In that case-!
"200m left! Can Blacky Yell maintain the lead!?"
"I'll finish it from here…!" She shouted as she raced forward, certain of her victory.
Only to suddenly feel a terrifying presence behind her, followed by booming steps that couldn't possibly originate from a mere umamusume. Her whole body froze in instinctive fear, and she gasped as she glanced left. "What the-!?"
Then,
"O-Oguri Cap!? It's Oguri Cap…!"
"She's suddenly burst from the outside!"
"Oi, oi…" Fujii whispered in awe, his grip on his camera nearly slipping. "What's with that acceleration!?"
"So this is The Beast of Kasamatsu! She's as strong as the rumors said!"
"2 lengths-, no 3-, no it's 4 lengths now! And the gap is still growing!"
Oguri smiled as she raced forward, the sunlight seeming to bend around the specks of dirt her powerful steps kicked back, forming into pinwheels of light. "The Central courses are so wide." She whispered gratefully, and she smiled as she accelerated even further.
"Oguri Cap crosses the finish line first!"
Fujii's hand was trembling as he held onto his camera. "This strength is the real deal…!" He immediately began snapping pictures of Oguri Cap's first graded victory, and his breathing only grew more rapid as he thought of Team Kitahara's two other members. "Which means they too are-!"
His chest was burning with excitement, and he had to force himself to breathe. "The next race…is Belno Light's [Kyodo News Hai], is it?" He said, and then grinned widely. "I need to book my tickets right after this!"
"Her very first victory in Central, with a lead of over 5 lengths!"
"You can't call her a frog in a well anymore!"
Blossom Star smiled sharply.
This was it. The first thundering steps of the umamusume who would soon shake the entirety of Japan. Kasamatsu may have named her 'The Beast', but that moniker would inevitably evolve.
Soon, Japan would witness the legend of the Gray Monster.