"So that's her…"
"Her stamina's gotta be crazy high! She kept up her Great Escape the entire time!"
"S-She looks so cool!"
I held back a sigh as I sat down with my tray of food. I couldn't say I was surprised—I'd just recently won the [Tulip Sho] and all. Not only that, but for most of them, this was probably the first time they'd seen the Great Escape I'd become somewhat famous for. That, and I was the last of my team to compete in a graded race, putting me right in the forefront of all the discussion.
It probably didn't help that I was alone this time. Unlike me who had an entire month before my next race, both Belno and Oguri had only a couple weeks at best before their next race. So I was rather quiet this time, having no one else to talk to while I began eating my lunch.
Or at least I did for the first few minutes.
"Mind if we sit here?"
"Hmm?" I blinked, and looked up to find a group of familiar umamusume had approached me. Dicta Striker, Mejiro Ardan Sakura Chiyono O, Super Creek, Yaeno Muteki—even Blacky Yell was with them.
I stared for a moment, before I gestured at the empty seats around the table. "Go ahead." I put an easy smile on my lips as they sat down. "So, what's up? About to interrogate me or something?"
"Basically." Dicta easily admitted. She ignored Ardan's unimpressed look as she continued. "You and your team's in the spotlight now. You're the Heroes-, or I guess the Demons in this case." She grinned fiercely. "Everyone's raring for a go at defeating you."
"That so?" I smiled back, unbothered. "Well, we're always up for a challenge." My smile turned cold, and the students watching from afar felt a chill creep up their spines. "We'll paint the tracks red with your defeat."
Sakura Chiyono O gulped at the sudden flaming heat that suddenly seemed to permeate the air. "U-Um-!"
But before she needed to intervene, Dicta just chuckled. "Really playing the villain role, huh?"
I shrugged helplessly. "Hey, it's already out there. Might as well run with it."
My admission caused everyone around the table to smile, and we soon began chatting about all sorts of mundane things. Oguri's favorite foods, Belno's hobbies, my training routines—ordinary things that kept the conversation going. At that moment, sitting around the table, the fact that we were all rivals didn't seem to matter.
But of course, the inevitable question soon cropped up.
"So, how're you feeling, Yaeno?" She grinned sharply. "Ready for your head-on collision with the Beast herself?"
Muteki was silent for a good moment, and though usually stern, I could see a trace of fear run through her eyes.
I hummed. It was no surprise. Since we often trained together, Muteki had many opportunities to observe Oguri before they raced together. And so she'd already come to grips with the monstrous abilities Oguri had. For someone like her to have seemingly appeared from the middle of nowhere was insane, much less that Belno and I also appeared from the backwaters of Kasamatsu.
Truth was, Oguri's power wasn't suited for the Classics. The fact that Tamamo Cross—a Senior racer—called Oguri her rival spoke volumes.
But Muteki herself wasn't one to easily back down, and determination eventually flashed in her eyes as she gave her answer. "I will win the [Manichi Hai]."
Ardan smiled gently at Muteki's answer, before she turned to me. "Blossom-san, if I may ask, what is Belno-san's next race?"
I raised an eyebrow at the sudden interest, but I answered truthfully. "If nothing changes, the [Spring Stakes]."
The Spring Stakes, a G2 Mile-length race spanning 1800 meters. It would've been preferable for her to take a longer race, but there wasn't any Medium-length race in this time of the month.
"Is that so…"
I stared at her for a moment, before I blinked in realization. "Ah, you want to race her, don't you?"
Ardan smiled slightly. "I do, yes. But…" Her smile fell slightly.
I nodded, understanding her frustration. After all, Ardan had yet to debut herself, and her Debut Race was set to be a week after Belno's [Spring Stakes]. The timing just didn't match up.
But that didn't mean there wouldn't be more chances.
"Well, you could always challenge her during the [Aoba Sho] instead." I offered, causing her eyes to widen slightly.
"The [Aoba Sho]..."
While Ardan began to ponder over the possibility, Dicta grinned as she leaned forward. "How about you?" She asked me, and I could see the other students in the cafeteria quieting down, as they too wanted to hear my answer. "What's your next race?"
I smiled.
"The [Oka Sho], of course."
The entire cafeteria fell silent. Not just because the Oka Sho was a G1 race, but also because of what I was implying.
Dicta grinned, before she sighed. "Agh, too bad my schedule doesn't match up." She scowled as she poked at her half-finished bowl of rice. "Can't even race against Oguri either. This is the worst."
I shrugged. "Well, that's just how life is."
Caught up in the conversation, none of us noticed the mysterious smile Super Creek had, nor the way her eyes later filled with sorrow as she gazed at her calves
I was about to continue eating when a thought appeared in my mind. An old memory regarding the horse that Dicta Striker was inspired from, and I couldn't help but frown. "Ah, being enthusiastic's good and all, but don't hurt yourself over it." I made sure to stare at her as I spoke. "Better to rest and miss something than get injured and miss everything."
They weren't empty words. In the manga, Dicta Striker often had injuries that barred her from entering many races she could've run in. But that was incredibly lucky compared to what happened to her inspiration, who sadly retired young due to his frequent leg injuries he had accumulated during childhood.
The sudden turn surprised everyone, Dicta and Super Creek most. "Huh? What's with that all of a sudden?" Dicta asked.
I went quiet for a moment, debating whether or not I should just move on to a new topic. But I eventually decided not to. "I'm serious." I said. "I want everyone to race to their hearts' contents, but it shouldn't be at the cost of your long term health."
Inevitably, my mind went to Agnes Tachyon. She was my favorite umamusume back when I first got into the series, and she remained one of my favorites long after. Her story, especially in the movie, was one that'd hit a little too close to home at times.
Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice the way Super Creek trembled slightly as I continued speaking.
"We are umamusume, and all umamusume are born to run." I sighed. "It'd be a shame if we couldn't do that just because we worked ourselves a little too hard, you know?"
Dicta frowned for a moment before she sighed. "Yeah, guess you're right." She smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry though. I'll be fine!"
I just closed my eyes.
I hoped she'd truly take my words to heart.
The rest of our lunch continued smoothly, and before long our lunch period came to an end. At this point most of the students would be heading out to train since our morning classes were over, but since I was still on my mandatory rest period, training was the one thing I couldn't do.
I just decided to wander around Tracen Central, going from one area to the next without much of a plan.
So, inevitably, I eventually ran into someone familiar while I was about to buy something from a vending machine.
"Ara? So it's you, Blossom-chan!"
I blinked, and then smiled. "Good afternoon, Maru-nee."
Maruzensky smiled happily, and I steeled myself as she began patting me on the head. My cheeks reddened slightly, but I Maruzensky soon pouted when she saw my lacking reaction. "Aww, do you not like it?"
I laughed slightly. "Just-, not used to it, I guess." I shrugged casually. "Usually I'm the one patting others."
Maruzensky giggled.
I smiled slightly. Meeting Maruzensky when I went to confront Symboli Rudolf was a miracle all on its own. And the fact that it somehow led to me becoming friends with her was incredible to think of.
We soon found an empty bench, and we both sat down. "Congratulations on your victory, Blossom-chan." Maruzensky said as she popped open her can of soda. "Rudolf and I were both there to watch!"
I chuckled as I scratched my cheek. "Honestly, it's an honor to have you and Symboli-san pay any attention at all." I popped open my own can of soda. "Though I'm pretty sure the news would go ballistic if they caught this."
I shivered slightly. I could easily imagine that scenario, and that was not a world I was all that willing to face.
Maruzensky winked playfully. "Then it's better if no one notices, right~?"
I huffed. "Of course."
While we sat on that bench, we began talking. Though it was more of Maruzensky complaining about Symboli Rudolf being too serious and the URA being too slow, all while I occasionally offered a response whenever I thought it was appropriate.
Through it all, I couldn't help but think that Maruzensky maybe had a little too much time to herself, but I kept quiet about that.
Though, the conversation eventually drifted to something rather surprising.
"Ah, Blossom-chan, have you heard about [Domains]?"
I nearly spat out my drink when I heard that. I stared at her for a moment, before I nodded slowly. "I have, yeah."
Maruzensky smiled in slight surprise. "You do? What a surprise~" She idly swirled her half-empty can. "It's not something many people know."
I shrugged. "Musaka-san told me about it." I lied. "Though I still think it sounds more like a fairy tale. I mean, doesn't it sound like some power-up from an anime?"
She giggled. "Maybe!" Her expression turned serious for a moment. "But it's very much real, Blossom-chan. And it's something you'll face soon."
I blinked. "Why?"
She winked. "Just a reminder, that's all~"
"...right."
…
Even hours later, when the day had turned to night, I couldn't help but think back to Maruzensky's words. For her to just suddenly talk about the concept of [Domains] before moving on-
Did she know something?