Several days had gone by since I first returned to Tracen Central.
It'd been a pleasant several days, mostly spent doing light training to adapt myself back to the Japanese Turf.
Not that I needed it, really. As it turned out, I adapted back to the Japanese Turf with surprising efficacy, so much so that Kitahara outright asked me if I'd been secretly training behind his back. I hadn't, of course—it just took me a strangely short amount of time to get used to the firm Turf that the Japanese tracks were known for.
I had a suspicion that it had something to do with the intense dreamlike race I ran against the Goddess of Bravery, but I couldn't be sure.
Regardless, the [Spring Tenno Sho] would be held tomorrow in the early afternoon. The forecast told us that there'd be sunny skies tomorrow, though I still prepared myself for a wet track despite how unlikely rain was.
It was late evening by this point. I was in Team Kitahara's clubroom, lounging on one of the sofas as I mindlessly flipped from one television channel to the next. I was alone here; everyone else was busy doing their daily training, and since my race would be tomorrow, I was fully abstaining from any training to hide any 'secrets' I might use for tomorrow.
Not that I had anything. Aside from the new running style Secretariat had taught me, my running remained pretty much the same. The Great Escape was pretty much the only thing I knew how to do. A race where I didn't immediately take the lead was a race I would inevitably lose.
And since I had nothing important to do, I ended up here, not even listening to the television as I mindlessly tapped the buttons on the TV remote.
"I wanna run." I eventually whispered, my expression souring slightly as I leaned back into the sofa. I mean, I knew that this self-confinement had a reason at all, but my legs were itching to do something at least. I'd already been cooped up for half the day by this point—the thought that I needed to remain concealed for the rest of the day made my skin crawl with dread.
But then I blinked as I realized what I'd just said.
"I wanna run…?" I repeated softly, my back straightening as my mind sharpened with focus. I glanced at my legs, and I stared as I saw my legs unconsciously bouncing, filled with the need to move.
And for a good moment, I was filled with a sense of…wonder, I guess.
I'd always joked about how I was born wrong, but that wasn't that far from the truth. I was barely an umamusume when I came into this world despite my features. I found barely any joy in running nor in races, at least until Oguri dragged me along. And even then, I only found enjoyment in the act of winning, while running itself was only the means to an end.
But for the first time, I genuinely wanted to run.
"Huh." I said, staring at my legs in awe. "Cool."
Was this how most umamusume normally felt? Filled with this unending urge to move your legs? Blessed and burdened with instincts that pushed them to run?
No wonder I barely ever heard of an umamusume that took a permanent office position; they'd probably go insane from the lack of stimuli. I mean, even Ines Fujin—the umamusume literally holding up her neighborhood's economy with a dozen different jobs—only worked part-time, and with jobs that mainly involved moving around.
Anyway,
Despite how much I wanted to do something, I suppressed those instincts. I'd promised Kitahara that I wouldn't train today, and I wasn't one to willingly break promises.
Didn't make the feeling any better though.
I groaned as I dragged my palm across my face. I mean, I was more than happy to find out that I was slowly regaining the Umanity that I wasn't born with, but it could've come at a better time. The fact that I started noticing it right in the peak of my resting period just made the feeling worse.
Then, I heard an airy giggle. "My, to think I'd ever see you so antsy, Blossom Star."
I blinked, and then nearly yelped when I found Godolphin Arabian suddenly sitting next to me. Though I then smirked. "So back to being a ghost, huh?"
Godolphin smiled. "Well, there is little difference between a Goddess and a ghost, I suppose."
"There's a lot that's different." I countered, though I didn't said little else in that regard. "By the way, are you allowed to be here? I mean, I don't know how exactly this world works, but Goddesses probably shouldn't be appearing out in the open like this, right?"
She hummed. "You aren't wrong. Our presence in this world has long passed—we can no longer interact with the material world." Her eyes then twinkled as she glanced at me. "However, with you present, we are at least able to partially manifest ourselves, even if only as phantoms visible only to your eyes."
…interesting.
"So, what's the occasion?" I leaned back into the couch with a thoughtful crown. "Got any more Missions I need to do?"
Godolphin smiled. "No, no. Believe it or not, it is not I nor my sisters who assign you those Missions." She gently shook her head. "As a matter of fact, it is not we who gave you that System of yours."
I blinked. "Then who?"
Godolphin was quiet for a few moments, before she smiled. "A present from your predecessor." She said. "I can say no more after that, I believe."
I raised an eyebrow. A predecessor, was it? So I wasn't the first person to have this System?
Which, honestly, wasn't the most surprising thing I've heard, especially after all those revelations the Goddesses had given me some days back. The fact that this System wasn't solely created for me was fairly minor compared to everything else that'd happened.
"Ah, that aside," Godolphin smiled mysteriously. "I come to you with a warning, Blossom Star."
My eyes narrowed. "What is it?"
"The [Japan Cup]." She said, eyes gazing forward at a sight only she could see. "That shall be the stage at which this stalemate shall come to a fitting end. It is there that the world shall converge once more, and it is there where you will have to make your stand against Destiny's hand."
I closed my eyes. This year—so the 1989 [Japan Cup]. That was the one that Oguri Cap lost to Folkqueen, wasn't it?
Which meant–
"So either Oguri wins it, or I do." I concluded.
"Indeed." Godolphin hummed. "The future is uncertain, but I can guarantee that you will be faced with a level of competition this world has scarcely ever seen." Her eyes gleamed with determination. "It will be a race to be remembered for decades to come."
I glanced at her, before I smiled wryly. "Jeez, way to stack on the pressure." I paused for a moment, before I narrowed my eyes. "But I'll do it." I grinned. "I'll give a show no one will ever forget."
"I am sure you will." Godolphin smiled gently.
And then, when I next blinked, she was gone.
It was so abrupt that I had to spend a few seconds just staring at the spot she'd been sitting at. I swore I could still faintly smell the scent of the ocean, almost as if I was back in last year's summer camp.
And then I huffed as I relaxed back into the couch. I guess she did say that she was a Ghost this time around, so appearing and disappearing in an instant wasn't too strange.
I remained there for quite a while, just digesting everything the Goddess had told me. Honestly, everything still felt a little unreal. My racing career had fully diverged from the pure sports drama that I thought it'd be—instead going more into a mysticism I'd expect more from Neo Universe or Stay Gold.
Still, I didn't dislike it. It wasn't as if I was the one actively waging this war against Destiny or whatnot. All I needed to do was to run.
And run I will.
.
.
.
"Now, Kyoto Racecourse, 3200 meters Turf; the weather is clear!"
"The [Spring Tenno Sho] finally begins…!"