Leaving the racetrack.
The first thing Barbatos did wasn't to head to the locker room with Mejiro Dober and Silence Suzuka to change into her outfit for the Winner's Stage.
Instead, she chose to go to the infirmary first.
It wasn't because her body was injured; with Mundo's ultimate and [Heal], she'd already patched herself up during the race.
The reason she was heading to the infirmary now was mainly because of what happened to King Halo during the race. She'd signaled that something was wrong with her body mid-race and couldn't finish the Takarazuka Kinen.
That was why Barbatos hadn't seen King Halo at the finish line.
As a rival and a good friend and classmate,
Barbatos decided to visit her in the infirmary first before heading to the locker room to change for the Winner's Stage.
She knew the way to the infirmary like the back of her hand.
As she arrived, she could see Haru Urara, along with three other Uma Musume who looked familiar. The infirmary door was still tightly shut, meaning the doctor was probably still inside examining King Halo.
Seeing Urara there didn't surprise Barbatos at all.
"Urara, how's Halo?"
Urara, who had been standing worriedly by the door, perked up at Barbatos's arrival and explained, "Halo-chan might have a hairline fracture. We won't know for sure until we hear what the doctor says."
"Probably from too much training lately. Her body just couldn't handle it anymore."
Hearing that, Barbatos fell silent for a moment, not seeming too surprised.
Having raced against King Halo and seeing her skills during the Rigil entry trials, she had a pretty good idea of her talent.
Compared to your average Uma Musume, King Halo was incredibly gifted.
But compared to Special Week, her talent seemed a bit... average, maybe.
Even so, through sheer hard work and training, she still managed to beat Special Week and win the Japanese Derby.
That alone showed just how intense King Halo's self-imposed training regimen was.
Barbatos and Seiun Sky could push through intense training because [Heal] fixed their injuries, but King Halo didn't have a system. All that training was bound to take a toll on her body eventually.
And knowing King Halo's personality, if it were just a minor injury, she'd probably tough it out and finish the race no matter what.
The fact that she chose to drop out mid-race meant either the pain was so bad she couldn't go on, or pushing through would've made the injury so much worse that she might never run again.
The latter seemed more likely.
"By the way, B-chan, are you here because...?" Urara asked, a worried look on her face.
She knew that after recovering from her injury following the Winter Dream Cup, Barbatos's training regimen wasn't much lighter than King Halo's.
And with her physical condition...
"I'm fine."
Barbatos gave a small smile, reassuring Urara not to worry about her. "I just heard Halo had to drop out because of an injury, so I came to see how she's doing."
"Halo's been in there for a while. It might still be some time before she comes out," Ines Fujin said, looking at Barbatos.
She'd had her eye on Barbatos for a while now. With a nickname like hers, it was hard not to pay attention. She just never thought their first real meeting would be under these circumstances.
"Maybe you should head to the Winner's Stage first," Ines Fujin suggested.
"We'll tell Halo you stopped by once we know more."
"Huh? Winner's Stage?!"
Fine Motion's mouth dropped open slightly, stunned for a moment.
They'd rushed to the infirmary after King Halo dropped out and hadn't seen the rest of the race. Last they saw, Silence Suzuka was leading the pack.
And Mejiro Dober and Air Groove were hot on her heels.
In that kind of field, Barbatos managed to place in the top three?
"Didn't you hear it?" Ines Fujin pointed towards the spectator stands.
Even though Hanshin Racecourse had pretty good soundproofing, the roar from outside—220,000 people chanting "Japan's Number One"—was loud enough to hear even in here.
If Silence Suzuka, Mejiro Dober, or Air Groove had won, there's no way they'd be chanting "Japan's Number One."
So the only one who could've taken first place was Barbatos.
"Japan's Number One... so Barbatos-san must've come to the infirmary on her way to the Winner's Stage," Ines Fujin concluded.
Hearing this, Fine Motion and the others, who hadn't quite caught on, were stunned for a moment. Seeing that Barbatos didn't deny it, Ines Fujin's guess was pretty much confirmed.
"That's great, B-chan!" Urara beamed, happy for her friend.
Barbatos gave a soft "mm-hmm." "Couldn't have done it without you guys training with me."
She glanced at the time, deciding to wait another five minutes. If King Halo still wasn't out by then, she'd head to the Winner's Stage. After all, it was a crucial part of the Takarazuka Kinen.
Creak.
Just then, the infirmary door slowly opened.
King Halo and her trainer stepped out. Her left leg was in a thick cast, so it was clear her injury wasn't minor.
"B-chan, congratulations on becoming Japan's Number One."
King Halo's congratulations made Barbatos jump, drawing in a sharp breath.
"Gasp. You don't have some terminal illness, do you? Something that'll keep you from running?"
King Halo couldn't help but roll her eyes. "It's just a hairline fracture. The doctor said I'll be fine in a few months."
"Still got the energy to roll your eyes, so I guess you're okay," Barbatos nodded, relieved.
"I was expecting you to come out and say something like, 'Since you didn't get to witness the King's running style today, I'll show you the true form of a king next time.'"
"Springing a 'congratulations' on me out of the blue really threw me for a loop."
Hearing that King Halo would recover in a few months and that her injury wasn't career-ending, Urara and the others relaxed. Barbatos's comment made them chuckle.
It was totally something King Halo would normally say.
"Hmph! Just wait until I'm better. I'll take back the title of Japan's Number One with the true form of a king!"
"I'll be waiting,"
Barbatos said with a smile, turning and waving goodbye. "Well, since you're okay, I'll get going and get ready for the Winner's Stage."
King Halo watched Barbatos's figure fade into the distance, a bit like the gap between them. She took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and called out.
"B-chan. My injury... it's from overtraining."
"So... ease up on the training a bit, okay?"
"Don't go retiring before I'm back on the track!"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.