After the Osaka Hai concluded, Rice Shower—having returned to this world anew—didn't encounter anything particularly special. Her life returned to normal by the very next day. If there was one thing different, it was that she had now fulfilled the conditions to "clear" the Story Mode: first, recognition from others; second, recognition of herself. With both conditions met, Rice Shower could graduate from her Story Mode whenever she wished. But she wasn't in any rush to do so.
Because she still had races to run.
While the Story Mode had a "clearing" mechanic that made it feel like a game, to Rice Shower herself, this world was her reality after reincarnation. The relationships she'd built here weren't something she could simply ignore.
As long as she remained an active professional athlete, prioritizing her racing career was the right thing to do.
This Tenno Sho (Spring)—she had no intention of giving it up!
In the activity room, Trainer P was presenting his analysis for the upcoming race: the day's weather forecast, track conditions, opponent information—every piece of data had been thoroughly researched.
While none of this was strictly necessary, if one wished to pursue victory, it was only natural to do everything within one's power. This meticulous approach was simply P's personal style.
"...And that covers the track conditions. As for our opponents, the biggest threat we'll face this time is the one currently known as the strongest long-distance runner—Mejiro McQueen..." P pinned a newspaper clipping of McQueen's photo onto the small blackboard and began analyzing this rival from every angle.
Physical attributes, skill combinations... everything was explained in careful detail.
Even though Rice Shower had demonstrated tremendous strength, P never underestimated any opponent. He diligently completed all preliminary investigations and pre-race preparations for her.
In the past, strong competitors often faltered in races, caught off guard by weaker opponents. The reason this happened usually came down to differences in preparation.
That small gap—it simply came down to who was more diligent.
Only through constant self-improvement and forward progress could one reach victory!
Rice Shower listened attentively.
Though she had complete confidence she could win this race, results and process were two different things. If she stopped thinking just because she believed she would win, her potential would stagnate at its current level. Only through continuous learning and self-refinement could she grow stronger.
In terms of raw power alone, she had probably already reached this world's ceiling.
But the world beyond was vast, and she still had enormous room for growth.
Forgetting the mindset of weakness during a moment of strength—that was merely a prelude to self-destruction.
Besides, Rice Shower still didn't consider herself a truly strong person.
...
Meanwhile, at the training grounds, Mejiro McQueen had just finished a lap and was wiping away sweat with a towel. Only after drying herself off did she look up toward her trainer.
"How were my times?"
Trainer Okino checked the numbers on his stopwatch and nodded at McQueen.
"Excellent times. You're in peak condition."
These weren't mere words of comfort—they reflected Okino's genuine assessment.
McQueen had become even stronger than before.
Under immense pressure, this young lady of the Mejiro family hadn't crumbled. Instead, she had taken another step forward.
Hearing her trainer's evaluation, McQueen allowed a confident smile to cross her face.
"Achieving this much is only natural for me. However..."
Remembering the strength Rice Shower had displayed at the Osaka Hai, she couldn't quite settle her heart.
Even without using the power she'd wielded against Teio, Rice Shower's progress was terrifying.
Skill Fusion—
If she hadn't witnessed it with her own eyes, she never would have believed such an ability actually existed.
"At this level, it's not enough to defeat that girl!"
She had to become stronger. She had to run faster!
She needed to truly soar through the heavens!
Her violet eyes shone with an almost sacred radiance, and the aura of her ZONE deepened.
Watching McQueen like this, Okino hesitated to speak.
He felt that McQueen's self-imposed standards might be too harsh.
By his assessment, McQueen's current performance was already nothing short of perfect.
But even so, the facts were exactly as McQueen said.
That girl Rice Shower was a Monster capable of transcending common sense.
Simply achieving an ordinary level of excellence wouldn't be enough. To challenge a Monster, one had to become a Monster themselves—but such things couldn't be achieved through willpower alone.
Exceptions were exceptions precisely because they were exceedingly rare.
Normal people would never dream of competing with such Monsters.
But in the world of Uma Musume, this mindset was different.
The desire to run faster, to run farther—these impulses were written into an Uma Musume's very DNA.
Even when facing a Monster that defied all reason, they still yearned to reach the same realm!
Yes, it was because these girls were so pure, so radiant, that he loved Uma Musume so much.
Okino thought to himself.
"Trainer, could you stay with me a bit longer? Or are you planning to head over to Teio's side?"
"No, I'll be with you until the end today."
In response to McQueen's teasing, Okino smiled and gave his answer. While he certainly worried about Teio's situation as well, he was equally McQueen's trainer. Even if he couldn't be perfectly fair in how he treated his team members, he needed to maintain relative fairness. He'd already been biased enough toward Teio before. Considering the circumstances of this race, he believed he should stand by McQueen's side this time.
For McQueen, this race wasn't just about the rivalry with Teio.
This race held another meaning entirely.
Whether the glory of the Mejiro family could be preserved—it all depended on whether McQueen could claim this trophy.
...
On another side, Gold Ship looked at the message Okino had just sent and addressed Teio and the others.
"That guy says he's going to keep training with McQueen. He wants us to train on our own with you, Teio."
"What the—that trainer, he wouldn't actually..."
Daiwa Scarlet thought of a certain possibility and glanced nervously at Tokai Teio.
That idiot trainer isn't actually going to pick sides, is he?
This is a race between teammates!
Is there really a trainer stupid enough to pick a side?
"I understand."
Tokai Teio's expression remained calm. "Then I'll be counting on everyone to practice with me a while longer."
"We don't mind, but you're surprisingly calm about this."
Gold Ship also found Okino's decision rather abrupt.
Deep down, she actually supported McQueen more in this race. But such thoughts definitely shouldn't be shown outwardly—it would be terrible for team morale. Yet here was Okino actually doing exactly that.
"No, aren't you all overthinking this? Even I understand that this race holds extraordinary significance for McQueen. Isn't it natural for the trainer to be more concerned about her right now? When it comes down to it, my challenge to McQueen is just my personal business."
"You don't have to force yourself..."
Daiwa Scarlet's face showed worry.
Tokai Teio sighed helplessly.
"I'm not that fragile or petty, you know. What kind of image do you all have of me, anyway?"
A child.
Almost simultaneously, Gold Ship and Daiwa Scarlet arrived at the same answer in their hearts.
Though Tokai Teio was a genius who had debuted early, she was actually the youngest member of the team. Combined with her proud personality, everyone had always treated Teio like a little sister.
Teio saw through their thoughts immediately.
"How rude. I'll have you know I've been active for two years now—I'm a proper senpai."
"No, no, no. Just two years means you're still a newcomer by any measure."
"Is that so? But with my current achievements, calling myself a senpai isn't unreasonable, right?"
No one could refute this statement from Teio.
Because it was simply true.
G1 races might seem like ordinary competition to Teio and Rice Shower, but this was actually a grave misconception. For professional Uma Musume, G1 races were the highest level of competition!
For most Uma Musume, their career goal might simply be to win a single G1 race.
This was precisely why winning the Triple Crown earned one the title of "Strongest."
Because that truly was the strongest.
It was just that in recent years, Monsters and geniuses had become increasingly common, making G1 races seem almost mundane.
But in reality, those runners were already standing at the very forefront.
So in that sense, Tokai Teio was undeniably a true senpai—a legendary Uma Musume in every sense of the word.
"Damn it, has being around you geniuses warped my perception?!"
Daiwa Scarlet realized this with a start of horror.
She noticed that ever since joining the team, the goals she'd set for herself had become increasingly outrageous.
She remembered when she first entered Tracen Academy, her only wish was to win just one G1 race. But at some point, she'd started wanting to challenge those achievement-level goals as well.
"Little Gold Ship has always known she's strong, you know."
Gold Ship indicated that she'd been aware of this all along.
Precisely because she knew her own strength, that's why she could be so relaxed.
If the great Gold Ship-sama ever got serious, becoming a legendary Uma Musume would be a piece of cake, right?
"Huh? Wait, I'm actually strong?"
Special Week tilted her head in confusion.
Seeing her oblivious expression, Teio and the others thought this girl was beyond saving.
"You actually beat Legacy World, you know!"
Daiwa Scarlet exclaimed in exasperation.
Do you even know what level of competitor Legacy World was?!
"Legacy World? Who's that?"
Special Week tilted her head again.
A completely unfamiliar name.
"Well then. As expected of Special Week-senpai."
Teio sighed with admiration.
Back then, she had been drawn by Special Week-senpai's racing and had proactively joined this team.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason she joined.
Another reason was that she felt this team's atmosphere suited her better. Teio didn't like those so-called powerhouse teams. Then Team Spica had suddenly appeared in her view, and she was surprised to discover that the senpai in this team were all quite strong. Combined with the free and friendly atmosphere, it had attracted her.
"Um... were you all just talking about my master?"
A strange voice suddenly cut in.
Teio and the others turned to look. A Tracen Academy student with orange hair was watching them—an exchange student from France, a rookie who had just debuted this year.
"Venus Paques?"
Teio recognized her.
"Hello, senpai! Sorry, am I interrupting? I thought I heard you mention my master."
"Hello. Your master wouldn't happen to be... Legacy World, would it?"
Gold Ship looked skeptically at this petite Uma Musume.
Compared to Legacy World's large frame, Venus Paques's build was closer to Teio's.
"That's right! So I wasn't hearing things. Do you all know my master?"
Venus Paques casually squeezed into their circle.
At this point, Daiwa Scarlet proudly pulled Special Week forward. "Heh heh~ Of course we know her. Spe-chan here actually beat her once!"
"...So you're Special Week-senpai. I'm honored to meet you."
Venus Paques's shining eyes made Special Week feel rather uncomfortable.
"Venus Paques, shouldn't you be preparing for the upcoming Satsuki Sho?"
Teio asked curiously.
Hearing this question, Venus Paques blinked and answered, "That's right, which is why I'm relaxing!"
"?"
Question marks appeared above everyone's heads.
Did you hear what you just said?!
"Don't you need to train?"
"Nope. Besides, training is exhausting."
"Don't tell me you don't even want to win?!"
"How could that be? The whole point of entering a race is to win. If you didn't want to win, you might as well not compete at all."
Daiwa Scarlet was left momentarily speechless.
What is up with this girl?
Relaxing before a race, yet saying she wants to win?
Teio studied Venus Paques carefully from the side.
She didn't think Venus Paques was speaking nonsense.
"Come to think of it, it's really a shame. Compared to the Satsuki Sho, I actually wanted to compete in this Tenno Sho more."
Venus Paques smiled at Teio.
In that instant, sensing the aura emanating from Venus Paques's body, Teio became certain of something.
Her initial feeling hadn't been wrong. This rookie really had awakened her ZONE before even debuting.
She was the same as Rice Shower—
A Monster.
...
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