Uma Musume: To The Top!!

The flashback ended.

Outside the track, Dancing Brave sighed inwardly. She could only hope Suave's gamble would truly win her what she wanted.

Kuroha, standing nearby, had not paid much attention to the little battle of wits unfolding on the track.

At the moment, he was staring with a strange expression at the pale-blue system screen only he could see.

[Suave Dancer](Temporary)

[Track Aptitude: Turf S, Dirt B]

[Distance Aptitude: Sprint G, Mile A, Medium S, Long A]

[Running Style Aptitude: Front Runner B, Pace Chaser S, Late Surger S, End Closer A]

[Unique Skill: Tyrant of the Ravaging Rondo Lv5]

[Domain: The End of Light and Shadow—World!]

[Skills: Firm Course Menace, Wet Conditions, Fall Runner, Corner Adept, Corner Recovery, Breath of Fresh Air, On Your Left!…]

[Speed: 1647, Stamina: 1683, Power: 1652, Guts: 1613, Wit: 1621]

Her panel was just as magnificent.

Aside from having far fewer skills than McQueen, her five base stats were barely inferior at all.

In fact, in Speed and Power, she was even slightly ahead.

Kuroha rubbed his chin, a look of interest gradually appearing on his face.

"She's already fully stepped into a complete World?"

"And she's been hiding an S-rank Pace Chaser style too? Hasn't she usually used Late Surger in her past races?"

In all of Suave's publicly available race footage, she had always used a midfield style, deciding the outcome in the final phase with an unmatched closing kick.

That hidden S-rank Pace Chaser aptitude was probably the "big surprise" she intended to unveil for everyone in the finals.

Seeing the last missing piece of his data finally filled in, Kuroha shook his head in speechless amusement.

Then he looked at Suave, who was smiling brightly on the track, and found himself unsure what to say.

In any case, both teams had gotten what they wanted.

Trainer and Umamusume alike all felt they had come out ahead. In that sense, everyone was happy.

"All right! That's enough. Training is over!"

Before long, the not-too-short, not-too-long parallel running session finally ended, and Kuroha called out from the side of the track.

The two Umamusume on the track slowed their steps, gradually decelerating.

At the finish line, Suave was panting heavily, one hand planted on her hip without a care for her image as she smiled at the purple-haired girl beside her.

"Ha ha! That was satisfying, McQueen. I hope the real race four days from now feels just as good!"

McQueen was somewhat helpless in the face of this overly familiar French girl with absolutely no sense of distance.

She let out a long breath, steadied her breathing, and quietly shot back, "I hope so. Provided you don't burst into tears on the spot after you lose."

Suave froze.

The smile on her face gradually faded.

At that moment, France's strongest active Umamusume finally revealed a trace of the true presence and pressure that belonged to a future ruler of Europe.

Suave's gaze sharpened, and the corner of her mouth tugged into a confident smile.

"Until we run to the very end, who knows who'll win?"

"Maybe this time, the one who loses completely will be you, McQueen!"

"When I personally end that undefeated record of yours, make sure you don't start crying in front of all those people!"

Who didn't know how to talk trash before a race to disrupt an opponent's condition?

That was basic technique.

Looking at Suave, who was completely different from the airheaded girl she had seemed to be moments ago, McQueen's movements also slowed.

She quietly looked at Suave. At last, a happy smile appeared on her face, but her tone remained confrontational.

"If you really can do it, then by all means, try."

"I fully intend to!"

Suave answered coldly without the slightest courtesy.

Boom—!

Invisible momentum surged madly between them.

Two razor-sharp flashes of different-colored lightning seemed to streak through their eyes at the same instant, colliding in midair and scattering sparks that made the heart tremble.

But in the next second, that terrifying pressure vanished without a trace.

As if nothing had happened, the two of them turned their heads at the same time, their expressions perfectly normal as they looked toward Kuroha and Dancing Brave, who were walking toward them.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Dancing Brave took Suave, who seemed to have received a fully satisfying answer, and left the training grounds.

Kuroha stood where he was, watching the French pair walk away. Then he asked with a light smile, "McQueen, how does she feel?"

McQueen was silent for a moment before giving her assessment.

"She is far stronger than Generous. She is an extremely dangerous opponent."

But immediately afterward, the girl turned her head, her violet eyes shining with unshakable confidence.

"But the one who wins in the end will definitely be me!"

"That's the resolve I wanted to hear."

Kuroha smiled in satisfaction. He reached out and, out of habit, rubbed the head of his Mejiro girl.

Her originally tense little face softened under his hand, and even those adorable horse ears trembled comfortably along with it.

"All right. Rest for a while first."

"Yes, Trainer!"

…

Time passed.

Before long, four days had gone by.

Ireland, Leopardstown Racecourse.

Less than an hour remained before the internationally anticipated G1 race officially began.

This historic racecourse was already packed so tightly by passionate Umamusume fans from all across Europe, and even from around the world, that not a single gap could be seen.

The stands were surging with people, and colorful flags fluttered in the wind.

The boiling roar of voices and thunderous cheers gathered into a wave of heat powerful enough to tear the roof away.

And through the giant broadcast system above the racecourse, the commentator's passionate voice was now echoing.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to—Leopardstown Racecourse!"

"As the late-autumn storm approaches, we are about to witness here a peak confrontation worthy of being recorded in the history of European Umamusume racing!"

"Let us give our loudest cheers for this legendary race—the Irish Champion Stakes!"

(End of Chapter)

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