Uma Musume: To The Top!!

Night had fallen, yet Leopardstown Racecourse remained brilliantly illuminated, as bright as day.

As a lively, stirring intro began to play, the cheers of tens of thousands of fans surged together into a roaring sea of excitement.

Countless glow sticks waved wildly throughout the stands, weaving together into a dazzling ocean of stars.

At center stage, McQueen, Suave Dancer, and Elmaamul had already changed into fresh racing outfits.

Beneath the dazzling spotlights, the three graceful girls crossed paths and danced to the rhythm of the music.

Their voices resounded across the racecourse, piercing the night sky.

All the tension and struggle from the track had been transformed into the radiant brilliance of this moment.

At long last, the final drumbeat fell, and the thunderous music gradually faded away.

The three Umamusume onstage were breathing slightly hard, radiant smiles adorning their faces. Then, moving in perfect unison, they bowed to the audience.

Amid deafening cheers and a tidal wave of applause, the three girls turned and slowly left the stage.

The moment she stepped backstage, Suave Dancer came to a stop.

Reluctantly, she looked back at the stage, which seemed to still be glowing with boundless radiance.

A trace of sadness flickered through her eyes as she murmured softly, "Mmm... I wonder how long I'll have to wait before I can stand on such an incredible stage again..."

"Won't you have another chance at next month's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe?"

Elmaamul was wiping away her sweat with a towel. Hearing that, she pursed her lips and teased half-jokingly, "With how absurdly strong you and McQueen are right now, the other Umamusume at the Arc will probably only be competing for second place."

"When that happens, the center spot at the Winning Concert will be yours whenever you want it."

Yet unlike usual, the dark-skinned girl did not smugly play along. She merely forced the corners of her lips upward.

"All right, you two look exhausted. I'm heading back first. See you both at the Arc next month!"

Elmaamul winked playfully at McQueen and Suave Dancer before leaving the backstage corridor with light, cheerful steps, completely unaware that anything was wrong.

Only the two rivals who had fought tooth and nail on the racetrack several hours earlier remained.

Once she had confirmed that no one else was nearby, McQueen leaned against the wall and folded her arms. After narrowing her eyes and examining Suave Dancer, she asked softly, "How does it feel?"

"...It really is starting to feel a little uncomfortable."

Suave Dancer remained silent for a moment before helplessly nodding.

She raised her right leg slightly and tapped the floor with the tip of her shoe. "It isn't that noticeable when I'm only standing around."

"But I'm sure I'll feel it the next time I try to run at full strength!"

McQueen frowned. "I already told you to skip today's Winning Concert. Don't regret it if you've aggravated the injury even further."

After learning from her trainer that Suave Dancer had been injured during the race, McQueen had immediately advised her not to force herself.

She had wanted Suave Dancer to skip the concert so that she would not worsen her injury.

But who could have imagined that this dark-skinned girl would be as stubborn as an ox?

Once she learned that she might have suffered a fracture, she became even more determined to finish the Winning Concert—even if she had to go straight to the hospital afterward.

"Hehe."

Faced with McQueen's reproach, Suave Dancer clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward slightly, grinning without the slightest concern.

"I couldn't help it!"

"If I really have a hairline fracture like your trainer said, I might not be able to compete in any races for several months—maybe even half a year."

At that, the light in her eyes dimmed for a moment.

"And even if the injury heals completely and I return to the track, I don't know whether my body will still let me run all-out like I did today."

"I only have so many chances left to perform at the Winning Concert after an international G1 race like this. How could I possibly bear to miss one...?"

She paused halfway through her sentence after noticing the strange expression McQueen was giving her.

"Hmm? What's wrong, McQueen?"

"...Do your trainer and Dancing Brave-senpai know you came here?"

"She isn't my trainer. She's my guardian!"

Suave Dancer instinctively corrected her before scratching her head in distress.

"I haven't dared to tell them yet... I didn't want them worrying over nothing. But I probably won't be able to hide it from them anyway."

"That's good enough."

McQueen nodded in understanding.

Then, without warning, she stepped forward and grabbed Suave Dancer by the wrist.

"Come with me!"

"Huh? What? Where are we going?"

Suave Dancer looked utterly bewildered, but she obediently followed her longtime rival.

And so, the champion and runner-up of the Irish Champion Stakes—two of the strongest contemporary Umamusume in Europe, if not the entire world—snuck out of the Winning Concert venue, passed through a long corridor, and finally stopped outside a competitor preparation room.

"Isn't this your preparation room, McQueen?"

Suave Dancer glanced up at the room number before turning to McQueen in confusion.

"You actually investigated the number of our preparation room that thoroughly..."

McQueen rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Ahaha! We're rivals, after all! Knowing both yourself and your opponent is the key to victory!"

Suave Dancer proudly puffed out her chest.

Ignoring her antics, McQueen knocked twice before pushing the door open and walking straight inside.

In the next instant, everyone who had been chatting in the room fell silent and turned toward the two girls at the door.

Suave Dancer stared at Kuroha and the assembled members of Team Chasing Light, looking somewhat at a loss. Even so, she greeted them enthusiastically.

"Hi, everyone! Long time no see!"

"We only saw each other yesterday."

Kuroha shook his head with an amused smile, then walked over to meet them. Once McQueen and Suave Dancer were inside, he casually closed the door.

Uh...

Hearing the crisp click of the door shutting behind her, Suave Dancer looked around at the members of Team Chasing Light, every one of whom seemed to be wearing an anything-but-innocent expression.

She swallowed with difficulty.

This atmosphere...

Something definitely didn't feel right!

"Find somewhere to sit for a while. Anywhere is fine."

Kuroha gestured toward a nearby sofa.

However, when he turned and noticed how rigid Suave Dancer had become, he blinked before immediately realizing what had happened.

"...McQueen, didn't you explain the situation before dragging her here?"

"...I didn't have time."

The young lady awkwardly turned her head aside.

"Hey, what do you mean you didn't have time?"

Suave Dancer folded her arms and asked suspiciously, "You haven't all decided that I'm so incredibly talented that you want to gang up on me and traffic me back to the Far East, have you?!"

"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?"

Rendered speechless, Kuroha planted one hand on the dark-skinned girl's head to make her settle down.

"Sit down first. Don't be nervous. I'll explain everything slowly."

"By the way, where are Dancing Brave and your trainer? Why didn't they come with you?"

The moment he finished speaking, Kuroha saw McQueen and Suave Dancer turn their heads away in perfect synchronization, awkwardly avoiding his gaze.

He instantly understood once again.

"...You two didn't even tell your elders about an injury this serious. You're really something."

Knock, knock, knock.

Just as Kuroha was about to sigh and give them a lecture, someone knocked on the door again.

When he opened it, Maruzensky walked inside, effortlessly carrying a huge sealed temperature-controlled case.

"Kuro-kun, I brought all the equipment you wanted from the estate!"

Maruzensky gave him a wink before steadily setting the enormous case on the floor.

"Thanks for your hard work, Maruzen."

"What kind of equipment?"

Hearing the commotion, Suave Dancer curiously rose onto her toes and craned her neck to peek inside the case.

The next instant, she recoiled and shuddered.

Holy crap!

Why was it filled with graduated cylinders, pipettes, and unidentified reagents in every imaginable color?

Wasn't this clearly chemistry-lab equipment?!

Did I accidentally wander into a story with a completely different genre?!

The French girl began trembling.

"Ahem! Stop letting your imagination run wild. All of this is for preparing a special medicine to treat your injury."

Noticing that Suave Dancer's thoughts appeared to be heading somewhere dangerous, Kuroha hurriedly cleared his throat and set her straight.

"Considering the current severity of the fracture in your leg, even treatment at one of the world's best hospitals would take at least three months."

"Once you include the rehabilitation period afterward, you probably wouldn't be able to perform high-intensity training for half a year."

"You definitely wouldn't make it to next month's Arc."

At the mention of the Arc, the panic in Suave Dancer's eyes gradually faded, replaced by calm.

She studied Kuroha's serious expression before tentatively asking, "So... Trainer Kuroha, since you're offering to treat me, does that mean you can get me ready in time for the Arc?"

Kuroha said nothing and merely nodded.

"..."

Suave Dancer suspiciously looked around the room.

There was a soft leather sofa, a coffee table laden with fresh fruit, and that case of bizarre-looking "chemistry equipment" sitting on the floor.

"...You're going to treat me here, with this equipment and in this environment?"

"Uh..."

Following her gaze, Kuroha awkwardly rubbed his nose.

Admittedly, both the treatment room and its equipment looked somewhat makeshift—and more than a little absurd.

However, for someone who possessed [Panacea] and the power of blessings, the environment was irrelevant. Nothing would impede him.

Dolphie was even sitting obediently nearby, enjoying the show.

There was absolutely no chance of anything going wrong.

"Suave."

While Suave Dancer was still wrestling with herself, McQueen walked to her side and gently tugged on the hem of her outfit. Then she gave her a solemn nod.

"...All right. I understand."

With her longtime rival vouching for him, Suave Dancer slowly exhaled. Her expression immediately became resolute as she turned toward Kuroha.

"In that case, what do I need to do?"

"It's very simple."

Kuroha pointed toward the innermost section of the preparation room.

A private changing room had been partitioned off there specifically for the Umamusume to change their clothes. A small bed could be seen inside.

"Go in there and lie down on that bed."

"That's all?"

Suave Dancer tilted her head.

"Then strip down!"

Suave Dancer: "???"

(End of Chapter)

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