Uma Musume: To The Top!!

"Forget it. Wait until after the race."

Although Secretariat could technically be considered her senior, Rudolf showed no intention of humoring her. After rejecting the request, she rose and prepared to leave.

Just as she reached the door, however, Secretariat's clear voice called out to her again.

"Rudolf, why don't we watch the race together?"

"..."

Rudolf did not turn around, but the corners of her lowered lips curved into a faint smile.

"Sure."

With that, she opened the door and returned to the restaurant across the street.

The moment she came back, an Umamusume wearing a small C.B. cap sidled up to her.

"Rudolf, who were those two across the street?"

Secretariat might have been famous throughout the world, but since her back had been turned to them, C.B. had not gotten a clear look at her face.

"Secretariat and Celebrez from Bald Eagle Tracen."

After answering, Rudolf sat back down, picked up a cup of tea, and loudly rinsed out her mouth.

"Oh, got it... What are you doing?"

C.B.'s eyes darted thoughtfully from side to side, but Rudolf's strange behavior quickly drew a puzzled question from her.

"I ate shit."

"?"

Meanwhile, inside Longchamp Racecourse...

The outer stands were packed with spectators, and a constant roar of indistinct voices hung over the venue.

Below them, more than a dozen training teams had each claimed their own section of the track.

Under the guidance of their trainers or senior teammates, the participating Umamusume carefully studied and familiarized themselves with this world-class turf course.

Step.

McQueen, dressed in lightweight athletic wear, strolled across the grass while Kuroha walked beside her. Whenever they reached certain points along the turns, he would occasionally offer a few words of advice.

Only after completing an entire lap did they stop to review everything they had learned about the course.

"...And that's about it. Once the race starts, you'll still have to assess the situation and make the necessary decisions yourself."

Kuroha closed his notebook and looked toward the gray-haired girl beside him.

"So? How does it compare to last time?"

In a way, McQueen had quite the connection with Longchamp.

The very first race of her overseas campaign had been the Prix d'Ispahan at this racecourse.

Back then, she had successfully adapted to both European and French turf while securing a victorious start in a G1 race.

However, the Prix d'Ispahan was only 1,850 meters, and the field she faced had not been especially strong.

It was an entirely different affair from the 2,400-meter Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Hearing his question, McQueen pressed her foot against the turf once more before nodding.

"No problems at all!"

After spending half a year training the skill [Wet Conditions], her adaptability to heavy ground had reached an almost unbelievable level.

In fact, after racing overseas for so long, she felt that she had become even more comfortable on European turf than on Central's high-speed tracks.

"All right. Take a short break, and then we'll do another lap. This time, at a light jog."

Kuroha chuckled softly.

McQueen clenched one small fist and replied with a determined expression, "Yes, Trainer."

"Hey, McQueen!"

Just then, a clear yet casual voice came from behind her.

McQueen paused at the familiar sound and turned around.

A beautiful, brown-skinned girl with short hair was approaching with both hands clasped behind her back and a spring in her step.

Dancing Brave walked quietly beside her.

As one of the former champions who had once conquered the Arc, Dancing Brave was unquestionably the ideal person to guide Show Dancer through her final preparations.

"Good afternoon, Show."

The moment McQueen saw her, her eyes softened and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

The two girls walked toward each other and began chatting.

A moment later, they continued walking side by side.

Kuroha and Dancing Brave exchanged helpless glances. Neither interrupted the girls, choosing instead to follow quietly behind them.

Ever since their exhilarating clash at the Irish Champion Stakes, followed by the treatment afterward and certain events not fit to be shared with outsiders, McQueen and Show Dancer had developed considerable trust and mutual understanding.

The confrontational tension between them was gone, as were the provocative declarations they had once traded before their races.

At that moment, they looked more like two old friends reuniting after a long separation.

"I heard from Brave-onee-san that you've been doing adaptation training here for the past few days."

Walking beside McQueen, Show Dancer grinned playfully.

"So? Are you comfortable with French turf yet?"

"Yes. The condition of the turf here is certainly different from what we encountered in Ireland and Great Britain," McQueen replied frankly with a nod. "However, thanks to Trainer's adjustments and the specialized training everyone has helped me with, I've completely adapted to it."

"What about you, Show? Why haven't you attended any of the open training sessions these past few days?"

"Oh, that?"

Show Dancer waved a hand dismissively.

"I'm different from all of you. I'm a French Umamusume, so I know this course like the back of my hand."

"Brave-onee-san only insisted on bringing me here for a few light laps today because I might not be accustomed to the race rhythm of the Arc."

She leaned closer to McQueen's ear and jokingly whispered, "Besides, Brave-onee-san has been lecturing me so much these past few days that my ears are about to fall off."

"She's convinced I've been slacking off, so she comes up to the rooftop to catch me every single day."

"But honestly, for people at our level, blindly piling on more training won't accomplish much. Wouldn't it be better to preserve our energy and bring our bodies and minds to their absolute peak?"

"...I suppose you could put it that way."

McQueen studied Show Dancer's profile and laughed softly, offering no objection to her reasoning.

In truth, McQueen largely agreed with her.

Despite her carefree appearance, the brown-skinned girl beside her possessed far greater natural talent than McQueen.

Far greater.

Only McQueen and her trainer knew how much effort she had poured into her career to overcome such an enormous difference in natural ability and reach her current heights.

Therefore, even though McQueen had also realized that she was approaching her limits, she had chosen a different path from Show Dancer, who prioritized preserving her inner calm and maintaining her condition.

If she could no longer improve her physical abilities, then she would continue refining her technique.

If the power of her [Domain] had reached its limit, then she would study new courses.

She was still far from perfect. There were countless areas in which she could continue improving.

Only by accumulating those tiny improvements, one after another without ever stopping, could she earn the right to stand at the summit despite being outclassed in natural talent.

"Hehe, that really does sound like you, McQueen."

Show Dancer carefully glanced back at Dancing Brave. Once she confirmed that Brave was paying no attention to them and was still talking with Kuroha, she smiled again.

"By the way, McQueen, have you heard? Apparently, a whole bunch of old monsters from previous eras have come from all over the world to watch us race."

"Yes, I know. Some of our seniors from the Far East have come as well."

McQueen nodded.

"Are you confident?"

McQueen gave her a strange look.

"I'm racing against you. By asking me that, are you saying you're certain you'll lose?"

"Hmm... Not exactly."

Contrary to McQueen's expectations, Show Dancer considered the question seriously for a while before answering.

"You're incredibly strong. You're practically a monster..."

"Even as I am now, I don't have the slightest confidence that I can defeat you."

"But!"

She turned her head slightly, winked at McQueen, and flashed her a brilliant smile.

A gentle breeze stirred her shoulder-length hair.

There was not the slightest trace of fear in the brown-skinned girl's bright eyes. Instead, they overflowed with pure anticipation and eagerness.

"This is my home turf!"

"On French soil, there's no way I'll hand the championship over to you without a fight!"

"...Is that so?"

Faced with such a candid and passionate rival, McQueen's smile slowly faded and her expression became solemn.

She stopped walking and placed one hand over her chest, offering the perfect response.

"I feel the same way."

"Show, when we step onto the stage of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, let us hold nothing back and show the world everything we are capable of."

Behind the two girls...

Dancing Brave watched the pair of rivals, who had come to respect each other so deeply, and her eyes shimmered with emotion.

"How wonderful..."

"Why couldn't I have met a rival like that in my own time?"

Kuroha glanced at her and smiled.

"What's wrong? Feeling jealous?"

"Extremely jealous!"

Dancing Brave made no attempt to hide it.

Just then, Kuroha seemed to remember something.

"Speaking of which, do you still remember Sirius? The Umamusume from the Far East who raced against you in the Arc."

"Who? Someone from the Far East?"

Caught off guard by the sudden question about the Arc, Dancing Brave blinked and spent a long moment searching her memories.

Eventually, she answered uncertainly, "I think there was an Umamusume from the Far East who ran beside me for quite a while during the early and middle stages."

"She was already panting halfway through the race, and then she suddenly told me that both of us were only there to serve as pacemakers for the others."

"But once the final sprint began, I never saw her again."

"Sirius? Now that you mention it, I think that was her name. Why?"

"...It's nothing."

Kuroha fell silent for a moment before ultimately shaking his head.

Sirius had originally wanted him to arrange an outing with Dancing Brave.

Kuroha had assumed the two of them knew each other quite well.

But judging by the situation...

Why did it feel as though, in Dancing Brave's eyes, Sirius had been nothing more than an unremarkable speed bump in her racing career?

(End of Chapter)

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