Uma Musume: To The Top!!

While the Umamusume and guardians from the two teams chatted among themselves with an unspoken understanding, Secretariat and her companions also arrived inside Longchamp Racecourse.

"Whoa! I never expected this many people to show up for a mere open training day."

Secretariat raised one hand to her forehead like a telescope, stood on her tiptoes, and surveyed the area. She soon pouted in frustration.

"It looks like all the good spots are already taken. This is all because we arrived too late, Celebrez."

Celebrez glared at her. "And whose fault do you think that is?"

"Oh, relax."

Secretariat showed no trace of guilt. Instead, she pulled out her phone again and waved it smugly.

"The world's greatest Umamusume has friends all over the world, you know~"

She skillfully opened her contact list, found a name, and immediately placed a call.

It was answered almost at once.

"Hello, my adorable little Trempolino?"

"What? Of course I'm going to call you my little sister. It's cute."

"All right, all right, I'll stop teasing. My friend and I just arrived at Longchamp today. We wanted to watch your open training, but there are far too many people. Do you have access to any better seats?"

"Please, please~ The next time you come to the Bald Eagle Nation, I promise I'll show you around properly. How does that sound?"

Beside her, Celebrez stared blankly as Secretariat exchanged a few familiar words with the person on the other end of the call before hanging up without hesitation.

"All taken care of!"

Secretariat winked playfully, struck a stylish "follow me" pose, and strode off in a particular direction.

She truly was worthy of being president.

What a shame I never learned how to build connections like this.

Celebrez sighed inwardly and hurried after her.

In the highest private viewing box at Longchamp Racecourse, a tall, long-haired Umamusume with brown hair fading into pink stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, her arms folded across her chest.

A knock suddenly sounded at the door.

"Hello! Hello! Is my adorable little Trempolino in there?"

A cheerful voice came from outside.

The tall Umamusume stiffened, and a vein throbbed on her forehead.

Ultimately, however, she could only sigh helplessly.

The woman outside might be conceited, narcissistic, and insufferably self-important, but given her seniority, she truly did have the right to call Trempolino her little sister.

"Come in!"

The next moment, Secretariat pushed the door open with a radiant smile.

The expressionless Celebrez followed behind her.

"Mm! The view really is best from up here."

The moment Secretariat entered, she spotted Trempolino standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows, along with several legendary European Umamusume whose extraordinary presences were impossible to overlook.

Her eyes lit up as she approached them.

"Why are there only a few of you here? Where are Brave and Sea-Bird?"

"Secretariat-senpai."

A legendary Umamusume who was unmistakably French stepped forward and offered a slight bow. Her expression remained calm, and her voice was neither servile nor overbearing.

"Brave-senpai is currently down on the course, helping Show Dancer with her adaptation training."

"As for Sea-Bird-senpai... she came by once a few days ago. I don't believe she intends to return today."

"I see."

Secretariat nodded in understanding and walked directly over to Trempolino, standing beside her.

Trempolino was the dominant Umamusume who had ruled the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after Dancing Brave's era.

Her final race before retirement had taken place only seven weeks after her Arc victory.

She had resolutely crossed two continents and traveled across the ocean to the Bald Eagle Nation, where she entered one of its most prestigious races, the international G1 Breeders' Cup Turf.

Unfortunately, she had been defeated by that year's local champion, Theatrical, and finished second despite being considered an outsider.

Not long afterward, the blessing of the Three Goddesses faded from her body, bringing her journey as an Umamusume to an end.

However, it was during that trip that she met the woman beside her, the "friend" she still could not decide was a blessing or a curse: Secretariat.

Even among Umamusume, Trempolino possessed an exceptionally impressive figure.

She stood at a striking 170 centimeters, with a full yet well-proportioned body and long, straight legs.

Her prominent bust and slender waist traced an enviably perfect silhouette.

Yet the moment she stood beside Secretariat, all attention was forcibly stolen by the red-haired girl at her side.

With one hand resting on her hip, Secretariat's extraordinarily tall, slender, 185-centimeter figure possessed an entirely different kind of allure.

Despite her towering height, her body bore none of the rough brutality found among muscular women who specialized exclusively in strength.

Instead, it perfectly combined feminine softness with the raw power of an Umamusume.

She curved exactly where she should and narrowed exactly where she should.

From Trempolino's vantage point, she could clearly see Secretariat's delicate collarbones and absurdly generous chest.

The exaggerated fullness of her breasts looked as though it might send the buttons of her uniform flying at any moment.

Beneath her supple, narrow waist lay another flawless curve, full and pert.

Meanwhile, within those long, pale legs slumbered enough explosive power to tear a storm apart.

Aside from the legendary Eclipse and the Three Goddesses themselves, Secretariat was one of the few Umamusume qualified to contend for the title of strongest in history.

Together with Europe's legendary Sea-Bird, they were respectively hailed as the strongest dirt and turf Umamusume in history.

Then there was the boundless, self-assured confidence that radiated from Secretariat's very bones.

After standing beside her for only an instant, Trempolino felt as though the dominant position she had held within the room had been stripped away.

As long as Secretariat stood there, she alone could be the protagonist of that place.

"Oh~ So those two running down there are McQueen and Show Dancer?"

Secretariat narrowed her eyes and looked toward the course below.

She did not need to search for them one by one.

Through the attraction between their auras, her gaze was immediately drawn toward two immense presences below, each as unfathomable as an abyss.

Those two terrifying auras possessed enough power to overwhelm the present-day Secretariat with ease.

They were merely jogging casually around the course, yet the pressure leaking from them without conscious intent was enough to send a chill through every Umamusume in the stands capable of sensing their strength.

"...They truly are the supreme champions standing at the pinnacle of the current era," Trempolino murmured after a brief silence.

"Hah. Either one of them is far stronger than a retired fossil like you."

Trempolino shot Secretariat a sharp sideways glance as she fired back.

"Mm, I won't deny that."

Secretariat answered cheerfully.

As Umamusume who had once entered the realm of the [World], they could still wield the power of the second stage of the [Domain] in their normal states, even after losing the blessing of the Three Goddesses.

That power alone was enough to defeat the overwhelming majority of active Umamusume in the world.

However, that did not mean they could challenge champion-class Umamusume who were still at the height of their powers.

According to Secretariat's instincts, most active Umamusume would still be manageable.

However, against the two figures below, whose presences resembled terrifying black holes, she and the other retired legends stood no chance.

That remained true even if McQueen and Show Dancer refrained from using their [Domains], or merely revealed the first stage of that power.

While everyone watched in silence, another knock sounded at the private box's door.

A group of legendary Oceanian Umamusume led by Ellerslie Pride slowly entered.

Not long afterward, the doors opened once again.

The legendary Umamusume of Central Tracen, led by Rudolf, also entered the box.

As time quietly passed, legends from the Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Africa arrived one group after another.

Legendary figures spanning dozens of different Umamusume eras gathered within the same viewing box at Longchamp Racecourse.

When the supreme champions who had once ruled their respective eras stood together beneath the same roof, their wills resonated.

Hum!

A tremendous aura formed from the combined wills of countless legendary Umamusume and erupted into the sky.

Even the racers familiarizing themselves with the course below involuntarily stopped in their tracks and looked upward, sensing the immense presence above them.

"Oh?"

Kuroha was the first to react.

He looked toward the private viewing box high above with great interest.

Beside him, Dancing Brave furrowed her elegant brows and spoke in a grave voice.

"That's... the box Trempolino and the others are using."

After identifying the source, her expression instead turned puzzled.

What were Trempolino and the others doing?

As remnants of a previous era, they should not be privately probing the competitors before the main race.

It would have been fine if they had come to assist with training or merely watch out of curiosity, but why were they allowing their auras to spread and interfere with the participating Umamusume currently adapting to the course?

More importantly, why was the aura so intense?

Although it could not compare to Show Dancer or McQueen alone, it was almost equal to Generous when she controlled her incomplete [World].

As Dancing Brave voiced her confusion, fluorescent light flowed through Kuroha's eyes. He then chuckled.

"Trempolino and her companions aren't the only ones up there. Nearly twenty legendary Umamusume have gathered inside that box."

"Twenty?"

Dancing Brave froze, and her expression became rather peculiar.

When I arrived earlier, weren't there only four people inside?

"And every single one of them is famous," Kuroha added with a smile. "Secretariat, Ellerslie, Lightning, Luna..."

"Mm. Aside from your European legend Sea-Bird, almost everyone who should be here has arrived."

"...What a dazzling gathering of stars."

Dancing Brave sighed speechlessly.

She rubbed her brow and considered going upstairs to stop that group of troublemakers before they interfered too much with the competitors' training.

Then she suddenly realized something.

She raised her head and stared strangely at Kuroha's face.

"Trainer Kuroha... can you see them directly?"

She had not noticed it before, but the floor-to-ceiling windows of that private box were made of one-way glass.

"..."

Kuroha's expression stiffened.

He had become so familiar with the divine vision derived from his [Blessing] that it had not occurred to him how abnormal his statement sounded.

"...I can barely make out a little."

You practically listed every single person inside!

Dancing Brave screamed inwardly and vigorously rubbed her forehead.

At that moment, she felt that Team Chasing Light did not possess a single normal person, whether among its Umamusume or the trainer leading them.

Does Show really have any hope of winning?

The moment the combined aura of nearly twenty legendary Umamusume surged into the sky from the private viewing box, a short distance away, a trainer in his fifties was explaining something to Generous with a stern expression.

The blonde girl beside him abruptly stopped and looked up.

She was not alone.

The dozens of Umamusume conducting their open training on the turf also stopped, their expressions growing solemn as they raised their heads.

"Generous? What's wrong?"

"...It's nothing. I merely sensed something interesting."

After a moment of silence, Generous smiled and turned back to him.

She no longer paid attention to the terrifying aura woven together by more than a dozen legends overhead.

Instead, she looked toward the two champions walking side by side in the distance.

The pressure from above was enough to leave more than a dozen nearby opponents dazed.

Yet those two continued walking with steady steps, completely ignoring the aura over their heads as though it did not exist.

"Very well. If nothing is wrong, let us continue."

The trainer named Paul nodded and prepared to continue explaining the course's important details, only for the blonde girl to interrupt him softly.

"That's enough, old man. I already know all this by heart. There's no need to repeat it."

"...Is that so?"

Paul blinked before obediently nodding. He closed his notebook and spoke calmly.

"In that case, Generous, the rest of your time is yours to arrange as you see fit."

As one of Europe's finest trainers, he naturally understood that he had to intervene when necessary in the races of supreme Umamusume like her.

At certain times, however, allowing events to unfold naturally was the best possible choice.

"Thank you, old man."

Generous smiled gently, turned around, and walked toward McQueen and Show Dancer.

Once she drew near, the blonde girl greeted them softly.

"Good afternoon, McQueen, Show~"

"Generous."

McQueen responded with a gentle smile.

"Oh! Generous, it's been ages!"

Show Dancer also flashed a broad smile and waved energetically.

"That's because you never attended any of the open training sessions over the past few days," Generous teased with an elegant incline of her head. "McQueen and I have seen each other quite often."

"Uh... I had things to do."

Show Dancer scratched her head, her gaze moving between herself and Generous.

She suddenly sensed a subtle disharmony.

The two girls in front of her were both daughters of prestigious families, one from an illustrious Far Eastern house and the other a former European champion from distinguished origins.

Both carried themselves with grace and dignity, naturally exuding the refined air of proper young ladies.

As for her...

Yeah, I really don't match them at all.

She felt strangely out of place.

Wait. No!

Show Dancer's mind raced.

If they were elegant royal princesses, then naturally their opposite should be a dashing wandering knight like me!

I'm their destined rival. This makes perfect sense. There's absolutely nothing wrong here!

After successfully convincing herself, Show Dancer leaned toward Generous with a grin.

"So, how did it go, Generous? After shutting yourself away for so many days, did you come up with a strategy to defeat McQueen?"

"Why don't you tell me about it so the two of us can compare notes?"

"...What strategy could I possibly have?"

Generous sighed helplessly.

"If I truly had to name one, I suppose I can only hope you and McQueen wear each other out badly enough for me to steal the championship."

McQueen could not resist covering her mouth as she laughed softly.

"Such defeatist words hardly suit someone of your standing, Generous."

"What standing do I have left...?"

The blonde girl shook her head self-deprecatingly.

"After being defeated by both of you in succession, I no longer have the right to issue a challenge and demand another contest."

Show Dancer giggled and patted her shoulder.

"Nothing is ever absolute in racing. Who knows? Maybe you'll surpass yourself again during this race! Isn't that how all of us fought our way this far?"

The three chatted familiarly for a while before their thoughts returned to the startling aura that had just risen from the viewing box.

Show Dancer glanced upward and curled her lips dismissively.

"Tch. It's just a group of retired old-timers gathering together to watch the excitement!"

"Brave-onee-san said that practically everyone who was supposed to come has arrived."

"Whatever. We'll run our race and they can watch. What are they going to do, jump down here and steal our starting gates?"

"..."

McQueen paused, her expression turning rather peculiar.

If Trainer gave every one of them a [Blessing], they really might come down here and fight us for a starting gate...

Beside her, Generous quietly observed the two girls.

At that moment, they looked completely different from the overwhelmingly distant figures they became on the racecourse.

They seemed so easygoing, lively, and real.

"Why don't we... run a lap together?"

She suddenly made the suggestion.

When the other two looked at her in surprise, Generous added, "Just one slow lap together. We won't time ourselves, and there won't be a winner or loser."

"What would be the point of that...?"

Show Dancer tilted her head in confusion.

Faced with McQueen and Show Dancer's puzzled expressions, the blonde girl slowly exhaled and explained in a lighthearted tone.

"I want to know what it feels like to run beside the two of you."

"Otherwise... once the actual race begins, I may never have an opportunity to keep pace with you."

"..."

McQueen and Show Dancer both froze.

They looked into Generous's slightly dimmed eyes, then exchanged a glance and fell briefly silent.

As Umamusume who had nearly overwhelmed the entire era, they understood the meaning behind her words better than anyone.

Generous knew that her current strength was no longer enough to follow in their footsteps.

Soon, however, the two champions nodded at the same time.

"All right!"

Show Dancer put away her joking expression and spoke earnestly.

"Let's run a lap together, Generous!"

"But this will not be the final time we run together, Generous," McQueen said softly.

The final public training session before the race came to an uneventful conclusion.

One week later, on October 6, the first Sunday of October in France, an impassioned entrance march began to resound throughout Longchamp Racecourse.

At that moment, the entire world turned its gaze toward the emerald course.

The pinnacle of international G1 racing, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, had finally arrived!

(End of Chapter)

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