Outside the arena, the announcer's introduction was already blaring through the speakers, but Dream Weaver and her companions had no heart for it.
Their entire focus was pinned on the two Uma Musume standing right before the VIP suite doors.
"Is it just me, or do they look like they've come to pick a fight?"
Perhaps the sheer pressure of a current world-class Uma Musume standing alongside a future one was too much to bear.
Hishi Miracle instinctively tucked her head in, shuffling small, nervous steps toward Agnes Tachyon before whispering her concerns.
She had, however, clearly forgotten one thing: in a closed room like this, an Uma Musume's hearing rendered even the softest whisper moot.
Sure enough, the moment the words left Hishi Miracle's mouth, Equinox shifted her gaze toward her.
"You're Hishi Miracle, aren't you?"
Being called out by name made Hishi Miracle jump. A mix of fear and sheer, starstruck flattery washed over her as she nodded vigorously. Equinox was arguably the most sought-after Uma Musume at Central Tracen Academy right now; to think she actually knew her name.
As if reading Hishi Miracle's mind, Equinox offered a gentle smile.
"I know everyone in Senior Dream Weaver's circle."
She let her gaze sweep across the group, starting with Sugar Lights.
"Dr. Sugar Lights. An undisputed expert in the field of consciousness research. Your feat of perfectly projecting consciousness into a mechanical Uma Musume sent shockwaves through the entire world."
Sugar Lights raised her glass, returning the smile with a polite tilt of her head.
"Miss Agnes Tachyon. The pharmacist who solved countless 'incurable' ailments, allowing so many Uma Musume to chase their dreams without reservation." Equinox's eyes sparkled with genuine respect.
"In your day, you took the track by storm. Even now, you're still whispered about as the 'Phantom Uma Musume'."
Agnes Tachyon maintained that inscrutable, knowing smirk, offering only a casual flick of her sleeve by way of acknowledgment.
"And Hishi Miracle. Though your performance upon enrollment was... unremarkable, and it took a long time for you to debut, I trust Senior Dream Weaver's eye. I believe you'll give everyone an unexpected surprise in the future."
Hishi Miracle pointed a finger at herself, torn between complaining about how lackluster her introduction sounded compared to the others, or admitting she had no idea what kind of "surprise" she was supposed to be delivering.
"Perhaps there's a flicker of potential," Sea the Stars interjected, her voice flat and unimpressed as she looked Hishi Miracle over. "But that is all it is."
Hishi Miracle was left utterly speechless.
On the surface, it sounded like a blatant insult, but one couldn't forget who was speaking: the reigning World Uma Musume of the Year and the champion of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
To be told she had even "a flicker of potential" by someone of that caliber made Hishi Miracle wonder if she was being vastly overrated.
While Hishi Miracle wallowed in her confusion, Dream Weaver wasn't about to let the comment slide. The moment Sea the Stars finished speaking, Dream Weaver stepped forward.
"Take that back."
Her voice was firm. "Miracle is my student. Her future isn't something you can just write off as 'all it is'!"
Hishi Miracle's eyes shimmered, clearly moved by the defense. Sea the Stars, however, only gave a cold snort and turned her gaze to Dream Weaver.
"Why would an Uma Musume like you choose students like this? Hishi Miracle, Liberty Island... none of them are worthy of you. Only a future world-class talent deserves the guidance of a world-class legend."
"Is 'world-class' really such a grand title? It just means winning a few more races. I couldn't care less about titles; I care about their futures!"
Dream Weaver truly meant it. She hadn't sacrificed anything for the title, nor had she sought it out.
To her, it was little more than background lore for a scenario, devoid of any real weight.
But Sea the Stars clearly saw things differently.
Her eyes darkened, and her tone turned icy.
"Is that so? If winning is so easy for you, then why did you walk away? Why did you run from the Arc? Is it not pathetic to gamble your entire future on a pack of girls who don't show a single glimmer of hope for the Arc?"
"For an Uma Musume, the Arc isn't everything." Dream Weaver pulled Hishi Miracle behind her, standing toe-to-toe with Sea the Stars.
"No matter how much prestige it carries, it is, at its core, a G1 race. There are many G1s in this world, and the Arc is just one among them."
"Is that the excuse you use to live with the Curse of the Arc?"
"I told you, the Arc isn't special."
"And that is exactly why you failed there, time and time again!"
For some reason, Sea the Stars' composure snapped. Her voice rose to a sudden, sharp shout.
Dream Weaver remained unmoved. Those failures at the Arc were just stories to her—words on a page she had never personally lived through.
She felt no lingering obsession, and thus, Sea the Stars' outbursts didn't leave a scratch.
Seeing that blank, calm expression, Sea the Stars quietly clenched her fists.
"Fine. You value your students' futures over your own? Then let my student defeat the ones you've raised. Let her prove your choice was a mistake!"
"Just for the record, I'm not actually her student," Equinox chimed in, breaking the suffocating tension.
She gave Sea the Stars a helpless look before offering Dream Weaver an apologetic smile.
"But... it's true that a showdown between us is inevitable. I don't want to drag things out, and I imagine she feels the same. Once she completes her Triple Tiara, she'll definitely demand to face me in the same race. That's why I cut my overseas season short to come back."
Equinox walked toward the glass window. On the track, the race was entering its final stretch. Liberty Island was unleashing an unbelievable late kick, sweeping past the frontrunners like a bolt of lightning.
Watching that striking red flash on the turf, a hint of nostalgia flickered in Equinox's eyes.
"Next, I'll take the Takarazuka Kinen, then defend my title in the Autumn Tenno Sho. I'll enter the Japan Cup with five G1 victories under my belt. By then, I'll be only a step away from being truly 'world-class.' And she... she will surely have become a Triple Tiara winner, just like you, Senior."
Equinox turned around, smiling at Dream Weaver as she gestured between herself and Sea the Stars.
"Neither of us won a Triple Crown, yet we are the world-class stars of today and tomorrow."
Then, she pointed toward Dream Weaver and Liberty Island out on the track.
"While you and Liberty Island are Triple Crown winners who seized that once-in-a-lifetime glory. The World against the Triple Crown... doesn't just the thought of it get your heart racing?"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.