"That rain-drenched chestnut coat of yours—it is the one true faith I'll hold for a lifetime!"
In the current circuit, no Uma Musume understood a track slick with downpour better than Taiki Shuttle. Under a heavy rain, she was peerless—the invincible Taiki Shuttle!
At Nakayama Racecourse, the crowd had gathered primarily to witness Barbatos in action.
Yet, as they listened to Junko Hosoe's commentary from the booth, their hearts began to sink with collective anxiety.
In racing, there are no certainties.
When a champion faces their fiercest rival on a track length and in weather conditions that favor the opponent, even the most faithful fans can't help but worry.
For Barbatos, the road to a consecutive G1 winning streak was facing a daunting roadblock.
Barbatos was undeniably powerful.
She had already secured G1 crowns across three different distances: the mile, middle-distance, and long-distance.
However, being a versatile titan didn't necessarily mean she could dominate the explosive, breakneck pace of a sprint.
As the tension in the stands reached a fever pitch, the commentary team shifted the focus to the pre-race interviews.
Misato Akasaka looked on with curiosity.
"The pre-race interview format has been completely revamped this time, and they've kept everything under wraps until now. Hosoe-sensei, have you heard any whispers behind the scenes?"
"Not a word,"Junko Hosoe replied, shaking her head.
Even as insiders, they hadn't been granted a sneak peek at the footage.
Their colleagues might have seen it, but as the live play-by-play announcers, they were required to give their raw, immediate reactions. In this business, ignorance made for the most authentic television.
It was a specific request from the racing committee: respond to the Vlogs with genuine emotion.
"Well then, let's dive in. It's time for the pre-race Vlogs. Let's see what our three favorites for the title have to say before they hit the dirt."
The live broadcast switched feeds.
On the giant screens overlooking the track, the girl ranked third in popularity appeared—an Uma Musume who had been somewhat overshadowed by the looming clash between Taiki Shuttle and Barbatos.
The scene opened on a road bordering Tracen Academy. A short-haired Uma Musume came charging from the far end of the path, her forehead glistening with sweat.
She looked as though she had already endured a grueling training session.
A caption at the bottom of the screen introduced her: Eishin Berlin.
When she reached the camera, she didn't come to a full stop.
Instead, she kept her feet moving in a light, rhythmic pitter-patter, as if she intended to bolt back into her sprint the second the interview concluded.
An off-screen reporter asked, "Eishin Berlin, what are your aspirations for this Sprinters Stakes? Do you feel any nerves facing off against Taiki Shuttle and Barbatos?"
"I do," the girl replied sharply, wasting no words.
"But I don't intend to lose. Barbatos is strong, certainly, but this is a sprint. I consider my true rival here to be Taiki Shuttle." She looked directly into the lens.
"Taiki Shuttle, I've done everything humanly possible to prepare for this. I'm coming to take that trophy right out of your hands!"
With that, she took off again, disappearing into her practice without a backward glance.
As Eishin Berlin's segment ended, Misato Akasaka noted the heated reactions flooding the live chat.
It was expected, though she felt the viewers were missing the subtext. Berlin's words had openly dismissed Barbatos's sprinting pedigree while fixating on Taiki.
If she wasn't mistaken, this was tactical—with the new format, the interviews had become a stage for pre-race psychological warfare.
If Barbatos watched this and felt slighted or grew impatient, her grip on the crown might slip just enough for an opening.
In a sense, by publicly prioritizing Taiki Shuttle, Eishin Berlin was actually showing how much she feared Barbatos.
On the current circuit, no one could truly ignore her.
No one could look down on the reigning "Best in Japan."
"It seems Eishin Berlin is laser-focused on Taiki Shuttle," Misato commented, choosing not to reveal the deeper mind games at play.
That was part of the sport—the hidden duel between the girls. "Now, let's see the response from Taiki Shuttle herself."
The screen cut to the Tracen Academy training grounds. Maruzensky, T.M. Opera O, and Taiki Shuttle were sitting on the grass, legs pressed together as they performed their stretching routines.
"Taiki Shuttle, what are your thoughts on the upcoming Stakes and the fact that Barbatos is entering the fray?"
Taiki looked up, radiating her signature blend of maturity and charm. "B-chan!" she chirped. The nickname alone spoke volumes of their closeness. "B-chan is just so strong! Really, really, really strong!"
The triple emphasis didn't sound like a mere compliment; it sounded like she was stating an immutable law of nature.
"That's why my seniors in Team Rigil have been helping me train so hard..." Taiki paused, scratching her head with a sheepish grin.
"Haha, I was going to say 'Rigil is bound to win!' But... I think I'll save that for after the race."
As the Vlog ended, the stadium fell into a stunned silence.
The live stream went quiet. Even the commentary booth was speechless.
After ten seconds of dead air, the online chat exploded with a sea of question marks.
"Taiki! My sweet Taiki! What happened? Blink twice if Barbatos is threatening you!"
"Wait, why does she sound so defensive? It's like she's the underdog challenging Barbatos, not the other way around!"
A wave of confusion swept through the stands as spectators began to whisper frantically among themselves. In the booth, Misato and Junko exchanged a look of utter bewilderment.
If Eishin Berlin's strategy was "feigned indifference," Taiki Shuttle's stance seemed to be one of "total submission." It didn't feel like a tactic. It felt like... she was just telling the truth.
"I heard Barbatos trained with Team Rigil during the summer camp,"Hishi Akebono, a fellow Uma Musume, remarked knowingly. "Taiki probably only says that because she's actually run against her."
Her comment was like a bombshell dropped into the chat.
"It shouldn't be that surprising,"Akebono added, puzzled by the public's shock. "Who do you think Taiki is up against? A legend's name is but the shadow of their strength."
"No matter the analysis, no matter how much the weather and the track favor her, Taiki knows who she has to face..."
"The undisputed strongest of this era."
"The number one Uma Musume in Japan."
"The Wind God—Barbatos."
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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.