"No matter how much pre-race analysis you do, or how many factors like the weather and track conditions seem to be in her favor, the one Taiki Shuttle has to face is..."
"The Best in Japan!"
Hishi Akebono's tone was unusually dead serious.
It was a bucket of cold water that snapped the Taiki Shuttle fans out of the optimism they'd felt following Hosoe Junko's analysis.
True, Taiki Shuttle had the advantage of the conditions, but their "Taiki" was going up against the undisputed number one in Japan!
Besides, these interviews were filmed before the race.
At the time, Taiki Shuttle couldn't have known the weather would turn in her favor, so her humble attitude made a bit more sense in hindsight.
After all, Barbatos hadn't earned the title of "Japan's Strongest" just by lucking into a few G1 wins.
She had claimed crowns across long, medium, and mile distances, defeating the likes of El Condor Pasa, Silence Suzuka, and the legendary Uma Musume, Air Groove.
She was the queen of the turf, plain and simple.
She was never someone you could just overlook.
Even so, the fans felt Taiki Shuttle's interview was a bit too passive.
They couldn't help but wonder: had the two of them run a private heat during summer training?
Had Barbatos demoralized her that much? It didn't fit the Taiki Shuttle they knew—the cheerful, sunny girl who never gave up without a fight.
As they puzzled over it, the director cut to Barbatos's pre-race interview. Every eye in the stands locked onto the screen, eager to hear from the champion.
The scene opened on a quiet lakeside deep in the woods. A fishing rod stood propped up by the water. A fish nipped at the bait, sending ripples across the surface before darting away.
As the camera zoomed in, they saw Barbatos leaning against a tree, her breathing steady and rhythmic.
She was fast asleep.
A butterfly drifted down to land right on the tip of her nose. Beside her, a young Uma Musume with short green hair—Seiun Sky—had her head pillowed on Barbatos's shoulder, also out like a light.
Ahem.
A reporter off-camera cleared their height, causing Barbatos's brow to twitch. Her eyes fluttered open, looking a bit hazy.
"Hmm?"
Seiun Sky rubbed her eyes and sat up, a distinct patch of drool dampening the shoulder of Barbatos's jacket where she'd been resting.
"Um, sorry to wake you. I'm the reporter for the pre-race interview. Do you have a moment for a few questions?"
"Eh?"
"Sure, go ahead," Barbatos replied.
"Could you tell us your goal for this Sprinters Stakes and your thoughts on your opponents?"
"My thoughts?" Barbatos still looked half-lost in a dream. "How should I put this... I'm just really grateful to everyone for entering the race."
She paused, then added with a lazy shrug, "If no one showed up to compete for second place, people would say my victory didn't carry any weight, right?"
The sleepiness vanished from her eyes as she stared directly into the lens.
"I don't plan on losing a single race from here on out. The Sprinters Stakes, the Shuka Sho, the Japan Cup, the Arima Kinen... and then..."
"I'm going to challenge this year's Winter Dream Cup with a nine-G1 winning streak behind me."
The camera wobbled visibly. The cameraman's hands were clearly shaking after hearing that bombshell.
The reporter was silent for a long beat. "...Does Barbatos-san have anything she'd like to say to Taiki Shuttle before the race?"
"I know a really great restaurant near the track. I'm buying after the race—want to come along?"
"Huh?"
Seeing the reporter's confusion, Barbatos explained, "Taiki and I are friends. She's come all this way just to take second place; the least I can do is offer some consolation over dinner."
With that, the screen went black.
The interview was over.
Even through a digital display, the sheer arrogance was palpable.
Barbatos wasn't just confident; she spoke as if the Sprinters Stakes—and every race after it—was already in her trophy cabinet.
The only thing missing was her usual line about "already studying her opponents for the Dream Cup."
The livestream chat exploded. "Wait, why didn't she say she's studying the Dream Cup rivals? She just said she's 'challenging' it?"
"Maybe she's afraid if she studies them too hard, she'll realize they're too tough and decide not to go!"
Her fans were already turning her words into memes. Her declaration was wildly cocky, but to them, it felt right.
This was the Best in Japan. This was exactly how she was supposed to act.
Akasaka Misato let out a nervous laugh, tactfully avoiding any deep commentary on the bravado.
"Well, Barbatos certainly isn't lacking in confidence! Let's head down to the gates. The Sprinters Stakes is about to begin!"
In the tunnel leading to the track, Eishin Berlin felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. She had seen the interview, too.
If Barbatos's words seemed arrogant to the fans, to a fellow competitor, they were terrifying.
A nine-G1 streak wasn't just talk; if the "Eight G1 Curse" didn't exist, Barbatos looked like the one person who could actually rewrite history.
Berlin's hands shook slightly. She stepped toward the light of the tunnel exit, forcing herself to focus.
Now wasn't the time for distractions. She had to stick to the plan: publicly downplay Barbatos and focus on Taiki Shuttle to throw off the narrative, but in the actual race, keep her eyes glued to Barbatos.
She planned to walk up, greet Taiki, and make a show of seeing her as the main threat. But as she approached, her sharp hearing caught their conversation over the roar of the rain.
"Today is my lucky day!"
"B-chan, I'm a pro at running in the rain, you know? In this weather, I'm definitely going to make you use your full power!"
Taiki Shuttle's cheerful voice hit Berlin like a physical wall.
She froze. She understood the words, but the meaning felt upside down.
I'm going to make you use your full power??
The way Taiki said it made it sound like, if it weren't raining, she wouldn't even be able to push Barbatos to her limits.
Taiki Shuttle was a monster among G1 winners—even against the best in Japan, she shouldn't be talking like an underdog!
"Actually, I'm pretty good on heavy, muddy tracks myself," Barbatos replied, casually dousing Taiki's fire.
"How about this, Taiki? Why don't you spend the race thinking about what you want for dinner instead?"
In racing terms, being "good" in the rain meant maintaining your form despite the conditions, not necessarily running faster than on a dry track.
Minamizaka had put Barbatos through specialized training for bad weather, though they'd moved on from it quickly.
With her innate ability to move through the pack as if she were a Wandering Caretaker, ignoring the physical crowding of other runners, Barbatos could still exert 100% of her strength even on the sloppiest turf.
--+--
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.