"Hahahaha! Ryuji, why are you suddenly so concerned about me? Has this Overlord done anything that even my most loyal Trainer has started to worry?"
T.M. Opera O was a very intelligent Uma Musume. From the moment Wada asked that question, she knew that her earlier conversation with herself had likely been heard—or even worse, seen—by Wada. However, at this moment, she had no other choice but to play dumb. After all, how was she supposed to explain herself? That she was starting to hear and see another version of herself? And that this other self seemed to run faster than her and feel older, as if she came from the future?
T.M. Opera O felt that if she said that, it wouldn't be long before she got sent to a mental hospital by Wada (A/N: He wouldn't actually do that). Moreover, with the Japanese Derby approaching, T.M. Opera O knew Wada was very busy; him just having to deal with Meisho Doto's training was enough to keep him occupied. T.M. Opera O was also trying her best not to trouble Wada.
Anyway, Wada had given her training plan a long time ago, and she was very satisfied with Wada's arrangements. And now, with this other self—though she didn't particularly like her, it was undoubtedly a great help to her progress and training—T.M. Opera O felt that the Japanese Derby was basically free for the taking. So, perhaps it was better for her not to tell Ryuji? Anyway, at this rate, she believed that after the Classic Triple Crowns, that annoying other self would probably leave…
"Are you a dumbass? Me, if you tell Wada nothing, it will only make him suspect your condition even more."
At this moment, in T.M. Opera O's mind, the voice of the other "T.M. Opera O" slowly came through: "Forget it, give me your body. I'll talk to Wada."
"Wha—WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, YO—"
However, before T.M. Opera O could resist, she suddenly felt a sensation like being thrown into an abyss. The next moment, when T.M. Opera O could think again, she found that nothing in front of her had changed… Had "she" failed to possess her? T.M. Opera O suddenly thought this, but then realized that her own body suddenly wouldn't obey her anymore. She heard the "T.M. Opera O" who now occupied her body say with a light laugh:
"Hahahaha! Trainer! Are you worried that my condition will affect the Japanese Derby race? There's absolutely no need for you to worry! Although I haven't rested well lately, the Japanese Derby is nothing in the face of the Overlord!"
"So there's no need to worry at all, Wada! It's natural for me, as the Overlord, to be simply superior to everyone else! Hahahahaha!"
"…Is that so?"
However, Wada's eyes had been fixed on T.M. Opera O the entire time. He clearly felt a change in T.M. Opera O's demeanor at that moment. (T/N: Does he know?)
Wada wasn't entirely sure what it was specifically, but he could see that T.M. Opera O's originally pink eyes had suddenly changed to a color similar to a horse's eyes, and the color of those eyes… he was very familiar with it. Wada recognized whose eyes these were almost instantly. Although he was slightly surprised at the moment, he quickly understood—not to mention the huge flaw in "T.M. Opera O" calling him Wada instead of her usual Ryuji.
At this moment, Wada understood that the other party was not T.M. Opera O—no, it should be said that she was indeed "T.M. Opera O", but it was a T.M. Opera O from another world, his world. (T/N: He knows!)
But now, Wada no longer felt worried about anything happening to T.M. Opera O because of this. He knew very well that the other party would not harm T.M. Opera O, just as T.M. Opera O would never harm him… unless he was such a disappointment that he made T.M. Opera O angry, in which case he would deserve it. Fortunately, Wada's doubts and anxieties were resolved at this moment. Wada's expression also relaxed again, and he said to "T.M. Opera O":
"Perhaps I was overly worried, but no matter what, you need to take care of your body during this period. You can even put aside the Japanese Derby and the Classic Triple Crown. If you exhaust yourself, it will be a loss not worth it."
"I will not allow my Uma Musume to step onto the track exhausted, no matter how important this race is to me, to us."
"Got it, got it~"
"T.M. Opera O" also narrowed her eyes slightly, instinctively glancing elsewhere, her expression a little uncomfortable. Did she do something wrong? Why does it feel like Wada, this kid, had seen right through her? What was going on with this feeling?
It shouldn't be, right? She should only be visible to T.M. Opera O herself, and she was even possessing her body, so there shouldn't be any possibility of someone figuring out the truth… But for some reason, the more "T.M. Opera O" thought about it, the more she felt something was off. Fortunately, Wada didn't let her dwell on it for too long; instead, he said to her:
"T.M. Opera O, how about we walk together for a bit? There are some things I'd like to ask you about."
"Ask me?" "T.M. Opera O" was also startled instinctively upon hearing this. And at this moment, the voice of the real T.M. Opera O had already come from within her mind, saying:
"Now, quickly give me back my body! Ryuji wants to ask me something, bugger off!"
T.M. Opera O was already feeling very uncomfortable. Although her other self's answer was pretty similar to her own, from the perspective of an observer, T.M. Opera O couldn't stand her own chuunibyou-like act. Some things feel different when you do them yourself compared to watching them being done right in front of you. At this moment, T.M. Opera O felt as if she was being publicly humiliated, seeing herself like this.
"Idiot, I'm waaayy more experienced than you. I can answer Wada's questions better than you. Just watch, 'me'."
"T.M. Opera O" once again resisted the strong protests of the body's original owner. At this moment, facing T.M. Opera O's constant complaints in her mind, she ignored them completely. Her gaze remained on Wada the entire time. On this person, whom she felt she hadn't seen in a very, very long time, "T.M. Opera O's" gaze was more focused than ever before, following closely by Wada's side…
"—Don't keep staring at Ryuji like that!" At this moment, no one except "T.M. Opera O" could know the loud screech inside T.M. Opera O's mind.
"So, Wada, what do you want to ask me?"
"T.M. Opera O" was also very enthusiastic at this moment, cherishing every moment she had with Wada. She followed closely by Wada's side and asked with great interest: "No matter what the question is, as long as I know it, I can answer it~"
"It's about Meisho Doto."
At this moment, Wada and "T.M. Opera O" found a bench and slowly sat down. The weather had started to warm up, so they didn't need to worry about getting cold. Wada finally spoke slowly:
"During this time, I've been giving Meisho Doto specialized training, trying to give her an advantage in other areas… You must be very aware of this, T.M. Opera O. But there are some things I can't say in front of Meisho Doto. It would undoubtedly discourage her greatly. However, I also don't want to just watch her hit a wall repeatedly in the Japanese Derby and Kikuka Sho… That would only hurt her."
"T.M. Opera O, you know yourself, right? It's going to be incredibly difficult for Meisho Doto to beat you now."
Wada's concern and anxiety were not unfounded. Meisho Doto's current strength was not at all weak; she was fully capable of competing for a GI, and she still had a long period of improvement ahead. Compared to T.M. Opera O, perhaps she had even more potential to unleash. But unfortunately, she happened to be in the same era as T.M. Opera O, the "Overlord of the Century's End." She didn't have the luxury of time to train herself to her true peak condition before participating in the Classic Triple Crowns. She only had this one single chance.
And this was where Wada was conflicted. Faced with such a situation, even though he had anticipated it, he felt somewhat helpless. And now that he had found "T.M. Opera O", he felt that he could ask for her opinion.
"And her running for the Classic Triple Crowns is her own decision too... so I can't really just stop her. Opera, do you know what I should do?"
"Oh~ I see."
However, "T.M. Opera O" narrowed her eyes slightly upon hearing this. She had wondered what Wada wanted to talk to her about this time, and it turned out he wanted to talk about Meisho Doto. And regarding Meisho Doto, T.M. Opera O and "T.M. Opera O" had slightly different attitudes.
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Stealth: 0
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.