"Hmm. So... that's their strength, huh?"
Standing at the very top of the stands, two horse girls watched the match unfold below.
Dressed in Tracen Academy uniforms, they blended in with the spectators seated in the VIP section.
"I don't think they're that bad," continued the girl with the Cupid Arrow flower adorning her left ear. A smile slowly spread across her face.
Meanwhile, the girl beside her—wearing a Kecombrang flower on her left ear—kept a flat expression. Her eyes seemed unwilling to look away, still carefully evaluating the horse girl she was observing.
"…Yeah. On the other hand, our opponents aren't people we can underestimate either."
"Ah, you mean that 'Nagari' girl? I was thinking the same thing. But as a fellow Front Runner, you can probably spot her weaknesses easily, right?"
"Why are you acting so naïve? A Front Runner like her is your favorite prey, isn't she?"
The Kecombrang girl cast a sharp glance at her companion.
"The Elegant Stalker."
"Ahaha! Seeing you like this makes me excited too!"
Her gaze then shifted toward the black-haired horse girl.
"But personally, I'm more interested in that gloomy one. The disappointed look on her face was honestly quite cute."
"Hm? You mean the runner-up? How convenient. It seems we're each interested in someone similar to ourselves."
The Cupid Arrow girl's eyes immediately sparkled.
"Right! Exactly! What a coincidence—could this be fate?!"
The Kecombrang girl turned her gaze toward a horse girl sitting not far from where they stood. Her eyes sharpened, especially when looking at the girl who appeared visibly furious.
"…Who knows. Maybe it is."
With a faint smile, the Cupid Arrow girl's gaze sharpened as well.
"It seems our first stage at the Indonesia Derby is going to be quite interesting... Wonder."
"…Yeah. I can't wait either… Qadita."
※ ※ ※ (Chapter 11 — Outerlude) ※ ※ ※