"Trainer, wasn't it supposed to be that E—Epuranu?" Oguri Cap kept her "口_口" expression, still finding it a bit hard to believe.
Oguri Cap possessed a beast-like, sharp intuition. Even though the person before her showed no hostility or fighting spirit, she could still feel it: this Horse Girl was strong—incredibly strong. She was an overwhelmingly powerful opponent!
If this person wasn't Epuranu, then... were all Central Horse Girls, or even just those active in the Tokyo metropolitan area, monsters?!
Oguri Cap suddenly felt as if she had "stepped into a whole new world." She thought: If I have to face a Horse Girl like this as an opponent, things might get rather tricky.
In her eyes, this Horse Girl was practically a mass of leaping flames.
"The Horse Girl you need to be wary of is named Epuranu. And, while they do look similar, this is actually a different Horse Girl. Though, the two of them do share some history, don't they, Miss Maruzensky?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka patted the top of Oguri Cap's head, putting an end to the joking.
"Ahem," the youthful, radiant girl cleared her throat lightly, her voice then becoming lazy and charming. "May I ask, is this the Trainer from Kasamatsu who has traveled so far, Mr. Fujimaru Ritsuka, and our newly debuted 'Gray Cinderella,' Oguri Cap?"
She smiled and narrowed her eyes, appearing quiet and elegant.
Her vibrant red sailor suit perfectly traced the curves of her mature and stunning figure. Beneath her knee-length skirt, a pair of long, straight legs were encased in over-the-knee red stockings. Even her small, polished leather shoes were red.
Combined with her smooth, reddish-brown long hair, it was no wonder Oguri Cap felt she was a ball of flickering fire. She truly was!
The girl's name was Maruzensky. Even among the crowd of Central Horse Girls, her presence was so strong it was impossible to ignore.
Eight races, eight wins—undefeated. Moreover, she had won every single time by a clear margin. People had nicknamed her the "Supercar." By the time she retired, she had won by a combined total of sixty-one horse lengths over the runners-up. Her record was nothing short of legendary. Had it not been for the dual constraints of regulations and injuries, this girl likely would have left behind even more daunting achievements.
However, that "name" from earlier wasn't technically entirely wrong; during their first meeting, Maruzensky had indeed introduced herself that way.
It wasn't until Fujimaru Ritsuka went to England and met Maruzensky's senior relative, Nijinsky, that he realized it was a spelling error. The correct pronunciation wasn't "Maruzen-Ski," but Maruzensky. It could only be said that a certain Miss Maruzen had a bit of a mischievous streak.
Maruzensky walked toward the two of them, every movement carrying an old-school flair, the scarf tied at her chest swaying gently with her stride. Her full, shapely figure was particularly eye-catching, and when paired with her slender waist, the visual impact of her "heavy fruit on thin branches" physique was almost too intense.
Her gaze shifted between the two of them, finally landing on Fujimaru Ritsuka. The corners of her mouth curved into a meaningful arc. "I saw your performance on the Winning Stage recording. It was quite impactful."
Hearing this, Oguri Cap's ears pricked up into an alert stance once more.
She remembered her mother's warning: The prettier the woman, the better she is at lying.
When she thought about it carefully, wasn't the aura emanating from this Horse Girl—so different from her companions in Kasamatsu—exactly that? It was a powerful presence that was more mature, more charming, and even carried a slight hint of danger.
She instinctively thought: This Horse Girl is definitely someone extraordinary!
If she were a Horse Girl who followed Central racing, she would have certainly recognized this girl as the Vice President of Central Tracen Academy. Unfortunately, Oguri Cap was just an ordinary country girl whose life consisted of nothing but eating and running; she hardly ever watched television.
This was the first time she had even heard the name Maruzensky. Her impression of Maruzensky relied entirely on her gut intuition.
Fujimaru Ritsuka's expression remained normal as he gave Maruzensky a slight nod. "Miss Maruzen, long time no see. It's truly an honor for us to be held in high regard by a Horse Girl as excellent as yourself."
He spoke the words, but he didn't bow, nor did he even lean down. His tone was perfectly flat; these were clearly just polite formalities.
"Oguri, Miss Epuranu is a junior protégé of Miss Maruzen. Her explosive speed stems from Miss Maruzen's guidance."
"Oh my, oh my, I'm not that amazing. Compared to Fujimaru-kun, my little summary of experiences is far from enough. I heard it from Senior Nijinsky, you know," Maruzensky raised her eyes, looking at Fujimaru Ritsuka with composure. "She said Fujimaru-kun is the most exceptional Trainer she has ever seen in her life~"
Aside from her fiery figure, the most impressive thing about her was her eyes.
The slightly upturned corners of her eyes carried a natural charm. Within those deep blue eyes flickered a sense of transparency and craftiness that had been refined by time—a look that didn't quite match her youthful appearance. Just looking at them could make one's heart skip a beat.
Maruzensky chuckled, her voice as sweet and thick as honey. She took two steps forward, her horseshoes clicking sharply against the ground. Finally, her gaze landed on Oguri Cap.
"Elpu—ah, I mean Epuranu. That girl has been mentioning you quite a lot lately, Oguri Cap. She says you're an 'incredible newcomer'~"
"Epu... ranu?" Oguri Cap looked blank, not knowing why the other person would know about her. This was her first time at the Ohi Racecourse.
Of course, it was because studying opponents is a vital part of racing. Participating in a race isn't just about training hard and performing on the day; studying an opponent's habits and finding a breakthrough point is also a key focus.
"That's right, my junior," Maruzensky winked at Oguri Cap. "She's been studying you as a major rival for this race. However—"
She shifted the topic, suddenly leaning in close to Fujimaru Ritsuka—so close that he could clearly smell her faint, elegant scent, reminiscent of a classic perfume.
She whispered, "Rather than just studying opponents, you should occasionally enjoy some fun outside of the races too~"
Oguri Cap was a bit flustered by her sudden proximity. She blinked and instinctively moved back into her initial defensive posture, trying to step between Maruzensky and Fujimaru Ritsuka.
Seeing this, Maruzensky laughed even more happily. She didn't look at Oguri Cap, but instead asked Ritsuka, "How about it, Fujimaru-kun? Think of it as letting me play the host for once."
Her invitation was direct and natural, carrying a momentum that was difficult to refuse.
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Musume: Oguri Cap Grand Order (70 Chapters – Ongoing)
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