By the time the spectators for the Spring Tenno Sho poured into the venue, a light rain was still drifting over Kyoto Racecourse.
It had started the day before and never truly stopped. It was not a heavy rain, but the steady drizzle had left the entire course damp and slightly muddy. As a result, many of the horse girls standing trackside wore distinctly uneasy expressions.
The going was not especially bad. At most, it was only lightly on the heavy side.
Even so, a rain-softened track always took a little confidence away. No one could honestly say she was certain to perform well on this kind of ground.
No one except Saint King Halo.
Every now and then, she stepped onto the turf herself, feeling the feedback underfoot with complete clarity. If a runner lacked either the power or the aptitude for this kind of ground, she would slip. Teraizumi's words on that point had stayed firmly in her mind, and once she felt that reassuring firmness from the turf, the last of her tension eased away.
Looking toward the long straight leading to the third corner, Saint King Halo saw the starting stalls being slowly wheeled into place. That would be where they would begin.
Beside her stood Hishi Lawyer, one of the most famous runners at Central Tracen and across the national circuit. Saint King Halo caught a shadow in the other girl's eyes.
The field for this race really was formidable. Special Week and Seiun Sky were here, and so was Mejiro Bright, carrying the hopes of the Mejiro family to bring the Spring Shield home once again.
"You may go onto the course to warm up now, then head through the tunnel from there."
The starter's instructions were hardly new to any of them, but they were repeated anyway. The girls nodded, and the gate leading out onto the course was opened.
As soon as the runners stepped out, a wave of cheers broke over the stands. Moving with the group, Saint King Halo spotted signs with her own name on them among the crowd.
It made a thought rise suddenly in her mind.
It would have been nice if her trainer had prepared one of those too.
Almost at once, she lifted her eyes toward the upper stand.
This time, she already knew where Teraizumi would be. Even if she could not make out his face from here, she knew he was watching her.
That was the kind of trainer he was. If you were not his trainee, he would not spare you even an extra glance during a race.
A strange little surge of pride welled up inside her.
And with that, she stepped forward.
The popularity rankings had already been finalized. Saint King Halo had only ended up fifth. Special Week, Mejiro Bright, and Seiun Sky, whom she had defeated in the Osaka Hai, ranked first, second, and third, while the proven long-distance runner Golden Journey sat fourth. In truth, Saint King Halo knew her own fifth-place popularity was hardly secure. She and Matikanefukukitaru were so close that the gap between them was almost negligible.
People had accepted what the trainers were saying about her lack of long-distance suitability. Even though she had performed respectably in the Kikuka Sho, most people preferred to go on believing what they already thought they knew.
But Saint King Halo knew herself.
She knew exactly how suitable she was for long-distance racing.
And for this race, all she wanted was to give everything she had.
At the very least, she would not repeat the old pattern—losing, yet still leaving the track with unresolved regrets and bitterness, unable even to lose cleanly.
The turf underfoot still gave a strong response even when she pressed deeper into it. In truth, even Saint King Halo herself found her heavy-ground aptitude a little surprising. To think she could handle softer going at all—
After all, the one time she had tried a dirt race, she had finished near the bottom.
Granted, a big part of that had been the flying dust. It had irritated and unsettled her until she lost all desire to compete. Even so, ever since that race, she had quietly assumed that she was probably only suited to firm turf.
Then she thought of Teraizumi's face.
The image of him in her heart had only grown larger and more imposing with each day of training.
Her gaze shifted toward Special Week, who had already started running. Just as Teraizumi's information had said, Special Week looked to be in excellent form. Her control over her own body was effortless, and she could sustain a steady pace for an impressively long stretch.
She would be one of the key threats today.
That, in turn, clarified Saint King Halo's own plan. Seiun Sky's greatest weapon was her ability to use pace to deceive the runners behind her.
But Saint King Halo also knew that Special Week would not be fooled today.
And because of that, Saint King Halo's own tactics became that much simpler.
She would use Special Week's rhythm and tempo as her reference point, then settle the outcome by matching her in the closing stretch.
It was undeniably a bold decision. A horse girl known for her finishing leg deliberately choosing to duel another finishing specialist in exactly that area.
But Saint King Halo did not think of it that way.
To her, it was simply the best tactic.
Of course, she had considered the sort of explosive burst Special Week might produce once she truly went. But compared to the pressure that Special Week represented, Saint King Halo trusted herself more.
She finished warming up quickly, making sure her body was properly loosened, then headed toward the tunnel.
Objectively speaking, the tunnel was not especially long. For a horse girl, it should have been even less of an issue.
That was what Saint King Halo thought as she relaxed and walked through—
Until, halfway down, she saw a woman standing there.
The woman wore a hat with a veil hanging from it. Only when she lifted her head did Saint King Halo make out her face.
Her mother.
Goodbye Halo.
Saint King Halo had never expected to see her here.
A small knot of tension drew tight inside her. Still, she did not step forward. She only returned her mother's gaze with one just as steady and serious.
She did not know why her mother was here.
And, honestly, she did not particularly want to know.
That was the change, perhaps. Her state of mind had changed, and Goodbye Halo noticed it too. A trace of helplessness—and sorrow—appeared plainly on the older woman's face.
"Halo…"
Her voice was faintly hoarse.
"Do your best."
Saint King Halo's lips parted.
She had never expected those words to come from her mother.
In fact, she had never expected her mother to be here at all.
Goodbye Halo said nothing more. She pushed herself off the wall she had been leaning against and turned to leave the way she had come.
She had clearly not expected any answer in return.
And yet, just as she reached the corner, Saint King Halo spoke.
"I'll win, Mother."
There was no dramatic fervor in it. She said it plainly.
Goodbye Halo's steps halted for the briefest instant.
Then they resumed, a little quicker than before, and in another moment she was gone around the bend.
Saint King Halo watched the spot where she disappeared for a few seconds more, then quietly continued on to the tunnel exit, where several other runners were already waiting.
"You're here?"
Matikanefukukitaru, clutching her beloved crystal ball, greeted her as soon as she arrived.
"Mm."
Saint King Halo answered first, then glanced at the large crystal sphere and asked, "What's with that?"
"Nothing special. I'm just hoping it brings me luck!"
Matikanefukukitaru's expression was full of sincere trust in the thing. Perhaps only the Kikuka Sho winner would think nothing of hauling it all the way to the exit of the underground tunnel for the Spring Tenno Sho.
"How are you feeling today?" Matikanefukukitaru asked, then glanced at the rain still falling outside and added jokingly, "I predicted there wouldn't be any rain by race time, but I didn't think it'd keep going this long~"
She had not even finished the sentence before the sound of the rain outside began to fade.
Every horse girl nearby looked startled.
Saint King Halo, too, blinked in surprise. She almost wished she had brought a phone so she could have filmed it.
"Eh?"
Matikanefukukitaru herself looked just as blank, as if she had not expected it either. Hugging the crystal ball close, she stared out at the tunnel exit.
The thick clouds in the sky were already thinning fast, and sunlight had begun to break through.
What a good omen, Saint King Halo thought.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
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I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter230)
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Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 230
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Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
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The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 120
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 135
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 110
I Can Copy Unique Skills 100
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Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
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Checking In in Demon Slayer 80
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 85
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 70
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Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 45
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 45
The Uma Musume Who Became 40
I'm Definitely Not the King of 45
After Maxing Out Every Class 45
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