CB's Side
Phew... That Eruticle person, she must have absolute confidence that she won't lose in long-distance. Her face didn't show even a hint of doubt... But it's the same for me; the Irish Triple Crown is on the line. And... she grabbed Hachiman's lapels. I will never forgive her for trying to lay a hand on my Hachiman.
Hachiman: "CB, calm down."
CB: "Tch! Hachiman..."
Hachiman: "I know you're thinking about her, but that's not something to think about right now. This Irish St. Leger will be your first long-distance stage. Think of it as having no shortage of worthy opponents. And your first opponent is the world's strongest stayer; wouldn't it feel incredibly good to win?"
CB: "...Haha, Hachiman, you never change~. Yeah, you're right. I'll focus entirely on my own race. I'll forget about her for now."
Hachiman: "Yeah, do that. Alright, let's head to the paddock. It's almost time."
---Paddock---
Announcer: "Next up, the young samurai from Japan, this Uma Musume, known by her epithet 'Artless Masterpiece,' aims for the Irish Triple Crown! It's the two-crown Uma Musume, Mr. CB, and the second favorite!"
CB: "..."
Commentator: "We truly must revise our perceptions. A Japanese Uma Musume achieving such results on Irish soil... And you can see, she's in perfect form today."
Ticle: "Hah, they're overestimating her just because she's achieved results in some other region. You think so too, don't you?"
CB: "You again? If you want someone to pay attention to you that much, go somewhere else. I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now. Can you wait until the race?"
Ticle: "Trying to look cool because you're being watched? Don't bother with such pointless vanity. There's no point in showing off when a losing battle is about to begin."
CB: "You certainly don't hold back. You should really think about what happens if you lose, you know? You'll be truly embarrassed."
Ticle: "I'm not falling for that. You're trying to provoke me, but it's useless."
CB: "I wasn't trying to, but if you have nothing else to say, could you please go over there? I need to discuss strategy with Hachiman."
Ticle: "There's no point in doing such useless things anyway... Fine, then. Struggle as much as you can."
Sigh... Finally, she left. Don't come over here again.
Hachiman: "She's got quite a temperament, doesn't she?"
CB: "She really does. About the strategy, Hachiman, I have a request."
Hachiman: "Hm?"
CB: "Is it okay if I overtake everyone from the very back?"
Hachiman: "Are you sure? Eruticle, your strongest rival, is a front-runner, you know?"
CB: "Yeah, that's what I want to do."
Hachiman: "...Understood. Go for it then. But make your move around the corner, okay? From the straight, you probably won't make it in time."
CB: "Yes, I understand."
This way, I feel more fired up. Besides, it's such a grand stage, so I have to enjoy it! ♪
"You were just talking to that 'Runaway Locomotive,' weren't you? Was everything alright?"
CB: "Yeah, it's fine, but... who are you two?"
"Ah, we haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Certex, and this is Sonarise. We're Uma Musume from Ireland, childhood friends. Nice to meet you."
Sona: "...Nice to meet you."
CB: "Yeah, nice to meet you too. I'm Mr. CB. So, what did you mean by 'was everything alright' just now?"
Certex: "...She has a tendency to look down on others. When we first raced against her, we went to greet her, hoping for a good race, but she brushed us off. She told us, 'I have no intention of getting along, get lost.'"
Sona: "...It felt bad, but I lost, so I couldn't talk back."
Hachiman: "So she's disliked even in Europe?"
Certex: "While there are some who admire her, I've never seen an Uma Musume who actually acts with her. Trainer-kun, she even grabbed your lapels, yet you remained so calm? You've got guts."
Sona: "...Mhm, brave."
Hachiman: "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared, but I didn't think she was foolish enough to cause a violent incident right before a race."
CB: "But please, don't do things like that again, okay? I was a little worried too, you know?"
Hachiman: "I truly don't intend to do it again. But I might do it unconsciously to someone who acts as rude as she did... I'll just say that much."
CB: "..." Stares intently
Hachiman: "No, really! I don't intend to. But I might just do it without realizing, right?"
...Well, that's fine for now.
Certex: "But we believe we can have a good race with you, so please look forward to it today."
Sona: "...Good luck~."
CB: "Hm, same to you. By the way, Certex, you mentioned 'Runaway Locomotive' earlier. Is that her epithet?"
Certex: "Yes, that's right. It's said to be a slight modification of an epithet directly bestowed by royalty upon a magnificent British Uma Musume in the past."
Sona: "...I think that Uma Musume was St. Simon."
Hachiman: "...That's an epithet modified from quite an incredible Uma Musume then."
CB: "Is she that amazing?"
Hachiman: "Yeah, without a doubt. But now, it's race time."
Eruticle seems unpopular even in Europe.
Well, that makes sense.
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