Dream Weaver stood within the curtain of rain, lifting her gaze to the sky—a sight all too familiar. This was the Tokyo Racecourse on a rainy day, the very place where her dream had begun.
Through countless cycles of repetition, under this same rainy sky, she had honed her skills until they were sharp enough to rival even the most gifted.
Those intense memories had been carved so deeply into her very soul that they crystallized into an ability known as Tokyo Swift.
Before stepping out of the tunnel onto the track, Dream Weaver had assumed this skill had vanished completely after evolving into her Zone—after all, it didn't even show up on her status screen anymore, right?
But only now, standing truly within the rain at Tokyo Racecourse, did she finally realize: Tokyo Swift had never left her.
How could it? She was Dream Weaver—the Tokyo Swift herself. How could a skill born from her own honed instincts and refined artistry through endless repetition ever abandon her?
Even now, on the heavy, rain-soaked turf, she felt no discomfort whatsoever.
Abilities that had stagnated for so long received a sudden boost in this very moment—a fact Dream Weaver noticed immediately.
She'd grown stronger.
Who would have thought she'd receive such a pleasant surprise at this point? A faint smile touched her lips as she murmured inwardly.
'System.'
As if in response, a semi-transparent blue panel materialized in her field of vision.
--+--
[Uma Musume Training System — Scenario Panel]
Character: Dream Weaver
Speed: B [Elite] [Locked] → A [Boosted]
Stamina: B [Elite] [Locked] → A [Boosted]
Power: B [Elite] [Locked]
Guts: S [Crown Class] [Limit Break]
Wit: B [Elite] [Locked]
Affinity: Turf A, Dirt C
Zone: [Cursed Blade/Murasame]
Skills: Intuition (Purple), Phoenix (Blue), Endurance (White)
--+--
This was Dream Weaver's final stat sheet for the Japanese Derby. Her Guts, having successfully broken through its limits, could still improve further.
It was a shame that although Chizuru Haibara could perceive this elusive attribute, she hadn't found an effective way to train it.
Over the better part of a year in this scripted world, Guts had only been indirectly trained through other exercises, never receiving focused attention.
Even so, Dream Weaver had started the scenario missions with A-rank Guts, and through persistent effort, she had raised it to S-rank.
It was her highest attribute, and the foundation of her strategy to win the Japanese Derby.
But right now, Dream Weaver wasn't focused on Guts—she already knew that stat well. Instead, she was surprised to see her Speed and Stamina.
She clearly remembered: when the purple skill Tokyo Swift met its ideal conditions, it provided a significant boost to both Speed and Stamina.
She had expected an increase to B+, but never imagined it would jump a full rank all the way to A.
Even though the name "Tokyo Swift" had disappeared from her status screen, the power it left behind was still supporting her, wasn't it?
Dream Weaver mused quietly. She had originally planned to rely on the Challenger's Badge to narrow the gap between her base stats and Orfevre's.
But now, with Tokyo Swift unexpectedly returning, she likely wouldn't need the Challenger's Badge this time.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, a familiar voice reached her from straight ahead.
"Listening to the cheers of the crowd?"
Dream Weaver looked up. It was Orfevre.
Her brilliant golden racing outfit shone dazzlingly even through the rain, and the six-pointed star hair accessory on her head glistened with droplets of water.
"A pity. If not for what happened earlier, you might have been the top favorite in the next Kikuka Shō."
Orfevre smiled lightly at Dream Weaver, her meaning clear. She had reclaimed her resolve, swearing not to suffer another defeat in the Japanese Derby.
"You're already on the track, yet you still care about their eyes on you?"
"With that mindset, you can't win."
Dream Weaver refused to back down, meeting Orfevre's provocation head-on.
To her surprise, Orfevre didn't react with anger as before. Instead, she chuckled softly and replied:
"As a monarch, it is my duty to answer the expectations of my subjects. However—"
"The only one my eyes are fixed on is you."
Her amber-colored eyes lost none of their intensity even in the rain. On the contrary, as she spoke, a flash of brilliant gold shimmered within them.
Seeing that fleeting glint of gold and overwhelming pressure, Dream Weaver instantly realized Orfevre had fully mastered her Zone.
But so what? She had long prepared to seize victory in the Japanese Derby under exactly these conditions.
Before Dream Weaver could respond, however, the announcer's voice echoed from outside the track:
"All contestants have entered the course."
"Uma Musume, please take your positions!"
Hearing the announcement, Orfevre narrowed her eyes slightly, a thrill-seeking smile curling on her lips.
The instinct of a Uma Musume stirred within her. She wanted to win—not for glory, nor for the expectations of her so-called subjects. What Orfevre desired most right now was to defeat this rival she had come to acknowledge—the fated adversary of the Golden Tyrant!
"It's finally about to begin," she murmured in a low voice.
Then, locking eyes with Dream Weaver, she flashed a fierce, excited grin and declared loudly:
"Come! My worthy rival! Let us officially commence this banquet—fit only for kings!"
With that, Orfevre swirled her cape and strode through the rain with an unstoppable presence, heading toward her starting gate.
A blinding, violent golden light flashed before Dream Weaver's eyes like an illusion.
Just as she frowned, uncertain of Orfevre's current strength, a cold, mechanical voice sounded in her ears:
[Challenger's Badge has been activated.]
Dream Weaver's pupils contracted. Even after triggering Tokyo Swift and boosting her base stats… Orfevre could still activate the Challenger's Badge's effect?!
Aside from Guts—which couldn't possibly be a full rank higher than hers—Orfevre now had at least three attributes that surpassed Dream Weaver's by an entire rank.
In other words, where Dream Weaver had A-rank Stamina and Speed, Orfevre had at least one attribute at S-rank!
"It's only been a month since the Satsuki Shō…"
"To raise her base abilities to this extent already…"
Watching Orfevre's radiant figure cutting through the rain, Dream Weaver whispered under her breath.
--+--
T/N: We bouta head over to scissor city here…
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.