"Our 11th favorite–!"
"Though she is today's least favorite, she's not one to be underestimated! The warrior Martial Artist of Central—the one who had stepped up again and again to challenge monsters and gods–!"
"No.7, Yaeno Muteki!"
The crowd cheered her on as Muteki stepped onto the track. She smiled and waved at the fans who still believed in her with so much passion, though her smile was somewhat wry. After all, she'd so confidently said that she wouldn't be the least favorite to Chiyono O, and now here she was getting called out first.
She only hoped that Chiyono O's request wasn't anything ridiculous.
"Our 10th favorite!"
"She's the Sakura who continues to bloom, fighting from Spring to Winter, beneath bright skies and rain-soaked days! Can she catch up to the White Comet for their final engagement!?"
"No.4, Sakura Chiyono O!"
"It's my win!" Chiyono O said as she stepped onto the track, grinning playfully at her.
Muteki sighed. "It seems so." She said, and then paused when the crowd cheered once more. "Are you not going to greet your fans?"
Chiyono O stared blankly for a moment, before she yelped and quickly turned to her fans. "G-Good morning everyone!" She said, embarrassed that she'd gotten completely absorbed in the little game they'd been playing. Muteki chuckled softly as she saw a few people from the crowd enthusiastically wave back.
"Now, our 9th favorite!"
"She's the Monsoon who'd drowned many others—the Mejiro who has more than upheld the legacy of her name! And now once again she steps onto the track to race–!"
"No.2, Mejiro Ardan!"
The crowd cheered brilliantly as she stepped onto the track, and she giggled softly as she back at them. It warmed her heart to see so many people supporting her—she could even recognize a few of them from the latest fan meeting she held!
And so her expression softened slightly with regret. Because she could not present them a brilliant victory to thank them for their devotion. This race would not be hers to claim. After all, she could not compare to the monstrous abilities shown by the others. A Monsoon she may be, but water was nothing compared to the might of a god of lightning.
She sighed quietly. Today's crown shall not belong to her.
"Our 8th favorite!"
"She's the umamusume who burst onto the scene with an unforgettable opening! The Fox of Edo who shines with brilliant Foxfire–!"
"No.3, Inari One!"
In complete contrast to Ardan's quiet despondence,
"I ain't losin', ya' hear!?" She shouted at the crowd, jabbing her thumb towards her chest. The crowd cheered loudly at her declaration, and her own eyes burnt alight with excitement. Maybe all the screaming earlier this morning was making her a little loony, but she could almost feel the devotion of her fans seep into her chest, as if their feelings had echoed into her heart through some invisible ether.
She trembled slightly, both from the cold and from happiness, before she grinned wide. Grand flames burst from around her, rising towards the sky like a grand pyre. The falling snow was immediately turned into steam, casting a bright orange glow at the surrounding. "LET'S DO THIS!!"
And the crowd's cheer only turned louder, their excitement nourished by the clear confidence she held.
Ardan watched her from afar, before she smiled quietly. "How youthful." She whispered. She couldn't help but feel somewhat jealous.
"And here comes our 7th favorite!"
"The Yellow Bullet sparks, and the Railgun fires! The weapon of mass destruction, tearing the track apart in a dazzling burst!"
"No.8, Dicta Striker!"
"You know she's actually older than you, right?" Dicta said with a wry smile, having overheard Ardan's whisper as she idly waved at the cheering fans. "She just started racing later than we did."
Ardan smiled. "Age is but a number in this cutthroat sport, Dicta-san."
"Right. Of course." She said, looking rather unimpressed.
Ardan giggled, and Dicta couldn't help but grin. Seeing Ardan look so defeated had been more than unpleasant, and she was happy that she'd helped. Though she could understand why; after all, she knew full well that she wasn't winning this round.
Still–
"Let's win."
"Hmm?" Ardan whispered, and then blinked when she saw the fist Dicta had extended towards her. She was grinning still, but there was a solemnity in her eyes. And though no words were said, Ardan immediately understood, and her smile softened as she gently bumped Dicta's fist with her own.
"Yes." She said. "Let's win."
"Now, our 6th favorite!"
"The Wild Joker makes another reappearance, and this time she's out for blood! She might have lost the [Japan Cup], but she's far from giving up!"
"No.11, Obey Your Master!"
Obey Your Master gave a small smile and a performative bow at the crowd as she stepped onto the track. The crowd's cheers grew even louder, though this time there were distinctly more females cheering for her. She could even see how some of them were waving plushes of herself.
Her smile became a little wry. She was certainly glad to have so many passionate fans, but she couldn't deny that she was rather confused at the odd disparity. Why did she have so many female fans compared to everyone else? Sure, her new G1 outfit was rather masculine, but she was not alone in that regard.
But those were considerations to ponder at a later date.
Right now, there was something she must do.
A subtle shadow fell over her eyes, and her eyes shone with a bright golden star. And her smile became far colder as she glanced up at her cheering fans. "Witness me." She said, her whisper impossibly loud as snow gently fell around her. "I shall take the crown for myself."
Of course, her words were directed to someone else entirely, but she was not here to listen to her words at the moment.
She narrowed her eyes as she headed for her gate, her many female fans screaming with excitement as she walked.
"Our 5th favorite!"
"Once, she was only a fledgling Commander who had come from the countryside. Once, she was merely a peasant, her name unknown."
"Now she walks forth as the Divine General of Kasamatsu, commanding an unseen army of thousands as she makes her last stand!"
"No.6, Belno Light!"
The crowd cheered loudly as they turned towards the athlete's tunnel, but then everything went silent as they heard a cascading roar sound from within the tunnel. It sounded as if a thousand men had shouted all at once, but combined with the echo of the tunnel, its cadence shifted to an almost inhumane growl.
Then, a soldier stepped forward, their body entirely translucent, their expression hidden behind plated armor. Then came another, and then came dozens.
Finally, Belno Light stepped forward, her opened gakuran fluttering in the snowy winds, eyes burning like molten amber as she was shielded by the several dozen phantom soldiers.
And, as they faced the crowd of hundreds of thousands–
"OOOUHH!" They roared as one, slamming the butt of their spears into the ground. It was their faith in their General, their cheer—and they would not let their voices be drowned out, even against an army that outnumbered them several fold!
A moment later, the crowd cheered loudly, with some even daring to try and roar like the soldiers did. They could not understand the soldiers' intent, but they could feel their devotion. And as passionate fans of the Divine General, they wouldn't let some ghosts beat them in cheering for their oshi!
And all the while, Belno's expression remained empty, if only to stop herself from screaming in embarrassment.
From afar, Zhuge Liang's ghostly form flickered as he laughed.
"A-Amazing, but that aside-!"
"Our 4th favorite!"
"She is the Creek that has grown into a grand river! The gentle Dragon who holds dominion over Gravity itself!"
"No.1, Super Creek!"
Super Creek giggled as she walked past the platoon of phantom soldiers. Belno's expression made her look cold and imposing, but Creek knew that their poor General was a few seconds away from snapping. She'd seen that same expression a few times whenever Belno had gotten fed up with Kitahara over the past couple weeks.
So she gave the poor girl a tap on the shoulder, and Belno blinked as she finally snapped out of her thoughts. "Ah, Creek-san." Belno smiled back. "I won't lose this time around."
Creek giggled, though her smile then turned sharp. "Then I'll wait for it, Belno-san." She whispered, the strange Turf beneath them trembling as an invisible weight pressed down onto them, as if gravity itself had suddenly doubled.
Belno's smile deepened as she felt that sudden pressure, but she said nothing else.
"And now, here comes our 3rd favorite!"
"The grand White Lightning, blessed by Heaven's thunder! We were blessed to witness her journey from the very beginning, and now, we're here to witness her final race-!"
"No.5, Tamamo Cross!"
The crowd's cheer was explosive as Tamamo stepped onto the track, but her expression remained empty as she gazed at the dark clouds above.
She did not deserve to be the 3rd favorite. She was only this high because this was her retirement race. If this was just some random race, she'd likely be far lower. It was only because of the passion of her fans that she was here.
…Fine.
That just meant she had to live up to their expectations, one more time.
Just one more time.
"Our 2nd favorite to win!"
"The Grey Monster herself! The great Beast who had summoned the Moon itself! Her strength is unfathomable, her limits unknown! She lost the [Japan Cup] by only a neck! Can she take the win this time around!?"
"No.9, Oguri Cap!"
The crowd's cheers became practically deafening as Oguri Cap stepped onto the track. She faintly nodded at her cheering fans as she walked, but her expression remained relatively muted. Yet her fans were far from disappointed—after all, it was her quietness that made her strength even more captivating.
But of course, that only applied in isolation.
Because–
"Lastly, today's favorite!"
"The White Comet of Kasamatsu soars across the track once more! The winner of last month's [Japan Cup]! The umamusume who shattered Oguri Cap's winning streak! The undisputed Hero of this era!"
"No.10, BLOSSOM STAR!"
For a moment, the world went quiet as Blossom Star stepped onto the track. She was completely different now. Her chestnut hair had turned completely white, almost merging with the snow that fell from the skies. Her eyes blazed gold, leaving behind faint embers in the air as she walked forth. The snow that fell onto her shoulders immediately turned to steam, making her look almost otherworldly.
And then the world exploded as hundreds of thousands cheered at the same time. The falling snow was unable to suppress their cheers, and the clouds above seemed to part slightly, as if the heavens themselves were shaken by the sheer passion in their cheers.
Star smiled slightly as she waved at the cheering audience, before she turned towards Oguri. "You ready?" She asked, grinning knowingly.
Oguri nodded. "Nn."
Star chuckled. Oguri smiled. And together they headed for their gates. Everyone else had already entered their own by the time they arrived, and so they were quiet as the gates slammed close behind them.
It was time.
"Every runner has entered their gates!"
"The [Arima Kinen] is about to begin…!"
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AN: Only one chapter today. Partly because I want to spend extra time writing the next two chapters, and partly because I'm pretty sure I'm going to get murdered for leaving it on a cliffhanger.