"Well then, let's part ways here for now. Remember to report after watching the race, okay?"
"Mm! Thank you, senior!"
A sudden recollection made Absolute Zero decide to take Special Week along to the Twinkle Series race venue. Today, there seemed to be a race featuring a child her Trainer had long wanted to scout. She thought the name was… something Suzuka?
At first glance, the child appeared to be a carrot spirit. Zero even double-checked with the Three Goddesses to confirm there were no plant or animal spirits in this world before finally relaxing.
For a young Uma Musume just beginning to understand her kind, experiencing the atmosphere of a racecourse firsthand was an invaluable lesson. And, by some stroke of luck, getting off at the right station wasn't too difficult—a happy accident.
As a senior, Zero should have stayed to watch the race with her, but time was short. There were pressing matters to settle with Rudolf… no, with the entire Student Council. Good heavens, they had once put a custom-made sack over her, an incident that still made her shiver.
Those trivial things aside, the main priority was preparing for the upcoming Osaka Hai.
Thanks to the Three Goddesses' explanations, she now understood: she was a filly. The earring she instinctively wore on her left side confirmed it. In her original world, she would have been called a mare. For her age and stage, the Filly Triple Crown was within reach.
The Filly Triple Crown comprised the Oka Sho (Turf 1600m, before April), Yushun Himba (Turf 2400m, after May), and Shuka Sho (Turf 2000m, after October). However, these races overlapped with the male Triple Crown—Satsuki Sho, Japanese Derby, and Kikka Sho—so she initially focused on the latter, as it held greater prestige.
There was also the Spring and Autumn Triple Crown. The Autumn races conflicted with her schedule, so her first Autumn Triple Crown consisted of only two crowns—the Japan Cup and Arima Kinen. The upcoming Osaka Hai would mark the first step of the Spring Triple Crown: Osaka Hai (Turf 2000m, after March), Tenno Sho (Turf 3200m, after April), and Takarazuka Kinen (Turf 2200m, after June).
The 3200m Tenno Sho was uncharted territory. Previously, her longest race had been the 3000m Kikka Sho. Even an extra fifty meters in a long-distance race could determine victory or defeat. Now, as a Senior, she would face seasoned veterans one after another, all while tackling an additional two hundred meters of track. Her blood boiled just thinking about it.
Perhaps it was the inherent Uma Musume love for running. Calm on the surface, her mind surged like a battlefield. During last year's Arima Kinen, when boxed in, she nearly exploded with speed as her blood rushed to her head. Even then, she had reserved stamina to finish strong while masking her true strength.
Years of careful preparation had honed her to perfection. No matter the difficulty of Tenno Sho's long slopes or steep inclines, the mountain paths she trained on under the Three Goddesses' system were far harsher. Countless injuries, countless trials—she endured them all.
[Mountaineer (Normal): Slightly adept at uphill running.]
Most Uma Musume could learn this skill, but no advanced version existed due to limited uphill opportunities in races. Other skills, like Ten Thousand Horsepower or Million Horsepower, allowed acceleration on inclines, yet she remained indifferent.
[Peak Climber (Legendary): Exceptional at uphill, improves uphill abilities.][Courageous Stride (Legendary): Exceptional at downhill, improves downhill abilities.]
She had perfected these through countless falls from near sixty-degree slopes, suffering triple-digit fractures, and painstakingly developing a unique downhill technique that impressed even the system. She had also mastered Million Horsepower and Determined Straight Descent, skills meant for rare race situations.
Reality was not a game. Unlike games with strict limitations, her skills were effective whenever she reached the proper conditions. Her stats and abilities were essentially "cheating," most self-developed through sheer willpower and the system's healing mechanisms.
Her confidence in the upcoming race was unshakable. With every step triggering a skill, there was no room for panic. Even the infamous debut race accident, which had sent her straight to the hospital, did not dampen her resolve. Every skill was honed over countless days and nights, her expensive points spent wisely, mostly on recovery, leaving a vast reserve for contingencies.
Why had she endured so much? Perhaps for the love of running. Perhaps for the thrill of effort guaranteed to yield results. Or maybe her collecting habit drove her to learn everything. Whatever the reason, the grueling mountain training forged the Uma Musume she had become.
Her first race after recovering from injury was legendary—her lead over the second-place finisher was dubbed "the despairing huge margin." Opponents required extended psychological counseling before returning to the track.
Thanks to the guidance of the Three Goddesses, herself, and the system, her aptitude was unmatched. Turf, dirt, sprint, mile, middle, long distance—she mastered all, switching styles at will. The title [Absolute King] became hers after her eighth G1 championship, earning media acclaim as a [Symbol of a New Era]. Before that, she had been known as the [Demon King of the Track].
Now, during her month of rest, she reflected on two years of relentless training and competition. No regrets. Only anticipation. Anticipation for reaching the pinnacle, for defeating formidable opponents, and for the [Hero] who would challenge her upon her ascent.
Finally, she arrived at the Student Council Room and pushed the door open.
Brown hair framed a familiar face, with a slender crescent-shaped white strand on the forehead… Wait, something was off!
Absolute Zero froze, eyes locked on the curious little face before her.
"I say, President, is your daughter already this old? No, I mean, your daughter is this old… do you need me to call the police?"
The Emperor's smile faltered.
"After all, you're only high school age right now. If your daughter is already this old… you must have had a hard time raising her. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me, and also…"
Bang!
A water dispenser flew through the air.
Zero dodged, but Miss Emperor appeared at the door, slamming it shut.
Thud!
The door panel struck her nose bridge.
"Onore! Rudolph Symbol! (Screaming)"