GAME OVER.
The instant Fuka Shirayuki hit the wire, even the whole world seemed to mute itself.
Mute the world—
and listen to the sound of a famed blade shattering.
With that razor-thin advantage she maintained from start to finish, the girl defeated Tokai Teio and announced her arrival to the world.
But…
when the moment of crossing the line arrived, the only thing echoing was the commentator's excited voice.
Only the neutral, official broadcast wanted a great race to happen—but the problem was, the people sitting in Tokyo Racecourse today were basically all there for Tokai Teio.
In other words—
they were Teio's fans.
What they wanted to witness was the spectacle of "the Emperor's return," Tokai Teio blazing onto the scene!
And…
what they got was Tokai Teio losing by a hair.
Only silence spread across the stands.
With a few scattered claps here and there.
Amateurs watch for spectacle… they couldn't see Shirayuki's pace-control, couldn't understand how strong she really was.
They only thought:
A champion with a margin like that was just lucky.
If they ran it again—
who knows who would win! This time, Tokai Teio would definitely take it!
…
…
Crossing the finish line as first place, Fuka Shirayuki yanked her forward-leaning balance back.
The white-haired, green-eyed girl stood quietly in place, her whole body radiating a cold keep away aura.
She heard the boos—
and that only made her want to fulfill her pre-race promise even more.
If no one cheers for me—
then I'll be crowned alone!
She decisively shaped her palm like a megaphone, half-turned, and held it by her ear.
Where are you? I can't see you!
Your booing—louder. Louder!
(Image: "Exploding Black Knight Hunter!")
Two words: Western. One word: insane.
God treats all of you like roadside trash and kicks you!
Why are you using your heads to ram Fuka Shirayuki's feet!?
"She's just lucky—she picked up a championship!"
"Yeah! If Teio's condition was a bit better today, the result would've been hard to say! And now this girl's getting cocky!"
Some spectators hated that arrogant attitude so much their teeth itched.
It wasn't something skill or fame could fix. Take that CS-era GOAT S1mple—"solution of the formula, peak of the pyramid, father of Cao swim trunks"—even he had a ton of haters because he was arrogant.
S1mple's skill wasn't the issue, right?
It was just personality.
Some people simply didn't like Fuka Shirayuki's personality.
But at the same time—
some people saw her proud, dominant stance and instantly converted into fans.
"'You're a real talent monster; our personalities match.' 'I want to see you win your debut.' 'Some Tokai Teio fans lack professionalism.'"
"This nameless horse girl… starve her two days and she can throw hands with Orfevre!"
"Could it be Fuka Shirayuki is a pro grinder?"
When her celebration ended, Fuka Shirayuki lowered her head expressionlessly.
Other horse girls crossed the line one after another beside her, eyeing this out-of-nowhere monster with curiosity.
Where did she crawl out from!?
Even if the spectators thought she just got lucky—
anyone who truly understood Uma Musume could tell how terrifyingly strong Fuka Shirayuki was right now.
Then…
Fuka Shirayuki looked toward Tokai Teio beside her—downcast and hollow—
and walked over.
Tokai Teio snapped her mind back. She thought Shirayuki was coming to whisper something.
But her whole body tensed up like she'd switched into "spiny dinosaur mode," staring hard at Shirayuki—
like: Don't come closer!
…and also: Please come closer!
In the end—
Fuka Shirayuki walked right past Tokai Teio as if ignoring her, heading backstage.
Tokai Teio—who'd already prepared a whole inner script—froze again.
"T-This… this girl!" Teio complained.
Warning!
Warning! Temperature rising!
Tokai Teio used to think her face only got red because of sweet talk.
But now…
she couldn't stop chewing her nails, trying to ease the awkwardness.
…
…
After the race, there was still the Winner's Stage and the reporter interview.
Fuka Shirayuki had heard of something called a "Winner's Stage."
In this world, Uma Musume weren't just pro athletes—they also carried idol-like duties, bringing love and hope to fans. Honestly, it fit the magical-girl theme pretty well.
And the interview afterward was just the standard sports-media routine.
All easy to understand.
So for now, there was only one thing to do: wait.
Fuka Shirayuki sat backstage, bored out of her mind.
Tap tap tap—she swiped at her screen.
[Fuka Chiori]: "Sister! You actually won!!"
[Fuka Chiori]: "My sister is amazing!!"
Seeing her little sister's messages, a wicked, charming smile hooked at Shirayuki's lips.
Who says there were no cheers?
As long as her sister was still on her side—
that was enough!
Just then…
Hayakawa Tazuna smoothly threaded through backstage and arrived in front of Fuka Shirayuki.
Beside her was a staff member—someone who'd once been Tazuna's colleague, practically her apprentice—and also the person who'd agreed to Shirayuki entering this debut race when Tazuna called the JRA.
He thought—
Tazuna's eye for talent really was something else!
Symboli Rudolf once discovered "the Ashen Cinderella…"
So was Tazuna about to discover another Uma Musume destined to stand atop the next generation!?
If so—
what title would people use to describe Fuka Shirayuki?
He imagined it—
Symboli Rudolf: "I was first! She came to me first!"
Symboli Rudolf: "Why is there a cow!?"
If the Emperor knew all this, she'd absolutely time-travel back to that afternoon, accept Shirayuki's request—
and separate her debut from Teio's.
Then Tokai Teio and Fuka Shirayuki would've been next year's brightest twin stars.
But there are no ifs.
Tazuna smiled and asked, "How does it feel to win your debut race?"
"Never has there been such a beautiful opening!" Fuka Shirayuki smiled too. "Cheer for me—applaud—applaud for me!"
She thought: earning respect through strength was exactly what she'd dreamed of.
Her mindset seems fine, Tazuna thought.
But she still wanted to know—
what kind of mindset did Fuka Shirayuki truly have?
When strength and mentality both reached a peak, the name carved on the throne would be replaced.
Tazuna tucked hair behind her ear and asked again, "Do you know?"
"Just now, you cruelly shattered Tokai Teio's dream… Teio kept running and running toward 'undefeated Triple Crown,' but now that dream is gone."
"I really wonder what Tokai Teio feels like right now."
Tazuna said it on purpose—
to see Shirayuki's reaction.
Would she feel guilty? Would she feel pleasure?
Destroying someone's dream…
Fuka Shirayuki's face didn't change. "Now I'm going to tell you something cruel."
"If I don't crush Tokai Teio's dream, I can't sustain my life. My sister and I will be thrown into the street by the landlord. Winter is coming soon. When that happens, we'll have no money, no food, nowhere to live—so we can't survive the winter. Tokyo winters are actually cold."
"If Tokai Teio runs for a dream…"
"Then I run for survival."
Two words—dream and survival—
were worlds apart.
Fuka Shirayuki looked into Tazuna's eyes and said with a smiling calm:
"Some people are born to enjoy a peaceful life. Others have to bow their heads to exchange for it."
"I just want to reach the place I'm supposed to be."
Tazuna felt as if she could see Shirayuki's future.
Right at that moment—
she saw a future Shirayuki, covered in honor, as the world rained golden light down on her.
That unstoppable mindset—
was the sharpest weapon of all.
As an old veteran, Tazuna understood very clearly:
In the world of competition, there are only so many champion seats.
Yet everyone comes for that seat—
so how could everyone be fulfilled? How could everyone's dreams come true?
Most leave the stage with regret, smiling with resignation and helplessness… staring at the dazzling starfield above, unable to hide the unwillingness in their eyes.
"Failure runs through life from start to finish."
Tazuna understood that.
But that was also the greatest charm of sports, of competition—
There is only one kind of heroism in this world: after seeing life's truth clearly, you still love life.
So…
Tazuna only hoped Shirayuki understood the weight of a championship.
She was already beginning to cherish this rookie "monster."
With a serious face, she warned:
"You must consider whether the road ahead—your longed-for G1 championship—might be your one and only chance in this life!"
"And also…"
"That's right. Go prepare for your Winner's Stage," Tazuna replied.
Fuka Shirayuki nodded to show she understood.
After Tazuna left—
she lowered her head again and looked at the pale-blue system panel.
[Debut Race: Victory.]
[System upgrading… Estimated time: 24H.]
"One and only chance in this life?"
Fuka Shirayuki felt like Tazuna was lying.
Doesn't this chance come every year?
A faint smile appeared on her face.
What new functions would the system have after upgrading?
Looks…
pretty interesting.
…
…
Meanwhile—
Tokai Teio wanted to head backstage.
She kept taking deep breaths, trying to calm her emotions.
Her small face was kinda red.
Just then…
The Lady (the "Noblewoman") happened to return from strolling outside. She was thinking of going backstage to find Teio and celebrate!
She knew Teio's strength.
So—
Why even watch Teio's race? You wake up and it's another win!
They met backstage.
The Lady's eyes lit up as she walked straight over.
The closer she got, the more she realized—
Why is Teio's face so red!?
Was it… excitement? Heart pounding?
The moment you become a professional Uma Musume, even the Queen of Flowers would be happy!
Teio and her—
they were the same kind of person, right?
Next year, they could race together!
An Emperor and a Queen of Flowers—deciding victory on the track…
Just imagining racing Teio someday made her happy!
She stepped closer. "Teio, how do you feel?"
"…" Tokai Teio glanced at her, silent.
The Lady thought: So excited she can't speak? That's not like you, Teio!
After all, your journey is the sea of stars—save this kind of excitement for when you achieve the undefeated Triple Crown!
She patted Teio's shoulder and comforted her: "I know, but you should relax your mindset a little."
Tokai Teio looked at her again—
then quickly stepped back, turning away.
"Huh?"
The Lady was confused. What was going on?
Then a staff member came over:
"Miss Tokai Teio, Fuka Shirayuki still hasn't decided the song for the Winner's Stage. Do you need to discuss it with her earlier?"
Who is this Fuka Shirayuki?
Why does the second-place finisher need to discuss songs…
Isn't it always the winner picks the song, and second/third are backup dancers?
Hearing that, the Lady froze.
But then—
a crazy thought hit her.
She couldn't help asking, "Teio… you didn't win, did you?"
Tokai Teio finally couldn't hold her expressionless face anymore.
She looked at the Lady seriously—
her eyes reddening, like amber filled to the brim with water.
Tokai Teio started huffing:
"Hah!"
"…Even you are bullying me, Lady!"
"Is it funny that I lost to Fuka Shirayuki? You rushed over just to laugh at me! I'm not being friends with you anymore!"
With a "waaah," Tokai Teio burst into tears, sobbing quietly.
The Lady instantly froze in place.
Sis!
I just went out for a little breeze—how did you… lose!?
At the same time—
Tokai Teio couldn't endure her emotions anymore and cried softly like that…
Lady: "…Ah!?"
She wanted to time-travel back thirty minutes and watch the race properly.
And she wanted to time-travel back three minutes and urgently retract what she'd just said!
"Don't cry!" the Lady flailed, trying to comfort Teio.
…
Teio should've been the winner of this debut race, right?
A middle-school monster, the strong "Emperor returns," the industry's favored pick…
This was the rise of a genius!
But—
Bro, what the hell—
Who is Fuka Shirayuki!?
The Lady thought: what kind of god is this?
-------
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