Mejiro McQueen has won the mock race! Let us congratulate Mejiro McQueen; she has defeated every other competitor and successfully earned the honor of being the "Best Uma Musume of Tracen Academy's new generation"!
"Ha... Ha..."
However, Tamamo Cross's shouts, as well as the enthusiastic cheers and applause from the audience, could not reach the Uma Musume on the track at this moment. Mejiro McQueen was panting heavily and couldn't even stand steadily, but she still supported herself with sheer willpower and struck an elegant victory pose.
Behind her, Meisho Doto and Tokai Teio, who had just crossed the finish line, collapsed directly onto the turf, exhausted from both the physical exertion as well as the mental blow from losing.
"Damn it!" Tokai Teio pounded the track with her small fist in frustration, closing her eyes and saying angrily:
"I had a chance to win! I could have won! WHY—?!"
"—Because you were too arrogant, Teio."
At this moment, Symboli Rudolf and Air Groove had somehow entered the track through another entrance. Symboli Rudolf, dressed in her race attire, slowly knelt before Teio, who was on the ground, and said, word for word:
"You knew from the start that your best running style was as a Pace Chaser, and your focused attention as well as your perfect start gave you an excellent position. All of this was good, but because of it, you changed your strategy and instead chose to use the Runaway tactic."
"A 2000-meter track is indeed your home ground, yet your stamina and strength were simply insufficient to sustain you running as a Runaway, added with the fact you had to endure greater wind pressure. Did you really think that with your current physical condition, even if you managed to Runaway all the way to the final straight, you would've had enough stamina to make that final spurt?"
"I..."
However, facing Symboli Rudolf's gentle and logical rebuke, Tokai Teio opened her mouth but said nothing. She gradually realized that her perfect start had not been utilized well, leading to an outcome that was predetermined from the beginning.
If she ran as a Runaway and didn't have enough stamina to burst during the final straight, the results would have been the same: she would've been overtaken by Meisho Doto and Mejiro McQueen and she would've lost—though whether McQueen or Doto would win then might have been different.
"And most importantly, Teio, you are too easily influenced by external factors." Symboli Rudolf gently ruffled Teio's head, not minding her sweat-soaked hair, and said with a smile:
"Curren Chan is an Uma Musume that can only run short distances. You knew of this before the mock race even began, yet when Curren Chan overtook you, you still panicked—why did you think Curren Chan's lead could last indefinitely? Did you really think she developed such stamina in just one short week?"
"And when Curren Chan overtook you, not only did you not slow down, but you even tried to overtake Curren Chan, wasting even more stamina. So, when Doto and McQueen overtook you later, your stamina was already low, and your mindset was also affected."
"If you hadn't snapped out of your shock midway and slowed down to the middle of the pack, you wouldn't even have surpassed Special Week, and you wouldn't have had the stamina for that final spurt."
"P- Prez... I know I made a mistake..."
Although Symboli Rudolf didn't scold Tokai Teio harshly, Teio had already understood from Symboli Rudolf's words how many serious mistakes she had made in this mock race. Each mistake was a huge blunder that could've single-handedly caused victory to slip from an Uma Musume's grasp.
Tokai Teio also gradually realized that her current experience in races and the training she had received were far too little. Despite being supposed to be the favorite to win among all the other newly enrolled students, she had made so many mistakes!
"Prez, I... I will train even harder!" Tokai Teio immediately stood up from the ground, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and said very solemnly:
"I will train hard and never be arrogant again. I... I will do parallel training with everyone and I will never look down on anyone again!"
Teio actually knew that she had underestimated many Uma Musume, such as Curren Chan—she hadn't considered Curren Chan a competitor in this mock race from the start, and she even initially disregarded Doto with her thinking that Mejiro McQueen was her only opponent.
But this race made her understand that all Uma Musume have the potential to turn the tide of battle, just like Curren Chan's initial lead, Special Week's final spurt, and herself.
If it weren't for her unexpected interference, the number one spot would have probably gone to Doto instead.
"Very good." Symboli Rudolf also smiled faintly and nodded. Her judgment was indeed correct; after experiencing a harmless defeat, Tokai Teio had managed to grow rapidly, just as she had anticipated.
This child really is talented, though... there are dangers in that talent, but Symboli Rudolf still hoped that Tokai Teio could mature quickly.
Since she couldn't stop this child from soaring, what she should do was to watch over this child's back as she ran.
"All right, now stand up and shake hands with your opponents."
"Mhm!" Tokai Teio immediately regained her spirits and quickly got up from the ground. She was about to shake hands with Doto, who was beside her, to apologize for underestimating her earlier.
However, just as Tokai Teio turned to look beside her, she found that Meisho Doto, who should have been right there, had disappeared at some point.
"Huh? Where did Doto go?"
"...While you two were chatting, I saw her walk out alone with her head down."
Air Groove, who was nearby, also shook her head helplessly and said to them: "I saw that Trainer Wada has already gone after her, so there shouldn't be any problem; there's no need to worry."
"...Perhaps it's not a bad thing. I hope Doto can also grow from this defeat." Symboli Rudolf hesitated for a moment upon hearing this, then smiled and said: "She has a good Trainer. The victory that was within her grasp was lost due to her timidity, so she also needs to vent properly."
"Then I'll go find McQueen. I'll definitely defeat her next time!" Teio quickly turned her gaze to the other side. However, Mejiro McQueen didn't notice Teio at all and ran off in another direction.
"Gold Ship! How could you bring Trainer Imanami to the track?! His injury hasn't healed yet!"
"I asked Gold Ship to bring me. Thinking about it, I really should have come to watch Miss McQueen's race in person. And it seems my decision was correct."
Imanami slowly dismounted from Gold Ship's back. Gold Ship was also quite exhausted from running away from the hospital. Although it was easy due to her speed as an Uma Musume, it was difficult to shake off the doctors while carrying Imanami, and she even had to catch up with McQueen while in the stands to make his voice hearable to her.
Imanami first helped Gold Ship sit down to rest for a while before saying to a worried McQueen:
"McQueen, you won this race spectacularly. I saw it all. You only had one opportunity and you managed to take it."
"It was thanks to your reminder that I didn't waver..." McQueen said, feeling a bit embarrassed, to Imanami: "When Teio rushed up, if I hadn't remembered your advice, I might have been surprised and gotten scared like Doto..."
"—Regardless, a win is a win, Mejiro McQueen. You won the race."
At this moment, Symboli Rudolf also brought Air Groove and Teio to Imanami and his group. Symboli Rudolf's eyes held an extremely appreciative expression as she said to Imanami and McQueen:
"You two are incredibly synchronized. It's not an exaggeration to say that you are the most successful new Trainer-Uma Musume combination I have seen so far. Trainer Imanami, and Mejiro McQueen, you have both proven your excellence with this win."
"So, now, proudly accept this honor."
Saying this, Symboli Rudolf took the medal from Air Groove's hand and handed it to the two. After exchanging glances, McQueen and Imanami each took it with both hands, then together raised the medal high.
Accompanying their actions were cheers and applause that shook the entire venue. For a moment, the entire venue was cheering "Mejiro McQueen's" name—this was the honor she deserved as a victor.
"Takatoshi Imanami... that young man is really quite interesting."
At this moment, the Mejiro Family Head also nodded with interest, watching McQueen and Imanami, who were the center of attention. She seemed quite satisfied, then said to one of the Mejiro sisters beside her:
"Ardan, after the event, go find McQueen and her Trainer. On behalf of the Mejiro Family, invite that Trainer to be our guest at the Mejiro estate."
"Grandmother, are you thinking of..." Mejiro Ardan was slightly stunned upon hearing this, then asked with a subtle tone.
"...A good Trainer is hard to find, and a Trainer who is so compatible with McQueen is even rarer. It's only right that we take this opportunity."
The Mejiro Family Head smiled slightly and said, word for word: "Bring him home, and entertain him well. The future of the Mejiro Family might just be in this young man's hands."
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Well Imanami, you had a good run. Off to the Mejiro basement you go!
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.