Chapter 20 - Return and Plans
Human Kaiya Sora POV:
The room hummed quietly, a calm after the storm of Rodolph Luna's takeover in America. The display flickered softly as the last traces of race data settled. Marzensky leaned against the wall, tail flicking, smirked faintly, but it wasn't admiration. Just surprise. Envy, maybe. She had seen it happen and didn't fully understand how Rodolph Sora had pulled it off.
Rodolph Sora "Sup, it has been a while. How you all been doing?"
Tokino Minoru, ever serene, sat with a faint smile, head tilted. There was no judgment, no overt awe, just the quiet, almost childlike surprise of someone realizing that a thing they thought impossible had been done.
"Wait… you… actually did it," Marzensky said, voice sharp, a little tight. "Took over Rodolph mid-race in America? No one… I didn't think that was possible. And yet… here we are."
Mr. C.B. let out a low, quiet laugh, fingers brushing through his hair as his posture relaxed instead of tensing. His eyes gleamed with interest rather than shock."…Hah. Figures it'd be you."
Katsuragi Ace crossed her arms hard, boots planted wide as her tail snapped once behind her. Her grin was sharp, competitive, almost feral."So it wasn't hype."
Rodolph's ears twitched and tail wagged happily with her hands on her hips and head to the sky as her accomplishment was said out loud.
The holographic interface shimmered. A new unlock blinked: the Interdimensional Tournament. Its rules glowed in sharp, clean lines:
Team Composition: Up to three Uma Musume per team.
Qualifiers: Five races per team, top performers advance.
Finals: Another five-race series determines the ultimate winner.
Alternative: Squad ranking-focused events, best-of-five races.
Strategy Note: Lane control, timing, and skill coordination outweigh raw stats.
SYSTEM RECORD LIST:
Kaiya Sora (Human Trainer)
Run: First
Status: Unemployed
Condition: Active
Note: Only human present at the convergence point
Marzensky (Version)
Title: Undefeated Canadian Legend
Losses: 0
Disposition: Confused, Smug
Tokino Minoru (Version)
Title: Undefeated Japanese Classic Legend
Return Order: First
Losses: 0
Disposition: Playful
Mr. C.B. (Version)
Title: Undefeated Japanese Legend
Losses: 0
Disposition: Detached
Katsuragi Ace (Version)
Title: Undefeated Japanese Legend, Fan Favorite
Losses: 0
Disposition: Quiet
Northern Taste (Version)
Title: Undefeated Japanese Legend
Status: In Progress
Active Competition: Battling the World Elite of the Era
Losses: 0
Disposition: Focused
Rudolph Symboli (Version)
Title: Undefeated Japanese Legend
America Record: Undefeated
Losses: 0
Disposition: Happy
Sirius Symboli (Version)
Title: None
Status: In Progress
Active Competition: Racing Across Europe
Losses: 0
Disposition: Amused