The day of the Team Rigil selection race arrived, and the atmosphere at the training grounds was exceptionally tense.
Many Uma Musume had signed up, including Special Week, El Condor Pasa, Haru Urara, and even the ever-confident King Halo.
Trainer Hana Tojo stood before the starting line, holding a clipboard with a serious expression.
She didn't announce the start immediately.
Instead, she scanned the circle of nervous yet expectant girls and posed a question.
"Before the race begins, I want everyone to tell me: why do you want to join Team Rigil? What is your dream?"
El Condor Pasa was the first to raise her hand, shouting with peak energy, "I'm going to become a world-class Uma Musume! I'll make sure everyone knows my name!"
King Halo elegantly flipped her hair, her voice carrying an unquestionable pride: "Conquering this turf to prove my bloodline and my strength is only natural."
Haru Urara gave a brilliant smile: "I want to run with everyone, get stronger, and have more fun!"
When it was Special Week's turn, she took a deep breath.
Though her voice trembled slightly from nerves, her gaze was incredibly firm: "I... I want to become the best Uma Musume in Japan! I promised my mother!"
As soon as she spoke, several stifled snickers broke out from the crowd.
"The best in Japan?"
A wave of mocking laughter rippled through the other Uma Musume.
These laughs pricked at Special Week's heart like needles, her ears instantly drooped, and her face flushed bright red.
Trainer Hana Tojo simply recorded notes calmly without intervening. This was part of the selection itself— testing the candidates' resolve.
"To your marks!"
Following Hana Tojo's command, all the Uma Musume stepped into the gates.
Myriad Dreams stood on the sidelines watching, her hands in her pockets and a piece of gum slowly being chewed in her mouth.
She didn't care much about the result, she was purely here to watch the show.
The gates snapped open!
Most of the Uma Musume shot out like arrows from a bow.
However, Special Week was still in a dze, her start was half a beat slow, and she was instantly left behind by a small margin.
"That's bad..." Myriad Dreams frowned slightly.
Misfortunes never come alone. Although Haru Urara had a decent start, her stride became visibly heavy and disorganized once she hit the turf track.
"As expected," Myriad Dreams sighed, "Urara's turf aptitude is just too poor."
Soon enough, Urara lost speed and fell to the back of the pack.
By the halfway point, the layout of the race was largely clear.
El Condor Pasa was leading the charge, displaying formidable strength. King Halo followed closely behind.
Although Special Week fought hard to catch up in the middle section, the initial mistake at the start and her lack of experience made it difficult to close the gap.
Seeing this, Myriad Dreams felt the conclusion was no longer in doubt.
She let out a yawn and turned to leave the training grounds, thinking to herself: 'Whatever, I'll head back to the dorms. I have to meet my roommate today.'
Ultimately, El Condor Pasa crossed the finish line first with a clear advantage, earning the sole spot to join Team Rigil.
Trainer Hana Tojo placed a checkmark next to El Condor Pasa's name on her clipboard.
Special Week stared at the sight of El Condor Pasa being surrounded and congratulated by teammates.
She bit her lip hard, her eyes filled with frustration, but also a spark of ignited fighting spirit.
In the evening, Myriad Dreams didn't head back with Special Week, since she already knew what happened next in the story.
For now, meeting her own roommate took priority.
When she reached the dormitory, Fuji Kiseki gave a slight smile.
"Little pony, your luggage has already been moved in. Go on and meet your roommate."
"Got it, Dorm Leader."
Myriad Dreams arrived at her dorm and knocked on the door.
When she saw her roommate, she was completely shocked!!