Author's Note: I am not an editor or a professional writer. I will write this and edit it to the best of my ability. I also do not own Uma Musume, which is owned by Cygames. Watch the animes and read the mangas, for they are pretty good. Finally, please enjoy.
3rd Person POV
The audience had finally recovered from Ana's video performance. The team sat in stunned silence, impressed by something they had never seen in their own world. It made them realize that although this world lagged behind in some areas, it possessed its own unique brilliance.
Even BlaD found his interest unexpectedly captured by Ana. Steel noticed it immediately and quietly smiled to herself. If those feelings between the two continued to grow, then BlaD could eventually be removed from the competition for Tsukasa without Steel having to lift a finger.
Meanwhile, the boss wiped tears from her eyes, clearly proud of Ana's performance. She stepped back up to the podium and quickly began the next introduction.
"Now, from someone elegant to someone very cruel," she announced. "He will be in charge of logistics and data gathering for the team. He has experience working with professional teams in many different sports around the world."
She took a brief breath before continuing.
"He has an extensive résumé in sports itself and will help this team succeed in the freestyle running scene. He is the infamous Yuto Nobunaga, the Tactical Demon."
A man wearing a bright orange suit stepped onto the podium. He looked intelligent yet devilish, carrying himself with unsettling confidence. A wicked smile spread across his face as he addressed the room.
"Hello, my pawns. You might not realize it yet, but under my gaze, I will open your minds to possibilities you never imagined and use them to achieve victories you once thought impossible."
His smile faded into a cold expression.
"I promise you that this team will become world champions before the end of this year. I have no doubt about it, because I will do everything possible under the Three Goddesses' green earth to ensure it happens. If any of you have a problem with that, you'll change your minds soon enough. I can already see that every single one of you desires victory just as much as I do."
He spread his arms slightly.
"Now then… shall we begin?"
The room fell silent.
There was something undeniably sinister about his presence, and everyone reacted differently.
Vic was already accustomed to over-the-top coaches and coordinators from his past. Mama Blues admired Yuto's devotion to winning. Gray looked excited, intrigued by the possibilities they could create together. Rose remained cautious, having dealt with dangerous people before, while Great Wonder disliked how cruel he sounded.
Enduring Rain hated how dishonorable he seemed, but Edged Lily enjoyed the competitive edge he brought. Imperial Punk immediately realized he was completely serious, while High Spice silently agreed with nearly everything he said.
Steel simply nodded, believing that this was exactly how things should be. BlaD, meanwhile, couldn't care less.
Sweet Pollen looked thrilled to finally get started, and Victory Gate found herself agreeing with his philosophy more than expected. Norn Viking lounged casually, fine with whatever happened, while King Wild laughed maniacally and bounced around excitedly after discovering she apparently had a new strategist.
Even some of the staff had mixed feelings about him, but they trusted Mina's judgment in hiring him.
Without another word, Yuto stepped off the podium and left the room. He already had work to do.
⸻
Yuto Nobunaga POV
I had watched the team tryouts days earlier.
Even then, I saw limitless possibilities within this group. Every member was different, yet each possessed something special that could be used to achieve victory.
Currently, I serve as the head of logistics and data gathering for this organization.
Originally, I worked as a trainer for Uma Musume teams, but unlike others, I was considered a cruel psychopath willing to do anything to win. I played dirty. I cheated. I sabotaged opponents whenever necessary.
Naturally, this caused conflicts with both allies and enemies alike.
Eventually, I was either kicked off teams or abandoned by my Uma Musume. I never understood why. Whenever I asked people how far they were willing to go for victory, they all answered the same thing.
"Anything."
Apparently, that was a lie.
The moment sabotage or unsportsmanlike tactics entered the discussion, they all collapsed under guilt and morality.
Pathetic.
Soon, nobody wanted to hire me anymore. I switched sports entirely. I moved from coach to coordinator, then even assistant coach positions just to survive. Still, everyone I worked with was far too honorable for my tastes. None of them could accept my intensity.
Eventually, I ended up jobless again, working as a simple gym teacher at a school.
That was when my future boss entered my life.
She arranged a private meeting with me and personally headhunted me for her team. She came from a ruthless European business family and appreciated just how cutthroat I was.
Then she introduced me to freestyle running.
I was instantly fascinated.
Obstacle racing especially caught my attention. So much chaos. So much violence. So many brutal possibilities hidden within strategy. Relay races and mixed formats opened my mind even further.
Of course, I wasn't foolish enough to join without conditions.
I wanted players and coaches as merciless and ruthless as I was. I wanted to work with people willing to do absolutely anything to win—as long as they didn't get caught.
She agreed, with only two conditions:
Don't lose her money.
And don't get the team banned from the league.
That was more than enough for me.
So I accepted the position and immediately got to work.
After meeting my fellow staff members, I observed the team closely during races and training sessions. From there, I began building profiles on every athlete.
Victory Gate, Endless Journey, Imperial Punk, and Norn Viking were adaptable and independent thinkers.
Edged Lily, Steel Valkyrie, Mama Blues, High Spice, and Black Diamond were endlessly competitive and ruthless.
Great Wonder, Tyrant Rose, and Enduring Rain were kindhearted people who preferred enduring hardship rather than creating it themselves. Still, they were willing to overlook many things as long as they weren't forced to witness them directly.
Meanwhile, Sweet Pollen and Tactical Gray already played dirty by instinct. To them, it was as natural as breathing.
With additional data provided by Endless Journey and Dr. Takazuna, I acquired information on their heights, weights, body structures, and health conditions.
Then, I began strategizing.
Imperial Punk stood at 5'5". She wasn't the best at anything, but she wasn't weak anywhere either. A perfect Swiss Army knife.
High Spice, the shortest member at 5'3", possessed absurd stamina, endurance, pacing, and explosive power. She was the ideal marathon weapon.
Norn Viking, standing at 5'9", was endlessly creative and adaptable, making her perfect for unpredictable courses and flexible strategies.
Edged Lily stood at 5'10" and was easily the team's second star. She adapted well to nearly every environment and weather condition imaginable. Competitive to a terrifying degree.
Great Wonder, also 5'11", was an extraordinary physical specimen capable of excelling at any distance. Unfortunately, her kindness held her back. I needed to find a way to suppress that hesitation.
Then there was Steel Valkyrie.
At 6'1", even I found her intimidating.
She was the strongest athlete on the team with virtually no weaknesses. More importantly, her desire to win bordered on insanity.
I loved it.
Endless Journey was perhaps the most intellectually gifted athlete I had ever encountered. Also standing at 5'11", she excelled physically while possessing terrifying strategic intelligence. The problem was that she rarely followed anyone else's plans because she usually devised better ones herself.
Tactical Gray stood at 5'6". Athletic, cunning, and almost entirely without morals when it came to victory. Though she was technically the least talented member of the team, she was absolutely not someone anyone wanted as an enemy.
Mama Blues specialized heavily in speed and front-running. At 5'7", she struggled strategically and could easily get trapped in crowded races if she failed to secure an early lead.
King Wild was simple to summarize:
Insane speed.
And insane herself.
At 5'4", she cared little for strategy—hers or anyone else's. She preferred sprinting recklessly through every track imaginable, and somehow possessed the stamina and endurance to sustain it. Attempting to restrain her only resulted in her becoming feral.
Enduring Rain, the tallest member at 6'2", despised underhanded tactics entirely. She preferred overcoming strategies head-on through sheer endurance and willpower.
Black Diamond stood at 5'7" and balanced artistry with athleticism. A fast, strategic sprinter willing to do almost anything to win. However, her greater passion remained music, meaning her schedule would require special management.
Tyrant Rose was untouchable.
I recognized trauma immediately, though I'd already been warned to keep my opinions to myself regarding hers. At 5'8", she was agile, evasive, and incredibly difficult to corner. Thankfully, she remained highly receptive to strategy. Her greatest weakness was terrain adaptability, particularly on dirt tracks.
Then there was Sweet Pollen.
A girl after my own heart.
She played rough, dirty, and loved sabotaging opponents through seemingly harmless pranks. Somehow, she made underhanded tactics look adorable.
She was now officially my daughter in spirit.
Unfortunately, she also seemed involved with Tyrant Rose.
How dare that playboy touch my daughter?
Moving on.
Finally, there was the captain: Victory Gate.
Standing exactly 6'0", she was the team's ultimate all-rounder. She could alter her style, mindset, and strategy to adapt to nearly any situation or opponent. More importantly, she carried that same adaptability outside competition, making her a perfect leader.
If you convinced Victory Gate to support a strategy, the rest of the team would usually follow.
That was how much trust she commanded.
This team overflowed with talent and individuality.
Now it was my turn to sharpen their minds and prepare them for the world.
⸻
A Few Hours Later
After the speeches ended, I returned to work.
When I reached my office, however, I found Tactical Gray and Enduring Rain waiting outside.
Gray was no longer wearing her straitjacket and casually typed away on a laptop. Rain tapped her shoulder as I approached, causing Gray to look up and smile sweetly.
That smile immediately put me on edge.
Before I realized it, Enduring Rain had moved behind me.
I was trapped.
Gray calmly began speaking.
"Hello, Mr. Nobunaga. You already know who we are. Relax, the dumbass behind you is only here to stop me if I get too out of control. The leader sent her because Rain barely listens to me in the first place."
Rain frowned in annoyance, but Gray ignored her.
"Anyway, she doesn't like you. I do."
Gray slowly approached me, forcing me backward toward the wall.
"I looked into your history online and through a few sources I made friends with. People described you as some terrifying scoundrel who manipulated opponents and played dirty."
Her smile widened.
"What I found instead was a man committing childish pranks that offended a bunch of self-righteous idiots."
I tried speaking, but she immediately cut me off.
"Don't talk. Just listen."
Then she punched the wall beside my head.
The impact blasted a hole straight through it.
Rain instinctively moved to stop her, but Gray held up a hand.
Only then did I notice the steel bike chain wrapped around Gray's fist.
The realization hit me instantly.
Even an "untalented" Uma Musume possessed monstrous strength.
Gray leaned closer, placing her chained fist near my face.
"You need to live up to your namesake and become far more ruthless. Everything I've seen from you so far barely qualifies as schoolyard sabotage."
Her voice turned cold.
"So listen carefully, Mr. Nobunaga."
She stared directly into my eyes.
"Step the fuck up."
The pressure in the room became suffocating.
"I mean it. Nobody here will stop you—not if I have anything to say about it. And if you somehow cross the line, then we'll tell you."
She moved even closer until our faces were inches apart.
"I hope I've made myself clear, darling."
I nodded immediately.
For the first time in years, I truly understood fear.
Then, suddenly, the pressure disappeared.
Enduring Rain casually lifted Tactical Gray onto her shoulders and started carrying her away.
"Okay, that's enough, Gray," Rain said calmly. "You've threatened him plenty already."
"Put me down, you dumb brute!" Gray shouted, squirming in embarrassment. "Whatever! See you later, Nobunaga. I expect results next time I visit."
And just like that, they disappeared down the hallway.
I stood there silently for several moments.
It seemed I had finally gotten exactly what I wanted.
And something even worse.
Because now, I had encountered someone even more ruthless than I was.
Slowly, I smiled.
If this was the environment I'd been given…
Then perhaps I could finally unleash my full potential.
Still, if Tactical Gray ever became a problem, I could always exploit her obvious feelings for Enduring Rain against her.
For now, however, I simply called the repair crew to fix the wall.
Then I returned to work.
Gray's little demonstration had inspired me to explore entirely new possibilities.