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.
Local Team Player POV:
We finally did it, my team and I finally entered a minor tournament. We weren't a rich team but I've looked to enter this league since I graduated from college. The Australian and Oceanic region is usually ignored as a region when it comes to racing. Being considered third-rate after North America and Europe. Weak at the same level as East Asia in every level in all leagues.
Until a local team named Valued Gods rose up representing the region and putting us in the top 10 in the entire league. Even our noble league international races are considered world-class as well. These inspired all of us in Australia and Oceania to become greater. Now we've reached the minors after years of struggling in the Opens. We came out and our team the NZ Warriors was called out.
They called out each of our names one by one with our captain first and me being last as I'm the newest girl on the team. First up is Captain Berry Jammer, and Vice Captain Dolphin Dancer. Next were our superstars and most talented on the team Ray Waver, Peanut Hello, Jungle Clown, Starling Bird, and Cool Whipper. Next is the respected team vets Ghost Stellar, Honey Beaver, Ice Mania, Watcher Learner, and Big Belt. Finally, the rookies which was Ballet Dancer, Single Digit, and Kid Comet which is me.
After we got to our area I watched the teams coming out and it seems none of the big teams came. I get it cause minors are usually reserved for the weak, the poor, and the desperate teams by everyone. That's when I saw a team with a flag you don't see in this league at all, it was the Japanese flag. Even though East Asia is a region in the league it was completely in NRL territory. This might be the first time a Japanese team has participated in the league, but I wasn't scared even with their weird masks and strange code names.
Why am I not scared that the league has regional power rankings built on years of team performances? The ranks are North America or NA, Europe West or EW, and Europe East, Middle East, and North Africa as EMEA at the top. Then Australia and Oceania together as AO, Central Asia or CA, and South America or SA in the middle. Finally Southern Africa or SAF, Southeast Asia or SEA, and East Asia or EA at the very bottom. Japan is an East Asian team that's never been to a tournament and has a country that doesn't even know this league exists so I'm not scared of them at all.
Still, they must have a rich team to make it here and a crazy owner that's foreign-born with ties to Japan by my guess to make a team to just compete here. That's when our coach came into our area and spoke saying," Okay enough goofing around, I know it's a big day for all of us going into the minor for the first time in our club's history. Still, we have some work to do first up the first relay is on Turf, mile distance, flat race rules. Our Lead off is you Kid, we need your evasive pace chasing for this part of the race don't fuck it up." I loudly proclaimed," Yes Coach!" He nodded and continued," Starling is Leg 2's going front runner to run off as fast as possible."
She responded like I did and the coach continued," Leg 3 Ice you got this choose what you need to do." She responded," You got it coach." He then finished by saying," Finally Anchor is Ray do you got this?" She nodded and responded," Yes coach!" He soon assigned everyone else as he focused on other races.
I soon with my other 3 teammates got into the field. There I saw the two gates the starting gate and the cage gate. The cage gate puts the other 3 members inside letting out one member only after the person before starts running. Like for example Starling isn't coming out of the cage until I leave the starting gate which will be removed after the lead-offs start running. After running my turn and Starling leaves, the cage itself won't open to let out Ice until I leave the field.
This makes sure cheating is minimized as much as possible as these were flat rules. In obstacle rules the cage opens even if I'm still in the field to make things more interesting. Now I go into the field as my teammates go into the cage. That's when one of the masked Japanese racers came. I could feel her presence as if she wanted me to look at her.
Her presence and charisma are off the charts. Still, that shit only works in the entertainment industry. This is a sports league a whole different field entirely. That's when we all got into the gate, her gate she was beside mine and I saw her name on her shirt it read, 'Agent Ruby'. Okay, newbie let's see what you can do.
That's when the gates opened and a flash went past me. No it couldn't be, I looked around to see where the newbie was and saw he was running past everyone like flowing water going through land. People tried to block her, and she flowed past them all. They even tried to surround her, but soon caught nothing but air as she spun out an opening before they could lock it shut. She then sped up escaping the group as she started out end closing and now she was front running.
I tried to catch up and pace Chase behind her, but I couldn't none of us could. I soon realized the difference between us. There was her, a gigantic gap, and then everybody else. I realized she was world-class, and I finally understood what world-class level was. It was painful, it was heartbreaking my debut on my first graded tournament and it was this, a complete humiliation.
I soon arrived and handed the baton to Starling. When she ran off I got off the track so Ice could get out of the cage. When I got back the coach put his hand on my shoulder saying," I know it hurts I saw everything, you're a rookie now, so you can get better and surpass them one day." I nodded knowing that was a lie as tears flowed down with intensity. This day I will never forget, and that person Agent Ruby I will never forget you.
I just wish I knew who you truly were. I wiped my tears and soon everyone was screaming. I looked outside at the big screen to see what was going on. My eyes widened as I saw the third leg had already begun and everyone else was still only halfway through their second leg. How fast was the second leg for them? What the hell just happened?
Tyrant Rose POV:
Oh man finally back on track literally. It's been months that felt like years to just get back here. First the arrival, then the search for a team, then training camp, and performance reviews. After the final preparations and traveling here. It was a lot and now it's come to this I'm back to racing. Sad it's not an obstacle race, but Mama Blues wants us to break the league relay record today and possibly the world record.
It's a good message that we've arrived on the scene so I'm in. Now I look around and it's like the field from horse racing not track. The audience basically gets 4 Uma Musume races in one huh? Plus reading the rules and seeing the gates and cages are two different experiences. I already see Mama, GW, and Lily inside one of them already ready to go waiting for me to return.
Guess since we're not separated by lanes it's obvious why the most evasive and quick ones like me are the lead-offs. The plan is to get out of the group and run to get a distance advantage. Still, if someone isn't obviously so much better than everyone else will every team using this strategy even get an advantage? It was soon time to go through the gate. I looked around, and the only thing that caught my opponent's attention was my outfit yet they all still underestimated me.
I guess a thorough introduction is needed. I soon entered the gates and soon the world will know who I am. The gates soon blasted open and all of us began running. I was running as I observed everyone, I knew I wasn't going 100% at first but why are they all so slow? I ran fast going around people as graciously as I could.
They noticed me it seems. They were all in shock, but soon their plans changed. They tried to start blocking my way forward. This always happens with my opponents in the past but it's been a while. My team doesn't want to test my evasiveness. They instead either outrun me or try to stop me from running, shout out to Gray and Sweets.
I soon danced around them one by one and passed them. That's when I heard the crowd react. Guess they like what they saw as I ran faster. Their last attempt was adorable as they tried to surround me before I could get to the front. Still, their closing is slow and sloppy.
It was obvious they're not teammates cause this is just slow. I zoomed through the opening and burst ahead of everyone. I looked back at their faces in disbelief or in despair. They really thought that would work, heck even if they closed that fast and clean I would have still just sped up and jumped over them with how slow they were. I soon saw it was almost over and saw Mama there.
I handed her the baton and left so GW could enter the field. Coach asked me as he saw me," How was it out there Ruby?" Guess we're using class names huh," Slow Coach felt like I was bullying them." The rest of the team chuckled at that all differently from each other. I sat down and soon Sweets came to me saying," Hey you really riled up the crowd out there."
I smiled responding," I know, it was a good introduction of the team and me." She just told me smiling," Don't give them unrealistic expectations now." I just told her," I think those expectations are about to be blown sky high by Cobalt outside, cause they ain't seen nothing yet." She giggled adorably as the crowd outside screamed louder. She then said, " Speak of the devil, she's already back it seems."
I watched on the big screen as the commentator screamed," The fastest leg 2 in league history has been achieved! The record is broken, I can't believe it happened here in Wellington!" I chuckled at that and went to welcome her back. I asked her," How was your run, Vice Captain?" She just smirked.