Just as that nameless editor predicted, the entire world was shaken by the news of Dream Weaver's comeback.
News agencies across Tokyo were already scrambling, their editors-in-chief racing toward Central Tracen Academy in a desperate bid for first-hand interviews, much like the duo from the Tokyo Uma Musume Daily.
Out-of-town publishers weren't about to be left in the dust, either. Being in the industry meant having connections, and they weren't afraid to use them.
The moment the news broke, phones were glued to ears as reporters reached out to every insider they knew, hungry for any scrap of information.
By 8:00 PM on November 27th, every phone in the Japanese racing industry was ringing off the hook.
The news of Dream Weaver's return swept across the country like a gale-force wind; through the relentless engine of the media, the world learned she was coming back.
Running neck-and-neck with traditional journalism was the new era of self-media.
While these independent creators lacked the deep-rooted industry connections of the old guard, they held a distinct advantage: speed. Unrivaled, lightning-fast speed.
Only minutes after Central Tracen's official announcement, short videos began flooding the internet.
They were brief—essentially carbon copies of the official statement—but that was all the algorithm needed to blast the news onto the screens of every Uma Musume fan and follower.
Within half an hour, before the swiftest reporters from the Tokyo Uma Musume Daily had even cleared the gates of Central Tracen, countless fans were already reeling from the bombshell.
But the power of self-media in this day and age isn't just about speed; it's about global connection.
Despite their professionalism, foreign news outlets thousands of miles away would typically face a significant delay in sniffing out a story. Digital creators changed that.
The moment the news hit the web, creators across the globe dropped everything to translate and repackage the story into their own languages.
By 9:30 PM on November 27th—a mere ninety minutes after the official post—the news that Dream Weaver was returning to contest the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe had circled the globe.
Such was the lingering gravity of a former world-class Uma Musume. When Dream Weaver spoke, the whole world stopped to listen.
At that moment, Symboli Kris S had just finished the first phase of her morning training.
She was reaching for her water bottle when her personal trainer came sprinting toward her, waving a phone frantically.
"Something huge just happened!"
"What is it?"
"Dream Weaver! She's announced her comeback for this year's Arc de Triomphe!"
Symboli Kris S froze, her water bottle hovering mid-air. After a long beat of silence, she finally spoke.
"I see. Book me a flight to Paris, and secure a seat for the race."
"I'm going to Paris the second the Arima Kinen is over!"
The trainer was internally awestruck by her composure. To hear such news and remain so unfazed... she looked like a legendary general from some ancient epic, calm even as a storm brewed within.
Nodding quickly, the trainer left the gym to give her space to prepare.
As soon as the trainer was out of sight, Symboli Kris S finally let out the breath she'd been holding.
Her "poker face" was a total lie. To anyone else, she looked like a pillar of stoic strength, but only she knew the truth: she had simply been too stunned to remember how to make an expression.
Now that she was alone, her composure crumbled.
She clutched her chest, trying to soothe a heart that was pounding significantly faster than it had during her workout.
Forgetting her water entirely, she pulled out her phone and began scouring the web for news.
She spent the rest of the morning lost in a rabbit hole of Dream Weaver nostalgia, clicking through old race montages and career retrospectives until the hours simply melted away.
After re-watching her favorite tribute video for the nth time, Symboli Kris S put her phone down, her gaze hardening with resolve.
"This time, I will win the Arima Kinen. I'll go to see Senior Dream with the glory of a G1 victory behind me."
"If I win the Arima, I'll have completed the Autumn Triple Crown. Having a Triple Crown of my own... maybe that will bring me a little closer to her."
--+--
Meanwhile, Equinox finished her own morning session. She handed a phone back to a staff member with a light, airy smile.
"Book my flight and a ticket for the Arc de Triomphe, please."
"Understood, Miss. We'll get right on it."
Once the staff had left, Equinox turned her attention to Sea the Stars.
"Weren't you at Kyoto Racecourse yesterday? Didn't Senior say anything to you?"
Sea the Stars was staring at her phone, teeth gritted in a mess of conflicting emotions. "She mentioned it," she muttered. "She said she'd give me an answer after the Japan Cup."
In truth, Dream Weaver had said she'd give everyone there—including Agnes Tachyon, Sugar Lights, and Hishi Miracle—an answer. But in Sea the Stars' mind, she had already "beautified" the memory into a private promise meant only for her.
"It's only because of Liberty Island's accident that she had to rush off to the track... she just didn't have time to tell me personally..."
Both she and Equinox had heard the news about Liberty Island yesterday. They knew the injury wasn't severe and that she'd regained her spirits; a week of rest would see her right as rain.
Because of that, Equinox wasn't overly worried. For an Uma Musume, taking a break for a minor injury was just part of the life—especially a one-week setback.
"Dammit... we were so close!" Sea the Stars fumed, clearly stung that she hadn't heard the news directly from Dream Weaver's lips.
"What does it matter?" Equinox said, looking up at the sky with a wistful sigh. "You've been preparing for this Arc for a year anyway. You'll see Senior Dream on the turf soon enough."
"Man, I'm jealous. I wish I could stand on that same stage. If it weren't for the Arima Kinen, I might have signed up for the Arc myself."
She paused, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Hey, do you think it'd be better if I skipped the Arima and signed up for the Arc instead? A race with three world-class Uma Musume... now that would be a show!"
Sea the Stars wagged a finger dismissively, her chin tilted high in a triumphant grin.
"Hmph. You're still a long way off, kid. If you want to stand on the track with us, you're about twenty thousand years too early!"
"This Arc belongs to me and Dream Weaver!"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.