"Alright!! My racewear is ready!! It's in tip-top shape!!"
"Mine too."
The day of the Arima Kinen is here. Spectators from every corner of Japan have come to watch the fan-favorite umamusumes race in the last race of the year. Not even the piling snow and cold wind could stop these people from coming to the track.
"Before going down the tunnel, make sure that you are wearing everything. Go look at yourself in the mirror."
"Oh yeah!! Thanks, Cafe!! You're a lot kinder than Trainer Igo ever was."
"Yeah. If it were him, he would not say anything and would laugh at us when we are on the turf."
"It must be hard to have him as your trainer…"
In Team Minaz's preparation room, the members of Team Minaz are preparing their runners, Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen. Everyone was there except for Silence Suzuka, who had to teach Special Week how to dance since the latter's debut is near. The responsibility of taking care of Haru Urara now falls to Manhattan Cafe.
"Fuuh!! Haaah!! Fuuuuh!! YOSH!!! I'M READY!! I'M READY!!!"
"I now understand Squidward…
While we're racing against Rice Shower, you both will get the footage and data of her running, no?"
"That's the plan. I'm going to study the hell out of that little umamusume."
"Both of you need to push her to that point, though… Can you do it?"
"Who do you think we are?! We are Trainer Igo's Trainees!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Uuuhh… They need to put more heaters in this tunnel… Brrrr!"
"Ugh! If only I put more warming elements in my racewear!!"
"You both seem to be having a problem."
"Huh? Gold City?"
"Hello~~"
"So you got voted to race too, huh?"
"You're meaner than before, McQueen. That bastard is rubbing off on you more and more."
"That wasn't meant to be an insult!!"
"Hahahahaha!!"
While walking down the tunnel, Teio and McQueen were greeted by the Greatest Beauty in a Thousand Years, Gold City.
"How can you not be freezing while wearing so little, Gold City?"
"Eh? I guess I had just gotten used to the cold. Just because it's winter, it doesn't mean brands stop asking me to model in bikinis. That's how I got used to the cold, especially if I have to model on the beach."
"Ah… I have heard that from Big Sis Ramonu too.
Working as a model is painful, yeah?"
"Eh~ It pays well, so I wouldn't complain much.
So, who are you aiming to defeat in this race?"
"Of course, it's Rice Shower. She is the destroyer of our dreams!"
"Hahahaha!! Guess I'm staying clear of you both!! Have your revenge then!"
"How about you, Gold City? Who are you aiming to defeat in this race?"
"Hmm~~? No one in particular. The fact that I'm here is enough confirmation of my goal. I have made it.
I guess I'm here to finish a chapter of my life."
"Oohh~~ You sound so mature!!"
"Fufufufu~~ Thank you~~"
The trio stepped onto the turf, and the sight before them reminded them of the race they were about to run.
A thunderous roar erupted from the spectators, so powerful that it seemed to send a shockwave across the track, sweeping away the snowflakes drifting toward the ground.
The sheer number of people gathered in one place brought warmth to the frigid air. For a moment, the biting chill of winter seemed to vanish, replaced by an atmosphere so lively and warm that it felt as though spring had arrived ahead of its time.
This is the Arima Kinen.
"WWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Damn…"
"Don't get cold feet now, losers."
"This is their first Arima Kinen, Tyrant. Be kind."
"Huh?"
While the first-timers are mesmerized by the atmosphere, the veterans walk in amongst them. Orfevre and Gentildonna, in their race wear, greeted the trio in their unique way.
"And their last. There's no use remembering the extras."
"And yet I remember you. Don't you think you should try too, Tyrant?"
"Tch! Shut up, you Brutish Woman!
If anyone here is worth remembering, it would be that unknown variable named Rice Shower. She was the winner of the Kikuka Sho after all. Not any of these vermin."
"GUUUH!! I WILL DEFEAT YOU!!!"
"How about you win a Triple Crown first, pipsqueak?"
"GUUUUHH!!!"
Her words are harsh, but fair.
We did lose to Rice Shower, and by any measure, she would be stronger than us. If you defeat the winner, then you automatically defeat the losers.
But I'm here to prove that I'm no ordinary loser!! The only way to fix my image is to defeat Rice Shower!!
"Just you wait on your throne, Orfevre.
After I defeat Rice Shower, I'll be coming for you."
"Worthless promise with no substance."
"ALL RUNNERS!!! PLEASE ENTER YOUR GATE!!!!!"
With the announcement from the speakers, the group breaks off and walks into their separate gates. The race where everyone was chosen by the fans is about to start, and those fans are getting hyped.
The runners in the Arima Kinen are the 16 most voted racers in this year's popularity vote. Everyone was expecting the runner they chose to win the Arima Kinen, because they want to brag to others that they have good eyes to value umamusumes.
"IS EVERYONE READY FOR THE RUUUUMBLEEEEE?!?!??!!"
"WWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
"IS EVERYONE PREPARED TO SEE WHO IS THE BEST OF THE BEST?!?!"
"WWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
"BURN THIS RACE INTO YOUR MIND, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!! WE ARE ABOUT TO WITNESS HISTORY ONCE AGAIN AND SEE WHO TRULY DESERVES THE TITLE OF THIS YEAR'S UMAMUSUME!!!!!!!!!!"
"RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
With the announcer hyping up this year's Arima Kinen, the crowds become even more riled up. They were expecting an amazing race as the closing chapter of this year's season. It would also serve as an omen for the next year's season. A good ending would lead to a better beginning.
"ONE!!! TWO!!!! THREE!!!!!! GO!!!!!!!!!!!"
*BANG*
The atmosphere at the beginning was amazing. Everyone was cheering with everything they had.
But as the race went… The cheers turned quiet, and the atmosphere grew colder.
"How…?"
"But I voted for her… I thought she would at least be in the top five…"
Not even the announcers could lighten the mood of the spectators. It's clear that this is the situation where a single rotten apple ruined the batch.
"Is she sick?"
"She should be running faster than that, right?"
"She is so much faster in videos. Were those videos edited?"
It wasn't just the spectators that questioned the outcome of the race. The racers were also questioning if they were racing against the correct umamusume.
"Haah… Haaah… Oh my~~ I had expected a contender, but it seems that it was my fault for having expectations."
"Fuuuh… Haaah… So in the end, you're just a disappointment, huh?"
The winner, Gentildonna, and the runner-up, Orfevre, calmly speak their minds. Normally, they would be bantering with each other over Orfevre losing to Gentildonna, but the sour taste of the race made them forge an unlikely alliance.
"Haaah… I won…?"
"This… Haaaa… Doesn't feel good…"
McQueen and Teio ended up in the 5th and 6th place respectively, but there was no joy in their voice and expression. They succeeded in accomplishing what they came here for, but there was no sense of accomplishment in their win.
They feel a bottomless hollow–a much worse feeling than losing a race.
"How did I win…? Haaah… Haaah… This wasn't supposed to happen…"
Even Gold City, who had finished the race in fifteenth place, couldn't help but feel disappointed. She had put her entire career as a runner on the line. Had she finished sixteenth, she would have retired from racing for good.
She had everything prepared for her retirement. Every decision had been made, every loose end tied up. She had already envisioned what her life would look like after leaving the track.
But the outcome of this race rendered all of that meaningless.
She had believed she understood her place as a runner. She had convinced herself that retirement was the right choice, that she had reached the end of her journey.
Yet now, standing in fifteenth place, she found herself questioning everything.
For the first time in a long while, Gold City no longer knew what she wanted.
Have I not… reached my peak as a runner yet?
And the source of all the confusion and disappointment was Rice Shower, who ended the race in 16th place, with the distance between her and Gold City classified as 'Distance'.