Nakayama Racecourse.
Inside the exclusive Rigil viewing box, Symboli Rudolf stood with her arms folded.
Her gaze was fixed on Tokai Teio, who was just about to enter the starting gate. Her expression was far more solemn than it had ever been during previous Winter Dream Cups.
"It's still too early for Teio and the others to stand on this stage," Rudolf muttered.
Maruzensky, sensing Rudolf's concern, offered a soft smile.
"Setbacks are what allow them to grow. Look at little Barbatos back then, or El Condor Pasa and Grass Wonder now."
In the eyes of these legends, there was no question: Tokai Teio stood zero chance against the current Barbatos.
Even Grass Wonder and Special Week were on a level that Teio couldn't touch yet.
Teio was undeniably gifted, but even the most brilliant genius needs time to mature—just as Barbatos did when she debuted right into the Winter Dream Cup.
Furthermore, this year's Classic series lacked a presence like Barbatos.
While girls like Nice Nature could be called formidable rivals, they were still a step below last year's crop.
Under the crushing pressure Barbatos exerted on that generation, every Uma Musume had been forced to sprint headlong into self-improvement.
The training loads for El Condor Pasa and Grass Wonder had been so intense they actually worried their trainers.
Compared to the relentless drive of last year, the current atmosphere at Spica felt almost lax.
It takes an Uma Musume who shatters common sense to lead the pack; only then do those following behind become stronger.
Even with only a one-year gap in their debuts, the distance between Tokai Teio and the likes of Grass Wonder was immeasurable.
Over at the Spica camp, led by Gold Ship, the team was busy sending their "willpower" and heartfelt support to Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, and Special Week.
This time, Spica had three runners in the race!
"I wonder if Spe-senpai can actually beat Barbatos," Vodka mused. "With this atmosphere, I almost feel like cheering for Barbatos-senpai myself."
The roar of the crowd as Barbatos stepped out was so deafening it completely drowned out their cheers.
Hundreds of thousands of voices carried a contagious energy, threatening to turn everyone in the stadium into a Barbatos fan.
"Oof—"
Vodka winced, feeling a sharp elbow dig into her ribs.
She looked down to see Daiwa Scarlet glaring at her. It wasn't a hard hit, but usually, it would be enough to start a shouting match. Today, however, Vodka didn't feel like fighting.
"You'll mess up the vibes we're sending!" Scarlet said righteously. "And why only mention Spe-senpai? Teio and McQueen are strong too. They've both beaten Spe-senpai before."
Her point was clear: if they were sending their support, there was no room for stray thoughts.
Cheering only for Special Week wouldn't be fair. They were teammates and friends; everything had to be balanced.
"Do you two honestly think they can beat Spe-senpai when she's in 'race mode'?" Gold Ship asked, her usual playful smirk replaced by a look of genuine skepticism.
The question caught them off guard. They weren't sure why Ship was being so blunt.
Okino didn't join the conversation.
His expression was grim, though his hands mimicked the same supportive gestures as the girls. In his heart, he knew the truth.
Special Week was the ultimate big-event player. She might stumble in private team races or G2 events, but in a top-tier G1, she displayed her true, terrifying talent.
She was a genius who was in no way inferior to Tokai Teio. Because they were so close, and because Special Week would only be sad for a moment before returning to her routine, no one really noticed the gap.
But as a trainer, Okino could easily analyze the sheer difference between "G1 Special Week" and "Everyday Special Week."
"All runners are in the gates. The race... begins!"
The lights flashed, and the gates flew open.
Two powerful auras erupted instantly. Special Week's silhouette was the first to burst from the pack, using a move akin to a Flash to seize the lead position.
Right on her heels was Grass Wonder, her Zone and fighting spirit already overlapping in a shimmering haze.
"Beautiful! A spectacular start by Special Week!"
"That start... why does it feel so familiar?"the announcer, Akasaka Misato, wondered aloud.
Watching from the stands, Montjeu looked pensive.
"Special Week has essentially mastered Silence Suzuka's running style. Though there are slight differences, she has undeniably become a world-class front-runner."
Montjeu felt that familiarity too. Having raced against Silence Suzuka in the Japan Cup, she could see how closely their styles aligned. Special Week was an incredibly fast learner.
"Furthermore, the other runners had a bit of a late start."
Montjeu didn't hesitate to point it out. The delay was minuscule, but to a world-peak Uma Musume like her, it was glaring. At this level, even the smallest mistake at the break could seal one's defeat.
As if on cue, the broadcast showed a replay in a small window.
It clearly showed Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, and the rest of the field flinching slightly as the gates opened, as if they had been startled by something.
"Have they not adapted to races where the Zone is activated right at the start?"Montjeu shook her head, feeling she might be overthinking it.
Before last year's Japan Cup, who would have thought to trigger their Zone the moment the gates opened? She was perhaps being too biased by recent trends.
On the track, beads of sweat formed on Tokai Teio's forehead.
She hadn't expected to make a mistake at the break. Even McQueen, who had prepared for an early Zone burst, hadn't been able to react in time.
The sheer pressure Spe and Grass released when they ignited their auras had caused Teio's body to stiffen for a split second.
Had these not been G1-level runners, they might have lost the courage to keep running entirely. That pressure... it felt like facing the absolute best in the world.
Wait! Spe-senpai and Grass-senpai ARE the best in the world!
But so am I! Teio bolstered her confidence.
An Undefeated Triple Crown winner couldn't afford self-doubt. Alright, time to make up for that bad start.
Teio remained calm. As she accelerated, she surveyed the field. With her experience winning the Kikuka-sho, she knew exactly when to turn on the heat in this 2500-meter race.
She also knew how terrifying Barbatos's closing ability was. She had to find a way... maybe try to trigger the same Zone she used at the Kikuka-sho...
"Wait, what?"
As she looked ahead to plan her move, she realized the two lead figures were already more than five lengths away.
Spe-senpai? Grass-senpai?
Barbatos was drifting comfortably just behind them.
But the race... had only just begun!
Teio had never experienced a pace like this in person.
She had seen similar races on TV and had simulated how she would handle them, confident in her abilities. But now that she was in the thick of it, the pressure was unlike anything she'd ever felt.
The world seemed to go still for a moment, then shattered. Teio's Zone erupted.
If she stayed back any longer, she wouldn't have a prayer.
Within her domain, the legendary Teio Steps appeared; her body lunged forward, leaving Mejiro McQueen and a spirited Big Three in the dust.
She was tapping into the same explosive speed she used to overtake Nice Nature at the finish line of the Kikuka-sho.
And yet...
In her vision, the gap between her and the leaders only grew wider.
As the distance to the front increased, the feedback of hoofbeats told her she was pulling away from the back of the pack. She felt great—she was faster now than she had been during the Kikuka-sho.
So why?! Why am I falling behind?
I'm a Triple Crown winner! Why is there still such a massive gap?!
"Impressive. As expected of Spe," Barbatos thought, cruising comfortably in third.
She remembered the first time she met Special Week at the Rigil entrance test; she'd had a feeling Spe would be the "final boss" she'd have to face eventually.
It seemed her intuition was right; it was just that Barbatos had grown even faster than Special Week.
As far as front-running went, Special Week's lead was now second only to Silence Suzuka in all of Japan.
From her pre-race research, Barbatos knew this was the first time Spe had committed to such a massive lead-out style in a major race.
In the past, she had used various styles, each one world-class and adaptable.
"But compared to Spe, Grass is a bit..."
Barbatos struggled to find the words. Grass Wonder was special.
She didn't seem to have any "overpowered" stats or flashy gimmicks, yet she always seemed to find a way to stay half a step ahead of Special Week.
Especially during the Takarazuka Kinen and last year's Arima Kinen—Barbatos had been sure Special Week had it in the bag, only for Grass to snatch the win.
She seriously wondered if it was some kind of "biological counter" situation; Special Week was practically Grass Wonder's designated prey.
They rounded the second bend.
The sound of hoofbeats behind them had vanished. Even Tokai Teio couldn't keep up with this blistering tempo. Barbatos wasn't surprised.
The difference between a second-year and a third-year pro could be negligible, or it could be the distance between heaven and earth.
This year, Teio was like a student who had three perfect 100-point test papers, pushing herself to the absolute limit to score 300.
But last year, Barbatos and the others had already pushed the scale, turning those 100-point tests into 200-point ones. Even if they hadn't won every race, their total "score" was well over 400.
After another full year of grinding? The gap between Tokai Teio and the veterans was simply too wide.
But... there's only room for one on the Winner's Stage.
Sorry Grass, sorry Spe, you'll have to watch from below with Teio.
Just past the second bend, with plenty of track left before the third, Barbatos's aura exploded. She surged forward like a gale.
Wasn't she bad at long distances?
Didn't her ability durations run out too fast?
That was a year ago.
Today, she was a far more complete athlete.
Her raw power hadn't undergone a massive transformation, but she had become an all-weather, all-terrain, "six-vertex" goddess of war.
Having gone abroad with the likes of Seiun Sky, El Condor Pasa, Suzuka, and King Halo, they had all learned from each other, filling in the gaps in their skills.
She didn't just have better gear and leveled-up abilities; she had refined her technique to the point of standing at the absolute apex of her generation—and the world.
Even in a 3500-meter marathon, she was confident she could outclass anyone.
"Barbatos is moving up! Barbatos is making her move!"
"Wait, already? Barbatos?"
In the commentary booth, Akasaka Misato blinked in surprise.
She was the most famous play-by-play announcer in Japan, known for her mastery of race tempo, and she knew Barbatos better than most. She had called many of Barbatos's races.
But they hadn't even reached the third bend yet!
In a 2500-meter race, was Barbatos really starting her final sprint this early? It caught Misato off guard; it didn't fit the Barbatos she knew.
She expected Barbatos to win, but she figured the move would come after the third bend, chasing down Special Week and Grass Wonder in a dramatic finish. Not like this.
"As I thought... she's gotten even stronger since last year,"Montjeu noted, watching the figure fly across the turf. A year had passed, yet the distance between them hadn't shrunk an inch.
"The third bend! Barbatos has caught up to the leaders, Special Week and Grass Wonder!"
"Special Week and Grass Wonder are accelerating too! They still have more in the tank!"
"Barbatos is neck-and-neck with them as they enter the final turn!"
No one was looking at the Undefeated Triple Crown winner in the back anymore. Every eye in the stadium was glued to the trio at the front, wondering exactly how Barbatos would seize this Arima Kinen.
"Barbatos accelerates again!"
"They hit the home stretch! Barbatos has blown past the others!"
"Barbatos!"
"Barbatos!"
"Barbatos crosses the line!"
"Let's give it up for Barbatos! One year later, the King has returned! With a flawless performance, she claims the Arima Kinen trophy and secures her seventeenth consecutive G1 victory!"
"This! Is! The current World Number One! The strongest Uma Musume in modern Japanese racing!"
"Barbatos!!!"
"Winning both the Spring and Autumn campaigns? Dominating the Grand Prix? In front of her, such feats are but dust and shadows!"
As the blood-red intensity of the race faded, Barbatos stood there, not even out of breath.
She looked around, waving to the fans in the stands with a casual air that held none of the typical "Imperial" arrogance.
A long moment passed before Grass Wonder and Special Week crossed the line, trailing by more than ten lengths.
It wasn't that they were weak—it was simply that Barbatos had become a monster.
Just a year after her debut, she had been on par with Symboli Rudolf in short sprints.
After two and a half years, she had beaten the greatest legends in America.
Now?
She was simply a "cheat code" come to life.
--+--
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.